Low Magic: Alternatives to "every other" spellcasting levels?

[Remathilis]

Hello

So, lets say I was looking into running a lower magic game, but didn't want the 10 level max or "every other level" spellcasting rules. More specifically, I'm looking for a way to limit some of the outragous super power, but still give dedicated spellcasters the possibility of being one for all twenty levels.

What are some of the alternatives to "every other level" and still be low magic?

 

[Kyramus]

just tossing some ideas out there
1) remove sorcerers as their inate spells make it hard to control the spells.
2) remove the automatic 2 spells for wizards, instead make them search and find spells. if they don't find a 2nd level spell when they are 3rd level, they DON'T have a 2nd level spell. they can however apply any metamagic feat that boosts a level 1 to a level 2 spell. This might actually make a metamagic feat useful for the player.
3) turn priests spells like sorcerer spells, they know only a few prayers but they can cast more of it. limits their wide selection of spells as well. handle domain spells as a bonus spell over the known spells.
4) to keep spell casters from dying easily, you might want to use gestalt rules. This makes the spellcasters somewhat a flavor like gandalf, a possible fighter/wizard gestalt character. Gestalt is from UA.

just some ideas, I think it'll work out and balanced enough too IMHO.

 

[Silveras]

A lot depends on how you mean "low magic". There are three meanings, depending on who is speaking: "magic is rare but potent" , "magic is common but weak", and "magic is rare and weak".

Magic is rare but potent
With this option, it is generally Ok to leave the classes as they are.

You may want to add training rules, which will have the hardest impact on spellcasters -- who will have a hard time finding trainers, because magic is rare.

Reduce the amount of magic given out as treasure. The PCs must rely more on mundane equipment, or take the time to make their own magic items.

Reduce the level of spellcaster resident NPCs in cities & towns.

Move the more problematic Cleric spells to be available as Domain spells only.

Magic is common but weak
With this option, you will probably want to tinker more with the classes.

Adjust the spell progressions to top out earlier, at say 6th level, with slightly more lower level spells.

Using a variant of a variant, adopt the Magic Effect Rating from Unearthed Arcana. However, true spellcasters add 3/4 "caster effect" per level, partial 1/2, and non-casters 1/4.

Adopt a variant of the Corrupt/Sanctified spells. Casting a spell does ability damage to the caster, unless the caster uses a long ritual.

Adopt the Incantations from Unearthed Arcana/D20 Modern, and replace spells with them. In this variant, there are NO true spellcasters, but the "spellcasters" know a number of Incantations instead of true spells.

Magic is rare and weak
Mix one or more from the prior lists.

Personally, I prefer a "Magic is rare but potent" style.

 

[FireLance]

Police spells carefully. Outright ban the spells you think are unbalancing. Portray the Deity of Magic as someone who controls and puts limits on the power of magic instead of encouraging its use. If the PCs abuse spells, reality gets altered so the spell no longer functions as it used to.

 

[Belegbeth]

Some possibilities:

1. Eliminate some of the most powerful (level 7+) spells. Treat the ones you keep as incantations (as per the UA rules).

2. Make spell casting a tiring experience. Whenever a spellcaster casts a spell that belongs to the highest level of spells that he can cast, make him roll a fortitude save. If he fails, he is fatigued (and if he is already fatigued, he becomes exhausted).

3. Give wizards and sorcerers a d6 HD to compensate for these additional burdens.

Or, more radical changes:

1. Replace all of the pure spellcasters' "spells/day" progression charts with the Bard's "spells/day" progression chart. Wizards still cast wizard spells, etc., and get extra spells based on INT, but now there are no level 7+ spells available (except maybe as special incantations). Likewise for clerics, etc. Specializations, domains, etc. can all remain unchanged.

2. To compensate for the slower spell progression and loss of high level spells, give Wizards and Sorcerers a d6 HD and 4 skill points per level. (They will still be as strong as Bards, I think, since their spells are generally superior to Bardic ones of the same level.)

3. Clerics and Druids have plenty of nonspell abilities, so they require less compensation: 2 extra skill points per level should suffice, I think.

 

[adwyn]

Some of the methods I've expermented with;

1) Casting Roll Inspired by Ars Magica, a Spellcraft or Concentration check - this fell flat with the players and had little actual effect on play.

2) Casting Cost Look at D20 Call of Cthulu. Each spell costs San and/or ability damage. While we went with lighter costs than CoC this worked well. Each school of spells was assigned a different stat that it would drain. This must be carefully balanced with encounters and works best in a mystery or intigue style of game.

3) Cumulative Risk Theorizing magic uses energy taken from some dark "beyond", casters have a risk every time "they touched the that other place", i.e. cast a spell. The chance of something bad happening was equal to the Risk rating on a d1000. Each casting added the spells level squared, and with each day of no spell casting subtracting a few points. This allowed a lot of low level spells to be used and mattered little to low level casters, but high level spells or long bouts of casting were reserved for situations where they were needed.

4) Related to the casting risk above, another DM simply used a 5% chance of an encounter anytime a spell was cast, using the spell level = dungeon level to determine the appropriate wandering monster chart from the DMG and applying the fiendish template to anything that showed up. After two TPK's he began exempting all healing magic.

Keep in mind all of things will have a dramatic effect on casters and the game world should be changed acordingly. When players do use spells you need to reward them or be prepared for a lot of legitimate griping.

 

[tmaaas]

Get rid of the current 9th level spells and shift all other spell levels up one.

Drop the amount of standard equipment per level by 10-25%.

 

[ph0rk]

Get rid of the current 9th level spells and shift all other spell levels up one.

Drop the amount of standard equipment per level by 10-25%.

This would toss class balance out the window, as would some of the other options (save the magic is rare but powerful option)

I am assuming you don't ultimately want the pure caster classes to suck so bad noone will want to use them (like the mystic).

How about just stopping the campaign at 12th level? bam, no 7th-8th-9th spells, and no unbalancing changes to core classes.

 

[Khayman]

How about just stopping the campaign at 12th level? bam, no 7th-8th-9th spells, and no unbalancing changes to core classes.

That might logically preclude NPCs over 12th level in the broader campaign world. Doesn't that go against some FR bylaw or something..?

Kyramus' suggestion about scrapping the automatic spells for levelling up is elegant. The suggestions by others regarding incantations also add a nice, codified, Buffy-esque feel to magic.
More ideas as to how to limit spellslinging:

1) Employ social restrictions in the game that make spellcasting risky. This could be along the lines of Ars Magica, in which a magus who flagrantly uses/abuses his power in front of mundanes becomes the focus of a literal witch hunt. Or, for that matter, make it so all spellcasters have to be eunuchs. Some players might, er, balk at that.
2) Use the non-spellcasting variants of Ranger & Paladin from UA. There are a number of homebrew Bard variants online that are spell-free, as well --- check them carefully to ensure game balance.
3) Require the use of a prerequisite feat to allow spellcasting. We do so in one historic campaign but everyone's human and gets that pesky bonus feat, so we don't have too many qualms about it. Yes, this penalizes characters. To offset it somewhat, we allow characters with "the gift" a bonus ability --- you could give them +2 on their saves versus all magic, or the ability to detect magic 1/day. Strictly speaking, this limits overall character power rather than spellcasting.
4) Make spellcasting classes prestige classes. Make the prerequisites low (i.e., 3rd+ level character, 5 ranks in a class skill, must know a member of that class).

Just bear in mind that limiting access to magic alters healing. If casters are rare, then you should beef up the Healing skill or allow more herbal/alchemical healing.

 

[ph0rk]

That might logically preclude NPCs over 12th level in the broader campaign world. Doesn't that go against some FR bylaw or something..?

FR is the opposite of low magic though

Kyramus' suggestion about scrapping the automatic spells for levelling up is elegant. The suggestions by others regarding incantations also add a nice, codified, Buffy-esque feel to magic.

But nerfs casters related to other classes. Playing a wizard whose spell selection is based on the whim of the DM is frustrating and precludes planning.

1) Employ social restrictions in the game that make spellcasting risky.
2) Use the non-spellcasting variants of Ranger & Paladin from UA. There are a number of homebrew Bard variants online that are spell-free, as well --- check them carefully to ensure game balance.
3) Require the use of a prerequisite feat to allow spellcasting.
4) Make spellcasting classes prestige classes. Make the prerequisites low (i.e., 3rd+ level character, 5 ranks in a class skill, must know a member of that class).

All of these but 2 and 4 affect spellcaster power related to other classes, which would most likely make them unfavorable and less effective, for either crunch or fluff reasons.

4 is iffy anyway, as most multiclass combos I can imagine (prc or no) are underpowered; you'll end up with a weak BAB and weak spells by 20.



I am assuming the ultimate goal is not to get the players to avoid casting classes, yes?