As we're heading back on topic...
One thing I think that is missed a lot in these discussions, especially regarding magic and spells and classes, is that not everyone in the game world is going to be an adventurer or hero or villain of some sort. I think High Magic settings tend to trivialize the relative rarity of an actual Magic class in the sense that they (the designers) have become inured and desensitized to the overall paucity of mages and magical items, because, like in TV and the movies, they have been inundated by images and visions of magic so often. It's like the perception in the world of New York city being full of crime (or Los Angeles,)
People have become so flooded with the idea of magic that, well of course, there's a boatload of it out there. Even so, we get movies like Harry Potter (and the original stories, obviously) or The Golden Compass, Last Airbender, etc. where, honestly, in the overall scheme of things, it's a High Magic Setting, with relatively few people capable of actually acessing this magic, even though everyone knows of it and at least respects it.
This is the disconnect, I believe. The story tends to revolve around the characters who, in fact, can utilize all this magic, even in a world where magic is relatively rare (as opposed to ubiquitous as in Harry Potter or relatively so in the Last Airbender or the Golden Compass.) It's right up there with a car going over a cliff and then exploding (.001% of all auto crashes include fire and it's even smaller than that for those that explode [as in virtually non-existant,]) which is what we are most exposed to, because it's more exciting -- though it is the least common and rarest vehicular event.
So that Red Dragon Disciple, hanging with the Favored Soul and palling around with the Red Wizard of Thay should be something, even in Faerun, to send most people scuttling for the percieved safety of a closed and bolted door and shuttered windows. That's how it should be. And that's the first thing most folks forget. Even in Faerun, a High Magic setting, not everyone has access to magic and not all magical folk are looked up to with respect -- it's more like fear and awe (primary definition of awe: reverant fear) bordering on near hysteria.
Whether it's High Magic or Low Magic, in general, it's a relatively very small slice of the population pie that even has access to magic, unless it's High Magic, and High Fantasy. Low Magic is only one part of the total environmental formula for the setting.
Look at Lord of the Rings. High Fantasy (orcs, goblins, dragons, undead, save the world from everlasting evil, magic ring, swords, etc. oh, and of course, elves and mages) and Low Magic. Or Harry Potter, which is High Magic (while only a slice of the people have it, those that do congregate and make magic ubiquitous and accessible to nearly all) and High Fantasy. Then you have Low Fantasy and Low Magic, which is more on the order of the Mabonigian Cycle (Arthurian Legend) where it's gritty, real world stuff with occasional enchantments and spells and those that can do so are extremely rare, are feared (generally) and who tend to stay out of the limelight due to all those pitchforks and torches the common folks are so fond of when it comes to a meet and greet. And to cite an example of Low Fantasy and High Magic I would offer something on the order of the recent The Sorceror's Apprentice where only a very few even know magic is real and even less are even able to use it. (And of course, we are once again walking into a variation on the Mabonigian Cycle with it being directly tied into the Arthurian Legend of the Merlin and Morgana La Fey.)
So what does all this have to do with the topic? Well, it's a perception issue, really. That's the point. The trick comes in the delivery of the world. Even in a Low Magic setting with High Fantasy, is your magic ubiquitous or rare? How is that presented?
Then, also, how is it presented as a mechanic and how balanced is it in terms of gameplay? That's what's being asked here, really. And how do you, as a player or designer, respond to that in general?
Me? I don't care as long as it seems to play well within the framework of your setting and the gameplay seems to balance out -- not in that mages are worth their salt relative to non casters at any given level, mind -- as far as how well do the mechanics help to translate the actions of the playing into the framework of the story? A low level mage should be expected to be relatively easy pickings in melee -- that's why they have to rely on their brains and not their muscles. They have to be smart enough to use Grease to aid the melee types by holding off the scores of opposing melee types, or Magic Missile to disrupt the opposing spellcasters when possible, or to use their one decent area effect spell wisely to provide the greatest possible benefit to the party.
If that, on the whole balances out, then providing a low and rare magic setting would be fine. +1 and +2 weapons are fine, as far as that goes, but at level 15 a mage should be considered an awesome foe for any character to deal with. And higher than that, only other mages or very high level melee types should even remotely consider tangling with them. That's how it should be.
There's not a mage in every tower and they don't all have tons of books with spells in them and they certainly don't go out all that much, so when they do, watch out.
And if you're going to go up against one in a low magic setting, then you'd best be prepared to deal with that. As a player, I wouldn't mind experiencing a little vicarious thrill of fear as my party advances on the tower of the Evil Mage of Great Power, hoping that my few magic items, tactics, preparation and, hopefully, morally correct point of view, will allow me to prevail.
That's why they call me an Adventurer -- isn't it?
dunniteowl
Retour en haut
although the player should always be made aware failure isnt true failure.
