D&D General What do do when a setting doesn't have magic?

[Remathilis]

I find something else to do. No magic D&D hacks rarely works in my experience.

 

[GMMichael]

Now, I have no clue how to have a balanced D&D game where there's no magic existing. However, I can think of a couple of ways that I can have a no-magic setting where the players and the setting is abruptly introduced to magic.

Easy. Generic character classes. Each character gets d8 hit dice, 4 tool, 2 armor, and 4 skill proficiencies. Weapons are included in tools, saves are included in skills. A little Expertise wouldn't hurt.

When and if there are any monsters around with magic-like abilities, you'd best start using science against them. Oil bombs, gunpowder, engineering (catapults), acids (eye-irritation is a thing)...the bards could use a soft science. Talk about the monsters' mothers.

Also, tactics. I guess I'm mentioning this second because it applies to games with or without magic. Oddly, magic use seems to be preferred over tactics, which is unfortunate.

"Magic never has and never will exist" setting. . . If I was going for that, I would definitely go with a separate system. However, I love magic in all systems so such a campaign likely wouldn't happen for me.

We might have scared our OP away with the "don't play D&D" ideas . . . in the D&D forum

Edited for do do

 

[Laurefindel]

This is really my take on it. While a creative GM can shoehorn just about any system to "work", I'm a firm believer that not every system is suited to every type of game or style of play. And I think it's good practice to put yourself in the best spot to succeed by picking a ruleset that is a good fit for the game you intent to run.

Agreed

In this particular case however, the DM doesn't need to shoehorn anything because shoes aren't necessary. The DM can simply leave their shoes behind and go barefoot. But dubious pedal analogies aside, a DM doesn't need to modify the rules at all to make 5e a suitable system for no-magic-D&D. All it needs is the removal of magical elements. Like a jedi-free Star Wars game. As a matter of fact, magic-free 5e D&D is still a more comprehensible and mechanically-rich engine than many RPGs.

That doesn't make your argument (that other systems can be better suited) any less valid however.

 

[Bacon Bits]

I would totally disagree that this indicates the game is falling apart. D&D plays just fine even if you're only using a subset of its full range.

The game functions, but a game has to do more than just function. It needs to represent the range of characters that players can imagine in the setting. You're not limited because those are the characters of choice that your players are interested in. You're limited because that is the range of mechanics that exist for PCs. IMO, restricting all possible characters to a subset of Barbarian, Fighter, and Rogue means the game is not fit for purpose.

Compare it to d20 Modern (it's d20 Past, really, but that's a supplement for that system). It's a class-based game that supports no magic (spellcasting classes are all prestige classes). In that game, you have these base classes: Charismatic, Dedicated, Fast, Smart, Strong, and Tough. One class for each attribute, with different class features for each class. Fighter, Rogue, and Barbarian gets you Fast, Strong, and Tough. And that's essentially it. All your class features make you Faster, Stronger, or Tougher regardless of what your attributes are. Doing this means your players can't pick Charismatic, Dedicated, or Smart, even if they want to. And if they try, well, they end up as a Rogue with high Cha or a Fighter with high Int. You'll be better at what you picked, but all your features still make you Faster, Stronger and Tougher. That provides a very limited range of characters for your game. It's so narrow that I wouldn't describe it as a complete game.

And that's before we start getting to what NPCs and monsters you'd have to cut out if they also have no magic, or how skills and backgrounds are affected.

 

[ART!]

The game functions, but a game has to do more than just function. It needs to represent the range of characters that players can imagine in the setting. You're not limited because those are the characters of choice that your players are interested in. You're limited because that is the range of mechanics that exist for PCs. IMO, restricting all possible characters to a subset of Barbarian, Fighter, and Rogue means the game is not fit for purpose.

I get where you're coming from, but at least a few posters here have pointed out that you don't have to limit this to barbarians, fighters and rogues. If was going to be literal about this, I wouldn't allow barbarians because at high levels they can fly.

My argument is to allow all or most of the classes but re-skin things. No mechancial changes required, just re-thinking what the effects of this magical ability or that spell could represent in a zero-magic world.

 

[Stormonu]

2E had the Historical series, with some interesting ways of handling D&D from no magic, low magic or even fantastical. It can be done, but some classes/abilities need to be altered or removed. As others have said it'd probably be easier to use another system entirely that's better suited to a "mundane" world.

For no/limited magic

Bard - no/limited spells, inspire ability has a mundane influence.
Barbarian - Beserker subclass doesn't need changes, Totem and Storm wouldn't be usable
Cleric - no/limited spells or channeling, everything else mostly stays
Druid - no/limited spells or shapechange
Fighter - no Eldritch knight, everything else unaffected
Monk - remove class or change abilities to be mundane tricks; no Elemental subclass
Paladin - no/limited spells, most other abilities stay but have a mundane source
Ranger - no spells, most other abilities stay
Rogue - no Arcane Trickster subclass, most other abilities stay
Sorcerer - remove class
Warlock - remove class
Wizard - remove class or limit to Illusionist and 3rd level or less spells (see below)

Spells - If allowed, I'd say no spells above 3rd level, limited to healing, enchantments and possibly illusions. Enchantments would be similar in manner to the bard's Inspire ability, using charisma and faith in one's self to gain an actual benefit - so things like True Strike, Bless, Bane, Curse, Enhance Ability and the like might work, just because the individual gains an extraordinary confidence in their own abilities (or lack of such).