The next contribution to the advanced material from Green Ronin vs. Advanced Player's Guide by Paizo regret to wait a little while, and I really wanted the phenomenon The Gaming Den with the most popular members there, Frank and K to treat in its own unique contribution, but this quote here takes a very contentious point for many D & D games and discussions so wonderful together, that I simply have to set it:
(Note: it is about the problems of "Low Magic" in D & D 3rd Edition)
That's fair.
I mean, I understand many of things that offend people about D&D and make them want to play "low magic" as an alternative. They want magic to feel special . They want players to find a magic sword in a dragon's hoard and grin like children on Christmas because it's awesome . And playing WBL with standard magic items in stores does not deliver that. Seriously, having +2 swords and guisarmes on shelves to select from really hurts the game. But the solution is not to take the +2 weapons off the shelves and then not give the PCs any treasure - that's even worse. If you're going to take the magic weapon stores out of the game, you have to compensate by giving out awesome treasure. If you want the players to have their eyes light up when the treasure gets IDed, you make the stores carry masterwork weapons and the treasure pile contain a +2 sword of fucking life draining. That will get notice.
The game doesn't function if the players can't buy wands of cure light wounds, but it doesn't really matter how the players get bonus gear so long as they do. They only really need three weapon upgrades over their lifetime even if you are playing into the high levels where things break down. Seriously, all of those could be found objects and the game would still work.
I understand that 4e D&D actually breaks if you aren't allowed to go to a magic item store and buy specifically a +3 Frost Bastard Sword. The Paladin actually becomes unplayable if you do that. But 3e is actually more resilient. People need magic weapons, but they do not need specific magic weapons. So treating every magic weapon as a work of art with a history and a description is something you can actually do. But you have to understand at some level that "Lol, the golden sword of the Thragmont Kings is a +1 Longsword!" is a joke that is funny once . And after that, players need weapons that can fucking hurt their enemies.
Interestingly on the subject of treasure in general: the 3e WBL system gives severely inadequate treasure in the 5-12 level range that most people play in. One of the big reasons that no one ever uses an orb of elemental command is that no one gets one at the levels it would actually matter. Major Magic Items should be given to low and medium level parties sometimes. And getting rid of Magic Mart actually helps with that. If players can't sell the Dark Skull for anything like its official "value" - then you can let the low level party that would like to own it find one without having the players sell it for headbands of intellect.
Hier das Original für alle Interessierten.
Meines Erachtens nach umfasst dieser Beitrag alles was man wissen muss, um bei "Low Magic" in D&D 3. Edition not to fall flat on its face. Moreover, again something you just can abgucken as DM really great Earthdawn.
