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General Tabletop Discussion
*TTRPGs General
The Difficulties Of Running Low Magic Campaigns
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<blockquote data-quote="Sunseeker" data-source="post: 7737176"><p>Sure, when you're running anything other than "Kitchen Sink" games you need player buy-in, I think that's a given. I don't think it's the fault of video games that trains people to <em>expect</em> magic in their TTRPGs, every edition of D&D has some with some form of Wizard and some form of Cleric. Players expect magic in their TTRPG because the TTRPG says there's magic in here! So it's hardly on the player to look at, read through a book, and come to the conclusion that some elements of the advertised game may not be available.</p><p></p><p>If you're trying to attract computer gamers to a low-magic TTRPG setting, you're probably going about things the wrong way. It's like trying to attract a pipeline welder into fixing your garbage disposal. These things are <em>related</em> but the skills and expectations are completely at odds. If you're trying to attract video/computer gamers it's probably a better approach to hook them with high-magic or "Kitchen Sink" games and once they're interested in the <em>system</em> they are more likely to be willing to explore more restrictive variants of it.</p><p></p><p>But I'll posit a bigger concern: video gamers have been trained on a strict DM (the computer). The rules are the rules. They are immutable, enforced upon everyone equally. You're more likely to find objection from video gamers when a system is very "rules light" or "rulings heavy" where a rule may <em>not</em> be equally enforced at all times, where the exceptions are unknowable except to the DM. </p><p></p><p>--------</p><p></p><p>I've run short low-magic games. There's little leveling. There's perhaps the occasional evil wizard or witch but never one in the party. And there's little magical loot. There's probably one dragon and he's the last thing you'll fight before the game is over. So, more or less "The Hobbit" but with different flavor.</p><p></p><p>I think the important element is to keep them <em>short</em>. (6 months is my sweet spot). Not leveling. Not getting loot. Nearly dying every other session, while some people find this fun, most people find it irritating after a while. Sure, people also have fun, but low-magic campaigns represent high opportunity cost. Everything you can find in a low-magic game can be found in a high-magic game (except for the low-magic vibe). The low magic vibe is not usually enough of an offset IME.</p><p></p><p>With the right sort of people you can certainly go further, but you've got to have a sort of people who primarily want the low-magic vibe over everything else. You're not gonna find that in video gamers.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Sunseeker, post: 7737176"] Sure, when you're running anything other than "Kitchen Sink" games you need player buy-in, I think that's a given. I don't think it's the fault of video games that trains people to [I]expect[/I] magic in their TTRPGs, every edition of D&D has some with some form of Wizard and some form of Cleric. Players expect magic in their TTRPG because the TTRPG says there's magic in here! So it's hardly on the player to look at, read through a book, and come to the conclusion that some elements of the advertised game may not be available. If you're trying to attract computer gamers to a low-magic TTRPG setting, you're probably going about things the wrong way. It's like trying to attract a pipeline welder into fixing your garbage disposal. These things are [I]related[/I] but the skills and expectations are completely at odds. If you're trying to attract video/computer gamers it's probably a better approach to hook them with high-magic or "Kitchen Sink" games and once they're interested in the [I]system[/I] they are more likely to be willing to explore more restrictive variants of it. But I'll posit a bigger concern: video gamers have been trained on a strict DM (the computer). The rules are the rules. They are immutable, enforced upon everyone equally. You're more likely to find objection from video gamers when a system is very "rules light" or "rulings heavy" where a rule may [I]not[/I] be equally enforced at all times, where the exceptions are unknowable except to the DM. -------- I've run short low-magic games. There's little leveling. There's perhaps the occasional evil wizard or witch but never one in the party. And there's little magical loot. There's probably one dragon and he's the last thing you'll fight before the game is over. So, more or less "The Hobbit" but with different flavor. I think the important element is to keep them [I]short[/I]. (6 months is my sweet spot). Not leveling. Not getting loot. Nearly dying every other session, while some people find this fun, most people find it irritating after a while. Sure, people also have fun, but low-magic campaigns represent high opportunity cost. Everything you can find in a low-magic game can be found in a high-magic game (except for the low-magic vibe). The low magic vibe is not usually enough of an offset IME. With the right sort of people you can certainly go further, but you've got to have a sort of people who primarily want the low-magic vibe over everything else. You're not gonna find that in video gamers. [/QUOTE]
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