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Message: <blockquote data-quote="der_kluge" data-source="post: 1290924" data-attributes="member: 945">The fundamental problem with trying to make high-level D&D low-magic is that it disproportionately skews all the CRs UP.  So, if you take a 15th level party from a "low magic" setting, and transport them to Forgotten Realms, they will be smoked in no time.  Oh sure, they could still lay some smack down on low level things, but through a few iron golems, or a demon or two their way, and they're gonna get killed.  Reworking D&D into low magic is much, much more than just revising all the spells.  It is a fundamentally different game.    And I think people have a problem with high level D&D because there really is no basis for it in movies.  I would contend that most characters in LoTR, are probably less than about 7th level.  When was the last time you saw Gandalf toss around wishes and greater teleports?  Even Gandalf relies on his sword, and has to ride a horse to get from one place to another.  I haven't seen RotK yet, but the most powerful, visible thing I've seen him throw is in FotR where he fights the Balrog - something akin to Protection from Evil, and then something like a Resilient Sphere.  To play high level D&D, you have to understand that it is a much different game than low-level D&D.  As Monte Cook says - you should just embrace the spells as they are.  The system works, but as players become more powerful, simple plots no longer become a challenge for them.  You are forced to rethink your idea of what makes a combat challenging, and what makes a mystery challenging for them.  There are numerous threads here about running a high level campaign successfully, with tons of great ideas.  The current game I am running is high level.  The party is 10th, and they started at 9th.  We'll finish when they're 20th.  Feel free to read my story hour (link in my .sig).</blockquote>

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