why the attraction to "low magic"?

[Desdichado]

D00d, there's nothing radical about banning stuff.

Unless I do it, of course.

Quite true. Of course, some of the more vocal proponents of low magic advocate a more radical reinvisioning of the rules than simply banning a few spells or magic items, too. And if you're used to slumming over in the wastelands of rpg.net, you'll see a lot of people with that affectation just play entirely different games altogether. In fact, it'd be a generalization, but not too far from the truth, to say that just about every other rpg in existence is the anti-D&D in some way or another, and a reversal from the magicking up of D&D is what drove a lot of them to exist in the first place.

 

[Desdichado]

Doesn't Gandalf arguably have one of the rings of power through the whole trilogy?

That's not really arguable; it's stated quite plainly that he did.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

That's not really arguable; it's stated quite plainly that he did.

I didn't know that.

So, like, when Frodo put the ring on and turned invisible, could he have made Gandalf do a little dance or something?

(yes, this is a tangent. sorry)

 

[Campbell]

While most of what I'd like to say has already been said, it's also worth noting in my case specifically that the spells per day mechanism is antithetical to style of high powered heroics I like to be part of when I play at higher levels. The assumed standard of facing a number of encounters a day doesn't fit in to well with the sorts of epic struggles to the death I see as a staple of high-powered play.

Edit: Alright, I realize that the language I used was a little strong, but dog nabbit a huge part of the issues I have had with running a 3.x game are the 'assumptions' built into the DMG's meta-rules systems.

 

[Mystery Man]

If you have a party of high level magicked up pc's fighting same, or even high CR monsters and take away all the magic items etc wouldn't it sort of even itself out? They'd still be able to wail on each other with impunity.
Granted, I've never tried but often wondered. It would seem to be sort of the same with less paper work and calculators.

 

[Mr. Kaze]

So for my high-story medium magic campaign, here's why I clipped magic:

Because sometimes amazing things are really just amazingly amazing, no matter how high your spellcraft check is.

Because sometimes demons and such that come from alternate dimensions to kick your @$$ are really freakin' scary, despite having a relatively low CR in the book.

Because sometimes the best magic items are the ones the DM specifically puts in the adventure as plot devices instead of whatever's on blue-light special at Wonder-Mart.

Because sometimes the villian needs a bit of time to give his side of the story, no matter how much safer and more tactically sound a B-S-T combo is for the party.

And because sometimes a DM just looks at the default 3.5e spellcasting and decides that it just doesn't work as written with the world being built and the storyline being crafted -- because if any high-level yokel can cast Summon Monster MCMXCIV and conjure up Tharizdun to destroy the world on a whim, then what's in it for the players?

::Mr Kaze (is 2 sessions from the end of the first "season" of the campaign and it's been an incredibly rewarding mix of role-playing and brutal slaughter)

 

[Desdichado]

I didn't know that.

So, like, when Frodo put the ring on and turned invisible, could he have made Gandalf do a little dance or something?

(yes, this is a tangent. sorry)

I'm going to get all pedantic and fanboyish here, if you'll excuse me for just a moment. Gandalf is noted (and shown, and says) that he has the ring at the end of the trilogy. In the appendices, it's said that Cirdan, the original holder of the ring, gave it to him when he arrived in Middle-earth thousands of years ago, stating that he'd have more need of it in his travels that Cirdan himself would (Cirdan being quite possibly one of the most passive characters Tolkien ever created.) As for Frodo making Gandalf do the moonwalk for fun, unlikely. It's also stated somewhere (although I don't remember exactly where) that Frodo doesn't have enough native talent to compel anyone to do anything with the One Ring.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

As for Frodo making Gandalf do the moonwalk for fun, unlikely.

Bummer. Thanks though!

[/tangent]

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

I don't know if this is your intent, GoodKingJayIII, but that passage sounds a bit like the kind of "my campaign is even grittier than yours" boasting that turns off many players -- it doesn't like fun, even to me, and I'm in the "low magic" camp.

Wasn't my intent at all. Merely listing the items my 12th-level character has, which appears to be far lower than the typical adventurer. Perhaps you missed it, but as I already said I don't feel one type of game is better than the other and I enjoy all types of fantasy. I made a point of referencing two websites that provide examples of very different campaign settings. I'd travel far and wide to play in settings as detailed and thorough as those. Sorry if anyone thought I was flaunting my game, just trying to give examples to address the initial poster's concern. I believed I made that clear, but apparently not.

But Excalibur isn't a +1 or +2 sword, and it doesn't grow in power as Arthur grows in wisdom -- it cuts through rock and steel.

I was providing a loose metaphor, not an exact one. Those fictional characters are easily identified by those items. I'd prefer my characters identify themselves with one or two items their entire career rather than ditch the old model in favor of the upgrade.

(Doesn't Gandalf arguably have one of the rings of power through the whole trilogy?)

Indeed he does, but it's arguable whether or not he actually uses it. That's also completely off topic, so that's as far as I'll go with that.

edited for clarity

 

[jmucchiello]

I havent met a DM yet who hasn't banned something. If you havent yet banned anything, you've just not played long enough.

Been playing for 25 years and I can think of nothing I've ever banned. Does relaxing the requirements on raise dead/resurrect count? Does ignoring the aging effects of 1e/2e haste count?

If anything, I've encouraged my players to use anything and everything at their disposal to outwit my BBEGs. I've had final battles shortened unexpectedly by a vial of soverign glue I'd forgotten the party had received 3 years ago (real time). Bully for the player who found a use for it.

My problem is that I agree, I must have banned something by now. Does it count that I've never introduced a sphere of annihilation to the party so they couldn't get their hands on it?