After a bit of thought, I decided that most of the problems I have with the standard D&D system are fixed by the Sovereign Stone system. These are my perceptions of what is improved for me over the standard D&D system after my first glance (but not a thorough reading yet) at the system:
- There is no distinction between divine and arcane magic
- There is only one magic using class, no hybrids
- There are replacements for the D&D hybrid classes, like the mounted warrior for the paladin and the stalker for the ranger
- There are numerous non-magical classes to choose from, thus preserving numerous options for players while also lowering the commonality of magic
- There are no arbitrary limits on how many spells you can cast per day (no mana pool, no spell slots, etc.)
- The system encourages magic items to be more individually crafted with a history rather than being plug-in power ups as they are in D&D
- Since there is only one magic using class and no monks, the amount of magical gear is no longer a significant balancing mechanic between classes
- Finding and learning new spells is integrated into the game in a more story based way than a level-by-level power up way (if you find a spell and spend time learning it, you can cast it, regardless of level). For me this really invokes images of magi delving into ancient runes and poring over dusty tomes searching for rare and powerful spells
- Access to different spells is controlled entirely by the DM, rather than the player, allowing the DM to shape the nature of magic and the rarity of certains types of spells to make magic fit a specific campaign setting better
- Since magic is less common and the rules are more natural/fluid it is more mysterious and occult
- Since amount of magical gear is less tied to game balance, it's easier to keep the campaign wealth-poor, freeing you from the ghost of the treasure-per-level tables hanging over your shoulder
- No more teleport and no more ressurection. Those two spells are the number 1 & 2 setting-logic breaking spells in standard D&D. Yay!
Has anyone used this system in play (and let me know if you played in Loerem or a different world)? Can you evaluate whether or not these assessments are fair?
I'm thinking that these rules are really good for playing in a world like Kalamar, REH's Hyboria, Fritz Leiber's Lankmar, etc. where you want to tone down the overall impact of magic on the world, preserving it's mystery, but still want to maintain D&D epic heroic power levels. I want to start a campaign with a very Robert Howard type feel to it, so I picked up Sovereign Stone and the Codex Mysterium and it all looks perfect.
What adjustments need to be made with this system when playing in a world other than Sovereign Stone's world of Loerem? I imagine that I'll need to keep an eye on damage reduction and challenge ratings of creatures I throw at the party, due to less magic. Has anyone had experience in this area?
Also, has anyone tried integrating other D&D rules into a Sov. Stone game, like PRCs, converted D&D spells, etc.?
Finally, has anyone found any limitations or problems with Sov. Stone that I might want to be aware of and/or compensate for?
Thanks!
-Kenji
- There is no distinction between divine and arcane magic
- There is only one magic using class, no hybrids
- There are replacements for the D&D hybrid classes, like the mounted warrior for the paladin and the stalker for the ranger
- There are numerous non-magical classes to choose from, thus preserving numerous options for players while also lowering the commonality of magic
- There are no arbitrary limits on how many spells you can cast per day (no mana pool, no spell slots, etc.)
- The system encourages magic items to be more individually crafted with a history rather than being plug-in power ups as they are in D&D
- Since there is only one magic using class and no monks, the amount of magical gear is no longer a significant balancing mechanic between classes
- Finding and learning new spells is integrated into the game in a more story based way than a level-by-level power up way (if you find a spell and spend time learning it, you can cast it, regardless of level). For me this really invokes images of magi delving into ancient runes and poring over dusty tomes searching for rare and powerful spells
- Access to different spells is controlled entirely by the DM, rather than the player, allowing the DM to shape the nature of magic and the rarity of certains types of spells to make magic fit a specific campaign setting better
- Since magic is less common and the rules are more natural/fluid it is more mysterious and occult
- Since amount of magical gear is less tied to game balance, it's easier to keep the campaign wealth-poor, freeing you from the ghost of the treasure-per-level tables hanging over your shoulder
- No more teleport and no more ressurection. Those two spells are the number 1 & 2 setting-logic breaking spells in standard D&D. Yay!
Has anyone used this system in play (and let me know if you played in Loerem or a different world)? Can you evaluate whether or not these assessments are fair?
I'm thinking that these rules are really good for playing in a world like Kalamar, REH's Hyboria, Fritz Leiber's Lankmar, etc. where you want to tone down the overall impact of magic on the world, preserving it's mystery, but still want to maintain D&D epic heroic power levels. I want to start a campaign with a very Robert Howard type feel to it, so I picked up Sovereign Stone and the Codex Mysterium and it all looks perfect.
What adjustments need to be made with this system when playing in a world other than Sovereign Stone's world of Loerem? I imagine that I'll need to keep an eye on damage reduction and challenge ratings of creatures I throw at the party, due to less magic. Has anyone had experience in this area?
Also, has anyone tried integrating other D&D rules into a Sov. Stone game, like PRCs, converted D&D spells, etc.?
Finally, has anyone found any limitations or problems with Sov. Stone that I might want to be aware of and/or compensate for?
Thanks!
-Kenji
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