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

[DonAdam]

If you're out to get rid of the highlest level spells, cutting the classes down to 10 levels seems the most sensible option.

If you want the powers to exist but be used less often, make casters take time and gold to regain spell slots. Clerics might burn incense, wizards might have to concoct and drink weird potions, etc.

 

[Remathilis]

I think that you could axe the standard spellcasting classes from your campaign and utilize the generic Spellcaster from Unearthed Arcana. Yes, this class appears to have a lot of power at first glance, but that is misleading IMO. The generic class only knows the same # of spells as a sorcerer. This spell selection is going to be very thoughtful (and painful ) considering that the whole gambit of spells is on the line (healing, combat, defense, utility). The Spellcaster does not possess the Druid wildshape, wizard/sorcerer familiar, wizard specialization, or cleric turn undead abilities. The Spellcaster is a spontaneous caster, so metamagic can be painfull.

You could also just make up a list of all those spells not known in your campaign. That is simple, quick, and to the point. DMs outlaw certain spells all the time in most campaigns.

Or you could make spell categories similar to Arcana Unearthed listing the rarety of certain spells. Any spell listed as uncommon/rare could require special events in order to be learned by any PC spellcaster.

An important consideration has to be magic items. They should be rare but meaningful in a low magic campiagn.

You can always combine all of this into 1 package too.

I was leaning on whether to go generic, but I think I'm going to go with this.

I'm also going to ban most conj/evocation spells, save for a few (healing, light, some elemental attack spells), and finish it up by cutting a few more (raise dead, etc.)

Lastly, evil spells and necromantic spells (save a few) cause taint, ala UA or OA. That ought to be right.

Thanks for all the ideas (some of which, I'll canabalize for other games).

 

[drnuncheon]

I'd go with the modified magic rules in Midnight - they're too detailed to recount fully here, but they look lke they do a good job of depowering casters while still keeping them a viable class.

J

 

[Remathilis]

Ok, this is my new idea

General Setting: A dark age set in a sub-artic region. A little viking, saxon, and celtic flavors.

Races: Human only.

Classes: generics (Warrior, Expert Spellcaster)

Spellcasting: All spells are "divine" in nature (and use wisdom as a spellcasting stat.) There is one "generic" spell list, made up of the following types of spells.

Utility: Light, Mending, Minor Creation, etc.
Cure: Most status removal spells and cure spells.
Charms: Most charm spells (but not dominates) are there, as are hold and sleep spells.
Elemental: Some low level evocations (burning hands, lightning bolts)
Illusions: Some basic ones.
Buffs: animal buffs, shield, etc.
Necromancy: Most necromantic spells are there, but there is a price to learning them.
Divinations: Prescent, but not truly as powerful.
Gone: Teleport/Transport, high level invocations, conjuration, force spells, most raise spells, most insta-kill spells.

Casting "evil" spells, like doom, horrid wilting, contagion, or create undead adds points to your taint score (like OA, or Dark side points.)

I'm going for a white witch/black witch motif. Suggestions?

 

[Bendris Noulg]

Not much to suggest about...

What's the religious motiff you are aiming for? Viking, Celtic and Saxon were all quite different religiously and philosophically, so while I can give suggestions regarding each of them, I'd need to know more about your campaign religion first.

Off-the-cuff, though, I'd suggest making the Spell List for the base class more "Gray" than Black/White, using Prestige Classes to distinguish the two better. This adds a certain distrust from the common folks, whom will see some spellcasters, those of known affiliation/position/status, as allies, while everyone else are people that should be avoided, at best, or nailed to a tree and burned to death (at worst). A few Good/Evil spells should be included to set a standard (Good Prestige Classes require a lack of taint, while Evil Prestige Classes require some degree of it.)

(Aside: Each of these had "old crone" figures in some of their myths; You may consider determining the Racial Levels for Hags and then alter them into full Prestige Classes for tainted female casters. I've been considering doing similar myself...)

One thing to note is that each culture you listed as an influence were warrior cultures (especially the Vikings and Celts), meaning that even the common folk could fight, although only the nobles were exclusively combatants. I have a Base Class somewhere meant to represent Celtic citizens, which had +1/1 BAB, better Skills, and cultural-based Features, but less Feats (Nobles would have been Fighters by comparison, although those less snobby would likely have had a few levels of this class just to know the basics of managing their communities, and the "call on Kinsmen" feature would have been appropriate for them as well). I can dig that one up, exctract and OGL it and send it your way... (Come to think of it, it was in a 2-part article in a free d20 Ezine; I can send those both your way if you'd like. )

If leaning towards Celts, I'd suggest looking into Chariot combat rules (Sword & Fist and In the Saddle both have good systems for that*). Ink & Quill (Bastion Press, Free Download) has a Warrior-Poet Prestige Class that is rather nice and fitting to a Celtic milieu as well. Magic (AEG) has a tattoo mage; This class (or the simple concept of it) can be combined with Celtic-style tattooing easily enough. Slaine (Mongoose) is also supposed to be Celtic-flavored, although it's also based on a comic book, and not having seen it, I can't recommend it personally, but I have heard good things mostly. Check the review at the main d20 Reviews page.

If leaning towards Vikings, I'd suggest building your magical flavor around Runes and runesmithing. There are several sources available of such, but it also wouldn't be hard to do on your own and possibly only with flavor changes (spell preparation = enscribing a rune into a stone, etc.). Although, having a runecaster akin to a Sorcerer using the "recharge" rules from Unearthed Arcana would also be a way to go (with the time applied to the stone instead of the caster, but with the same in-game effect).

(Come to think of it, the Recharge mechanic can also be applied to the tattooing concept mentioned above.)

Someone more knowledgable on the Saxons will have to make suggestions regarding them; My knowledge is scant and mostly during the "Robin Hood" era, which is some time after their cultural height (as an independant people, that is) and long after the Vikings and Celts had become assimilated into other cultures or withdrew far to the north and west into Scandanavia and Greenland. IIRC, though, Saxons were excellent bowmen (ala the foundation of Robin Hood being a marksman in a "Saxons are the best bowmen and Robin is the best Saxon" kinda way).

Beyond that, I'd need more by way of target flavor and setting specifics (religion, culture, frequency/power of magic items, etc.) to suggest anything more specific.

* I've not seen Complete Warrior; Did the S&F Chariot rules get a 3.5 update in that book or were they left behind? Apart from that, if "OGC-ness" is important, go with In the Saddle.

 

[Qualir]

Please let me know how the generic class campaign goes. I have been toying with the idea and would like to take some actual testimony to my players (they so hate anything new and different unless someone besides me recommends it)

 

[daTim]

As an extreme example, here is how it works in my Conan campaign...

Wizard/Cleric are 10 level prestige classes, though not too hard to get into by level 5.
Casting any spell causes sanity loss (we use sanity like CoC) but you can use your wisdom modifier as Sanity Hardness.
Spell damage dice is capped at spell level +1 (there are a few custom feats to bump this up a lvl or two, but for one spell only)
Casting spells generates a cumulative 1% chance which only accumulates for 24 hours or so, that an outside being of some kind notices you
We use spell points.

Seems like alot of restrictions? Well, it evens out since most people only have 30 hit points max by level 10. I am using a highly modified D20/AU/G&G/Conan rules system.

It makes being a wizard kinda tough when fighting single tough monsters, but you wipe the floor with normal soliders and animals or the like.