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How to De-Magic 5e
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<blockquote data-quote="Tony Vargas" data-source="post: 7832367" data-attributes="member: 996"><p>Really, it seems as much about re-magicking as de-magicking. That is, magic is ubiquitous (through a day) via cantrips and (across classes) through spellcasting (which every class has) and spell-equivalency (which the remaining sub-classes are all designed around to some extent). Ubiquitous magic doesn't feel special anymore - familiarity breeds contempt and all that - you lose that senseofwonda that's emblematic to the broader fantasy genre.</p><p></p><p>Do I understand the problem?</p><p></p><p> Check.</p><p>So we're not 'replacing' cantrips with Extra Attack, weapon proficiencies, or a few more spell slots or scaling spell damage or anything?</p><p></p><p>Re-writing something as a class ability still leaves it a spell-equivalent. And Ki, Rage, CS dice/maneuvers, Action Surge & Second Wind are surely all calibrated as spell-equivalents, as well.</p><p></p><p>It seems to me that once you've re-established the defining sense of magic as a limited (within a given day), resource with correspondingly greater power/versatility/importance, <em>the only way to truly <strong>de-magic</strong> something else is to make it <strong>unlimited </strong>on the same time scale, and of correspondingly <strong>lesser </strong>power/versatility/importance</em>.</p><p></p><p>In another thread I pointed out the early-Next-playtest MDD mechanic. As it's a limited resource only within the timescale of a given round - essentially 'at will' compared to real magic - it could be a way of adding a little management/interest/differentiation among fighter, rogue & monk sub-classes.</p><p></p><p>The Warlock has more of it's DPR-balance in it's amped-up Eldritch Blast, and it is on a short-rest schedule, which is also a more-available, thus less-special take on magic, so just doing away with it might be an acceptable answer. The Warlock concept, could be folded into the Sorcerer. Sorcerers from 1st level on have innate magic, McSorcerers who gain power later must get it from a patron?</p><p></p><p>The Ranger's already gone spell-less twice, now, though the 5e attempt didn't go over well, and was still spell-equivalancey. The Bard could lose spells and spell-equivalent bardic inspiration, and bring back Bardic Music (which needn't be literal, might even be (pi) literary) like in 3e & earlier, including inspire <strong><strong>__</strong></strong> (courage, competence, defiance, etc) as more or less at-will (maybe requiring concentration or something?) bonus actions it could do whilst fighting or otherwise contributing, and maybe counter-harmony to dispel charms & magic and the like (or suppress it while the music continues?). </p><p></p><p>Actually, that sounds like it'd be fairly easy, Bardic Music could give a +1d bonus to allies hearing it, the size of the die could start at +1d4, and go up a little at higher levels.</p><p> </p><p>Inspire competence: +1d4 to skill checks</p><p>Inspire courage: +1d4 to melee attacks</p><p>Inspire ferocity: +1d4 to damage with melee attacks</p><p>Inspire defiance: +1d4 to saving throws</p><p></p><p>etc...</p><p></p><p></p><p>Isn't it always?</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Tony Vargas, post: 7832367, member: 996"] Really, it seems as much about re-magicking as de-magicking. That is, magic is ubiquitous (through a day) via cantrips and (across classes) through spellcasting (which every class has) and spell-equivalency (which the remaining sub-classes are all designed around to some extent). Ubiquitous magic doesn't feel special anymore - familiarity breeds contempt and all that - you lose that senseofwonda that's emblematic to the broader fantasy genre. Do I understand the problem? Check. So we're not 'replacing' cantrips with Extra Attack, weapon proficiencies, or a few more spell slots or scaling spell damage or anything? Re-writing something as a class ability still leaves it a spell-equivalent. And Ki, Rage, CS dice/maneuvers, Action Surge & Second Wind are surely all calibrated as spell-equivalents, as well. It seems to me that once you've re-established the defining sense of magic as a limited (within a given day), resource with correspondingly greater power/versatility/importance, [I]the only way to truly [B]de-magic[/B] something else is to make it [B]unlimited [/B]on the same time scale, and of correspondingly [B]lesser [/B]power/versatility/importance[/I]. In another thread I pointed out the early-Next-playtest MDD mechanic. As it's a limited resource only within the timescale of a given round - essentially 'at will' compared to real magic - it could be a way of adding a little management/interest/differentiation among fighter, rogue & monk sub-classes. The Warlock has more of it's DPR-balance in it's amped-up Eldritch Blast, and it is on a short-rest schedule, which is also a more-available, thus less-special take on magic, so just doing away with it might be an acceptable answer. The Warlock concept, could be folded into the Sorcerer. Sorcerers from 1st level on have innate magic, McSorcerers who gain power later must get it from a patron? The Ranger's already gone spell-less twice, now, though the 5e attempt didn't go over well, and was still spell-equivalancey. The Bard could lose spells and spell-equivalent bardic inspiration, and bring back Bardic Music (which needn't be literal, might even be (pi) literary) like in 3e & earlier, including inspire [B][B]__[/B][/B] (courage, competence, defiance, etc) as more or less at-will (maybe requiring concentration or something?) bonus actions it could do whilst fighting or otherwise contributing, and maybe counter-harmony to dispel charms & magic and the like (or suppress it while the music continues?). Actually, that sounds like it'd be fairly easy, Bardic Music could give a +1d bonus to allies hearing it, the size of the die could start at +1d4, and go up a little at higher levels. Inspire competence: +1d4 to skill checks Inspire courage: +1d4 to melee attacks Inspire ferocity: +1d4 to damage with melee attacks Inspire defiance: +1d4 to saving throws etc... Isn't it always? [/QUOTE]
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