Please critique my low magic rules (Very Long)

[Ace]

This is most of my rules patches for my new low magic campaign

The concept behind it is that magic items are "extras" and do not count to calculating the overall balance of the characters power

Also Magic should not dominate the world as it can if you take the system to its furthest extent

So without further ado


D20 Set Up Notes
The Known Lands campaign is set in a medium magic, low magic item and low magical impact game world
There are a few changes in store for prospective players

#1 The mechanic used will be 40 point DMG point buy or just set your stats
#2 There is to be no gender bending
#3 The only race available is Human except as noted in #5
#4 All characters must have good alignments
#5 If the player group is 5 or more players 1 player may select from 1 or more of the following options
a: neutral alignment
b: non-human race
c: unusual class

There are 3 basic house rules
#1 Skills are +2 per level for every class
#2 The feat progression is as follows:
Feats are gained at l, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, and 19. This is a total of 3 extra feats.
#3 Defense bonus based on level will be used
#4 One Flaw may be selected

Action Points

Each Charcter starts with 5 Action points. A character can spend 1 action point to do one
of these things:

• Alter a single d20 roll used to make an attack, a skill check, an ability check, a level check, or a saving throw.

Any Number of Action Points may be spent in a single round
The dice rolled are as follows
1st–3th 1d4
4th–6th 1d6
7th–9th 1d8
10th-12th 1d6+1d4
11th –13th 2d6
14th-16th 1d10+1d4
17th-20th 2d8
Epic 2d10

If a percentile roll is called for you may add your die size x5% instead


FX may also be purchased with Action Points

#1 Lucky Break
Spend from 1 to 5 and gain a lucky break. Effects are up to the DM

#2 Back from the dead
For 10 points a character that is dead can come back. Methods are up to the DM and player but include Lost Magic, Divine Intervention and more

#3 Righteous Wrath
Good characters (and good characters only) may spend 5 points if sorely provoked by Evil and gain wrath. This ability adds the average of your action dice to very roll made for the Duration of one battle. Hello I am Inigo Montoya, You Killed my Father Prepare to Die. You get the picture

#4 Boost Spells
Spend 1 point and gain a bonus to your spells DC equal to 1/2 minus 1 of your action dice

#5More power
Spend a point and gain x spells

#6 Surge of Speed
Spend 3 for an extra partial action

#7 Will to Live
For 5 points you automatically stabilize

#8 Investiture
The item you invest becomes special and will not be Broken or lost. This costs 1 point for a trivial item, 3 points for a minor one, 5 for a major one

#9 Nimble Hands
1 Point will finish a job in half the normal time. Two Points and its done in a quarter of the time. 3 point and its done in a tenth of the time!

Points refresh automatically at each session.

Additional points may also be gained as follows


Role playing in Character: 1 point Excellent Role playing is worth 2
Being Heroic with NPC's: 1-3 point. This doesn't count if you back up your buddies though, even bad guys do that.
Being Swashbuckling: 1-2 Point
Good Dialog: No Monte Python though, a good line is worth a point for sure. A great line is worth 2
Hosed: If the DM messes with you, you get a point
Flaw: If your flaw is activated by anyone you get a point

If desired a flaw may be selected. This flaw is a psychological bug such as Phobia, Rage, Alcoholism and so on. If an appropriate stimulus in encountered either the DM or any player may activate the flaw.
You lose control of the character to the DM although you can role play during the incident. If it is activated you gain a point. If it is really nasty you get two points

Example: Jarki the Thul has a Little Drinking Problem (Alcoholism Flaw) His buddies busy exploring the lost tomb of the Lich King leave him a room full of wine casks.
The DM seeing an opportunity activates the Flaw and Jarki decides to drink a bit of wine than more until after his friends return with a load of skeletons chasing them they find Jarki quite drunk. Doh!
Oh well at least he got the point


Magic

Magic and Magic using classes

Magic in my game world is linked to Bloodlines.


Unless a feat is spent only starting characters may take a level as a spell user. If the Feat “True Mage” is taken the Character may take a level of Mage later. The True Mage feats than becomes Prodigal Caster and the characters favored class will always be the spell casting one thereafter

All “movement” related spells are reduced in time increment to 1 round per level unless the normal duration is less. This list includes Feather Fall, Levitate, Fly, Mass Fly, Telekinesis, Air walk, Spider Climb, Mage Hand, Greater Mage Hand and Wind walk

Damage causing spells reamin unchanged although the spells are are. If a mana point system is implemented the costs of the spells will be increased


The following spells are not allowed

Any Summon Monster Spells
Etherealness
Astral Projection
Mords Lucubration
Avoid Planar Effects
Anyspell
Azuths Exalted Triad
Death Pact
Ether Blast
Ethereal Mount
Dictum
Elemental Swarm
Ethereal Jaunt
Fire Spiders
Greater Anyspell
Imprisonment/Freedom
Maze
Otyugh Swarm
Plane Shift
Ray’s Mnemonic Enhancer
Raise Dead
Resurrection
True Resurrection
Mord’s Magnificent Mansion
Reality Maelstrom
Orders Wrath
Rope Trick
Revive Outsider
Gate
Seal Gate
Shield of Law
Summon Undead
Word of Law
Word of Chaos
Chamber
Chaos Hammer (but see the new version)
Wrath of Order
Detect Law
Detect Chaos
Any Chaos or Law Spell

Blink
Displacement
Dimension Door
Dimension Anchor
Dwarmijs Instant Summons
Elminsters Evasion
Familiar Pocket
Dimensional Lock
Teleport’
Teleport Without Error
Translocation Trick
Phase Door
Gate Seal
Refuge
G’elsewhere chant
Gemjump
Firestride
Shadow Walk
Any “Shadow” related movement spells from Swashbuckling Adventures
Ghostform
Passwall
Lutazen’s Frequent Jaunt
Mass Teleport
Teleport Circle
Master Earth
Xorn Movement
Meld Into Stone
Refuge
Phase Door
Portal
Seal Portal
Shadow Cache
Shadow Blast
Stone Walk
Transport Via Plants
Tree Stride
Vanish
Word of Recall
Zone of Respite
Displacement


Familiars

Familiars exist as normal

At the GM’s discretion anyone with a magical bloodline may be able to have one as well. A mage that does not have a familiar may substitute the feat for another

The following feats are available
Improved Familiar (only Tressym, Pseudo Dragon, Imp, Quasit, Wolf)
Enspell Familiar
Extra Familiar
Guardian Familiar
Undead Familiar (rare, evil and not allowed at start)
Construct Familiar (rare not allowed to start)

Token Familiar is not allowed (at least until there are appropriate spells for Teleport)


Feats

Item Creation Feats are substantially changed for this game

Create Wand, Staff, and Rod are treated as one feat. The prerequisite is True Lineage

Create Scroll Create Talisman and the creation of minor non rechargeable magic items are One Feat – Minor Craft Magic

Create Magic Weapons and Armor is split into Two Feats

Spell Forge
Spell Forge converts masterwork weapons/ armor or a master piece weapon/armor into a magic weapon of the same plus. It is learnable by anyone with a magic bloodline and 10+ in Craft/ Weapon, Craft/ Armor, or Craft/Fletcher.

True Spell Forge
This requires a True Mage lineage or appropriate Bloodline (Divine, Fae etc). It allows Forging of any plus (max 10) of Magic Weapon

Craft Wondrous Item is allows limited use items. These items may have 5 uses per day max.

Items that are at will are no longer allowed except a Artifacts.

My impression of the at will items is that they are the most unbalancing of all items and need to be dealt with

Brew Potion and Brew Elixer exist as Normal

Forge Ring also allows the Forging of lasting Amulets and other forms of Jewelry if the maker has the appropriate craft skill

Inscribe Rune allows the inscription of Wards and Object Runes

Engrave Circle is allowed except that meta Magic Feats are permitted

Self Item is allowed.

Candle Magic is allowed

 

[Sir Whiskers]

Just a quick 2 cents' worth:

Characters
You've given the players good stats (40 point build), and extra feats/skills, but severely limited their character options (race, alignment). Again, is this your intention? Does it fit the campaign theme? I don't see the extra feats and skill points as unbalancing - if you're just trying to give the players more effective characters without relying on magic, this works.

Magic
If I've read this correctly, the following types of spells are severely limited or eliminated altogether:
*movement enhancement
*planar
*resurrection
*law/chaos

This seems to primarily limit wizards/sorcerers to divination and damage type spells, with a few exeptions. Is this your intent?

Item Creation Feats
The feats seem reasonable, though I'd have to work up several characters to see if there are imbalances. I've always felt the normal system has too many feats for item creation, so combining several shouldn't matter much. If you're planning on a low-magic world, however, you'll want to place some limits on using these feats - power materials, higher xp/gp costs, etc. Otherwise, the players will fill up on their own stuff, regardless of how much (or little) you give out as treasure.


I'm curious - are you designing your campaign in this way because you've had a bad experience with players (pershap, over-twinking their characters, or playing less-than-heroic "heroes")? Or because of the overall theme of your campaign? Or just because your particular gaming group likes this style?

In general, I dislike changes that limit the player's options, within reason, and you've included a LOT of limits. But some of the spells you've banned can be badly abused, so I'm not prepared to suggest you've gone too far. It really depends on why you're making the changes and will your players enjoy themselves.

Again, just by 2 cents'...

 

[Ace]

Just a quick 2 cents' worth:

Characters
You've given the players good stats (40 point build), and extra feats/skills, but severely limited their character options (race, alignment). Again, is this your intention? Does it fit the campaign theme? I don't see the extra feats and skill points as unbalancing - if you're just trying to give the players more effective characters without relying on magic, this works.

Thanks for the critique. I limited the race option simply because non humans are very rarein the game world. Anyway in the last 3 three games I ran out of about 20 characters only 2 wanted to play non humans

Alignement restrictions are a means for me to reel in disruptive players.

As an experiemnt I want to see if I can get heros not the usual gang of Brigands that make up a party

Magic
If I've read this correctly, the following types of spells are severely limited or eliminated altogether:
*movement enhancement
*planar
*resurrection
*law/chaos

This seems to primarily limit wizards/sorcerers to divination and damage type spells, with a few exeptions. Is this your intent?

Somewhat. There are also Buff spells a plenty. I am trying to build a world where magic is limited inn its scope and it feel closer to our real world in flavor. The players seemed to enjoy this style of play more.

Mvement Spells are limited simply because I like distance to matter and I am tired of Flying/FireBall attack chopper mages

Item Creation Feats
The feats seem reasonable, though I'd have to work up several characters to see if there are imbalances. I've always felt the normal system has too many feats for item creation, so combining several shouldn't matter much. If you're planning on a low-magic world, however, you'll want to place some limits on using these feats - power materials, higher xp/gp costs, etc. Otherwise, the players will fill up on their own stuff, regardless of how much (or little) you give out as treasure.

Good advice. I am going with power components and a few minor limits

I'm curious - are you designing your campaign in this way because you've had a bad experience with players (pershap, over-twinking their characters, or playing less-than-heroic "heroes")? Or because of the overall theme of your campaign? Or just because your particular gaming group likes this style?

A little of each actually. The original name of the game was to be called Subtle Forces. It also arose after hearing complaints about my usual games magic level.

Player problems have been pretty minimal other than abuse of Summoned Monsters

In general, I dislike changes that limit the player's options, within reason, and you've included a LOT of limits. But some of the spells you've banned can be badly abused, so I'm not prepared to suggest you've gone too far. It really depends on why you're making the changes and will your players enjoy themselves.

Again, just by 2 cents'...

Again Thanks.

I am prepared to drop the alignment limit (in fact I was going to go with D20 Modern Aliegences instead. As far as options go my player have access to 1.5 GB of legal web stuff and dozens of books.

They have in 4 campaigns used exactly 3 non core book items

1 prestige class
Montes Ranger
and 1 feat

I am hoping the limits will get the players to check the other stuff out. It just feel like the other stuff is wasted time and money