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<blockquote data-quote="Eric Tolle" data-source="post: 3778362" data-attributes="member: 53859">I have to think that the whole &quot;Magic items should be rare and fantastical&quot; is far more of a GM attitude than a player one.&nbsp; Specifically, GMs at a loss for bringing the fantastical into a game, and blaming one element.&nbsp; Admittedly, it's easier to railroad players the less magic there is: a wight is much more terrifyng when there is no magic.&nbsp; Players tend to be more practical then GMs: where the GM is thinking &quot;Hey, I'll have them do an overland journey to get to McGuffinland, forcing them to have an encounter every day&quot;, the players are going to be thinking &quot;Screw it- let's teleport.&quot;This is also something of a misapplication of classic high fantasy tropes to RPGs- GMs read of swords alike Stormbringer or Excaliber, and think &quot;Hey, ALL magic items should be as rare and cool as these items, because rarity is how these things are cool&quot;.&nbsp; When actually, the items themselves have nothing to do with the coolness, it's the magic item's owners and the stories that they appear in that make for the coolness.&nbsp; I personally don't think that limiting magic brings any more sense of the fantastical into a game: it's how those things can be used that gives the sense of wonder, and how game elements can be described that give that sense.&nbsp; Unfortunately, it's easier to try to limit magic, then it is to actually come up with something new and interesting in a game.&nbsp; for my part, I'll prefer Eberron over Greyhawk with the interesting things taken out.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Eric Tolle, post: 3778362, member: 53859"] I have to think that the whole "Magic items should be rare and fantastical" is far more of a GM attitude than a player one. Specifically, GMs at a loss for bringing the fantastical into a game, and blaming one element. Admittedly, it's easier to railroad players the less magic there is: a wight is much more terrifyng when there is no magic. Players tend to be more practical then GMs: where the GM is thinking "Hey, I'll have them do an overland journey to get to McGuffinland, forcing them to have an encounter every day", the players are going to be thinking "Screw it- let's teleport." This is also something of a misapplication of classic high fantasy tropes to RPGs- GMs read of swords alike Stormbringer or Excaliber, and think "Hey, ALL magic items should be as rare and cool as these items, because rarity is how these things are cool". When actually, the items themselves have nothing to do with the coolness, it's the magic item's owners and the stories that they appear in that make for the coolness. I personally don't think that limiting magic brings any more sense of the fantastical into a game: it's how those things can be used that gives the sense of wonder, and how game elements can be described that give that sense. Unfortunately, it's easier to try to limit magic, then it is to actually come up with something new and interesting in a game. for my part, I'll prefer Eberron over Greyhawk with the interesting things taken out. [/QUOTE]

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