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Help me design my next campaign - Low magic world
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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 4622575" data-attributes="member: 19675"><p>I'm designing a world in which (for reasons I won't go into here) academic arcane education is extremely rare- IOW, there are few wizards. In that, it is somewhat similar to your world.</p><p></p><p>The consequences are:</p><p></p><p>1) Due to a lack of schools and the destruction of most spellbooks & scrolls, all wizards determine their initial spells randomly. Spells from the PHB are more common, those from other sources are rare- and this affects how likely a mage is to learn a particular spell. There are no "automatically gained" spells for leveling- you have to find a source for your knowledge in the campaign world- another PC, NPC, an extremely rare scroll or rarer still, a spellbook.</p><p></p><p>2) Specialists and Focused Specialists are just as common as generalists, and all are far less common than spontaneous casters</p><p></p><p>3) Because sources of new spells are so rare- mainly other casters- most full casters multiclass or do their own spell research- IOW, they metamagically modify spells they already know into more powerful spells.</p><p></p><p>In this case, this means that someone who learns Magic Missile at 1st level might research MM as a Still Spell for his second level slot when he advances to 3rd level and he hasn't found a 2nd level spell. He doesn't need the Metamagic Feat- he's redesigned the spell to be more powerful. Its entirely possible that he "specializes" in a certain spell by this method.</p><p></p><p>In the world you describe, there might be other logical changes as well:</p><p></p><p>1) I'm not sure your player would appreciate having pure caster classes being the sole domain of NPCs. It rings of "unfairness." A better path might be to say that no PC can take a level in a full-casting class until 2nd (3rd, 4th, etc.)</p><p></p><p>2) Because arcane spellcasting is essentially illegal, many arcane students would be multiclassed. In fact, that could be a HR- no more than 1/2 (1/3, 1/4, whatever) of all of a PC's class levels may be taken in a full-casting class.</p><p></p><p>3) Exchange Still Spell or Silent Spell for Scribe Scroll as the 1st level Wiz bonus feat. The First Rule of Wizardry is that the Arcane Art is the Hidden Art..."We don't talk about Wizard School."</p><p></p><p>4) Its entirely possible that there might be "tamed" arcanists within the hierarchies of the various faiths. After all, arcane magic may be "illegal," but who cares when you're using it against unbelievers. Regardless, their status would be made apparent to all by some kind of distinctive dress or symbol of office- a special staff, a pin of rank, a differently colored ramient to the normal clergy, etc.</p><p></p><p>5) Demihumans might be treated the same way. Those who convert to one faith or another may be given some outward sign of their conversion- a brand, a tattoo, a piece of jewelry not easily hidden or removed, or distinctive clothing- that entitles them to move freely in the lands of men, with (almost) no fear of harassment.</p><p></p><p>I also suggest you take a look at Harry Turtledove's <em>Darkness</em> series. Not only is it a pretty good read, I think you'll find it a VERY helpful set of books. Turtledove is a professional historian who also writes fiction- some of the best alt-history fiction there is. His <em>Darkness </em>series is his telling of a WW2 type story in a low-magic* world.</p><p></p><p>* Most magic in Turtledove's <em>Darkness </em>world is simple enough for everyone to do- if they know a true incantation- and its used like most simple tech in the RW. In D&D terms, most of the magic in the world is Cantrips. The next most visible form of magic are the magic staves most of the soldiers carry or cannisters dropped by dragonriders- fantasy world firearms and bombs- and other items. The <strong>powerful </strong>magics are all at the ritual level- there isn't the equivalent of a "Tim" lobbing fireballs all over the battlefield, no summonings, no shapechangers. Most of the magic you'd see in a typical FRPG is simply absent...but the rituals are truly, truly terrible.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 4622575, member: 19675"] I'm designing a world in which (for reasons I won't go into here) academic arcane education is extremely rare- IOW, there are few wizards. In that, it is somewhat similar to your world. The consequences are: 1) Due to a lack of schools and the destruction of most spellbooks & scrolls, all wizards determine their initial spells randomly. Spells from the PHB are more common, those from other sources are rare- and this affects how likely a mage is to learn a particular spell. There are no "automatically gained" spells for leveling- you have to find a source for your knowledge in the campaign world- another PC, NPC, an extremely rare scroll or rarer still, a spellbook. 2) Specialists and Focused Specialists are just as common as generalists, and all are far less common than spontaneous casters 3) Because sources of new spells are so rare- mainly other casters- most full casters multiclass or do their own spell research- IOW, they metamagically modify spells they already know into more powerful spells. In this case, this means that someone who learns Magic Missile at 1st level might research MM as a Still Spell for his second level slot when he advances to 3rd level and he hasn't found a 2nd level spell. He doesn't need the Metamagic Feat- he's redesigned the spell to be more powerful. Its entirely possible that he "specializes" in a certain spell by this method. In the world you describe, there might be other logical changes as well: 1) I'm not sure your player would appreciate having pure caster classes being the sole domain of NPCs. It rings of "unfairness." A better path might be to say that no PC can take a level in a full-casting class until 2nd (3rd, 4th, etc.) 2) Because arcane spellcasting is essentially illegal, many arcane students would be multiclassed. In fact, that could be a HR- no more than 1/2 (1/3, 1/4, whatever) of all of a PC's class levels may be taken in a full-casting class. 3) Exchange Still Spell or Silent Spell for Scribe Scroll as the 1st level Wiz bonus feat. The First Rule of Wizardry is that the Arcane Art is the Hidden Art..."We don't talk about Wizard School." 4) Its entirely possible that there might be "tamed" arcanists within the hierarchies of the various faiths. After all, arcane magic may be "illegal," but who cares when you're using it against unbelievers. Regardless, their status would be made apparent to all by some kind of distinctive dress or symbol of office- a special staff, a pin of rank, a differently colored ramient to the normal clergy, etc. 5) Demihumans might be treated the same way. Those who convert to one faith or another may be given some outward sign of their conversion- a brand, a tattoo, a piece of jewelry not easily hidden or removed, or distinctive clothing- that entitles them to move freely in the lands of men, with (almost) no fear of harassment. I also suggest you take a look at Harry Turtledove's [I]Darkness[/I] series. Not only is it a pretty good read, I think you'll find it a VERY helpful set of books. Turtledove is a professional historian who also writes fiction- some of the best alt-history fiction there is. His [I]Darkness [/I]series is his telling of a WW2 type story in a low-magic* world. * Most magic in Turtledove's [I]Darkness [/I]world is simple enough for everyone to do- if they know a true incantation- and its used like most simple tech in the RW. In D&D terms, most of the magic in the world is Cantrips. The next most visible form of magic are the magic staves most of the soldiers carry or cannisters dropped by dragonriders- fantasy world firearms and bombs- and other items. The [B]powerful [/B]magics are all at the ritual level- there isn't the equivalent of a "Tim" lobbing fireballs all over the battlefield, no summonings, no shapechangers. Most of the magic you'd see in a typical FRPG is simply absent...but the rituals are truly, truly terrible. [/QUOTE]
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