Time, society, and rules

[Little Brother]

How would 3.5 work if you were to transfer it to a different time and culture, rather than the default medieval pseudo-European one?

How would a game work, rules-wise if it was a sorta Gothicy Victorian setting, sorta urban fantasy? How would it be different? What about if there was a Masquerade? How would that change things? What would have to be changed, beyond the obvious T1/T2 stuff.

Would there be any story-complications due to this?

How about the same above, but in, like, the stone age, or Hellenic Greece?

What do you guys think? Thanks for any input.

[Chilingsworth]

Well, I'm not sure about the other changes, but your first scenario sounds like what Ebberon was going for.

[Little Brother]

Well, I'm not sure about the other changes, but your first scenario sounds like what Ebberon was going for.But Magitech is gross. I was thinking an entirely mundane world with a very small group of magicy people, or people who are in the know, but the Masquerade.

[Yahzi]

How would 3.5 work if you were to transfer it to a different time and culture, rather than the default medieval pseudo-European one?
Dude, D&D doesn't work in a pseudo-European culture. That's one of its biggest flaws: it pretends to be King Arthur and Charlemagne, but really its Hercules and Jason.

D&D's entire culture of "travel to exotic, unknown lands, meet inexplicable creatures, kill them and take their stuff" is Iron Age Greek-style fantasy. Or post-apocalyptic picaresque, like, you know, Jack Vance's Dying Earth.

The magic system itself is absurd. Look at how many spells are dedicated to killing things. Now look at how many technologies in modern times are dedicated to killing things. For every assault rifle on the planet there must be 10 cell phones. Because people spend their effort developing stuff they care about. Also, even 3rd level magic assures that no one ever dies in childbirth, that there are no plagues, and murder mysteries are solved in an afternoon at worst.

So ya, Eberron or Greece would be vastly superior backgrounds for D&D than Dark Age Europe.

[Wings of Peace]

But Magitech is gross. I was thinking an entirely mundane world with a very small group of magicy people, or people who are in the know, but the Masquerade.

You're either going to have to revise your idea or revise how much magic is actually capable of. Even if the number of people capable of using magic is small you're going to need a way of explaining why they bother to stay hidden because a high level spellcaster (especially an intelligence based one like a Wizard or Archivist) isn't going to be too worried about the common folk.

[Little Brother]

Yeah, Greek does make more sense, now that I think about it.


You're either going to have to revise your idea or revise how much magic is actually capable of. Even if the number of people capable of using magic is small you're going to need a way of explaining why they bother to stay hidden because a high level spellcaster (especially an intelligence based one like a Wizard or Archivist) isn't going to be too worried about the common folk.Low magic, probably not going to get army-crushing spells, and guns.

[ThatLovin'Elan]

You're either going to have to revise your idea or revise how much magic is actually capable of. Even if the number of people capable of using magic is small you're going to need a way of explaining why they bother to stay hidden because a high level spellcaster (especially an intelligence based one like a Wizard or Archivist) isn't going to be too worried about the common folk.

I like the idea that the "real world" is an impeded magic or limited magic (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/environment/the-planes) (scroll down a bit) plane.



Impeded Magic

Particular spells and spell-like abilities are more difficult to cast on planes with this trait, often because the nature of the plane interferes with the spell. To cast an impeded spell, the caster must make a concentration check (DC 20 + the level of the spell). If the check fails, the spell does not function but is still lost as a prepared spell or spell slot. If the check succeeds, the spell functions normally.

Wizards and other spellcasters normally only cast spells in secret, magically enhanced areas that grant bonuses to Concentration checks - also, remember this is written for Pathfinder, where you just can't throw skill points into Concentration.

Adjust the DC up or down to taste; maybe DC 10+(level of the spell squared). That would make it so level 1-3 spells could be pretty reliably cast, but level 7, 8, or 9 spell would take a DC 59, 74, or 99, respectively. Add in a system where multiple spellcasters working together can add bonuses to Concentration checks, explaining why spellcasters exist in tight-knit groups and why they don't interfere often with mankind.

Spellblights (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/spellblights) would be a mean thing to throw at casters who spectacularly fail Concentration checks.

Of course, you could also make it a Spellcraft check, a Knowledge (Religion or Arcana) check, etc.

[Little Brother]

I like the idea that the "real world" is an impeded magic or limited magic (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/environment/the-planes) (scroll down a bit) plane.

Wizards and other spellcasters normally only cast spells in secret, magically enhanced areas that grant bonuses to Concentration checks - also, remember this is written for Pathfinder, where you just can't throw skill points into Concentration.

Adjust the DC up or down to taste; maybe DC 10+(level of the spell squared). That would make it so level 1-3 spells could be pretty reliably cast, but level 7, 8, or 9 spell would take a DC 59, 74, or 99, respectively. Add in a system where multiple spellcasters working together can add bonuses to Concentration checks, explaining why spellcasters exist in tight-knit groups and why they don't interfere often with mankind. I like that, though I'm thinking about just letting 1s and 2s go off free. Great idea.


Spellblights (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/spellblights) would be a mean thing to throw at casters who spectacularly fail Concentration checks.

Of course, you could also make it a Spellcraft check, a Knowledge (Religion or Arcana) check, etc.A lot of the spellblights seem a bit...excessive, since T1-2 is always banned in the group I'm in.

[ThatLovin'Elan]

I like that, though I'm thinking about just letting 1s and 2s go off free. Great idea.

A lot of the spellblights seem a bit...excessive, since T1-2 is always banned in the group I'm in.

I liked the idea, and it might work well for a campaign world I'm designing, too :D

Have the spellblights fall of after 1 round/minute/hour /level of the spell attempted being cast? Not really necessary, but I remembered reading about them in my copy of Ultimate Magic and always wanted to do something interesting with them XD

[JackRackham]

Dude, D&D doesn't work in a pseudo-European culture. That's one of its biggest flaws: it pretends to be King Arthur and Charlemagne, but really its Hercules and Jason.

D&D's entire culture of "travel to exotic, unknown lands, meet inexplicable creatures, kill them and take their stuff" is Iron Age Greek-style fantasy. Or post-apocalyptic picaresque, like, you know, Jack Vance's Dying Earth.

The magic system itself is absurd. Look at how many spells are dedicated to killing things. Now look at how many technologies in modern times are dedicated to killing things. For every assault rifle on the planet there must be 10 cell phones. Because people spend their effort developing stuff they care about. Also, even 3rd level magic assures that no one ever dies in childbirth, that there are no plagues, and murder mysteries are solved in an afternoon at worst.

So ya, Eberron or Greece would be vastly superior backgrounds for D&D than Dark Age Europe.

You're started out strong, but there almost certainly more assault rifles than cell phones in the world...(definitely were five years ago, a lot more cell phones now)....you just don't see them as often.

[Ravens_cry]

Well, most characters are adventurers. So the spells they have access to are related to adventuring needs. Next time I run a campaign I want to add a bunch of little spells that are practically useless for an adventurer, but would be handy for non-combat needs. Like a spell called mass polish, removes rust and grime while buffing to a gleaming finish all metal within a 50 foot burst.

[NNescio]

Well, most characters are adventurers. So the spells they have access to are related to adventuring needs. Next time I run a campaign I want to add a bunch of little spells that are practically useless for an adventurer, but would be handy for non-combat needs. Like a spell called mass polish, removes rust and grime while buffing to a gleaming finish all metal within a 50 foot burst.

Isn't that just like a souped-up version of Prestidigitation?

[Ravens_cry]

Isn't that just like a souped-up version of Prestidigitation?
Yes, just like mage hand can move more and faster than prestidigitation and the creation line of spells can conjure more varied objects. It is but one idea for a spell. Another idea I had , though also potentially very useful for adventurers, I call change maker. It converts a given amount of currency into its equivalent of a higher or lower denomination. For example, it could convert 1000 copper into 100 silver, 10 gold, or 1 platinum piece or visa versa.