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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Belegbeth" data-source="post: 1566829" data-attributes="member: 17228">The term "low magic" is vague.  There are two ways of understanding this term.  One is "low frequency" magic -- i.e. magic is exceedingly rare.  Maybe there are only three wizards in the entire kingdom (but one is 18th level).  The other is "low power" magic.  Maybe there are no spells higher than 5th level in the world.  Of course, a campaign can be both "rare" and "low power" in its approach to magic.  (And the rarer magic is, the more powerful even "low level" magic seems.)  Middle-earth is both "low power" and "rare" in magic (by DnD standards), whereas Vance's Lyonesse novels are "high power" but "rare" in magic (there are a few extremely powerful mages who check each other's influence).The problem with default 3.x DnD is that magic is both relatively common and relatively powerful.  Relative to most fantasy literature, that is.  Hence, as the original poster noted, it may be possible for experienced DnD DMs and players to create drama and tension with standard DnD magic, but it will not be the kind of drama and tension that can be found in most fantasy literature.  Hence the charge that DnD is exceedingly self-referential.  Really, the default level for magic in a standard DnD campaign makes it commonplace ("nonmagical," and rather utilitarian, in feel) for PCs and important NPCs.  Consequently, DnD is a pseudo "sci-fi" game in which magic plays the role of technology; dwarves, etc. the role of friendly aliens; orcs, etc. the role of unfriendly aliens; and so forth.  Nothing wrong with that!  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />  But it is not fantasy, at least as found in most literature.My own preference for "rare magic" campaigns is simple: (1) such campaigns more closely resemble the fantasy literature that I love (and that my players love); and (2) by keeping magic rare, I can keep it "mysterious" and strange -- i.e. "magical" -- in nature.</blockquote>

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