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Message: <blockquote data-quote="AFGNCAAP" data-source="post: 3535340" data-attributes="member: 871">Well, how about this idea:Why is magic so scarce?  Does the presence of lots of magic/magic items become dangerous for those using/carrying it?Perhaps potent threats (old dragons, outsiders, high-level NPCs, etc.) are more aware of magic as it's accumalated/massed in one place or by a few people.  They could either add the items to their stockpile, greedily; or, they could possibly thrive on such magics, draining them dry to boost their own power (the more potent &/or permanent an item, the more "filling" it is for this magical hunger).And, if the PCs start acting irresponsibly because they feel like they can (like challenging local authories & whatnot), word can (& will) get out of their misdeeds.  And possibly get the attention of more powerful, seasoned foes who could deal with the PCs.  In essence, the PCs become the big bad evil villains that the heroes need to deal with/slay.  I hate to borrow a line from Episode I, but it's true in this regard: "There's always a bigger fish."Magic items can easily become a liability instead of an asset for the PCs.  Perhaps they're constantly besieged by people who want the items for themselves (and they don't have to always resort to direct toe-to-toe fights to get them; there's always theft, blackmail, etc.).  Perhaps there's pockets of dead magic (ala the Forgotten Realms for a while) where magic just doesn't work anymore.  Maybe magic stored in items becomes harmful for the owner, like radiation.  Perhaps magic items bear a curse as well as a boon (sure, that +2 sword makes you better in combat, but to "cosmically balance" the boon you have from that, perhaps your wounds tend to bleed more, or your luck in other areas of life is worse, or you fight yourself fighting more in unopportune moments, etc.).Then again, if magic is supposed to be so rare, then the PCs really shouldn't face foes with items at all (except on occasion).  Monsters with templates, higher-level foes, higher numbers of foes, perhaps good-quality items/masterwork or better items, etc., could be options instead.</blockquote>

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