No magic!

[Kurichan]

Any one play D&D with NO magic? I mean no arcane or divine casters at all. I was thinking of trying to run a game like this. See what happens. Any ideas or stories?? Yes yes I know, D&D without magic is like a sandwich without bread.

 

[Desdichado]

Nope, never tried it. Why have it be D&D at all, I have to wonder? I've played plenty of other non-magic games and enjoyed them. But as you say, that's a bit like a sandwich without the bread. I'm not sure how well it would work, because the preconcieved notions players bring to the table in regards to what D&D is would tend to upset it, I think.

 

[Umbran]

I've run games where there's no magic at all, but in all instances, I've found it better to use some system other than D&D to do it. I don't feel the system reflects such a world well.

 

[KnowTheToe]

I have not tried a no magic game, but would agree that D&D was not designed to do it and may not do such a game justice. There may be other systems better tuned.

On the other hand, there are lots of tactics to combat in D&D and if you increase each classes skill points, there is a good skill system in place for non combat situations.

 

[Tom Cashel]

The closest I've come to a magickless game is the new campaign I'm planning.

Once Unapproachable East comes out, I want to run a game in Thay where all the PCs start as non-spellcasters. I'm figuring (for the purposes of this game) that all arcane spellcasters would be groomed as Red Wizards, sorcerors would be killed at a young age, and divine casters wouldn't be slaves (which is how the PCs will start).

At some point they might take levels in Sorceror (as they "awaken" to the Weave) or Cleric. But to begin, magic will be a mysterious and reviled tool of the slavemasters.

 

[Darklone]

I read about a campaign with no PCs with magic. All knights (fighters with one special weapon each to make them different). Kinda Arthurian game.

 

[Desdichado]

Now, it could be done with d20 -- d20 Modern slightly adapted to get rid of the two or three modern skills is actually a good option that I'm using for my low magic game. Just not D&D.

 

[EricNoah]

The Robin Hood campaign presented in Dragon Magazine a couple of years ago might work out.

You might also have to establish a lower "upper limit" of character and creature abilities. Maybe 3rd or 5th level is "high level." There have been several suggested systems for running a grittier combat, including wounds/vitality, a Massive Damage Threshold like in D20 modern, etc.

 

[S'mon]

I read about a campaign with no PCs with magic. All knights (fighters with one special weapon each to make them different). Kinda Arthurian game.

I frequently fantasise about running such a game.

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

I frequently fantasise about running such a game.

Sorry. Guess the "mobile artillery platform" that is Xyzzy the Sorceror kinda prevents the current campaign from being like that, eh?

Maybe you should say that the next person to enter the game can't be a spellcaster, and disallow any further spellcasting cohorts too?