LOW FANTASY settings/adventures: WHERE? WHEN?
- Thread starter Kaptain_Kantrip
- Start date
Victim
First Post
Just get some history books and run a Dark Ages type game. Dark, gritty, brutal, no magic except for superstition - but don't tell them that.
I prefer magic in my fantasy, thank you. Gnomes don't have to exist if no one plays them. I also have to agree with Thorin that I don't think anyone has done high or even medium magic. Sure there's all this magic floating around and powerful wizards, but no one seems to take effect of magic into account.
If companies cater to the lowest common denominator, it's probably because it works. Films that I've never heard of win all kinds of awards, but they're generally lame artsy movies that gross about $20. The reason it's called the lowest common denominator is because it appeals to the most people and thus will probably sell more.
Most "serious" novels aren't fantasy at all, so we should take all magic out of the game, set it in the modern time, and focus it on romance, detectives/police, lawyers and doctors.
I prefer magic in my fantasy, thank you. Gnomes don't have to exist if no one plays them. I also have to agree with Thorin that I don't think anyone has done high or even medium magic. Sure there's all this magic floating around and powerful wizards, but no one seems to take effect of magic into account.
If companies cater to the lowest common denominator, it's probably because it works. Films that I've never heard of win all kinds of awards, but they're generally lame artsy movies that gross about $20. The reason it's called the lowest common denominator is because it appeals to the most people and thus will probably sell more.
Most "serious" novels aren't fantasy at all, so we should take all magic out of the game, set it in the modern time, and focus it on romance, detectives/police, lawyers and doctors.
JoeCrow
Explorer
So what are you looking for, an actual premade low-magic campaign setting or adventures/sourcebooks to use with a homebrew low-magic campaign?
If you're looking for a premade setting, are you looking for a Earth analogue or an original/unique world? Would you prefer a guidebook for creating your own low-magic setting?
How much demand do you think there is for this sort of product?
Thing is, we're still in the early stages of exploiting the possibilities of the OGL and the d20 license. No one's really sure what sort of demand there is for anything outside the traditional core theme of high-magic, elf/dwarf/gnome/halfling, pseudo-medieval stuff, especially with the hardcore DnD crowd that forms the central d20 market. If the CoC book sells well, and the core market seems open to less traditional stuff, I think you'll see more experimentation with this kind of thing. Just in case, I'll start tinkering with some ideas I've had along these lines...
If you're looking for a premade setting, are you looking for a Earth analogue or an original/unique world? Would you prefer a guidebook for creating your own low-magic setting?
How much demand do you think there is for this sort of product?
Thing is, we're still in the early stages of exploiting the possibilities of the OGL and the d20 license. No one's really sure what sort of demand there is for anything outside the traditional core theme of high-magic, elf/dwarf/gnome/halfling, pseudo-medieval stuff, especially with the hardcore DnD crowd that forms the central d20 market. If the CoC book sells well, and the core market seems open to less traditional stuff, I think you'll see more experimentation with this kind of thing. Just in case, I'll start tinkering with some ideas I've had along these lines...
Kaptain_Kantrip
First Post
JoeCrow said:
Yes--I want ready to go low magic setting, sourcebooks and adventures. The setting does not have to be an earth analogue (ala 7th Sea or Earth 1066), it just needs to be gritty and "cool." Either way is fine with me. Something like the City of Lankhmar (not the rest of Nehwon which was ill-defined and rather lame, IMO). I liked the idea of using medieval Prague seen in The Ascension of the Magdalene, a medieval German analogue like in Reaper's Eldest Son, or 7th Sea's setting. A historical analogue certainly makes it easier to understand who's who and what's what, and which funny accent to use for the NPCs.
Adventures: political intrigue, murder mysteries, doomed romance, espionage, "three days to kill" type plots, basically stuff where the bad guys are all humans and members of rival guilds, noble houses, countries, religions, etc. I want the conflict to be more personal and about matters of honor, pride, selfishness, prejudice, greed, etc. Not all this "save the world/save the princess/save the kingdom type" stuff we see all too often. Little victories that mean a lot to the people involved but don't necessarily have an impact on the rest of the world.
Last edited:
HalWhitewyrm
First Post
Low Magic
I have to agree with Erik. I am a sucker for low magic, where the Alchemy skill has real uses, where a sword +1 is the stuff of myth, where magic is all but unheard of and not of the ultra-flashy kind, where having social skills makes a difference between life and death, where high adventure means a murder mystery or a secret liason or espionage or rescue the <insert name here>.
Don't get me wrong, I like letting loose a fireball from time to time as well, but what I describe above makes my heart beat and my dice shake in their bag.
And yes, I would also love to write such a product.
I have to agree with Erik. I am a sucker for low magic, where the Alchemy skill has real uses, where a sword +1 is the stuff of myth, where magic is all but unheard of and not of the ultra-flashy kind, where having social skills makes a difference between life and death, where high adventure means a murder mystery or a secret liason or espionage or rescue the <insert name here>.
Don't get me wrong, I like letting loose a fireball from time to time as well, but what I describe above makes my heart beat and my dice shake in their bag.
And yes, I would also love to write such a product.
I'd realy like that sort of stuff.
I'd also very much like Erik to write it.
In the meantime I am writing something simmilar (I gave a few small samples way back when we were talking about how to make low magic).
It is a settign I am DMing right now based around this city in the delta of the huge river that is a terminus of the many trade routes. City is a mixture between Venice and London but very peculiar.
Spell casting classes are all prestige classes, no way one can qualify before level 5. There is no spells per day and no memorization but spells take hours to cast and usualy carry heavy cost either immediately or in a long run. No spells are directy damage-dealing ones. There is whole new rules for cursing as that is how most of harmfull magic is done.
I use some of the ideas from the Necromancy and Demonology book for magic but am essentialy writing all the spells from skratch. Also, it is Grim and Gritty for the combat system.
If you guys would like me to I can post some excrepts even though the rules are getting quite long (too long for posting on a message board) so I would probably need some ftp if I were to try to share substantial portions...
I'd also very much like Erik to write it.
In the meantime I am writing something simmilar (I gave a few small samples way back when we were talking about how to make low magic).
It is a settign I am DMing right now based around this city in the delta of the huge river that is a terminus of the many trade routes. City is a mixture between Venice and London but very peculiar.
Spell casting classes are all prestige classes, no way one can qualify before level 5. There is no spells per day and no memorization but spells take hours to cast and usualy carry heavy cost either immediately or in a long run. No spells are directy damage-dealing ones. There is whole new rules for cursing as that is how most of harmfull magic is done.
I use some of the ideas from the Necromancy and Demonology book for magic but am essentialy writing all the spells from skratch. Also, it is Grim and Gritty for the combat system.
If you guys would like me to I can post some excrepts even though the rules are getting quite long (too long for posting on a message board) so I would probably need some ftp if I were to try to share substantial portions...
Kaptain_Kantrip
First Post
Glad to see I'm not the only one to think this type of setting and adventures is a good idea! I'm especially glad to see my wishes to make such things a reality being seconded by Erik Mona and other d20 writers.
RangerWickett
Legend
Kaptain_Kantrip said:I remember there was an ad for some RPG (PBM?) in Dragon years and years ago that had the tagline "No Elves!" I thought that was the coolest.
That would be Talislanta. It's definitely got a high-fantasy feel, since magic is everywhere, part of the landscape in some places, but it's low fantasy almost because of tone. Magic isn't safe and reliable, and so not everyone uses it, even though almost everyone has access to it if they want to take the risk. Oh, and though they don't have Elves, they do have a huge variety of races, but all of them, amazingly, are distinct and fleshed out. A brilliant world, and the first ever fantasy setting I played in.
www.talislanta.com
Read the site, and if you like the feel of the setting, please buy the book. 500 pages for $40 is fair, I think.
You REALLY like Talislanta, Ryan
KK, I think you should try Ars Magica. Isn't exactly low magic, but magic isn't common nor easy, even if some character are Magi. Its Mythic Europe is a wonderful setting, and from your comments in this thread, I'm sure you would love it.
(My only question would be when will Atlas guys put out an Ars MAgica d20 to give the setting an extra dose of popularity...)
KK, I think you should try Ars Magica. Isn't exactly low magic, but magic isn't common nor easy, even if some character are Magi. Its Mythic Europe is a wonderful setting, and from your comments in this thread, I'm sure you would love it.
(My only question would be when will Atlas guys put out an Ars MAgica d20 to give the setting an extra dose of popularity...)
Similar Threads
Recent & Upcoming Releases
-
June 16 2026 -
June 16 2026 -
September 16 2026 
Arcana Unleashed(Dungeons & Dragons)
Rulebook featuring "high magic" options, including a host of new spells.
Replies (181) -
September 16 2026 -
October 1 2026 -
October 6 2026 -
January 1 2027
