Magic in your game

[DackBlackhawk]

Hi folks! As DMs, what do you prefer?

High Magic - The setting, characters and NPCs dripping with magic

Medium Magic - More or Less the D&D standard

Low Magic - Few have magic and users of arcane or divine magic are very rare

 

[Abisashi]

More options please!

Um, would it be possible to add a "no preference option?" Or a, "I like to switch it up" option? As it is now, I can't vote truthfully.

 

[d4]

i voted low magic, but i consider standard D&D to be "high magic."

 

[Elrik_DarkFury]

A medium to low magic campaign setting would be more specific..Waiting more people opinions..

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I voted standard magic, but the description given for standard magic is not quite accurate. I run a game where the PCs have standard magic (or close to it,) but the world itself is low magic. Basically, the PCs are the exception to the rule.

 

[Malk]

I voted standard because i've never had a problem with it, and we've run standard in say 98% of our games, but i could easily be convinced to play in either of the other campaigns. Actualy i could easily be conviced to play in any game seeing as how i have recently moved and find myself with no dnd

 

[Crothian]

It averages out to be standard. I have adventures that are low magic based and high magic based. It really depends on what the PCs are doing and where their travels take them.

 

[Wombat]

i voted low magic, but i consider standard D&D to be "high magic."

Yep, I agree with this sentiment

 

[The_lurkeR]

ditto d4 and Wombat

 

[Herremann the Wise]

Hi Everyone,

I think I prefer something different as well but it is most easily titled Low Magic with a twist.

I like a low magic game where magic is very special. If a magician of some type chooses to create a powerful item, they will make it their life's work. For some, this will be only slightly powerful where as for most, it will be of almost artifact power. In other words, there are very few magical items about but those that exist are normally very powerful.

There are several mechanisms I use in my game to make this work. You can only choose an Item Creation feat if someone is willing to teach it to you. Some bright people will learn the ways by themselves but this takes extreme study (spellcraft checks etc.), time and expense. Only a few special individuals learn to do this. Each follows a specialised pattern that is almost like a signature. Thus, you can work out roughly who has created an item if you know what to look for. There are less than twenty types of signatures with most users following the ways of three or four of them.

I leave cost alone but I've set up an exponential time scale so the more powerful an object, the longer it takes.

I keep the PC Classes the same but there are less than a hundred known full practitioners of arcane magic in the land. As such, any PC arcane magic user is automatically a very select and special character.

In terms of the divine, most people involved in the church or grove are merely experts. Some powerful experts can pray for something and have it bestowed by their God but this is seperate from actual divine magic - it's just a person who is very devoted to their God being rewarded. As such, only the most select are actually given the divine gift of magic done by Cleric's and Druids. Again, this makes the PC's very special indeed.
You'll also find that evil deities are more willing to spread such power where as good deities reward only the most pious or special with such divine ability.

In the end, I feel like you get a darker atmosphere and tone which I like. It reminds me more of the old days of D&D when I used to play as a kid.
I like 3rd edition and 3.5 - I'll put my hand up as a rules lawyer so you can all boo me - but I think somewhere along the line they started to vere away from the roots of D&D. I enjoy these modern fantasy games but I prefer that old fashioned dark feel that just feels more heroic and special.

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise