D&D 5E What high-level spells could warp society?

We're not just talking about adventurers though, we're talking about how these high level spells would effect the setting. These high level spells aren't going to be common. Of course that doesn't mean they can't warp society, it's just that even the largest of cities is only going to be able to cast a few of them each year

Is it all society, or "adventurer society"? Per OP

....20th level just means that someone has arrived into the "real influence" tier of society, where the movers and shakers of society start to take an interest in you.
...if a fair number of people have consistent access to 9th level magic, what sort of implications would that have for how "adventurer society" acts?

This implies that there is a non-trivial number of people who are 17+ casters in each region. Those 9th level spells ought to be cast.

This does bring up probable trait of high level casters: they don't cast high level spells on request or on any schedule. They are noncomittal and then at some later point the person may wake up in a strange place with the caster asking "did you still want that leg Regenerated/child Resurrected?" Why? Because using powerful spell slots leaves the caster weaker and they wouldn't want to be able to let an assassin's helper just pay for a high level spell and know the caster can't use one of their biggest tools. Especially since the 8th level slot is almost always consumed by Mindblank.
 

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This does bring up probable trait of high level casters: they don't cast high level spells on request or on any schedule. They are noncomittal and then at some later point the person may wake up in a strange place with the caster asking "did you still want that leg Regenerated/child Resurrected?" Why? Because using powerful spell slots leaves the caster weaker and they wouldn't want to be able to let an assassin's helper just pay for a high level spell and know the caster can't use one of their biggest tools. Especially since the 8th level slot is almost always consumed by Mindblank.
"Every spell you cast is an assassination attempt you can't counterspell" is my thinking.
 

We're not just talking about adventurers though, we're talking about how these high level spells would effect the setting. These high level spells aren't going to be common. Of course that doesn't mean they can't warp society, it's just that even the largest of cities is only going to be able to cast a few of them each year.

Is it all society, or "adventurer society"? Per OP



This implies that there is a non-trivial number of people who are 17+ casters in each region. Those 9th level spells ought to be cast.

This does bring up probable trait of high level casters: they don't cast high level spells on request or on any schedule. They are noncomittal and then at some later point the person may wake up in a strange place with the caster asking "did you still want that leg Regenerated/child Resurrected?" Why? Because using powerful spell slots leaves the caster weaker and they wouldn't want to be able to let an assassin's helper just pay for a high level spell and know the caster can't use one of their biggest tools. Especially since the 8th level slot is almost always consumed by Mindblank.
This many casters of that level actually undermines the casters warping society too much. that means every govt will have thier high level casters ready to "wish" the big bad offender off the board. ther will always be a steady supply of young moralistic casters ready to sacrifice for the common good. Something simple like reincarnating said offender as a newborn would be well within wish power. if that many people can mak wishes the the consequences for wishing get ugly fast.
 

Unless you do cheese like a Simulacrum to Wish for you, these quasi-immortal casters are only going to burn a Wish that way if it is truly life and death.

Each non-spell use of wish has a 33% chance of losing the spell permanently. So one third of casters lose Wish the first time they do it, 1/3 of the survivors lose it the second time (cumulative more than half, 54%) and 1/3 of the foolish who try it a third time (cumulative 71%).

This may be why casters make Rings of Wishes. Hand them to a fighter to make those danger wishes. But that's going to keep a high level caster busy for quite a lot of time making a legendary ring.
 

I didn’t read all previous posts, but minor illusion being a cantrip warps society as much as any thing. You’d live in a world where you could trust absolutely nothing that you see or hear because some jerk ass 1st level bard might be in the area.
 

My generally assumption was similar, that having the spark to do strong magic (like a wizard or a sorcerer) was rare enough that most people didn't have access to it. That's why there are plenty of high level rogues and fighter around. It's also a reason warlocks abound, plenty of people want that power even though they weren't born with the talent. And extraplanar entities are happy to be able to tap into the maelstrom of power currently whipping throughout the world.
It's not uncommon in D&D for that to be the case.

The 5e DMG says that the default assumption is that practitioners of magic are relatively few in number.

The 3e Shining South product which contains Halruaa, a highly magical people and country says the following:

"Of the third or the population with magical skill, approximately two-thirds have never been able to get beyond a simple trick or two. The rest-a little more than 10% of the total population-actually understand the intricacies of casting spells."

So even in one the most magical people of a setting full of magic, only roughly 1 in 10 can become a wizard.

Halruaa also says the following:

"In most of Faerun, those who understand magic are considered mysterious outcasts, but in Halruaa, they have the inside track to health, wealth, and happiness, and those who don't have the spark of magic feel as though they're on the outside looking in."
 


Fair enough. I do think the percentages of leveled casters would be higher in this world though, if for no other reason than more potential magic-users would be found and trained in a higher magic-world.
Do you consider the Forgotten Realms to be a higher magic-world?
 



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