Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Oerth has had whole nations get destroyed by epic-level spells, though, which argues against low fantasy, IMO, even if it's not as OMGMAGIC as the Forgotten Realms.
Low fantasy settings
- Thread starter VGmaster9
- Start date
Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Yep. They're OGL or for non-D&D systems (other than the 2E, I think, TSR treatment of Lankhmar), for the most part. Jakandor, if that's how it spelled, was a three-supplement mini-setting from TSR for 2E that probably also qualifies as a sword and sorcery setting.
And there's also the classic Wilderlands of High Fantasy, which has some magic, but it's mostly in the ruins of ancient decadent civilization or in the hands of unpleasant NPCs. The players are assumed to be more like Conan than Elminster. The original might be pricy, but you should be able to find the 3E version on eBay and I think there are people in the OSR community who are making their own homages and clones, including some from Frog God.
Whizbang Dustyboots
Gnometown Hero
Two that spring to my mind are both based on fantasy fiction - Fritz Lieber's Newhon and the city of Lankhmar is a great setting with plenty of rogues and warriors, and not too many clerics or mages. This was the basis of a series of AD&D supplements, probably now only available on ebay (though the original stories are still being published).
Thieve's World, and its city of Sanctuary, is a collaborative fantasy setting, with the original stories being edited and compiled by Robert Lynn Asprin. It has been used for 3.0/OGL series by Green Ronin publishing. Very grim and gritty if I remember.
TheYeti1775
Adventurer
Valus works for a Low Fantasy type setting.
Far as controlling higher level magics, limit the access to new spells.
You can balance it out fairly well.
If your wizards aren't getting many higher spells it stands to reason that not as many magic items are made either.
Make a +1 weapon mean something at 8th level, rather than a 2,000gp paperweight.
I'm running a campaign right now where outside of potions they have four magic items total in the entire party as treasure found. 2 rings, 1 bracer, 1 sword.
It's not hard to do, just takes a little work making sure the encounters actually match the true nature of the party rather than the standard PHB/DMG rules. Basically like you had to in the older editions.
This is one thing I think 4E actually gives you a mechanic in how to do it. Via their daily/encounter/at will powers. You could morph that mechanic over to spell lists in a way that fits your campaign.
Sorcers and Favored Soul(Cleric version) will be more common than Clerics and Wizards in this world. Signifying a Wizard is something truly rare as well as the Cleric.
Enforce a Known Spells per level rule, and the learn new spell rule.
Far as controlling higher level magics, limit the access to new spells.
You can balance it out fairly well.
If your wizards aren't getting many higher spells it stands to reason that not as many magic items are made either.
Make a +1 weapon mean something at 8th level, rather than a 2,000gp paperweight.
I'm running a campaign right now where outside of potions they have four magic items total in the entire party as treasure found. 2 rings, 1 bracer, 1 sword.
It's not hard to do, just takes a little work making sure the encounters actually match the true nature of the party rather than the standard PHB/DMG rules. Basically like you had to in the older editions.
This is one thing I think 4E actually gives you a mechanic in how to do it. Via their daily/encounter/at will powers. You could morph that mechanic over to spell lists in a way that fits your campaign.
Sorcers and Favored Soul(Cleric version) will be more common than Clerics and Wizards in this world. Signifying a Wizard is something truly rare as well as the Cleric.
Enforce a Known Spells per level rule, and the learn new spell rule.
Mark CMG
Creative Mountain Games
Great thread! I've always been a big fan of homebrewing toward a low-magic (or, rather, magic-rare, as I prefer to call it) setting for whatever RPG I am playing/presenting. I like gritty settings that require magic use to tire and/or corrupt the user and those associated with the user. I like having stretches of RPing between exploring ruins due to broken bones and wounds that are safer to allow time to heal than to risk going to the divine well too often. I like to present my Grymvald setting in that manner, much like Howard but with less ancient-fantasy elements and more Medieval Fantasy (religion more organized, and thus capable of being strongly political, with cults on the fringes rather than widespread, weaponry and agricultural tech more late-Feudal, pre-gunpowder but naval/merchant ships a bit more advanced, etc.). I like this at the heart of the setting but, of course, just off or nearly off the map in all directions are cultures from many contemporary (to the setting) or earlier eras, so that all of ancient and Medieval history can be plundered.
Particle_Man
Explorer
Isn't Kingdoms of Kalamar meant to be realtively low fantasy?
