What can you do with a LOW MAGIC setting?

[@RollImpact]

Great work on this video!

[@Dungeon_Inspiration]

Thank you! I’m glad you liked it!

[@Dreamfox-df6bg]

What might help could be looking back at one of the forgotten inspirations for D&D, Jack Vance's 'Dying Earth' stories. Or alternatively the novels D&D has adapted in the past like Fritz Leiber's 'Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser', the 'Thieves' World' Anthologies and of course the original 'Conan' stories by Robert E. Howard. In their own way they have more magic in them that they are given credit for if you adjust your perception and go beyond the obvious. Like the variety of Lotus in Conan, the Gods meddling in the Thief's World and so on. It also helps if monsters are not seen as something to beat all the time, but also just to survive and escape. There was an interesting definition of what a god is in the manga 'Spice and Wolf', 'something men can not fight'.

[@kevin29121993]

I'm a master and have done a similar thing for one of my setting. For me the problem is the fact that a party with a multitude of cristal the warlock or the mage have no big difference in play (no spellslot mean non limitation in spell cast for day). For me i used a stratagem for balancing the cantrip. The cantrip isn't free but use a "special" type of crystal. This crystal is a degenerated form of the normal cristal and the player obtain in 2/3 ways: 1 by grynding or letting root a normal cristal and reciving so 10x use of a cantrip for spell level in the original stone. 2 by using a magic stone for a spell, this trasform the and consume the material giving 1 charge of a cantriip per spell level used and if the object have more level than the spell use that result in a surplus of dust with the same conversion of before. 3 by consuming a gem with a magic device in similar manner of the spell usage. so CR 1/8,1/4,1/2 give 1,2,4 cantrip usage and for crystal and CR1 give 10xlevel cantrip CR1+ crystal used give 1 cantrip charge + 10xlevel not used One thing to know is thad a crystal of a CR 2 monster give a 1 slot ad the incremet is evry odd CR so a cr 3 give level 2 spell a CR 3 give level 3 spell but a the even CR crystal give 10 dust plus the normal ammount so is better to hunt Cr2 monster than Cr1 end so on. This system for me resolved 2 problem: the first the fact that a dust crystal can be aquired realy cheap because is like the ash after a fire and a party can not buid up to much gemstone and use a high level one multiple time. Plus for me the crystal isn't something completly eternal and root in dust so the cantrip in my world is a system for the person to capitalize on the root or used crystal, in this manner a warlock is't a problem, infact is a solution for using a cheap and rooten material. In this system a party with a warlock and a full caster work because the first use something the second produce even without wanting it and the 2 is interested to hunt powerful monster because for crystal even if the crystal exeede the maximum level of the cast for accumulate the cantrip usage. (At high level the wizard have the possibility to cast some spell free, whell in this world they dont but they can reuse a gem for multiple cast without rotting it.) (for the metamagic of the sorcerer it cost gem dust and not resource but with the same price so a sorlock isn't the best option to play becouse a over consumption of dust) (a paladin with a warlock well it sinergise well, smite consume crystal and create dust for cantrip that cover the long range) (evry other caster than do not rely on the cantrip or do not have it permit a warlock to shine) In this sistem a party is inerested to have a warlock because the spelcaster (for action economy) is more interested in using the spell and because ther is no limitation on the number of spell you can use evry day a caster isn't inerester much in the dust it produce giving the warlock a realy good position where it can shine over the reminig of the other party and the other caster is interested to have a warlock to not lose the surplus magic that they produce. Ultimate consideration the wizard can consume a crystal to coomprehend a new spell, the limitation si the gem must come from a CR and the gem must cover the usage of the 1+level of the spell (level 1 spell cr3-4 mosnter lv 2 spell cr5-6 and so on). This process consume the the gem like you have used the spell (so generate dust) and substitute the engraving in the spellboock, the spell of the domain use the same level of the gem so no lose (level 1 CR1-2, level 2 Cr3-4 and soon) this give to teh player the control of how many spell they know without relyng on the finding or buyn of super expensive spell scroll) even the spell scroll recive a buff because they do not need the consumption of the gem and one more thing fore me a character can create a scroll with 5 thing: 1 knowing the spell. 2 having the material to create the scroll (aper and quill or else for exotic scroll, 30G per level scroll or something symilar) 3 1 day of work per spell level (not doable in rest) 4 5 dust per level of the spell ore 1 level crysal per 2 spell level 5 a drop pf blood of the user the problem is that only the possessor of the blood can use the scroll so for a high level scroll a party must stop a 5-10 gg and create ony one scroll usable only from one party member (but this person do not need to know the spell or have a spelcasting ability like in the normal rule) so the scroll sin't te max for the cast of offensive spell but evry party is interestd do have a stop for letting the fighter have son spell like revivify or remove curse letting even teh non caster to have some use of a spell. (sorry for the english im'not a literate person and not eglish motherlanguage so i understand it well but if it's to write well...)

[@Dungeon_Inspiration]

Thank you for this comment I am so Grateful for the insight. I thought this was an awesome method for running the description. Also no need to apologize your use of language was super concise, and easy to understand. I am glad to see other people using similar Ideas, and I hope it keep working out for you. I may need to adjust my cantrips, but I do really like the Ideas that you have brought forwards, and I amy put my own spin on it while I work on my system. I hope you have a great day.

[@EurojuegosBsAs]

I see little point in upping the material cost of magic. If magic can be bought, you are turning your low magic setting into a low gold setting. The cost of magic is the risk to the character. Failing to cast a spell doesnt mean the spell has no effect, but that it has undesired consecuences. Magic is the main creator of monsters, former magic users that critically failed their rolls one too many times.

[@chrisragner3882]

I too use crystals. Carving magic runes makes them alternatives to scrolls. More to it but I am curious about your twist. My “post apocalyptic” world, an incursion from the “Dark Astral” has caused magic to be cursed. This “Arcane Dysphoria” makes wizards go mad and some mutations occur. Warlocks came to be avoiding this Dysphoria by enlisting alliances with other creatures. Sorcerers came to be because the nature of magic in the world seeks to find its way to continue.

[@maribakk5546]

The last campaign my group did was a no magic setting in modern day and the casters in our party re-flavoured their spells to seem like mundane things. For example, one of our players was a sorcerer but she came on as the expedition's cook. For cure wounds, she would feed us chicken noodle soup and her acid splash was her throwing sour milk at the enemy. It was very entertaining and worked well for the world we'd built. I love the idea of crystals as spell slots. I might suggest that one to our DM, who's planning another low magic campaign in the near future.

[@HoboByDesignSA]

Magic cities powered by fungible magic currency is very cyberpunk. Magic crystals turn adventuring into a form of skilled extractive labor destructive to the laborer and the environment. Instead of defibrillators you get revivifies. Don't know if that counts as "low magic" though. A big asymmetry with D&D magic is that non-magic stuff is gated by checks, and magic stuff is gated by resource availability. Having fewer resources (IME) usually means they just make fewer choices. A player isn't going to not cast revivify if they need to and it is available. They're playing with friends. I'd offset that asymmetry by making equipment more useful. If you have a crowbar, you can just get in that locked door if you're willing to be obvious about it. That's basically the same as the Knock spell. If that solution is not restricting enough, make the DCs super low and damage the equipment if they fail anyway. Joke Answer: Just play Pendragon.

[@zednumar6917]

If you wanted to be really extreme, you could have a system like Call of Cthulhu. Spells have no levels, anyone can learn and use a spell, but there is no caster class, spells are rare and have to be discovered, and every time you use one there is a risk of madness or losing control of the spell.

[@Elohist2009]

Maybe just proficiency bonus times per day for cantrips?

[@alananimus9145]

Okay so solving the problem with warlocks is easier than you think. There's a couple of ways you could solve it. The first and easiest way is to not have warlocks. Does this class make sense in your setting? "But player choice and my players really want to play a warlock." Too bad. *Tangent* too many gms and players don't ask "does this make sense for the story in this world? Second. The patron is a sentient monster who because of their great age has multiple crystals. Third. The warlock contracts with different monsters to get different spells. The third actually works best I think as it grounds cantrips. Check out Eldemon from BattleZoo. At level zero play the characters can climb to power and really work in to their backstory the decisions of their characters. Level zero is underrated. It's important though as it lets the players learn about their characters and what motivated the decisions.

[@williamozier918]

Depending on what it is you want out of 'Low Magic' you can do what I call "High Magic Low Interpretation." Think about a non-magic mideival village. It will still have clerics, and the evil eye, and witches and such. So when the crusty religious old father says grace over the dinner table he is casting Purify Food+Drink. When the superstitious old lady holds her fingers up to ward of evil she is casting Protection from Evil. Perhaps the material components for fireball are salt-peter, sulfur, and charcoal wrapped in small leather pouch which you set on fire, and the verbal component is you shout FIRE IN THE HOLE in latin. In other words still use all the mechnical effects on game play, but make the interpretations seem "mundane."

[@ori7647]

I would rather suggest... Keep the warlock with the spells slots, and make it the exception. And for this reason, make it a mark of pride for them. But also one that they have to work to keep maintaining. After all, this essentially means they have a very demanding magical being supporting them. And rather, this could bring up an interesting question, since it's a magical being, and technically a monster... Why would it be interested in slaying other monsters? To fuel it's powers? But why? Of course, you could also bring up with this the point about monstrous races and their relationship with this kind of dynamic... Because, in essence... The world would essentially run on their blood. How would it be for them? There are some really interesting implications for this. I suggest you strongly to not change it. Rather, keep it the way it is, but add this element as a question of intrigue. After all, this would equate an warlock almost at the same time to an noble... But also to a tool to something else.

[@ori7647]

And if you still wanted to keep the idea of the crystals... Just let them receive mysteriously crystals everyday, granting them always a reserve of power... Almost as if they always had it with them.

[@Dungeon_Inspiration]

I like your idea. It doesn’t fully fit what I have imagined for my setting but I do think it is a great way of handling the problem

[@Joshuazx]

I am sick of high magic D&D! If you want to do low magic fantasy in 5e, you cannot run D&D RAW. I personally believe you have to curate the magic catalog in your low fantasy games, and curate the classes, and keep levels low. I would restric magic using classes or subclasses to Wizards and Clerics. People who want to be druids can play a nature cleric. Do not allow magic to be gained for free by leveling up. Magic must be earned as treasure, through research, or by petitioning your god for more magic and completing some minor quest. Alternatively, focus on the setting. Low magic means magic is rare in the setting, and any mofo casting spells is goibg to be perceived by people in the setting the way an X-Men character woukd be perceived in the X-Men setting.

[@a-random-encounter]

Ok so here we go. First love the outline of the system, as someone who has fallen out of love for 5e over the years I still love TTRPGs. When it comes to the Warlock why not let it ride as is? There magic is gifted and comes from another place all together different than others. They have a ok cantrip and most of the time only get 2 spell slots that sounds like low magic to me. They become at odds with other casters with there ability to short rest and get back the 2 slots. If you wanna limit them for this world you could give them there 2 slots on a long rest instead or they only get one slot back on a short rest. They get a 3rd slot at lvl 11 wow such power lol. Any warlock in this type of game will most likely be a Hexblade to help cover there magical short fall. Warlocks getting spell slots back at all in anyway would make for an easy reason why portions if not most of the world doesn't like them. Its like they just make money, it would feel unfair to others in the same world and knowing they gave something up to get that power further puts them in a darker light no matter their reason. I have some questions that would help with this discussion: How do full casters work in this world if at all? Do they have a method of getting organic spell slots back or is it all crystals all the time? If the later you run into an interesting issue with trying to figure out how much to reward them so the players can still play them even if it is limited but without throwing the economy out of whack. 5e economy just isn't real and hurts certain aspects of the game. 5e really starts to fall apart by lvl 13 in any case due to how crazy spells can get. So this world sounds great for something for a lvl 1 to 11 kind of game.

[@badmojo0777]

high fantas is ok, but what annoys me is the modern player thinks this is the default, with no other options and its ANNOYING AF :D easiest wya to run a Low Magic campaign, is when you create your setting and then run your session zero, only allow 1 full caster, and possibly one half caster (both cant be arcane) and limit the racial and class options to those that FIT your setting.