Low Magic setting-several options

[Emirikol]

Eltharon:

We've used a simple house rule for the past several years that is extremely effective in allowing players to use magical characters, but still give a lower magic feel.

House Rule: All characters are required to spend their first two character levels in a non-spellcasting class. Justify it any way you'd like for your campaign, but I've found it's the single most effective thing you can do. Balance? Because clerics are affected too, be sure to make cure light wound potions for sale. This has a secondary effect of keeping PC's a little poorer in the wallet. Also you really need to warn players if you're going to throw DR-magic monsters at them (I typically just remove the DR-magic modifier and throw them at them anyways because the powergamers will start citing the Monster Manual..it's funny to watch them squirm when they're in no real danger).

Other tweaks that have worked well for our campaigns:
1) raise the spell levels of spells you don't want floating around and do it for the sake of the game (fireball, entangle, etc.). This forces players to choose spells that are non-traditional or you can 'coax" them towards whatever magic you want to actually be prevelant in your game (e.g. enchantment instead of invocation)

2) ALWAYS REMEMBER MOST PLAYERS ARE INTERESTED IN LOOT AND LEVELS AND THAT IS THEIR PRIMARY GOAL. That said, you need to do two things:
a) create more non-magical "plus masterwork" items. For example, a +1/+1 superior masterwork sword. You can have non-magical herbal concoctions..aka a non-magical potion of healing or a non-magical potion of bulls-strength that act exactly like a magical one, but give the feel of "herbalism" instead of Forgotten Realms Omnipresent-Magic.
b) set your threshold for PC's gaining a +1 magical sword at 4th level instead of 2nd, which is the typical campaign.


Enjoy!

jh

 

[Remathilis]

I'd go with 3.) Magic is know but not common. Why? As soon as the PCs get magic, the villians will, and magic goes from myth to reality in no time flat. Might as well begin that way.

As for a simple solution, I have 2-3 ideas on PC magic.

1.) Cull The spell List. Remove spells that won't work (fireball? teleport? raise dead?) Then PRINT OUT NEW SPELL LISTS using the SRD and a good word processor. You'll save yourself headache.

2.) Remove "lesser casters" Goodbye ranger, paladin and bard. Replace them with non-magical variants (scout, knight, noble) if you like. Course, feel free to remove the cleric, sorcerer, wizard, or druid and/or combine them as you see fit.

3.) Restrict M/C mages. Big one. Any spellcasting class has an additional restriction, once you enter/leave it, you can't go back. (Like Paladin/Monk). It'll stop dip-casting.

Oh yeah, make sure magic trinkets are toned down, and remember how that affects CR.

Good luck.

 

[Aus_Snow]

OK, I'm a bit clearer on things now. Thanks.

Actually, WayneLigon's advice is solid (IMO). It's a simple but effective way to cut magic way back. And it works almost regardless of the d20 variants being used.

Applied to all and sundry, it means you just don't get all the really high-powered flashy stuff (if you were going to have that in the first place) until well. . . epic levels, I guess. And that's in D&D - obviously, it has a more extreme effect when applied to many variant systems.


another edit --- on second thoughts, as you're starting them off at 6th-7th level, perhaps even harsher restrictions could be put in place (with accompanying reasons that explain why this is so). . . perhaps spellcasting classes (e.g., Mage from EoM) are PrC's? Or, if you combined the two limitations, you'd end up with (possibly) something like a maximum of caster level 7 before epic levels. That would be on the 'full-on' end of low-magic, but it might suit.

.. --- and on third thoughts, such PrC's could quite readily provide 'fluff' to do with magic, e.g. initiations, devotions, whatever required in order to gain said magic.

 

[Kesh]

One way to limit magic is to take the d20 Modern Mage. It has fewer spells and does not go to as high a spell-level and, like a prestige class, you have requirements before you can take it.

 

[blargney the second]

I recently came to the realization that you don't need to justify yourself for giving PCs little access to magic, even in a world where there is lots of magic. Before the campaign starts, simply determine which classes you want the players to be able to access. If they ask why, just tell them that you're trying to achieve a certain tone with this game.

-blarg

 

[Nightfall]

El,

Well that's good to know. One option you might consider is importing Midnight's Magic System along with Elements of Magic. That might help with your "low magic" troubles since most of the "divine" magic is evil and the rest is "channeler" type.

 

[Eltharon]

I'm probably ditching divine magic, sense EoM will allow mages to cast any sort fo spell, healing included. Raising the dead is out and not allowed.
I'm simply not going to let some of the players use magic. Probably one will be able to have some levels in a mage class. I normally don't have to worry about multiclassing in to magic classes, and I'll probably disallow it unless the player has a good reason.

I suppose option one is out, as the bad guys will have magic aplenty (demons, toned down slightly to account for the lack of magic)
I think a sort of compromise between options two and three will work, maybe peasents and other "smallfolk" not believing, but certain nobles may occasionally require the specialized talents of a wizard...

Also, do to the fact i'm using AGOT, the base classes dont exist. They are all no magic, and probably less powerful (though i'm not sure...) I;m incorperating some bits of Iron heroes, notably the manouvres to prevent the otherwise endless "ok, i attack him again" line, and the mastery feats. Sure, it makes them powerful. But the lackj of magic items and the fact i'll just design the bad guys to fit them should make it fine

 

[Nightfall]

El,

Well in Midnight the only true divinity is an evil god. That's why there's "divine magic". But otherwise it's all just one source, channelling. Using Iron Heroes is also a good choice since it allows for some power without sacrificing the "no magic" stuff. Might want to consider incorporating rituals perhaps that can "act" like magic but not to the effect of say a fireball.

Also consider incantations as an alternate means for spellcasting. (Via Unearthed Arcana.)

 

[MarauderX]

Mind you I'm very biased, because this is what I do, but I say go for number 3 and pick up True Sorcery or the Black Company Campaign Setting, same magic system, True Sorcery is more ogl and has "vanilla" effects added back in that didn't fit the flavor of BCCS.

I would advise not using the Black Company system for magic. Though the initial concepts are great, things like drain make it a real drag. Green Ronin should have studied the numbers more closely.

 

[Nightfall]

Maud,

Agreed but maybe there's always True d20 or Thieves World magic too.