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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hussar" data-source="post: 2945249" data-attributes="member: 22779">Heh, I'll start with the easy one.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />There is certainly a middle ground between low and high magic.  I personally feel that stock DnD fills that middle ground.  It's actually specifically called out as such in the DMG when they talk about High vs Low Magic.  Sure, there's lots of goodies, but, you also don't have imp powered day planners, arcane computers and pyramids that twist time.  (If you read Pratchett, you'll see what I mean)Perhaps a large part of my problem is I'm viewing a lot of this through a fairly long lens of memory.  The last time I read an REH Conan was more than a few years ago, so, take what I'm saying with a fair dose of salt, never mind that the Conan I read was L. Sprague de Camp's versions and not the originals.  Yes, you're right, most of the stories involved some magic.  That's why it's fantasy.  Conan with no magic is Tarzan.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />  (Yes, that's a joke, don't call me on it.)  But, the magic in the stories was often not the focus.  The focus was on Conan kicking someone's posterior all over the pages.  In a few of the stories, he had a magic sword, possible another trinket or so, but that was about it.  Conan didn't solve the problems with magic.  Any magic item that was in the story was a plot device or a setting device that was quickly discarded after the story.Let me rephrase that.  The magic in the story served the function of setting a certain tone, but was rarely central to the story.  While Thoth-Amon featured in a number of the stories, he was typically way in the background.  The majority of the action featured Conan against either human or beastial opponents.  Is an ape man magic?  Meh, that's iffy.  Fantastic yes, magic?  Not so much.Compare Conan to Elric.  Elric is much higher magic.  Take it a step further and you get the Chronicles of Corum.  What's the primary difference?  Essentially, Conan solves his problems with brain and brawn.  Elric solves his problems by feeding their souls to his demonic sword.  Corum solves his problems by summoning a horde of demons to feast on their souls.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Sure, there is magic in the Conan stories.  It is fantasy.  It's low fantasy because the plot is not resolved through the use of magic (at least not often).  In high fantasy, the plot is resolved almost entirely by magic.  Toss the ring in the volcano and all your problems melt away.  To me, that is why you can't really have a low magic campaign with core casters in the group.  Plots can be resolved by the liberal application of magic.  In low magic, if you want to find the killer, you have to track down clues.  In high magic, you ask the gods and they tell you.  Since there are so many spells with lengthy durations, the idea of limiting magical items to the party becomes almost laughable anyway.  Greater Magic Weapon and now the fighter has a magic sword.  Magic Vestment and now he has magic armor.  Bless weapon and now he's got an aligned magic sword and armor.  All this can be done by a seventh level party.  To me, to claim that by making everyone else except the party low magic = a low magic campaign, seems very strange.  Actually, it seems very much like superhero comics to me.  The party has fantastic powers that they use to right wrongs and stop injustice.  It's up to the medieval version of the Justice League to save the day.I prefer, and this is purely my preference, for the party to be a lot higher level before they can be viewed that way.</blockquote>

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