D&D 3E/3.5 Playing in a DND3E game with no magic items

[jodasi]

Greetings brother and sister dnders.

My game master has the idea of not giving out an magic items that would give pluses to attack or defense. So, we will more than likely never see anything beyond masterwork. That is: no +1, +2, +3, .... magic items.

We are at 5th level now. My AC is 15 with studded leather masterwork leather. I am playing a barbarian.

I figure by 10th level I will still at AC 15, maybe AC 17, if he finally gives us something.

I tell him that at 10th level at this rate, I will be just as easy to hit as I was at 3rd level, but he says I will have more hit points by then and I will last longer. My argument to that is that by 10th level we will be fighting 7th level critters that have bonuses to HIT and DAMAGE!

Can some one come up with some kind of rational argument that I could give him telling us to give us some kind of defense bonus. I have sent him 3 links to problems that occur when you run a low magic campaign, and how games like wheel of time fixes the defense problems.

Maybe when they put out the new DMG this summer they can make some kind of comments in the book about running low magic campaigns.

His idea of a magic item is to give further fire or cold protection. Like 5pts.

Any Takers?

 

[dcollins]

If that's the game the DM has planned and prepared to run, then more power to him. Maybe a better question for you is how to construct your character(s) to deal with this situation, instead of finding ammunition to browbeat your DM with that he's somehow "mistaken" in his campaign choices.

 

[Crothian]

Well, you might want to go buy better armor and use a shield. Why is he not giving bonus items? Has he also gotten rid of DR? Has he altered the monsters to reflect that you are not as powerful as an average 5th level character should be?

Basically this really hurts the non casters. Casters at least have magic that can compinsate some of the lose of these types of magical items.

 

[Drawmack]

Anything that gets DR/+? should have it's CR increased by 2 for every five points of DR and +1.

i.e. a 5/+2 DR would yield CR +6.

 

[Christian]

Well, if there's a spellcaster in your party, he/she should take some Craft xxx feats. Imagine-you'd be the only people in the world with magic items! Fame and power would be yours!

Good thing none of those NPC clerics and wizards thought of that, eh?

 

[nharwell]

Your DM should try a different gamesystem --GURPS, HERO, or even RuneQuest would all work FAR better for a low-magic game. Why try to "brow-beat" D&D into something it wasn't meant for?

 

[Ravellion]

Get your party casters to help you out with Mage Armour, Haste, Cat's Grace and most importantly Greater Magic Weapon and (Greater) Magic Vestment

Also, does your DM seem to be knowing what he is doing, ie: he knows he is affecting balance a lot, and won't be able to use the CR system? If he does, no worries: He is probably jsut trying a different flavour of campaign. Has he restricted the wizard spell list as well?

Otherwise, if he has not: when you get a blow that drops half of your hitpoints away, immediatly disengage and stand behind the spellcasters, which should be shielded, mage armoured or Barkskinned and hence have a kick ass AC compared to you. get a longspear or halberd and fight from behind them. As soon as he sees you resort to that, he should see the error of his ways.

Rav

 

[jodasi]

spelll casters???

I have tried that already. He tells me that we have 3 spell casters alread... cleric, druid, ranger. Albeit, the ranger has one spell i think at fifth level.

I tried getting him to let me me play a mage. he said he prefered not.

One thing that he hints at is items becoming magical on their on thru use. We are at fifth level now, and I asked how long it is going to take in levels, from now, and he said it takes a long time before it happens.

I am still looking for a solid argument explaining why dnd3rd edition breaks down with out the pluses to defense at highter levels. Maybe some one from WOTC can explain it in a note?

joel/jodasi@hotmail.com

 

[jodasi]

Rav: good suggestion dropping back when my hit points tank.

When i told him my barbarian wants to go and get a plate shirt, he suggested i take a master work studded leather. I will take him up on it, so that when I charge and rage my AC will drop to 11. Then I can use the spell casters as shields.

Maybe after I loose a few characters he will get 'it'

 

[kreynolds]

I am still looking for a solid argument explaining why dnd3rd edition breaks down with out the pluses to defense at highter levels.

Here's the deal. If your DM tones down the encounters, taking into account that you are a far less powerful group than normal (i.e. wimpy), then you actually won't run into a problem. It can work. It would be boring for me though.

However, if your DM does not tone down the encounters, and he does not take into account that you are a far less powerful group than normal (i.e. wimpy), then the death rate will be staggeringly high, the game will seem impossibly difficult, and your DM will be scratching his head wondering what went wrong. No doubt he'll figure it out quick.

Either could be the case.