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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Drifter Bob" data-source="post: 1702999" data-attributes="member: 17723">conan wore armorI agree with your basic point here, and this line in particular...... is both very amusing and quite true.  Plenty of bad low magic games exist out there, and there are an unfortunate number of power tripping DM's running some of them.I do have a few bones to pick with some of your points though.See, I just read an anthology of the original Conan stories myself, and I think you are really missing something.  One of the things I was struck by was that Conan relied on cunning as much as brawn, and more surprisingly, relied on superior (though non magic) equipment as often as he could.  In the dozen or so stories I just read, Conan was saved by heavy armor and / or helmets in at least half of them, by having a weapon with longer reach in at least one, and by superior tactics in three or four.  And Conan did run away from fights a few times incidentally.  Yes, Conan was stronger than any opponent he faced, but unlike most RPG characters, Conan knew he couldn't face a mob of opponents all by himself unless he had some major advantage on his side (like he had heavy armor and they did not).All in all, it was a revelation to me how much Howards original Conan books drew upon historical basis and how well versed Howard was with what wars and personal fights were like in the age of swords and spears. So what is preventing 5 or 6 party members with complimentary skills from being able to handle what one or two super heroic characters could?This is a reflection of the widespread misunderstanding of, and virtual contempt for "mundane" martial items such as weapons and armor.  I've seen some historically accurate riveted link and welded link mail armor which is practically indestructable, and I guarantee you it wasn't made of mythral or by dwarves.  I think it's the monty haul mentality in RPG's which has contributed to the idea that real kit is lame.  It's like people who demand UFO's or Loch Ness Monster and never even realise how cool real earth critters actually are.The weapons and armor used by Beowulf seemed like magic to those people, because a) the whole world was magical to them, and b) these particular weapons were so extraordinarily awesome and beautiful.  For example, when Beowulf uses Unferth's sword, "the curious sword with a wavy pattern, hard of its edge" he is talking about a pattern welded sword.  These are real.  Have you ever seen one?<a href="http://www.templ.net/pics/a15av.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.templ.net/pics/a15av.jpg</a><a href="http://www.templ.net/pics/a05bv.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.templ.net/pics/a05bv.jpg</a><a href="http://www.templ.net/making_of_weapons/blades.php#damask4" target="_blank">http://www.templ.net/making_of_weapons/blades.php#damask4</a>They are incredibly beautiful and extremely potent weapons of reality.  My point here is this idea that real kit is lame or worthless is bankrupt.  Players should have a lot of options, but they don't have to shoot lazer beams or summon demons to be cool.I don't agree, it's only low magic compared to the rest of whats out there.  As I said before, spells like invisibility are high magic spells! As for spells like teleport and ressurection not affecting the attitudes of players toward the game, we'll just have to agree to disagree I fear...DB</blockquote>

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