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Message: <blockquote data-quote="WizarDru" data-source="post: 2239376" data-attributes="member: 151">And that's the best way to go about it, IMHO. As long as you're aware of the potential pitfalls, you should be fine. For the right kind of game, being ineffective or sub-optimal in combat is OK, as long as the character has a chance to shine elsewhere. There's nothing wrong with being the bookworm, as long as the bookworm gets to discover the secret of the ancient prophecy and is the only one who can decipher the seal to the tomb of power. If he gets his focus time doing that, he won't mind if he has to hide behind the warrior during the battle...his skills and 'screen time', if you will, are elsewhere and intact.Ah...then your question wasn't really "Is magic overpowered?", but rather "Can a logical campaign world be established with the de facto standard of magic in D&D?", is that correct? That's a very different question, as you might imagine.There are a few schools of thought to the idea:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">the 'hong' school: Proponents of this theory can state it plainly: 7.5 billion chickens. Or, in the long form: D&D has lots of silly inconsistincies, because it's a game, not a simulation. Simulations aren't fun, mang, so stop worrying and learn to love the bomb.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">the Magic Medieval Society school: Must reading for any DM, IMHO, is jgbrowning's <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=711&" target="_blank">Magic Medieval Society.</a> (Seriously, read this book.) This school believes that magic has an effect on society, but the general combination of economic and social restrictions, coupled with magic's many limitations and the overall scarcity of magic-users in contrast to the general populace dramatically reduce the impact of D&D magic on the world.  Some classic examples include the book showing how various spells like StoneShape don't have the dramatic effect on the world you might think they would, when you factor in all the associated costs with the actual output and limited number of practicioners.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">the Uncle School: "Iiiyaaa! Only magic can defeat magic!" Often forgotten is the fact that no man is an island; no wizard an empire. Unless all the world's spellcasters are in cahoots, they're usually in competition. Clerics and wizards not only cancel each other out, but are often in direct contention with each other. It takes a lot of resource to keep yourself protected, and every spellcaster keeps a certain percentage of their spellpower reserved for just that purpose (show me a 20th level wizard who doesn't cast mindblank every day, and I'll show you a dead man).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">the Everybody does NOT want to rule the world theory: Newsflash! Ruling the world is NOT FUN. Even as an evil despot, you have to keep the mines working, the trains running and the food growing. Unless you're a fallen Maia who doesn't care if the world burns to ash, you've got a lot of administrative work ahead of you. Many powerful beings simply choose not to get involved or not help. Sure, Morty the Wizard can cast Teleportation Circle...that doesn't mean he wants to do it to supplement trade between kingdoms. COULD doesn't mean WILL.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The Gods Must Be Crazy (and so are People) school: Many people have conflicting agendas, politics and religious beliefs. Some of those people happen to be able to cast spells. Sure, the church of Bubba-La could dominate the village, if they so desired...but that would be in violation of Bubba-La's tenets. Yes, the powerful warrior Veslo COULD slay the king and seize the kingdom...but that would violate his oaths of loyalty and betray every ideal his father taught him. The Dread Wizard Bogart COULD dominate the king...but now he's got to keep an eye on him all the time, he's got to dominate the court wizard, the high priest and anyone else who can free him, he's got to dedicate spell slots to maintaining the infrastructure of his dominance, and he's got to scry his enemies, protect himself, travel around....frankly, it's exhausting. So he doesn't bother, and just hides in a remote tower away from the kingdom in general.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">the People follow leaders school: quick, how many players have a knowledge:law skill with more than 4 ranks in it? have it at all? How many have profession:anything? How much charisma does that wizard or cleric have? how many skills does that sorceror or druid have? How do they stack against an Expert or aristocrat of similar level?</li> </ul>Put simply, D&D is about creating an environment where heroes encounter challenges. Thinking too hard about the specifics can lead to the realization that 75% of the world's populace in a standard D&D world could be slain by a common housecat...even while fully armed and armored. A certain degree of verisimilitude is expected, but D&D doesn't try too hard to answer all of the possible questions...that's left as an exercise to motivated DMs who find it compelling enough. The case can and has been made that for some people, magic in D&D IS too prevalent. For those folks, their are loads of good options, chief among them being <a href="http://www.badaxegames.com/html/products/grim_tales/index.html" target="_blank">Grim Tales</a>.  Adapting settings like <a href="http://www.fantasyflightgames.com/midnight.html" target="_blank">Midnight </a>or <a href="http://www.diffworlds.com/valus.htm" target="_blank">the Valus</a> are also good options, as well.</blockquote>

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