Fragment of an idea for a "low" magic system

[Ancalagon]

However, in warhammer at least, wizards can be decent combatants at melee or ranged, as well, so they have something besides magic to fall back on...

They are marginally better than a 5e wizard at best... are we talking about Warhammer 2nd ed here?

 

[Jacob Lewis]

D&D has always been built on the predication that campaigns will progress to high levels of power and magic. It's in the DNA. The easiest way to circumvent high-powered shenanigans is to cap progression. I say level 10. 10 becomes the new 20, 5th level spells become the new 9th, and beholders are the new Ancient Dragons.

Of course, I am all for limiting access to spells either way, if only to give better flavor and focus between caster types.

 

[Draegn]

For my game I have completely abandoned the magic system as presented and created my own. Instead of schools there are spell types based on what they do. Each spell type requires a separate skill to cast and has specific rules for scaling. Depending on a player, the player can either be diversified but have a greater chance of a failure, be decent at a several things, or heavily concentrate in a few.

 

[Tony Vargas]

Unless the casters and non-casters were completely unbalanced to begin with, a nerf like this to casters would break the game.

So, fine idea then.

Seriously, as someone who's run lower-magic campaigns before, the 'nerf' to magical power in a setting where magic is rare, mysterious, abd/or feared is often made up for in the way enemies will be unprepared to deal with it. In a high-magic world, for instance, a castle may have alarm spells, sealed upper-story windows to stop flyers, guards trained to be alert for invisible or polymorphed intruders, etc. In a low-magic world, even if they suspect a caster may have it in for them, any precautions may be ill-concieved or just superstions - salt scattered in doorways and such.

Low-magic can also weaken non-casters surprisingly. Lack of magical healing nerfs melee types who can no longer spend so many rounds in combat every day, for instance.

Whereas, if the casters and non-casters are completely unbalanced to begin with, a nerf like this probably would not really change that.

Quite possibly.

What it would actually do is make casters into one trick ponies

Not necessarily all bad - it's excessive versatility that pushes casters into Tier 1.