Steel_Wind
Legend
toberane said:My problem with exceedingly low-magic worlds is that if I wanted to play one of those, I'd play D20 Modern or one of the low to non-magic systems. When I'm playing D&D, I want high-fantasy, mortals wielding powers that are beyond what we use every day, and heroes out of myth and legend. playing in a world where leveling happens very seldomly and rewards are given out sparsely seems to defeat that point.
I already have a place where I can get little recognition for my accomplishments, advance at a very slow pace, and have to work hard to eek out minimum rewards for my efforts. It's called work.
Yes, it's true. Many here think this is a FRPG campaign equivalent of Data Entry. But my question for you is pretty simple:
DMs: Is this really all that low powered by the standards of your campaigns??
Completed 14 Game sessions of about 8 hours each session to date. Most recent Campaign log is here.
http://www.dladventures.com/gallery/public/DL_log11.pdf
Campaign Synopsis: The Campaign is an alternate history War of the Lance campaign which assumes the Heroes of the Lance do not exist. (Tanis, Raistlin et al - GONE)
The campaign opens with the War of the Lance rumoured in the east.
Main Hook: Two of the 7 PCs, who are brothers and wannabe knights, have their uncle murdered and a trophy stolen form his keep. Only later does it emerge that the trophy was more than it seemed. Whatever the case, the trophy was wrongfully withheld from its proper owner by the uncle. A question of honour was then raised to prevent the 2 wannabe knight PCs from entry to knighthood as Squires of the Crown. 12 sessions were spent recovering the trophy.
The Campaign has now moved on to a more recognizable alternate history of the classic DL campaign modules, with several twists, rewrites and extreme makeovers.
Features:
Low money: The players have secured large sums but spent them just as fast on horses - which frequently die. The players have gained thousands here and there at times and spent it on horseflesh and magic spells for the Wizard just as quickly.
Low magic: The number of magic items given out so far has been relatively low. Full list noted below.
The PCs are, however, the driving force of the world and campaign is the epic story of the WotL which revolves around them, in its own way.
Low Experience: While story awards and roleplaying / plot advancement bonuses are given, XP was reduced to half level upon reaching 5th level. This is to accommodate the epic sweep of the classic DL campaign which would have the PCs at too high a level after 13 sessions (they just began an alternate DL1 in session 14)
Grim and Gritty: This is the War of the Lance. There is disaster, famine, pestilence and massive dislocation caused by advancing armies. There is no magical healing available other than the small flicker of hope possessed by the PCs. People get wounded and they fester and die. Knights lose limbs to gangrene. A cousin of the PCs died from his wounds due to infection (the PCs saved another knight instead unknowing of the cousin's imminent death until too late).
No Power Gaming Allowed: If you are looking for 14th level+, teleport everywhere, fly along on lightning rails and cast raise dead if the dice fall the wrong way: this is not a campaign for you. Death is permanent. Healing is in exceedingly short supply. The party relies upon bandages and poultices as much as they do cure light wounds.
But for all that, there are 7 players and several more looking to join. 1 player drives 2 hours to get to the game and everyone is into it.
My point: Being stingy with magic and parsimonious with XP is not necessarily a bad thing nor does it result in a game which is bad or "unfun". Story and plot are important and advancement does come. Magic items are prized - even the little ones.
The measure of a campaign is if the players are having fun and everything appears to be moving forward as it should. By all accounts, it is that and then some.
Beginning levels> 14 sessions (8 hours or so each) later:
Fighter 2> Fighter 4/Knight of the Crown 2
Fighter 2> Fighter 4/Knight of the Crown 2
Fighter 2> Fighter 5/ Rogue 1
Bard 2> Bard 4/Ranger 2
Wizard 4> Wizard 7
Rogue 2> Rogue 6
Swashbuckler 2> Swashbuckler 5> Scout 1
The right to be admitted as Squires of the Crown was only secured in session 13 and the Knights were allowed to Retcon 2 fighter levels upon being admitted as squires. This was a BIG deal to the players and was a major campaign milestone.
Magical Items Found by the Party to date:
10 potions of healing
3 potions of spider climb
1 oil of rope trick
1 potion of >>unknown<<
1 scroll of Dispel Magic (scribed)
+1 Morningstar
+1 Battleaxe
Bastard Blade, Master work +1
Longsword, Master work +!, Short Sword, Masterwork +1
+2 Cold-iron dagger
+2 Dagger of Venom (traded by the party for spells for the Wizard and a modest amount of gold)
Solamnic Plate, Masterwork +1 Note: I prohibit squires from wearing full plate mail unless it is gifted to them by another knight. A full knight may commission his own. This one suit of platemail was secured by the PC after 12 sessions form the ghost of his dead father. Me being parsimonious? I assure you, it is the player's most prized possession and his character has risked death rather than part with it.
Wondrous Item: Cloak of the Elvenkind +5 to hide.
Wondrous Item (evil): [Gauntlet of Frozen Souls: An evil necromantic item (a taloned cestus) allowing the use of talons (DragonLance Spell) at will and used in a necromantic ritual to create Ice Ghouls. The glove was traded to a representative of the Tower of High Sorcery in exchange for spells, including the spell Arcane Staff, lesser. (a spell which permits spell storing for free, far better than the scribe scroll feat, really)
Artifact - The Stormblade. A +1/+2/+3/+4 Legendary Greatsword. The Stormblade has several impressive powers which are unlocked as its wielder advances in rank as a Knight of Solamnia, For the player right now, it's a +2 Greatsword which once per day grants electrical resistance 10 and +1d6 elec damage. He gained it from his father's ghost (his brother got the Solamnic plate, above). It is a prized possession.
Artifact: The Vingaard Cup, aka The Chalice of Mishakal : A cup which dispenses 3 potions of healing, once per day, 1 potion of cure disease, once per day, 1 potion of neutralize poison once per day. Creates holy water at will. There are no good clerics on Krynn currently and this is the only magical healing open to the party a this stage of the campaign. The Vingaard Cup was their goal for 12 sessions and they finally found it.
Found: A minor spellbook 6 0 lvl, 4 1st level 3 2d levl 1 3rd level spells contained therein.
Gained: An animal companion for the bard/ranger, being a Dire Wolf with an Int of 5 and 59 hit points, which advances in size/HD as a PC.
There are a lot of players here who profess not to like DragonLance. Be that as it may, the campaign is working well so far.
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