more 'realistic'/ extremely low magic campaign?

[greycastle]

Hello all...

i was thinking, how would you recreate a world where mythical races are in general abundance, though mainly only common ones (those without major, or powerful natural magical abilities)?

what classes would exist? how and what classes would be adapted?
e.g. i'm thinking you could make it so there wouldn't be Wizards as such, though Sorcerors would be generally much more studious, though gain less spells and cast them less often..but having even low level spells be incredibly devastating...as it's quite simply "Magic"...
Most people in society would be Fighters, Rogues, Bards, Holy Men (an idea of Paladins, with possibly them as Clerics though nothing as drastic as being able to heal someone at first level)...

Any ideas? this is a bit of a Home Brew, but it's only a starting idea, and most things we want to keep as they are, without changing weapons etc etc...

Any ideas, opinons?

 

[Grazzt]

Check out Andy Collins ideas in his home campaign for one way to "limit" magic.

http://www.andycollins.net/Campaigns/Umber/c02_Magic.htm

 

[greycastle]

i read over the link, and it's missing something still...

an edge possibly? what he's made is a world where most players won't choose magic classes, and the idea that divinity will be gone simply hurts my thoughts...

basically i had thought there would be classes such as

All will be changed, with some having comments below

Fighter (mercenary/Knight)
Rogue (Theif)
Priest
Sorceror (the wizard will be almost entirely abolished, or made into a prestige class a sorceror can take with the means for gaining more spells but casting not after study but after a meditative state...)
Holy Warrior (paladin/zealot/fanatic/temple defender)
Ranger (almost as it is, though with some modifications)
Bard (almost the same but with reduced amounts of spells, and no songs as sygnificant, though using the news from the 3.5 bard (such as 6 skill points)...a possibility would be create new songs, that are less magical...not sure yet)
Barbarian (Outlander/Northener )
Druid (Nature Priest/Crazy woodland guy(i'd seriously dimish the spell list, and take away many of the abilities, especially the aiblity to assume animal shapes that often, and the aiblity to become elementals...though possibly i wouldn't...still thinking)

Any comments would be thankful

btw, thanks for the link it really was helpful, and did clear up some ideas..

 

[Particle_Man]

You might want to check out Midnight. Many of the classes are reworked, and magic is definitely kept down to a low level (partly by the rules, partly by the draconian laws of the land).

 

[maddman75]

Easiest way to do this is to just say that no one can take more than half their levels in Wizard, Cleric, Druid, or Sorcerer. This keeps some magic in the campaign, but reduces the power. No fireballs till 9th level. No teleport or raise dead until 18th. All item creation will be pushed back as well, as they have a spellcaster level requirement.

Take this, add a dash of grim n' gritty hit points, and call it a low fantasy game!

Might need to come up with non-spellcasting versions of bard, ranger, and paladin as well.

 

[Enceladus]

Look at Harn...

Really low magic.

Harn

I'm not too crazy about the grim n gritty combat rules but if I was going to run Harn I would try my best at using them. They seem to fit more with that setting.

 

[Kae'Yoss]

Personally, I like the level of magic the usual D&D-Campaign has.

If you rob any class of a significant part of its abilities, you have to give it something else or it will be to weak. Better HD, more skill points, bigger class skill list, better saves, more weapon proficiencies or better BAB are possible ways to balance the loss of power. Or you could invent new abilities (or just give it bonus feats).

You could even use a d20 Modern-like class system: one base class for every ability score (Strong Hero, Fast Hero....), with bonus feats and talents alternatingly at every level, and advanced classes for other roles (archer, assassin, fighter....). You could make magic-using advanced classes (mage, acolyte...) which would limit the number of spells spellcasters will get (and you cannot begin your career as a spellcaster).

 

[Enceladus]

Personally, I like the level of magic the usual D&D-Campaign has.

I agree.

If you rob any class of a significant part of its abilities, you have to give it something else or it will be to weak. Better HD, more skill points, bigger class skill list, better saves, more weapon proficiencies or better BAB are possible ways to balance the loss of power. Or you could invent new abilities (or just give it bonus feats).

If you take it away on both sides of the DM screen though, I would think it balances it self out. Theory. I've never tried it to any extent.

 

[Drawmack]

There are a couple not too difficult ways to do low magic in d20.

1) the coc method. All spells are individually learned and casting them is just not a real good idea.

2) Take spell progression away from all classes except sorcerer and cleric. No more wizards. Give the other classes something in return. For example give the bard some abilities that kind of mimic spells and make them a real entertainer. Then could smooth talk an ice queen and bluff a fair yapper. Then give the sorecer a bards spells known and casting progressing but beef up their skills, HD and starting proficiencies. The cleric gets a bards spell progression for spells per day. You have just taken every spell above fifth level out of the game, remember that monsters with spells above this level either should not exist or be very very rare as should monster who require these spells to be defeated. Another tip for this is beaf up technology. Without people focusing so heavily on magic technology would increase.

 

[Celtavian]

Re

I always wonder how people who run low magic campaigns deal with higher level combat. The damage output of some of the high ECL creatures is insane. I have found no way to offset this damage other than powerful clerical magic.

It would be nice if Andy and others who run low magic would talk about how they deal with the damage capacity of higher level creatures without higher level divine magic aka Heal.