SPECIAL NOTICE
Malicious code was found on the site, which has been removed, but would have been able to access files and the database, revealing email addresses, posts, and encoded passwords (which would need to be decoded). However, there is no direct evidence that any such activity occurred. REGARDLESS, BE SURE TO CHANGE YOUR PASSWORDS. And as is good practice, remember to never use the same password on more than one site. While performing housekeeping, we also decided to upgrade the forums.
This is a site for discussing roleplaying games. Have fun doing so, but there is one major rule: do not discuss political issues that aren't directly and uniquely related to the subject of the thread and about gaming. While this site is dedicated to free speech, the following will not be tolerated: devolving a thread into unrelated political discussion, sockpuppeting (using multiple and/or bogus accounts), disrupting topics without contributing to them, and posting images that could get someone fired in the workplace (an external link is OK, but clearly mark it as Not Safe For Work, or NSFW). If you receive a warning, please take it seriously and either move on to another topic or steer the discussion back to its original RPG-related theme.

World Building: Low Magic

Started by Novastar, February 23, 2015, 10:26:14 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Novastar

I won't lie; I prefer Swords & Sandals or Game of Thrones to typical D&D fare, and especially the magical treadmill of Pathfinder (I'm guilty of abusing this too).

So...started looking at the base 5e PHB, and deciding where and what to change for my own brand new low magic setting:

Player Races: thinking of axing Dark Elves and Tieflings. Maybe Dragonborn.

Classes:
- Clerics: Literally make it so only one representative of each God (there are 9, one for each alignment) exists on the Prime Material plane. So, limit that there can only be 9 Clerics, in total. There's still plenty of people with the feats of Magic Adept or Ritual Caster, but only one avatar of each god at a time.

I see one of two consequences of this reduction: either each avatar would become a huge celebrity in their own right, devoutly guarded in a virtually impregnable fortress to cheering masses, or spirited away to secret boltholes, protected by special guardians, their status a closely guarded secret, to try to avoid assassination attempts by rival cults. Or both.

- Druids: Again, reduction to 9; one each for the terrains mentioned in the Circle of the Land, and one only for the Circle of the Moon. Members try to be present when one falls, to cast Reincarnate, but otherwise the soul just reincarnates in a babe (which can mean a terrain is without it's protector for a decade or two; hence why they try to be available to cast Reincarnate for instant protector)

- Paladin & Ranger: I don't have too much grief for these classes, honestly. Paladin's can resurrect at 17th level, but I don't see that as a huge problem. Curious if making Paladins "holy warriors" without an alignment restriction, would play well...

- Warlocks: Again, not really a problem. They seek magic knowledge from dark, dangerous places. It fits so well as a villainous NPC, and I know several people I play with will flock to this class.

- Wizard: Taking from one of my favorite Epics: 8 schools. One Master. One Apprentice. From the Masters number, one is elected Archmage. They reside at a fantastical magical tower (Dragonlance's Tower of High Sorcery or Floating Castles come to mind). Apprentices may have students they themselves teach. Wizards engaged in Byzantine politics both within and outside the Tower.

My Problem Children:
- Bards: Not sure how to limit a source of personable, up-to-level 9 spellcasting Class. Bards have a hodge-podge selection of spells, but I wouldn't call it weak. This is my biggest stumbling block.

- Sorcerers: Just thinking of not allowing. Warlocks and Wizards do what I want, and fit the world's backstory better.
Quote from: dragoner;776244Mechanical character builds remind me of something like picking the shoe in monopoly, it isn\'t what I play rpg\'s for.

The Butcher

Bards are rare because their spell-songs gave been lost for centuries and only a handful, disguised as ordinary travelling minstrels, exist.

Sorcerers are just rare as hen's teeth and/or tend to get burned, hanged or stoned to death by angry mobs when discovered. Learning and practicing formal wizardry people can understand, but being born a spellcaster? Unnatural.

Opaopajr

Fascinating. I'm used to a bigger sketch of setting and then start editing classes and races heavily. Given archetypes and backgrounds, a bit more work, but works very well with a concept driven place dictating demographics later.

I'm sort of tempted to sit back and watch this method of design. The sheer open buffet of choices already is surprising. Very unlike my viewpoint.

However, I should ask: what sort of world is this, and what regions will the players play in?
Just make your fuckin\' guy and roll the dice, you pricks. Focus on what\'s interesting, not what gives you the biggest randomly generated virtual penis.  -- J Arcane
 
You know, people keep comparing non-TSR D&D to deck-building in Magic: the Gathering. But maybe it\'s more like Katamari Damacy. You keep sticking shit on your characters until they are big enough to be a star.
-- talysman

Novastar

Quote from: dragoner;776244Mechanical character builds remind me of something like picking the shoe in monopoly, it isn\'t what I play rpg\'s for.

Novastar

Quote from: The Butcher;817389Bards are rare because their spell-songs gave been lost for centuries and only a handful, disguised as ordinary travelling minstrels, exist.
Hmmm, Bards being part of a Secret Society (a la the Harpers). Yes, that could definitely work, especially given that the setting already has one built in (based off a modified Chess/Go motif).
Quote from: dragoner;776244Mechanical character builds remind me of something like picking the shoe in monopoly, it isn\'t what I play rpg\'s for.