Rare High Magic setting?

[Weiser_Cain]

Was wondering if there were any settings/systems with world changing levels of magic that almost no one had access to?

Like, no Fighter should expect magical healing and weapons. But there are still 30th level Wizards and Dragons, they're just not part of most people's lives...

[Bapsplingo]

Was wondering if there were any settings/systems with world changing levels of magic that almost no one had access to?

Like, no Fighter should expect magical healing and weapons. But there are still 30th level Wizards and Dragons, they're just not part of most people's lives...

Maybe Dark Sun? Magic itself is a messed up, ALMOST unusable concept for most but most major cities are ruled by ancient dragon-wizard kings responsible for blighting the world beyond recognition. Laughter of thirsting gods indeed.

[Pauly]

Was wondering if there were any settings/systems with world changing levels of magic that almost no one had access to?

Like, no Fighter should expect magical healing and weapons. But there are still 30th level Wizards and Dragons, they're just not part of most people's lives...

That sounds very much like classic Robert E. Howard Conan the Barbarian. I think there is one city of Mages in the Hyborian age.

[Anonymouswizard]

Was wondering if there were any settings/systems with world changing levels of magic that almost no one had access to?

Like, no Fighter should expect magical healing and weapons. But there are still 30th level Wizards and Dragons, they're just not part of most people's lives...

In terms of D&D settings Midnight fits the bill. Arcane magic isn't too much weaker but mages suffer from incredibly small mana pools (I believe up to mid twenties at 20th level, into the thirties with one background, while spells take one SP per spell level to cast), but that doesn't matter much as most spellcasters aren't getting to that level. However there is at least one high level Cleric in the world, who use standard 3.5 casting mechanics, but as the setting is cut off from it's divine realm the only god around is the evil one that was cast down to the mortal world as punishment (which caused the setting to be cut off from the divine realm).

Plus making magic items is expensive and requires a location with (ideally the eight kind of) intense magical energy.

[NNescio]

Was wondering if there were any settings/systems with world changing levels of magic that almost no one had access to?

Like, no Fighter should expect magical healing and weapons. But there are still 30th level Wizards and Dragons, they're just not part of most people's lives...

[Laughs in Kefka]

Though more seriously, Dark Sun, whatever RPGs set in the Conan the Barbarian World (can't remember the name), whatever RPGs they set in Middle Earth (again can't remember), Dragonlance (sorta), some GURPS settings (they vary a lot), Call of Cthulhu (obviously), arguably some of the Star Wars and Warhammer RPGs (lets consider the Force and Psyker powers to be "magic"), Rifts (sometimes, depends on which part of the world/multiverse you're looking at), some Alshard settings (the more magitech ones)...

Also settings where there is some sort of masquerade going on like Mage the Ascension/Awakening and other White Wolfs games, plus Night Wizard (kinda), but that's more of an NPC instead of a PC limitation...

[Max_Killjoy]

Both my fantasy WIP settings are somewhar in this vein -- big obvious effects, game-changer powers, those are rare, and the common person reacts with fear, anger, or distrust.

[Anymage]

Most supers settings. Superman could potentially crush planets, but the vast bulk of Metropolis's population is just average joes.

Of course, if you're playing in a supers setting, players will expect to be the super folk instead of the average joes. The only setting I can think of where you play an average person while cosmic forces lurk in the background is the Cthulhu mythos, and that tends not to be a happy place.

[NNescio]

Most supers settings. Superman could potentially crush planets, but the vast bulk of Metropolis's population is just average joes.

Of course, if you're playing in a supers setting, players will expect to be the super folk instead of the average joes. The only setting I can think of where you play an average person while cosmic forces lurk in the background is the Cthulhu mythos, and that tends not to be a happy place.

Well, you can decide to be a "super" (i.e. exceptional individual with access to reality-breaking effects) in the Mythos, but that tends to be a fast track to unhappy(ier) places.

[Faily]

Was wondering if there were any settings/systems with world changing levels of magic that almost no one had access to?

Like, no Fighter should expect magical healing and weapons. But there are still 30th level Wizards and Dragons, they're just not part of most people's lives...

Ars Magica could fit the bill.

It's medieval Europe and there's not really things like magic weapons and healing potions. But the magi (and other magic users) can perform some pretty amazing magic feats.


Note: there *are* magic items, but they're either created by magi, or very rare artifacts. Magi don't create a whole lot of magic items as it costs a lot of time and resources, so they won't exactly be pumping out magic swords or healing items.

[Nifft]

Was wondering if there were any settings/systems with world changing levels of magic that almost no one had access to?

Like, no Fighter should expect magical healing and weapons. But there are still 30th level Wizards and Dragons, they're just not part of most people's lives...

The grandfather of the game, J.R.R.Tolkien, did just such a setting, before the game was even written. There were some movies about it. You've probably heard of it.

[Mutazoia]

Iron Heroes would fit the bill. There is one casting class, that is an optional class more for NPC's that player characters. There are no magic weapon/items. There is no magical healing in the setting either. You can insert all the world changing magic you want, the players will just never get it themselves

[Weiser_Cain]

The grandfather of the game, J.R.R.Tolkien, did just such a setting, before the game was even written. There were some movies about it. You've probably heard of it.

Weren't the Wizards in that actually Clerics?

Iron Heroes would fit the bill. There is one casting class, that is an optional class more for NPC's that player characters. There are no magic weapon/items. There is no magical healing in the setting either. You can insert all the world changing magic you want, the players will just never get it themselves

Hmmm.... Does a lot of the things I wanted, but maybe too well. I just wanted to make magic more "haves and have nots" It drops the level of magic by quite a bit.

[NNescio]

Weren't the Wizards in that actually Clerics?.

You mean Solars Planetars. Or maybe Devas.

[TheTeaMustFlow]

Exalted at least kind of fits the bill - while magic and the supernatural might be everywhere (and can do very spectacular things), those who can actually manipulate it are very rare indeed.

[LibraryOgre]

Though the parts we see don't seem it, I'd also note that David and Leigh Eddings' "Belgariad" and "Mallorean" fit this bill. Magic-users of any type seem to be rare, but the sorcerers on whom the plot centers can do amazing feats, and there's a number of types of racial magics mentioned (Cherek doom-seeing, Relg's Divining, the Sha-dar horse speakers of the Algars, etc.), but without being powerful or common.