Is this a good low-magic setting? (Mechanics and flavor questions)

[Prince_Vorrel]

Okay hey guys I recently decided to start dm'ing on roll 20 and have started working on my world. I didn't want to do anything super crazy or different since this will be first time doing this online and finding a group for something very different can be very hard. So I decided to make a little dnd world i've had in my head for a long time as my setting!

here are the main things that are different.

Flavor
--Low magic setting of course (Magic is rare as hell though not to the point of it being thought of as myth. People know it exists.)

--*Gods* are more like Aeons from Final fantasy A Realm Reborn. Very powerful astral beings inherently connected to the material plane. (Clerics are special in that they have a spark of something that let's them channel the *divine* power of the gods and reinforce the natural world of the material plane. Which is how they turn dead and stuff)

--Kingdoms in the world aren't very big. The world is fairly dangerous with monsters and stuff so even the biggest kingdoms are only moderately sized since pretty much everywhere the kingdom owns needs to be constantly on watch for raids from evil humanoids/creatures. (Aka there is still crazy stuff out in the world for adventures but kingdoms are large trade routes are fairly safe and guarded for rest spots...but don't expect any huge armies popping up to help the party)

--Demons and angels are relatively unchanged from standard DnD but are more rare in the material realm as it's VERY hard to outsiders to get into the material realm so even a small one is a SERIOUS deal. Also, angels are not necessarily nice or able to get along. They are EXTREME embodiments of chaotic/lawful goodness. For example a small chaotic good angel may very well try to take down a perfectly good kingdom because he believes laws are inherently evil.

--Eldritch creatures exist are surprisingly more common then standard dnd though of course still uncommon and inspired from bloodborne. They aren't inherently evil and some are even benevolent but are still so alien that its impossible to give them an alignment. they are basically these void creatures that simply want to exist and when they manage to wiggle like the maggots they are onto the material plane they exist and that makes them happy.

Sometimes they will try to change the enviroment around them to be more to their liking. But quite often many just sit around happy to exist and watch the world around them. These creatures are very unique and every individual is VERY different and I can do all sorts of weird things with them thats very dangerous/cool without having to threaten the whole world.

Mechanics
-Mastercraft weapons are +1 non-magical weapons. (This is a fun little rule I found that lets you put off giving your party magical weapons)

-Magic initiate is a required feat for somebody wanting to multiclass into a magic using class and you must get spells from the class you want to multiclass into. (The only exception is warlock)

-magic items are a lot more rare.

-In many places if you flaunt that you use magic you gain disadvantage on social based rolls as people naturally distrust magic users.



What do you guys think?

[Elminster298]

As both a player and a DM I have always despised low magic campaigns. That being said, I think you have a solid base for what you are going for. I would personally just play a full shadow monk or full GOO Tomelock in your world to bypass resistance/immunity to regular weapons with the lack of magic items.

[Kane0]

Seems alright. Would a variant human using Magic Initiate be able to begin as a caster class at level 1 or 2? That may be a loophole.

[Elminster298]

Seems alright. Would a variant human using Magic Initiate be able to begin as a caster class at level 1 or 2? That may be a loophole.

He/she said only that you need magic initiate to multiclass into a magic user. As far as i read it you can start off as one same as normal. To me that the simplest reading of that rule.

[Tetrasodium]

As both a player and a DM I have always despised low magic campaigns. That being said, I think you have a solid base for what you are going for. I would personally just play a full shadow monk or full GOO Tomelock in your world to bypass resistance/immunity to regular weapons with the lack of magic items.


I agree, they often seem to be desperately trying to make some fundamental choices that just don't make sense in order to either keep them low magic or keep them the crapsack world that illogically causes the low magic.

My two Eberron games might be considered "low magic" by some since I give out very few +1/+2 items due to the fact that they are boring as ****; but I give out plenty of masterwork doodads (+1 damage) & the magic items I give are very magic things that do cool stuff on top of the fact that they are the same ac/damage/etc as the base variant

[Prince_Vorrel]

As both a player and a DM I have always despised low magic campaigns. That being said, I think you have a solid base for what you are going for. I would personally just play a full shadow monk or full GOO Tomelock in your world to bypass resistance/immunity to regular weapons with the lack of magic items.

Thank you! Basically I've always wanted a setting where magic MEANS something and not have it be this mundane thing like in Forgotten Realms. I want magic to be feking magical maaaan!

I want to have the world where the gods are these primal things that makes reality solid simply be existing. And have outsiders be these jerks who are insanely committed to their alignment extremes that want in the plane to cause trouble. Or these void parasite things that latch on to reality so they can better exist even at the cost of everything around them.

And all the while the world is filled with...normal people. People who farm stuff and craft pots happily. And they've never even SEEN something that is magical and sometimes they can forget all that scary **** outside the kingdoms borders and have a peaceful life. And then that GOO bladelock of yours wanders into town and shatters that illusion...I want that to be a EVENT i want that to be SCARY for the normal people.

[Prince_Vorrel]

Seems alright. Would a variant human using Magic Initiate be able to begin as a caster class at level 1 or 2? That may be a loophole.

Not a loophole at all. If a variant human is gonna burn a whole feat (bonus or not) on magic initiate for an early multiclass then that's totally fine with me.

Plus if I have a player with a specific build in mind I may have them do stuff in-game instead of magic initiate. Basically I want people who multiclass into magic to have good RP reasons and have to do work to get said multiclass.

[Kane0]

Ah okay. When I did the low magic thing I just delayed access to class levels that grant spell slots by 2. EKs and ATs were unaffected, Paladins and Rangers needed one level elsewhere and full casters needed two. Worked pretty well, even had a 'warmage' that started as fighter 2 before going full evoker. The delay in casting progression gave a good low magic feel without neutering those that wanted to be casters.

[Prince_Vorrel]

Ah okay. When I did the low magic thing I just delayed access to class levels that grant spell slots by 2. EKs and ATs were unaffected, Paladins and Rangers needed one level elsewhere and full casters needed two. Worked pretty well, even had a 'warmage' that started as fighter 2 before going full evoker. The delay in casting progression gave a good low magic feel without neutering those that wanted to be casters.

Eh i don't really wanna do that as I don't want martials getting their multiple attacks and cool abilities when the wizard is still stuck with just second level spells. I was actually thinking of maybe limiting the higher level spells!

Maybe have spells they learn above 3rd level require work? Like the wizard needs to do something to earn access to the *forbidden* books or such stuff.

[Kane0]

It all depends on how limiting you want to make it, and if your players buy in.

Do you want to keep it low level, or are you expecting level 1-20 adventures? How difficult and rare do you want casting to be, and at what levels? Do you want to limit mechanical changes or are you heading into the workshop for this one?

[Prince_Vorrel]

It all depends on how limiting you want to make it, and if your players buy in.

Do you want to keep it low level, or are you expecting level 1-20 adventures? How difficult and rare do you want casting to be, and at what levels? Do you want to limit mechanical changes or are you heading into the workshop for this one?

Eh low to mid levels. Nothing higher then low teens. I would like to keep mechanical changes limited.