gfishfunk
2016-02-26, 12:57 PM
Hello, playgrounders.
This upcoming week, I am doing my session zero for a group new to 5e, 4 PCs. They have prior experience with Dungeon World, Pathfinder, and Star Wars FFG. I expected that the majority of the players (3 of 4) were going to play melee classes half-casters rather than full of magic casters, so I had put together some interesting magical parameters. The parameters will provide in-game consequences for using high-powered spells.
Originally (and potentially still), I was planning a world based off of something I saw here in the thread about
spells banned as potential war crimes.. This is not going to be the primary feature of the world, but certain higher level spells and agency dampening spells (such as charm) are going to be illegal through international treaties that are (mostly) universally accepted. This is not going to disallow the players to use such spells (or know them), but it will impose consequences for using such spells. The idea is to make it a hook rather than a deterrent.
Individual countries will each have a cadre of spell casters that know the high level spells, as agree upon by treaty. The treaties really just designate spell types and effects that citizens cannot have access to; the government's standing military has access to such spells.
There will be 'villain groups' that are either rogue nations or factions that also have access to such spells.
The 'action' will be taking place outside of any one country's boarders, although there will be country's factions within the adventuring area and will enforce international law. I am using the Dungeon World style of plot development: setting up antagonists through group world building and having the antagonists possess pre-established goals, but not forcing the PCs on any specific path, so everything is currently very fluid - I'm mostly putting together vague ideas that I can use later depending on what the PCs want to do in-game.
I had (and still) intended to start out the group with a sentient magical item that is being hunted because it 'knows' spells banned under treaty; currently, that magic item is going to be the Warlock's Fey-Pact Patron in the form of a sentient tree that grants her all her powers and spends the majority of its time in the Ethereal plane. (If someone picked up Wizard, it was going to be a Spell book; otherwise, it was going to be an amulet bound to the most magical person). I have that player's consent for me to set up the patron.
However, all four players are presently interested in playing caster classes: Bard, Warlock, Sorcerer, and Druid. That makes having high magical consequences much more difficult, as they are all equally affected in all high-level play. Also, I'm not sure how the party will function, as they are all rather squishy.
Here are my questions, some mechanical and some plot hook:
With a mostly low hit die group that focuses on magic, do I need to do anything differently to create encounters that are both meaningful and challenging without slaughtering them?
Should I suggest that someone plays a melee oriented character to round things out? (I'm not sure how the Druid will end up playing, he may go spellcasting)
Would having the spell casting consequences be FUN for you as a player, knowing that there are possible consequences for going nova with high level spells if the act is witnessed?
Do you see any unintended consequences for the set-up, as it currently stands?
Considering the amount of magic-using players, should I change the treaty-restriction somehow? I can probably still get the flavor by going other routes.
EDIT: only using Player Handbook stuff at the moment, because everyone is new to the system.
This upcoming week, I am doing my session zero for a group new to 5e, 4 PCs. They have prior experience with Dungeon World, Pathfinder, and Star Wars FFG. I expected that the majority of the players (3 of 4) were going to play melee classes half-casters rather than full of magic casters, so I had put together some interesting magical parameters. The parameters will provide in-game consequences for using high-powered spells.
Originally (and potentially still), I was planning a world based off of something I saw here in the thread about
spells banned as potential war crimes.. This is not going to be the primary feature of the world, but certain higher level spells and agency dampening spells (such as charm) are going to be illegal through international treaties that are (mostly) universally accepted. This is not going to disallow the players to use such spells (or know them), but it will impose consequences for using such spells. The idea is to make it a hook rather than a deterrent.
Individual countries will each have a cadre of spell casters that know the high level spells, as agree upon by treaty. The treaties really just designate spell types and effects that citizens cannot have access to; the government's standing military has access to such spells.
There will be 'villain groups' that are either rogue nations or factions that also have access to such spells.
The 'action' will be taking place outside of any one country's boarders, although there will be country's factions within the adventuring area and will enforce international law. I am using the Dungeon World style of plot development: setting up antagonists through group world building and having the antagonists possess pre-established goals, but not forcing the PCs on any specific path, so everything is currently very fluid - I'm mostly putting together vague ideas that I can use later depending on what the PCs want to do in-game.
I had (and still) intended to start out the group with a sentient magical item that is being hunted because it 'knows' spells banned under treaty; currently, that magic item is going to be the Warlock's Fey-Pact Patron in the form of a sentient tree that grants her all her powers and spends the majority of its time in the Ethereal plane. (If someone picked up Wizard, it was going to be a Spell book; otherwise, it was going to be an amulet bound to the most magical person). I have that player's consent for me to set up the patron.
However, all four players are presently interested in playing caster classes: Bard, Warlock, Sorcerer, and Druid. That makes having high magical consequences much more difficult, as they are all equally affected in all high-level play. Also, I'm not sure how the party will function, as they are all rather squishy.
Here are my questions, some mechanical and some plot hook:
With a mostly low hit die group that focuses on magic, do I need to do anything differently to create encounters that are both meaningful and challenging without slaughtering them?
Should I suggest that someone plays a melee oriented character to round things out? (I'm not sure how the Druid will end up playing, he may go spellcasting)
Would having the spell casting consequences be FUN for you as a player, knowing that there are possible consequences for going nova with high level spells if the act is witnessed?
Do you see any unintended consequences for the set-up, as it currently stands?
Considering the amount of magic-using players, should I change the treaty-restriction somehow? I can probably still get the flavor by going other routes.
EDIT: only using Player Handbook stuff at the moment, because everyone is new to the system.