Hidden Magic Setting

[tensen]

I'm currently in the process of creating a setting that takes a medieval fantasy setting and strips known magic completely away from it.

Start with a Human City.
Add a taste of magic hidden away and rumored.
Start PCs as one of the following classes:
Aristocrat, Bard (no spellcasting, exchange +2 to bardic knowledge), Expert, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue

Clerics exist, although most priests don't cast spells. And it is not a PC class to start.

Urban setting (Metrolpois of over 75,000)... throw in a good taste of X-files searching for the magic. Create the PCs as part of the City Guard in an Investigation Unit.

Races Allowed: Human or Half-Elf
Limit the number of half-elves in the party to no more than 2. They are not to know their heritage, as elves aren't "known", elves are part of the conspiracy.

 

[jollyninja]

does the +2 to bardic knowledge really balance with no spells? i might give them a bonus feat every 4th level as well. I'd give them all of the feats that have no direct combat application (track, skill focus, alertness ect) as their list of possible bonus feats

 

[Desdichado]

A posting landmark!

WOO-HOO! Post #200!

Anyway, if I were you, I'd look at using some Wheel of Time classes in place of the D&D classes for this world (in fact, I'm working up a campaign setting doing the same thing, and for low-magic settings, you can't beat 'em.)

Aristocrat is replaced by the Noble: a better class for PCs anyway, bards are replaced by prestige class Gleeman (before you pick up the Prestige class, you just take ranks in Perform and call yourself a bard, I presume...) Ranger is replaced by the Woodsman: a ranger sans spellcasting. Some of the other classes are different (Wanderer vs. Rogue) but you don't need them to get rid of magic.

 

[tensen]

Lack of spells

Considering it is intended to be an urban campaign. The spells aren't as important as the knowledge a bard can gain through bardic knowledge. Not to meantion it isn't that they have no spellcasting ability... they just don't know any spells. Should the PC come across a spell somewhere in the campaign, it is feasible for them to learn it. Just I intend to make that difficult.