Is Magic Too Commonplace In RPGs?

[genshou]

Most people who think there is too much magic in D&D have never studied the demographics to really know how much there actually is, and at what power levels in what places. I've never encountered a system that had "too much" magic; in some everyone can cast spells because that is how that game is designed. I voted no, because I am assuming the intent of the poll is to determine if games like D&D are too "high-magic", and that is definitely not the case.

 

[The Shaman]

Mark, this might be of interest to you: Modern FX styles.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

The question is too broad for any meaningful response. First, you don't define what you mean by magic. (Any number of people have already questioned whether you include psionics and/or super science.) Second, it requires that one be familiar with most RPGs ever produced. (Not just that they've heard of them, but are actually familiar with the rules.) I didn't vote.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." Is an Arthur c. Clarke quote.

 

[genshou]

Ed, you got a new username? Didn't you used to be EdL?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm solidly in the "it depends" demographic. It depends on the RPG, the campaign premise, the system, the DM, etc. Simply put, the question is too broad to be answered meaningfully when you really think about it.

A supposedly "hard sci-fi" campaign that suddenly has an effective Messianic figure show up probably does have too much magic.

Despite Conaill's protestations, the last D&D campaign I ran, in which the first magic item (a flametongue longsword) wasn't handed out until about 4th level, did NOT have too much magic, despite it being a wide open game (WotC + 3rd party freely mixed). As late as 7h level, the Paladin's armor was masterwork, but non-magical.

And a game in which magic is the only solution to every problem might not have too much magic if the campaign is centered on mage vs. mage conflicts.

Thus, my vote was not to vote at all.

 

[Tsillanabor]

In my opinion there are too many magic items, but not neccesarily too much magic. I just don't see spellcasters having much desire to spend their valuable time cranking out magic items they won't use themselves. If a caster is powerful enough to create magic items, he or she probably has plenty of other options open for making a buck.

 

[James Heard]

Considering that some vast portion of my rpg experiences were in things like Star Frontiers, Traveller, and Cyberpunk I think the whole magic thing is silly. I don't remember anything particularly supernatural at all in Star Frontiers, it took me more than a decade to even observe someone playing Traveller with psionic rules and characters in place, and even the players in my Cyberpunk games were mostly only getting "magic" cybernetic replacements because I'd blown their legs off.

I've played D&D and GURPS without magic, and for the most part that was really lame. Sort of "wallow in your medieval filth" roleplaying...probably more anecdotally noteworthy to the sadists who ran these games than anything else. I played in a Top Secret SI game once where my character somehow shrugged off impossible amounts of incoming damage, but I never understood the system well enough to explain HOW that was happening. It could very well have been magic, all I know is that I couldn't find my own ruleset in whatever box it was in so I never really figured out how the game was played except "roll dice now, James." Come to think of it, that is pretty magical.

But anyways, no. Magic isn't common in RPGS, there are RPGS where magic is common. It's not the same thing at all.

 

[Mark]

As some have made plain in their posts, it's probably best if people approach the question/poll from their own perspective, ignoring whether or not others have played every game under the sun, not worrying if they have a definitive answer, speaking from only their own experience, and feeling free to adjust the meaning of the words (like "magic") if they feel that is the only way to approach the question fairly.

Go from the gut where your truthiness lives.

 

[The Shaman]

Go from the gut where your truthiness lives.

NOOO...CAN'T...DECIDE...MUST...HAVE...TWELVE...DISCRETE...ANSWERS...TO...CHOOSE...FROM...

 

[Conaill]

Despite Conaill's protestations, the last D&D campaign I ran, in which the first magic item (a flametongue longsword) wasn't handed out until about 4th level, did NOT have too much magic, despite it being a wide open game (WotC + 3rd party freely mixed). As late as 7h level, the Paladin's armor was masterwork, but non-magical.

And I assume the party didn't have any Wizards, Sorcerors, Clerics or Druids?

Mind you, I fully agree that it's *possible* to run D&D at a lower level of magic than its default. I just think the default is too high, and no attempt was made in the design of the game to facilitate adjusting the magic level, so doing so can be a real hassle.