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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercule" data-source="post: 915981" data-attributes="member: 5100">My reasons for preferring low-magic games are pretty simple.First, I just like the images evoked better.  It's much cooler (IMHO) for the Rogue to make a series of balance and jump checks as he leaps from one precipice to another, slowly working his way across/around a chasm than it is to see his Wizard buddy look around and say "Screw that!" and cast Fly.  I can understand someone preferring it the other way.And don't mistake my preferrence of scenes for an inability to build an adventure that can handle high magic.  Having run both, I find high magic much easier to plan for, but far less rewarding story-wise.The second reason is that I don't think the general fantasy genre works particularly well with off-the-shelf magic items.  Excalibur is almost as famous as Arthur.  Most of the magic weapons in Lord of the Rings are named, as well (Sting, Glamdring, etc.).  Those are cool.  Why would you name a +1 sword in a high magic setting?  Makes no sense.  Likewise, Frodo never even considered the idea that he might "upgrade" Sting.In a high-magic world, those items mean very little.  They're almost unremarkable.  There is no awe surrounding the posssession of a Holy Avenger, in most cases.  If there is, it is often more because of its butt-kicking potential than the spiritual signifigance.Third, ironically, given the second point, is that the characters are often secondary to the items.  Very rarely does a high magic game have a situation where "only Vern can stop this foe".  Rather, any schmuck with Vern's gear could stop this foe.I honestly don't have too many memories about characters "putting the smackdown" on certain BBEGs.  Nor could I name even one magic item or spell that most of my past characters have possessed, even the one immediately prior to my current character (heh, I barely care what items the current one's carrying, and we're in the middle of RtToEE).</blockquote>

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