Making magic special in D&D

[jjpickar]

Why are there more mundane classes in D&D worlds than magic ones? Magic is superior in every way mechanically and thus when viewed in a vacuum it does not make sense that every creature with the ability would take at least one level of wizard, sorcerer, cleric or druid. How would you guys fix this? Or, would you even try to fix it? Does it even bother you? Discuss

Here is my proposed fix. You may discuss this as well.

Spoiler

Show

To do this we will first make a few rules about magical ability. First, only five percent of the population will be born with the ability to take any levels in cleric, druid, sorcerer, or druid. Most of that five percent will only have the potential to take five levels in those classes. The player characters will by default fall into this category. Only ten percent of magical capable characters will be born with the ability to take 20 levels in these classes. Mechanically, each player will roll a d20. If they roll a 19 or a 20 they can take 20 levels in their magic casting class of their choice instead of 5.

A few clarifications on these rules are necessary. Characters may multiclass freely in caster classes but may only take 5 levels in any single casting class (druid 5/wizard5 for example). If a player gets the ability to advance 20 levels in a casting class may only take twenty levels in one magic class of their choosing. In either case a player may not use spell casting increases from prestige classes to exceed these limits. Also, rangers, paladins, and bards (though they cannot utilize prestige classes, such as the sublime chord, to alter their spell casting progression to gain higher than 6th level bard spell casting) are available to all characters.

I also believe that full spell casters must be required to take some downtime to gain their new spell casting increases. I propose 1 day of downtime per level of their new level. This downtime must be spent at a location appropriate to their class and must be spent doing activities of equal appropriateness. So a level 13 cleric must spend 13 days praying, fasting, and teaching at a local temple of their deity, a druid of the same level spending time in the wilds in solitude for 13 days, a sorcerer must spend 13 days in introspection somewhere by himself, and a wizard must spend the same amount of time in an arcane library, wizard school, or even in a private but well stocked study (costing at least 50,000 gp to amass the necessary resources). In addition, a wizard must spend an extra day for every spell other than the two free ones copied into his spell book.

All other classes may spend this downtime in the following ways:
1. They may train by themselves and gain 100 exp per day spent.
2. Do work related to their class and gain 300 gp per day spent.
3. Go on a minor quest and gain 11 d10 exp. and 3 percent dice gold per day spent.
In this way, full casters are very special, even to players, in the world and non-full casters are given some reward for their patience with the study required for the full casters.

[Closet_Skeleton]

This isn't a fix, it's a campaign setting stanglehold.

I don't think this is neccesary due to one thing that already exists; ability score requirements on spells. Since most people won't have 19 in a spell casting ability score they won't be able to gain ultimate power. Any PC with Int 14 will get there eventually and most wizards will have at least Int 16 (unless you're giving people free reign on ability points when they all go straight for 18s). If most clerics have Wis 13 then there power is pretty limited already.

[MeklorIlavator]

I don't think this is neccesary due to one thing that already exists; ability score requirements on spells. Since most people won't have 19 in a spell casting ability score they won't be able to gain ultimate power. Any PC with Int 14 will get there eventually and most wizards will have at least Int 16 (unless you're giving people free reign on ability points when they all go straight for 18s). If most clerics have Wis 13 then there power is pretty limited already.

I agree with this. You never want to have that much randomization in classes, as then no-one will play them simply for fear of not being able to continue as an effective character.

In this case, I would either increase the ability requirements( Spell level +12, for example) for spells in a high point buy(30 and up) and 4d6 drop, or limit them to a 25 point buy or 3d6. If you do raise ability requirements, I'd not raise them by more than 5 (24 in casting stat for 9th level spells).

[AstralFire]

This isn't a fix, it's a campaign setting stanglehold.

I don't think this is neccesary due to one thing that already exists; ability score requirements on spells. Since most people won't have 19 in a spell casting ability score they won't be able to gain ultimate power. Any PC with Int 14 will get there eventually and most wizards will have at least Int 16 (unless you're giving people free reign on ability points when they all go straight for 18s). If most clerics have Wis 13 then there power is pretty limited already.

Also, most people just don't learn by knifing orcs in the stomach. Though if we all did, I could probably get through college more easily.

[Jerthanis]

I don't believe making a crunch explanation is going to solve a very fluff problem. The fluff answer I always feel like giving is by saying that Magic is Special because it is Rare. If you're a first level wizard, it's because you studied for years of cruel tutelage at the base of the mountain hermitage of one of the several dozen wizards who actually exist in the world.

Then, you say all magic items are immune to corrosion and wear, and only very very powerful magics can actually destroy them. Now, if a wizard ever makes any magic item, it'll exist practically forever. Then you say that there have been a few dozen wizards alive in each generation for the past 4000 years. This ensures that there's enough magic items around that Fighters can still be finding +3 doohickeys and boots of what'sitspurpose. Because having these items is only valuable to a certain very limited scope of people, there's only a tiny economy of specialty stores catering to those few. These tiny shops are hidden away and run by experts who know a lot about the history of magic, and its greatest artists, but are perhaps only dabblers in magic's least secrets. They're like comic book store owners, or like the record shop guys in High Fidelity.

This makes magic just as flashy, but special in that it's very rare, and treated almost like a secret society. The other tack you could take is by making magic extremely subtle. This is monstrously difficult in D&D though, so I suggest doing the first method. That way you've got a reason not every Tom, Richard and Harry NPC isn't a Wizard in their spare time. The downside is that you can't throw dozens of wizard villains at the party.

For Clerics or Druids the reason not a lot of people are them in the game could easily be that their organizations only train them to be members of the class after the individual has proven him or herself to be entirely devoted, body and soul to the god or goddess and his or her teachings, and that's not a commitment most people are willing or able to make.

The only real crunch solution I'd argue is to say that these people could all be taking levels in Wizard and Cleric, but they've only got 11s and 12s in their relevant stats, so they would be terrible at it.

[jjpickar]

I don't see how his would be so terrible for most campaigns. If you were only playing at low levels (1-5) it wouldn't even become an issue. At higher levels it makes you feel very lucky indeed to be able to play a full caster and makes the most powerful (broken into tiny pieces and full of cheese that stinks to high heavens I might add) classes more like good ability scores, if you get them you want to use them but just because you rolled low doesn't mean that you suck at picking high numbers you are just less lucky at rolling the dice.

[brian c]

I don't see how his would be so terrible for most campaigns. If you were only playing at low levels (1-5) it wouldn't even become an issue. At higher levels it makes you feel very lucky indeed to be able to play a full caster and makes the most powerful (broken into tiny pieces and full of cheese that stinks to high heavens I might add) classes more like good ability scores, if you get them you want to use them but just because you rolled low doesn't mean that you suck at picking high numbers you are just less lucky at rolling the dice.

It's arbitrary though. If you want to make it more realistic, do "organic" ability assignment, forced in order. Roll 4d6, drop lowest, and that's your Str. Do it again and that's Dex, do it again that's Con, etc. If you only get a 13 in Int, well then you probably won't make a wizard.

[streakster]

One fun way is to make it a secret. Only monsters know magic, so any magical ability is grounds for a lynching. I can't count the number of times the barbarian and the rogue had to rescue the warlock from jail...

...sigh, yes, I was the Warlock...

Magic items are sold in black markets, and you have to be careful that it is not a trap.

[Old_el_Paso]

it does not make sense that every creature with the ability would take at least one level of wizard, sorcerer, cleric or druid.

Well I guess the people that don't multiclass to magic classes all the time are just good roleplayers. Those stupid, stupid good roleplayers.

[Werewindlefr]

Why are there more mundane classes in D&D worlds than magic ones? Magic is superior in every way mechanically and thus when viewed in a vacuum it does not make sense that every creature with the ability would take at least one level of wizard, sorcerer, cleric or druid. How would you guys fix this? Or, would you even try to fix it? Does it even bother you?

It bothers me, and I fix it by DMing Arcana Evolved with less dull "mundane" character classes. I suppose you could actually tweak the core classes to have some similar "powers" -mostly, combat rituals and the like. THerefore, there is a real incentive at being something else than a spellcaster.
Also, what you say only concerns a very small minority of people, because most NPCs that have the ability to take classes take NPC classes such as commoner or expert. As for the others, most don't have the level to have had the option of multiclassing, and for the rest, maybe magic is just too exhausting, or maybe Wizards Guilds don't have the hottest chicks -and guys, because there also are female or male-homosexual adventurers.

[AstralFire]

Well I guess the people that don't multiclass to magic classes all the time are just good roleplayers. Those stupid, stupid good roleplayers.

He's referring to NPCs.