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<blockquote data-quote="molonel" data-source="post: 965627" data-attributes="member: 10412"><p>This seems to be a thread I've seen on several message boards, lately. Monte Cook had a poll on his site asking people if they would buy a supplement geared at adapting D&D 3E to low-magic or no-magic settings. Many people responded yes.</p><p></p><p>On the one hand, you have people saying that D&D 3E has become too much like Diablo II. Oddly, you can even purchase a supplement to run a Diablo campaign. These people often see magic as trivialized in the present system. It's made into products. It is something you save up money for. You have item slots, and when those are full, you make slotless items or double up enchantments. Magic isn't something that inspires wonder or awe, anymore.</p><p></p><p>On the other hand, you have people who prefer high fantasy, epic heroism, high magic. While I sympathize with the low magic/no magic crowd, I probably prefer the high magic/high fantasy setting. My reasoning here is partly escapist. Someone above mentioned playing characters who weren't that much more powerful than ordinary folk.</p><p></p><p>Now, such a campaign obviously has rich story potential and character arcs and all that. I have a broad variety of gaming tastes, so I'm not slamming this style of gaming.</p><p></p><p>But let's face it. I play an average Joe 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When I game, and when I play a FANTASY game, furthermore, I am exerting my imagination. I want to imagine a world where magic exists, where dragons soar through the skies, where ancient weapons lie in guarded crypts. I want to play great heroes or diabolic villians (I love evil campaigns, I must confess).</p><p></p><p>I have played gritty, low magic campaigns. There are gaming systems better adapted to that than D&D, IMO.</p><p></p><p>Low magic or no magic campaigns are generally a much more intensive experience for the DM, in particular. If you don't have goodies or rewards, then your backstory and setting better damn well be cinematic in detail to make up for that.</p><p></p><p>Generally, as well, I think low magic and no magic campaigns work best from 1st through 7th or 8th level, or perhaps 10th level at most, because the power curve between a 20th level fighter and a 20th level wizard in a low magic setting is astronomical.</p><p></p><p>A low magic setting in D&D would require a revamping of the entire CR system. DR becomes something truly terrifying, and SR becomes much less important or meaningful.</p><p></p><p>Here is a page that talks about one low magic system someone developed based on Robert E. Howard's Conan books:</p><p></p><p><a href="http://hyboria.xoth.net/sorcery/low_magic_system.htm" target="_blank">http://hyboria.xoth.net/sorcery/low_magic_system.htm</a></p><p></p><p>And more materials for that setting:</p><p></p><p><a href="http://hyboria.xoth.net/sorcery/index.htm" target="_blank">http://hyboria.xoth.net/sorcery/index.htm</a></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="molonel, post: 965627, member: 10412"] This seems to be a thread I've seen on several message boards, lately. Monte Cook had a poll on his site asking people if they would buy a supplement geared at adapting D&D 3E to low-magic or no-magic settings. Many people responded yes. On the one hand, you have people saying that D&D 3E has become too much like Diablo II. Oddly, you can even purchase a supplement to run a Diablo campaign. These people often see magic as trivialized in the present system. It's made into products. It is something you save up money for. You have item slots, and when those are full, you make slotless items or double up enchantments. Magic isn't something that inspires wonder or awe, anymore. On the other hand, you have people who prefer high fantasy, epic heroism, high magic. While I sympathize with the low magic/no magic crowd, I probably prefer the high magic/high fantasy setting. My reasoning here is partly escapist. Someone above mentioned playing characters who weren't that much more powerful than ordinary folk. Now, such a campaign obviously has rich story potential and character arcs and all that. I have a broad variety of gaming tastes, so I'm not slamming this style of gaming. But let's face it. I play an average Joe 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When I game, and when I play a FANTASY game, furthermore, I am exerting my imagination. I want to imagine a world where magic exists, where dragons soar through the skies, where ancient weapons lie in guarded crypts. I want to play great heroes or diabolic villians (I love evil campaigns, I must confess). I have played gritty, low magic campaigns. There are gaming systems better adapted to that than D&D, IMO. Low magic or no magic campaigns are generally a much more intensive experience for the DM, in particular. If you don't have goodies or rewards, then your backstory and setting better damn well be cinematic in detail to make up for that. Generally, as well, I think low magic and no magic campaigns work best from 1st through 7th or 8th level, or perhaps 10th level at most, because the power curve between a 20th level fighter and a 20th level wizard in a low magic setting is astronomical. A low magic setting in D&D would require a revamping of the entire CR system. DR becomes something truly terrifying, and SR becomes much less important or meaningful. Here is a page that talks about one low magic system someone developed based on Robert E. Howard's Conan books: [url]http://hyboria.xoth.net/sorcery/low_magic_system.htm[/url] And more materials for that setting: [url]http://hyboria.xoth.net/sorcery/index.htm[/url] [/QUOTE]
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