Some of you know my story. The boy is 10, and his brother who visits is 18. Most of our players and playing will be in that age range, and most will be done in the future while they are growing towards independence (they may not play when they turn 15, or may play more but without me, etc).
I have access to every book, but only have so much time. I love building characters, but realize how much is broken. I also have been thinking of an historical based campaign, based maybe in Babylon/Egypt days, and where magic would be easy to work into that, less magic would work better for the 'realism'.
My method of starting a campaign is/would be to start at level 0 and accelerate through 1 and 2 fairly fast with DM magic, then begin to apply a stall (to leveling up), and keep characters below high teens for as long as possible. I mention this because my low magic ideas will exclude many high ECL monsters, though more traditional magic monsters will be encountered as things go on.
I would like to keep the magic as low as possible, and keep the class options as high as possible. I would like opinions and pointers on mechanical feasibility.
IDEA #1
Exclude tier 1 and 2 entirely and be done with it.
This has one major problem in that it excludes Cleric. Cleric could be added and nerfed to only core and made strongest characters in the world?
This sounds somewhat playable, but i'd kind like to allow some sort of sorcerers, druids or wizards in the story i think, maybe.
IDEA #2
Keep all books and tiers, but nerf the whole system/character options by lowering the max 'Spell per day' by two. Thereby not effecting lower level play hardly at all, though cantrips would also be limited.
Wizards would experience loss of a lvl 1 spell at 4th and a level 2 spell at 6th/etc. There could still be arcane casters @ level20, but the players might not play them or multiclass them.
This somewhat nerfs Wizard20, but as stream of the sky said, 'if you can nuke the world 10 times a day or 100 it's still broken'.
IDEA #3
Axe 7-9th level spells and be done with it. Multiclass into something else. This still leaves way to many spells in the world.
IDEA #4
Go back to idea #1 and fix it by adding #2, etc
*Allow Core and SRD limit most spells to same.
*Exclude other tier 1 and 2 but allow player much reign otherwise.
*Nerf the entire system with 'limit max spell/use per day by 2'.
*Axe 8-9th level arcane entirely and be done with it.
*Apply surgical prerogative to offensive material.
*Restrain most magic use in npcs and focus on religious action to move the largest powers in the game. Make the PCs create most all their magic items.
*Apply a story mechanic that won't affect player choice but limits npc magic: Magic ability is inherent and only 1:100 folks have a hand for 0-level spells. Only 1:1,000 ever get above level2 spells, though those that stay past that begin to choose it as a life path.
This sounds close to workable. I expect experienced Forum members to suggest i should try 'game x', but i have reservations about my time/money/energy to start with a 'new game'.
Unless of course it was perfect and cheap.
********************
The campaign i hope to run will have heavy intrigue and social ladder climbing. The world is their oyster, and the players cannot help but metagame. It's quite possible that they will try to take over egypt, or just sail for Africa. Time travel and Planar options will not even be considered except maybe at highest levels.
I would like it to take a long time though. They should have to explore local villages for social contact in other villages before traveling the wilds between. The difference between the biggest cities and the smallest towns will be vast in only a few days ride, and the Wilds will be exactly that for endless expanse. Low and mid level characters will need social interaction just to ensure their back is covered.
The gods are relatively involved in the world, but false gods abound. Divine energy can be harvested through prayers/meditation, and followers equals power. Self made saints/etc abound, but most are minor practitioners who are outclassed by a real cleric, much less a real god. Still, the path to true godhood is essentially the same; faith=divine energy, and followers=divinity.
For some reason the magic in this world is decreasing, and though that fact shouldn't affect early play it will explain why if they go into the future there is no magic.
That's all for now. First post is sometimes the longest.
I would like advice on how to make the campaign similar to what i want.
BTW i'm also very interested in knowing what's the nicest character generator for computer. I would be interested in purchasing something way cool. What's the price range?
I have access to every book, but only have so much time. I love building characters, but realize how much is broken. I also have been thinking of an historical based campaign, based maybe in Babylon/Egypt days, and where magic would be easy to work into that, less magic would work better for the 'realism'.
My method of starting a campaign is/would be to start at level 0 and accelerate through 1 and 2 fairly fast with DM magic, then begin to apply a stall (to leveling up), and keep characters below high teens for as long as possible. I mention this because my low magic ideas will exclude many high ECL monsters, though more traditional magic monsters will be encountered as things go on.
I would like to keep the magic as low as possible, and keep the class options as high as possible. I would like opinions and pointers on mechanical feasibility.
IDEA #1
Exclude tier 1 and 2 entirely and be done with it.
This has one major problem in that it excludes Cleric. Cleric could be added and nerfed to only core and made strongest characters in the world?
This sounds somewhat playable, but i'd kind like to allow some sort of sorcerers, druids or wizards in the story i think, maybe.
IDEA #2
Keep all books and tiers, but nerf the whole system/character options by lowering the max 'Spell per day' by two. Thereby not effecting lower level play hardly at all, though cantrips would also be limited.
Wizards would experience loss of a lvl 1 spell at 4th and a level 2 spell at 6th/etc. There could still be arcane casters @ level20, but the players might not play them or multiclass them.
This somewhat nerfs Wizard20, but as stream of the sky said, 'if you can nuke the world 10 times a day or 100 it's still broken'.
IDEA #3
Axe 7-9th level spells and be done with it. Multiclass into something else. This still leaves way to many spells in the world.
IDEA #4
Go back to idea #1 and fix it by adding #2, etc
*Allow Core and SRD limit most spells to same.
*Exclude other tier 1 and 2 but allow player much reign otherwise.
*Nerf the entire system with 'limit max spell/use per day by 2'.
*Axe 8-9th level arcane entirely and be done with it.
*Apply surgical prerogative to offensive material.
*Restrain most magic use in npcs and focus on religious action to move the largest powers in the game. Make the PCs create most all their magic items.
*Apply a story mechanic that won't affect player choice but limits npc magic: Magic ability is inherent and only 1:100 folks have a hand for 0-level spells. Only 1:1,000 ever get above level2 spells, though those that stay past that begin to choose it as a life path.
This sounds close to workable. I expect experienced Forum members to suggest i should try 'game x', but i have reservations about my time/money/energy to start with a 'new game'.
Unless of course it was perfect and cheap.
********************
The campaign i hope to run will have heavy intrigue and social ladder climbing. The world is their oyster, and the players cannot help but metagame. It's quite possible that they will try to take over egypt, or just sail for Africa. Time travel and Planar options will not even be considered except maybe at highest levels.
I would like it to take a long time though. They should have to explore local villages for social contact in other villages before traveling the wilds between. The difference between the biggest cities and the smallest towns will be vast in only a few days ride, and the Wilds will be exactly that for endless expanse. Low and mid level characters will need social interaction just to ensure their back is covered.
The gods are relatively involved in the world, but false gods abound. Divine energy can be harvested through prayers/meditation, and followers equals power. Self made saints/etc abound, but most are minor practitioners who are outclassed by a real cleric, much less a real god. Still, the path to true godhood is essentially the same; faith=divine energy, and followers=divinity.
For some reason the magic in this world is decreasing, and though that fact shouldn't affect early play it will explain why if they go into the future there is no magic.
That's all for now. First post is sometimes the longest.
I would like advice on how to make the campaign similar to what i want.
BTW i'm also very interested in knowing what's the nicest character generator for computer. I would be interested in purchasing something way cool. What's the price range?
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