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Message: <blockquote data-quote="S'mon" data-source="post: 1337758" data-attributes="member: 463">1st-level PC class characters are very vulnerable.  If you use a slower advancement rate and a different NPC-level distribution from DMG standard, trolls can be a threat throughout the game.  Eg if you make a CR=party level encounter worth 100xlevel instead of the standard 300xlevel, advancement is 1/3 as fast.  If NPC level distribution is in the 1-10 range rather than 1-20, you immediately get a grittier lower-magic world.  You can make 10th the theoretical-maximum level - and pre-3e D&D worlds won't need much altering.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />Spellcasters can be limited just by what spells they have access to - eg IMC Clerics & Druids are spontaneous casters from limited spell lists.  Arcane casters can be restricted in the spells they can cast - getting rid of just a few staples like invisibility, fly, and fireball makes things much tougher without crippling the casters.    A final suggestion - even if NPC level range is reduced, in a gritty setting it's worth making many minor NPCs tougher than standard 1st level feeblings.  If a veteran town guard is a 5th level Warrior and the typical guard a 3rd level Warrior they'll get respect from low-level PCs.  3rd level Warriors will still be shredded by trolls, but they can keep order in town very successfully.</blockquote>

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