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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Gothmog" data-source="post: 915615" data-attributes="member: 317">Personally, I have never found high magic, high-powered games compelling to play in or run.  Like another poster said, in high magic games, its about the equipment/spells/powers instead of about the characters.  In every campaign I have played in that has been high magic (5 campaigns) the players have used their magic and items as a crutch, relying on it to the exclusion of role-playing and good problem solving to deal with siutations.  In many cases, the DM has to invent magical reasons on the fly to prevent characters from circumnavigating the adventure and making sure everyone has a good time.  When it becomes more about the plus a certain item gives you than character development, the game lacks any sort of plausibility, instead being an escapist power fantasy involving supermen crushing their enemies.  Maybe not all high magic, high-powered games do this, but in my experience they do- and I end up quitting playing becasue they become boring.  Also, since most of the characters have every toy they could ever concievably want, it becomes hard for the DM to find items to give them, and the problem is only compounded because he has to give the enemies just as many goodies to be a threat to the PCs.I find low-magic games much more fun to DM and play in because in those games, magic actually MEANS something.  Magic in a low-magic world isn't a tool, its a force that is not completely understood, and can be inherently dangerous.  In a low magic game, DMs need to be careful not to give out just +1 swords, instead giving the item properties and history that make it unique and interesting.  I have also found from experience that the role-playing in low magic games tends to be of much higher quality since the PCs have to rely on their wits to pull through situations, rather than their magic and gear.  The characters also tend to have much more personality because we can relate to them and their feelings- they are like us, but in an alien situation.  IME, high-magic characters are very hard to relate to, because very few of us are supermen, and none of us know how we would act with those sorts of powers.</blockquote>

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