Using Spells as Rewards

[Lawleepawpz]

Hey guys, so I'm heading in to my first time DM'ing 5th edition but I've several years of experience DM'ing 3.5 and various other systems. I was curious what I should watch out for if I banned spells and used them instead as quest rewards.


I'm wanting to run a low magic game, with most of it being Paladin-grade Divine spells. To let my players still accomplish what they want without having full-blown wizards and such, I'd like to give them the option to quest for magical tomes to learn spells. This would function as a 1/day-ish (perhaps 1/encounter, depending on the spells, or a recharge 5-6) ability they can then use.

The in-game explanation would likely be that the last great wizard and his apprentices died, and now only those who can find magical tomes actually perform magic. Alongside this, you'd need a blessing from the god of the setting (I'm planning it to be monotheistic) to do any more than Paladin-grade spells.

The main plan is that exceptional Paladins are actually taught how to do magic (probably a few levels after the normal place to begin, so it's just being delayed)


I may not have explained it too well because my thoughts are really scattered and I'm trying to get this done semi-quickly. So:

tl;dr: How can I use spells as quest rewards in the form of abilities without screwing up expected game balance?

[gfishfunk]

This is super tricky. I would not do it for my first 5e game, even with tons of experience. Its easier to hack a game you know than hack something you don't.

The only classes that do not have spell casting as core mechanics are barbarian, fighter, monk, and rogue. Even then, you are also removing some of the sub-types depending on how far you go (fighter Eldritch Knight, Rogue Arcane Trickster, Shadow Monk, and Four Elements Monk). You might need to replace racial cantrips / spells as well with other features.

Also, you have very low healing.

If you add in Paladins or Paladins plus Clerics, or Bards as well you will be able to do healing.

You will probably have to double the CR rating of anything that has resistance to normal weapon damage.

[Dracul3S]

Don't do this for your first time. I have had quite a few DMs using massive Houserules on their first campaign in a system they were new to... It just does never go well. Either the normal rules are brought back or (far more often) the campaigns end much earlier than originally planned.