My new LOW MAGIC game idea!!!

[mmadsen]

Re: Re: My new LOW MAGIC game idea!!!

Fireballs are indeed flashy but, in the wash, they are MUCH less dangerous than Charm Person, Hold Person, or Blindness. Without magical healing, Hold Person spells, and the attendant coup de grace attacks, are going to absolutely LEVEL people.

I think that's the feel he's going for.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Re: Re: Re: My new LOW MAGIC game idea!!!

I think that's the feel he's going for.

Yup.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Sounds like a good idea you have going here. I want to give some advice, however. KK and several others have mentioned the player resistance, and that could easily be your greatest problem. Now, I am no psychologist, but I do believe part of the problem comes from player expectations. So, even if you are going to use the D20 system, do NOT tell them "we're going to play low-magic D&D." Of course, what you are suggesting is really not D&D anymore, so there should be no shame in this. Tell them, instead, it is a D20 game that you designed yourself to be a gritty, low-magic game.

I suspect your players will be more receptive to this, since they will get away from their expectations about D&D. Barring this, your only other choice is to try another game system.

Good luck!

Good idea! Thanks very much!

 

[mmadsen]

Emphasis on charms that work like temporary magic items (you can find them in the "small changes" thread) instead of the party having access to lots of powerful items.

I loved that suggestion. I also love Oriental Adventures' idea of a Talisman in place of a Potion. Just thinking up cool Talismans (e.g. Dove Feather for Animal Friendship) makes my DMing day.

 

[Voneth]

Another idea for a rare magic idea is also from Oriental Adventures. The samurai's ancestral sword can be upgraded with XP.

No more need to change out a +3 sword for +5 sword and if there are few or no other magic items in the campaign, it sucks so bad to lose the sword. In fact, I think that would be a defining moment for a rare magic item campaign.

You don't go hunting down the theives because the took you coolest toy, you hunt them down because it is also a family heirloom, some of your own essence is in the sword (that would greatly reduce scry rolls on the samurai), and if you don't retreive it, then you son will only get a mundane sword -- what a disgrace and loss of face and an edge (no pun intended).

 

[Flying Monkey Style]

I like low fantasy. It forces me to use other methods in a fight. My ideal wizard is like Gandalf. He uses his magic sparingly, hardly at all, but he happens to know everything.

 

[mmadsen]

I like low fantasy. It forces me to use other methods in a fight. My ideal wizard is like Gandalf. He uses his magic sparingly, hardly at all, but he happens to know everything.

That's another reason why I think a modified Call-of-Cthulhu magic system could really shine. A "wizard" would really be a high-level Expert; he'd "happen to know everything" and he'd use his magic sparingly.

 

[RichGreen]

d20 Harn

Kaptain,

I ran a d20 game set in Harn a year ago. For treasure, I used Shane9's suggestion of substituting silver pieces for gold pieces in treasures found but kept all the prices the same. This meant that even basic PH equipment became quite expensive, and masterwork weapons cost 3000 silver pennies. Worked quite well. Obviously making magic items becomes something that the PCs can't really do as a result.

This game involved an adventure in Annwyn (ruins in Orbaal) which pitted the PCs against some deep ones (kuo-toa stats) and a gibbering mouther. In its previous incarnation, which I used Runequest as the system, we started with 100 Bushels of Rye, then did an adventure where a crazed Ilviran village priest was sacrificing travellers to a Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath. The first part of the campaign ended with an expedition to Araka-Kalai where a gug was the final encounter.

You and your players will have a lot of fun with Harn/Cthulhu.

I would recommend Harn to anyone looking for a well-detailed, realistic medieval fantasy setting with gorgeous maps. Trobridge Inn (with d20 stats) and HarnManor are both excellent purchases.

Cheers



Richard

 

[mmadsen]

Also, there will only be around 30,000 gp in circulation on the continent. Everything will cost silver pieces. Poverty is rampant! Hehe!

Only 30,000 actual gold coins in circulation, or only 300,000 silver pennies' worth of currency? Historically, a silver penny was a day's wage for the common man, so even if the economy is largely non-monetary I'd expect quite a few silver pennies to be circulating.

At any rate, I think it makes sense to downgrade most "treasure" to silver rather than gold, because most "treasure" is really just loot off of unimportant footsoldiers. When the heroes hit the jackpot though, I think it should be full of gold, gems, artwork, fine clothes, casks of wine, etc.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

You know, I just took that from a Harn resource without thinking about it too much. Gold coins are so rare that most common people will never see one. I guess it means there are 30,000 gp in circulation total, and there is a lot more in silver pennies?

Still, most kingdoms and nobles are operating at a deficit and cannot afford to maintain standing armies, fix roads, build palace after palace, etc. Most peasants barter. The average daily wage for most people is actually LESS than one silver piece, but a handful of farthings (4 farthings = 1 silver penny, 10 silver pennies = 1 gold pound). A servant makes around 288 silver pennies per year, a prostitute around 432, and I forget the rest but there is a list for Harn that breaks it down by day, week, month and year for all professions.

I'd like some clarification from Harniacs about this... or anyone else who has an idea.