D&D 5E (2024) Preferences in a New Official 5.5e Specific Setting

[Minigiant]

Low Magic Power
Only 1st and 2nd level spells can be prepared. 3rd level scrolls can be crafted.

Low Magic Frequency
Only 1 power level of caster allowed 4 PCs.
AKA 1 Full caster, 2 half casters, or 3 third casters per 4 PCs.

Low Magic Versatility
Cantrips count to spells prepared. Casters must ban a spell school. No multiclassing full casters.

Low Magic Visibility
Full Casters must 50% multiclass. Magic items are only weapons and armors.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

A setting can be more than one of those. For example, Eberron supports heroic, mystery, intrigue, urban, war, and a smidge of science. I would hope a new setting would try to check off more than one box.

Honestly the Forgotten Realms is pretty much ALL of them.

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

Having less magic in the setting always seemed to lead to certain classes enjoying a lot more power, because there're fewer common counters to them.

If fewer folk know about magic, there's less reason for enemies to know the counters to said magic.

I wonder what could be done about that

That has not been our experience, can you clarify what you see as the issue?

 

[Uni-the-Unicorn!]

I've done it, and I love it. I even thought about making a thread about it, but never got around to it. The answer is surprisingly simple yet possibly highly unsatisfying:

Only low levels. Like, 1~3 only. My favorite is level 1.

Does tossing out levels 4+ count as tossing out a huge amount of the game? Probably.

Interesting, we do low magic and we are up to level 15. Why do you think it only works at low level?