I'm an incompetent normal-magic DM--how do I fix it?

[knight_isa]

For a long time I've thought I that I prefer running low-powered, low-magic games. I haven't minded playing normal/high-magic, I just haven't liked running it. I ended up scuttling my one real attempt at a high-magic campaign in FR, in part due to my inability to sort out all of the consequences of such prolific magic (and in part because I wasn't familiar with the setting outside of the FRCS and some of the players were very familiar with the setting). At the time, I blamed it more on the published setting and it feeling like doing homework when preparing for the next session. I started a homebrew, experimental lower-magic setting (the experiment being the use of "hero abilities" to compensate using the NPC wealth per level guidelines for the PCs). I've been very comfortable with it, but lately I've been missing all the treasure and thinking that perhaps I'd prefer the something a little closer to core. Then last night, I read this post in another thread:

IMO severely limiting magic is a crutch for an incompetent DM who can't make a normal-magic game work. It's all in the point of view.

That's when I realized that it's not so much that I prefer low-magic as it is that I'm "an incompetent DM who can't make a normal-magic game work."

So, how do I fix it?

Are there any campaign settings, city books, high-level adventures, or even story hours here on the boards that would serve as good examples on how to make normal-magic game work well once the characters hit level 11-20? I hear that Eberron does a good job of incorporating magic into the setting, but not so much with high level characters. FR is fairly high-magic, but as far as I can tell from the FRCS the "big guns" of the setting seem to stay in the background in a cold war of sorts.

Anyway, the current campaign will probably be wrapping up within the next 6 months or so (maybe sooner, if we can't make our proposed internet game work now that half of the players moved out of state), and if I can't talk someone else into DMing for a bit I'll want to try something closer to core, I think. I just need to figure out how to gain a little competence in that area first.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Edit: There's been a lot of bashing of Numion & his above quote, which is admittedly taken out of context. It actually had a place within the context of the thread it was yanked from, and I'd appreciate it if people would 1) avoid further Numion/quote bashing and 2) avoid consoling me for liking low-magic. I'm not saying that I'm doing things wrong now; I am saying that I am interested in running a "normal magic" game at some time in the future and currently am not comfortable with my ability to do so successfully. Thanks.

 

[Mark]

I've noticed that most often DMs don't allow creatures to truly challenge the party because they don't familiarize themselves with the special abilities and just have the creatures all go toe-to-toe with the PCs. Also, mix up the minions with higher level or tougher creatures to give the boss monsters a chance to assess the PCs and hit them more effectively.

 

[ChristianW]

That's when I realized that it's not so much that I prefer low-magic as it is that I'm "an incompetent DM who can't make a normal-magic game work."

Sweet mercy.

How about this: You're a perfectly capable DM who doesn't want to spend all your time studying monster abilities magical effects with the tenacity of a law student studying for the bar.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to toss some dice around without worrying about all the other stuff. I hate to self plug, but go check out my fanzine and download some of the .pdf issues that deal with Basic D&D and D&D 3.5. I write for low magic and low power and I do so without sacrificing playability or fun.

 

[VirgilCaine]

What kinds of problems do you have in preparing for normal-magic games?

I ended up scuttling my one real attempt at a high-magic campaign in FR, in part due to my inability to sort out all of the consequences of such prolific magic

What do you mean "consequences"?

 

[Akrasia]

... I've been very comfortable with it ...

If you're comfortable with it, and everyone is having a good time, why change it?

This is a hobby that is meant to be enjoyable. There is absolutely nothing 'wrong' with running a low-magic style of game!

That's when I realized that it's not so much that I prefer low-magic as it is that I'm "an incompetent DM who can't make a normal-magic game work."

Why on earth would you take that foolish statement seriously? Ignore such rubbish!

If your style works for you, and you've run good exciting 'low-magic' games, you're a good DM. Don't let someone else's prejudice undermine your own style!

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Well, I would slow down and not over-react to one person's opinion.

First, are your players having fun?

Second, were you having fun before you read that one comment?

If the answer to both of these questions is yes, then I:

Slap you upside the head and tell you to go have fun with my blessings and quit worrying about someone else's trivial opinion. It might be a legitimate opinion for some, but if you and your group loves what you are doing, why knock it?

Now, on the other hand, if you truly are not having fun, your players are not having fun, or you just want to broaden your horizens for the sake of it then I would say open up the books (PHB chapter on spells and DMG chapter of Magic Items) and find something that strikes your fancy. Find something that really catches your attention and you think might capture the attention of your players. Then, find about 8-10 spells/items that would fit with the theme of the first thing you found. That becomes your "concept idea." Once you have that, if it is item-heavy, make sure that if these items will end up in the hands of the PCs it won't make them too powerful or shoot them way above the expected wealth level for their level. Assuming those conditions are met, now design a plot around those spells/items. Make it simple at first and see how your players react. Maybe you should start with having the display of magic from friendly NPCs so that the party can interact with the magic/items without wanting to immediately kill for it. If the party reacts favorably, then design something more complex - maybe adversarial.

Wash, rinse, repeat as often as necessary. Make it as complex or simple as the situation allows.

By the time you expirament around with this ... you'll be well on your way to being an expert.

P.S. I don't use many monsters except undead/outsiders in my campaigns. Typically I have evil NPCs as races rather than monsters. So I completely avoid that whole "needing to memorize special abilities" schtick. Some people are very good at it, I don't have the time to be very good. So for me, I like to bring high magic in the form fo spells/spell effects more than anything else. Besides, cool spells are hard to take from a dead enemy caster!

 

[knight_isa]

I think that perhaps I haven't been really clear. Sure, I forget the occasional special ability or whatever, but I really don't think that's the problem. In my experimental campaign I'm running now, the group has 6 10th-level characters (though no full spellcasters), and I haven't had *too* much problem dealing with CR-appropiate encounters. The primary difference between my current campaign and a "normal" D&D campaign, though, is the lack of magic items and full spellcasters. The party has roughly NPC-equivalent wealth (although, as mentioned above, they have several magical "hero abilities" to compensate). Basically, my campaign pushes a "it's you, not your stuff" angle in a way that makes magic much less prolific in the world at large. Thus far, level hasn't been a problem, either. A sufficient number of CR-4 opponents is still scary, for example, and the occasional high-CR opponent to mix things up isn't that bad.

If someone is interested in what I'm doing for this campaign, the website is here:My Experimental Low-Magic Campaign

However, I'm finding the lower magic level--particularly the lack of fun treasure--vaguely unsatisfying, and I suspect that my players do, too. What I'd like to do is learn the following:

• How do a better handle full spellcasters on a campaign level?
• How do I account more easily available magic & items on a campaign level?

 

[knight_isa]

What kinds of problems do you have in preparing for normal-magic games?

What do you mean "consequences"?

Mostly accounting for things like widely available magic. It's fairly easy to look at the characters and have a ballpark understanding of their resources. Sure, they may remember something that I've forgotten, or think of a new or clever way to use what they have that I hadn't thought of, but that's okay. Sometimes my well-laid plans will all be dissolved in the blink of an eye or that "tough" challenge will be a cakewalk, but I don't mind too much because sometimes the reverse is true, too, and that on-the-fly creation spawns some entertaining, long-term events or that "easy" random encounter turns deadly. It all evens out.

If you have widely accessible magic, though, resources are much more difficult to predict, not just for the characters, but also for their foes. I know that some limitations would exist to alleviate this somewhat (which is why, for instance, the various epic powers in FR haven't obliterated each other), I just have a hard time understanding what they might be.

 

[PallidPatience]

First off, don't think that just because D&D seems to be really high magic as a core setting that everyone has a +1 spoon of tastiness, or whatever. Magic items ARE still hard to find. Spellcasters ARE still fairly rare. You're not likely to have more than a 1st-3rd level druid, cleric, sorc, or adept hanging out in a small village, for instance (with 3rd being really abnormal). A small town would easily have one or two of them. A larger town might have one up to 4th level. Wizards start to show up (except for specific cases) in even larger towns/small cities.

Magic items still don't grow on trees, either. And, despite what people say, the core rules don't expect that cities have "Magic-marts", where you can one-stop shop for all the magic items you'll need. They DO, however, assume that magic items are ATTAINABLE (though they don't mention how, preferring to let you flesh out your own setting) in cities and towns, as long as they're under the gp limit of the size of the town.

I guess the best advice I could give is to just be prepared to THINK. You have to think a lot. Be prepared to look at things from as many angles as you can, too. You should also take care to be very aware of the implications of PC abilities and magic items that you make available to them. That's about it, and you admit that the consequences of magic are what you're having problems with.

 

[knight_isa]

If you're comfortable with it, and everyone is having a good time, why change it?

I'm comfortable, but I've been feeling vaguely dissatisfied for the last few sessions. I'm actually starting to miss the "cool treasure" normally associated with a D&D game. From comments made by the players, I suspect they are, too, although they're trying to be good sports about it and seem to be having fun.

Well, I would slow down and not over-react to one person's opinion.

It wasn't directed at me, as I didn't even post in the thread, but it rang true, to some extent. I should probably clarify by saying that I don't believe I'm an incompetent DM, more that I'm an incompetent normal-magic DM.

And I'm starting on the road to increasing magic items. Even following NPC wealth guidelines, that is going to happen. The party is a bit on the low side, but I've started the slow infusion of items that will correct that. And really, it isn't so much a handful of items in the party's hands that bother me. I know they have them, and I can, to some extent, predict their usage. It's figuring out how & why everyone else in the world is using their items (even in a generally abstract way) that's hard for me.

P.S. I don't use many monsters except undead/outsiders in my campaigns. Typically I have evil NPCs as races rather than monsters. So I completely avoid that whole "needing to memorize special abilities" schtick. Some people are very good at it, I don't have the time to be very good. So for me, I like to bring high magic in the form fo spells/spell effects more than anything else. Besides, cool spells are hard to take from a dead enemy caster!

Generally, that's what I do, too.