D&D 5E No magic (+thread)

[TwoSix]

I'm doing something similar in one of my current games by just discarding classes entirely. Characters get their race, background, and then get to pick several feats.

It isn't completely magic-free because some races and a few feats give low-level spells, but it's pretty close. Any magic the party has been stuff they've discovered throughout play.

 

[Quickleaf]

You could quite easily add paladins to the lineup and say their spell slots can only be used for Smite. That's where most of their slots would go anyway. It's a modest nerf, but a modest nerf is just what the paladin class needs IMO.

Rangers are trickier, but, again, they just need a non-spell use for their spell slots. Giving them paladin Smite is the simplest, albeit most boring, solution.

I always thought some kind of "overwatch" ability would be cool for rangers, where they could designate an area as being warded. "Don't move, I've got you pinned down." And then if someone moves out of / through that area, the ranger could make a free ranged "opportunity attack" against them.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Must admit I was sort of disappointed after reading the title. I thought you were exploring a D&D with NO MAGIC. Not just no PC spellcasters.

Hmm... I've run games with all martials in D&D (even prior editions) and they were a lot of fun. I'm not sure what sort of help/advice you are looking for, however. I just ran the games as normal. Sorry.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Ranger you could probably take some of their more martial-based spells and convert them into regular abilities, possibly with some tweaks on some of them, maybe tie some to skill checks and others to at wills and X/LR uses.

my shortlist of skill based ‘spells’ would be:
Cure Wounds - Medicine/Survival
Detect Poison and Disease - Medicine/Investigation
Lesser/Greater Restoration - Medicine
Snare - Survival
Wild Cunning - Survival/Nature/Investigation
Locate Plants and Animals - Survival/Nature/Perception
Animal Friendship - Animal Handling/Nature
Animal Messenger - Animal Handling
Summon Beast - Animal Handling

X per short/long rest abilities:
Hunter’s Mark
Hail of Thorns
Searing Smite
Conjure Barrage
Flame Arrows
Elemental Weapon(fire/poison)
Steel Wind Strike
Swift Quiver

 

[MNblockhead]

Has anyone played the Conan RPG? In the stories, the only magic users that I can recall were the antagonists. I'm wondering if the RPG modeled that? That might give some ideas on ways to approach doing the same in D&D 5e.

 

[jdrakeh]

Has anyone played the Conan RPG? In the stories, the only magic users that I can recall were the antagonists. I'm wondering if the RPG modeled that? That might give some ideas on ways to approach doing the same in D&D 5e.

Which Conan RPG? There have been four official ones: TSR's Conan, GURPS Conan, Mongoose's d20 Conan (which had two editions), and Modiphius's Conan.

 

[MNblockhead]

Which Conan RPG? There have been four official ones: TSR's Conan, GURPS Conan, Mongoose's d20 Conan (which had two editions), and Modiphius's Conan.

Any of them. I see Conan as a low-magic setting where any depictions of high magic are either ancient defunct or frozen in time civilizations with a few nefarious sorts still practicing it. Seems like the ideal setting for a non-caster party with the only casters being NPC antagonists.

 

[Shiroiken]

You could quite easily add paladins to the lineup and say their spell slots can only be used for Smite. That's where most of their slots would go anyway. It's a modest nerf, but a modest nerf is just what the paladin class needs IMO.

Rangers are trickier, but, again, they just need a non-spell use for their spell slots. Giving them paladin Smite is the simplest, albeit most boring, solution.

Paladin also has lay on hands, which is a very magical feature. Based on the OP, it seemed like that would be a no-go. I considered ranger, and I think giving them smite for spell slots (dealing weapon damage) should sufficiently de-magic them.

 

[MichaelSomething]

I always thought some kind of "overwatch" ability would be cool for rangers, where they could designate an area as being warded. "Don't move, I've got you pinned down." And then if someone moves out of / through that area, the ranger could make a free ranged "opportunity attack" against them.

Like in XCOM 2??

 

[CreamCloud0]

I always thought some kind of "overwatch" ability would be cool for rangers, where they could designate an area as being warded. "Don't move, I've got you pinned down." And then if someone moves out of / through that area, the ranger could make a free ranged "opportunity attack" against them.

How would this differ from a prepared action of ‘I attack any opponent who enters my range/this area’ or do you mean more like rangers (with an appropriate ranged weapon) having a opportunity attack trigger range larger than their surrounding 5ft radius.