Ravenloft rule changes - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Ravenloft rule changes

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
harzerkatze
May 19, 2004 7:32:51 Hi there,

I just started a Ravenloft campaign with a group used to forgotten realms settings. We of course the ravenloft rules, but I had the feeling that a few additional rules are necessary to balance things und prevent developments that don't fit into the mood.

My changes are:
- Player characters may not play wizards. While this may seem like a strange rule, I had the feeling that the wizard is too prone to have just the right spell for any occation and thus make most campaigns quite magic-heavy, which is counterproductive.
- Sorcerers get 1 spell/spell level/day less. Along the same line of thought as above, I want to discourage Players from playing arcane spellcasters, for they have it too easy IMO: They e.g. don't care about opponents vulnerabilities, magic affects all. So I fear a tendency to have too many arcane casters, and want to counteract that.
- Players cannot craft wands and staffs. As above, these items carry too much magic into the campaign.
- All firearms have a critical modifier of 19-20/x4. I know that is a lot, but firearms are less useful than a crossbow otherwise, not worth the feat. This rule makes them effectively "lucky shot" weapons, that are real great, but only if you are lucky. I mean, society evolved technology for a reason...
- When polymorphing, wildshaping etc. into a form that has "always evil" as alignment, a powers check of 1 % is in order. When taking a form of a creature with the evil subtype, a 5% powers check is in order.

What do you guys think? And what other rules would you propose?
#2
zombiegleemax
May 19, 2004 9:58:33 I don't think wizards would add too much magic. As for crafting magic items, resources are scarce and powerful wizards are scarce as well. A lot of magic items are created just through the will of their creators.

IMC I have no problems with someone actually going about the steps.

And speaking as a wizard enthusiast...all wizards really do is have the right spell at the right time (hopefully...and they hope it works). They don't do much else except that they know a lot of information, though not as much as bards.

If you don't like the arcane spellcasting then I would say that you should take it out, it is your campaign...but just scratch the sorcerer all together. Sorcerers are already weak the way the game is built. (they can't specialize so they lose a "bonus" spell wizards get...so really they only have 1 extra spell per day up on a wizard...and they progress really slowly and have few spells to pick from anyway...)

I think the sorcerer while interesting is the weakest of the classes.

But if you are going to nix arcane spellcasting you have to do something with the bard too. And I would make sure that NPC wizards and the like are incredibly rare and hampered.
#3
harzerkatze
May 21, 2004 5:45:51 I have no problem with arcane spellcasting per se, so I see no reason to change the bard. But I don't think blasting opponents with fireballs or lightning bolts fits into the mood of Ravenloft, which is why I want that to not happen too often. So I give the classes that can do that a disadvantage.
To be honest, I have the feeling that the Ravenloft rules actually supports players who play sorcerers and wizards compared to other settings. Here are a few points why:
- Fear, horror and Madness saves are all based on will, where these two classes excel. Otther campaigns don't have these.
- Wizards and Sorcerers tend to stay in the rear while fighters etc. wage the battle up front. Ravenloft is a domain with very dangerous monsters and less options to counter diseases like lycanthropy than other campaigns. So being a front-liner is more dangerous than it is in other settings.
- Ravenloft has Monsters that are immune to many weapons, so fighters have to experiment with which weapon the can wound their opponent, while taking quite a beating at that time. Magic hurts all opponents, however.
- Ravenloft has more supernatural monsters than other settings. theer are no Orc invasions or Ogre bands where the fighter feels at home. Most opponents have special abilities, which isn't what exactly the fighter excels against. Spellcasters do, however.
- Ravenloft is a world where magic items are very scarce. So the ability to make them yourselves is more precious than in other settings.
These and other points lead me to the conclusion that is seems to make sense for players to prefer spellcasters: In a world where supernatural opponents are more frequent, getting not-mundane abilities is more important. But that in turn doesn't fit into the setting too much. So, to make a long post short, I think arcane spellcasters should be discouraged as PC option. I wouldn't want to take them from the campaign, for if a player likes them, he can play them. But they shouldn't automatically be the best choice.
#4
Tintagel
May 21, 2004 22:41:47 I think mages are going to be essential in later levels, where incorporeal undead are going to be a real challenge without magic.

I have run Ravenloft for many years, ever since 2nd ed. Here is how I deal with mages & sorcerers.

Wizards: First, reduce the 2 free spells per level to 1, or get rid of them altogether. Make the wizard find, research, or purchase those spells from others (rare). This should keep him in check.

Item creation really is controlled by judicious distribution of gold. Keep the gold thin, and you should not have to cut the item creation stuff very much. Keep the campaign moving, and keep time an integral part of the campaign, and they won't have time to scribe 20 scrolls. I changed the Wand creation prerequisite to 9th level, like in 2nd, since wands of healing can really damage a desperate mood in a horror campaign.

Sorcerers: These guys should choose a specific theme of progression for thier spells. Then, let them specify what spells they would like to have, but you pick the spells they gain as they advance. In Ravenloft, socrerous abilities are a natural part of development, and many times the individual does not have any control over his or her latent powers. They can be quite disconcerting and frightening for the unprepared. By choosing the spells, you keep game balance and control, and the player gets an opportunity to role-play out his or her growth more. Example: We have a sorcerer in our campaign who used to be a scientist. He has slowly been aquiring sorcerous abilities, and has recently take up the Alchemical Philosopher prestige class. Believe it or not, he took the Logical Mind feat, and he doesn't really buy into the supernatural much. He took Spell Thematics at 1st level, and everything he casts is in the form of alchemical or laboratory-type abilities. His spells: Shocking grasp, Magic Missile (they look like little explosive beads that he hurls), melf's acid arrow (he hurls an acid flask), glitterdust, cat's grace (in the form of an injection), lightning bolt (in the form of a rod and some wire), etc... He loves the character, and he is very valuable in the group.

If the sorcerer or wizard is a threat, many monsters in Ravenloft will target them. Incorporeal undead will fly through walls, front lines, etc to get to the one guy who is causing them so much pain (magic missile), so many times, he pulls too much aggro. Many aimals will attack weak, unarmored foes first, as the tin cans are not fun to bite, and they instinctively go after weaker prey. You better believe that our sorcerer gets jumped by dire wolves first. After a round of fighting, they usually switch to the real threats (the ones dealing them damage), but by then the sorcerer is in melee and on the defensive.

Oh, you better believe that muskets are pointed at those who can shoot (or cast) back, too.

There really is no need for heavy-handed tactics.
#5
Tintagel
May 21, 2004 23:02:49 I figured I would share with you the ground rules for my Ravenloft campaign (3.5):

Before we roll a single die for character creation, we make up a history and develop a personality profile (see the 3rd edition Ravenloft book) for the character. The player and I come up with modifications based on the background, and the player ultimately decides (after rolling stats) whether his background will have an affect on his scores or not. I borrowed many from the game Arcanum, but players are fully free to make up their own. Once we get a character concept and idea, we roll dice…
As far as character deaths go, they really have to come almost to a grinding halt (unless the player truly asks for it). With this much back-story, you just can't afford to have them die to bad rolls and such. Attacking Strahd Von Zarovich on a whim, however, should be lethal. Also, there are more horrifying things than death (curses, insanity, lycanthropy).
I allow only select feats and prestige classes. I am keeping the magic very low, so arcane archers and such are pretty much out. I also altered the priest spell lists, removing all nature-based spells and almost all of the offensive spells. I also have a separate list for good and evil priests. Good priests get bless and remove fear, while evil ones get bane and cause fear. Priests are still very powerful… I am only allowing Ravenloft religions unless the character is a non-native (as our priest is--he came from Gothic Earth and worships God!) Anyways, if the spell is in the Domain, then they get it regardless if it is not on their spell lists anymore. Also, Nature religions usually have Druids as their primary followers.
I beefed up the firearms, but increased their re-load time. I also use misfire rules.
I run a live table. That means if they say it, their character says it unless the player says “out of character” or something like that. I really enforce this against game terms and such. I want players expressing things through the eyes of their characters. I look quizzically at any player that mentions game terms (level, DC, etc). I am rewarding xp for staying in character, keeping the game fun for everyone, avoiding meta-game terms, and such. Understand that we are not **** about this. I still have some players who mention 5 foot steps, and when they swing weapons, they talk about "bringing it to the dome [head]." I just give them a look and every once in a while I try to steer them away. I award xp for avoiding meta-game at the end of the night, but I never penalize unless it was consistent. I don't sit taking tally marks for each comment.
During combat, players don't automatically know their hp. I describe every wound and roughly how they feel (great, hurting, barely standing, etc) and rough hp equivalent (10's, 20's, 30's...). A player may take a full-round action (6 seconds really is not that long to focus with all that adrenaline) and a successful heal check (DC 10) to reveal exact hit points. This provokes an AoO. I have always kept hp totals on one handy sheet that also lists PC armor classes (flanked, flat-footed, etc). I also keep track of on-going spells and all on this one sheet, so there is no more paperwork for me in terms of hp.
I'm using a marker board as our battle mat instead of the fabulous 3x4 ft grid that we use for my regular D&D campaigns. I want players to get away from the Chess style of play. We eyeball everything and if it looks like 30 ft, it is. I keep a ruler handy for critical distance calls (1 inch = 5ft), but I have rarely use it. Combat goes faster, and my players really like the absence of the grid.
I really think that level draining has gotten much more forgiving in 3rd edition, and that is a good thing. Losing a level hurts more than the character; the player usually takes a huge hit to his or her motivation and interest. It is almost like failing a grade in school. You get to watch all of your friends always be a step ahead of you. When a character loses a level in my campaign (due to undead or raise dead), I note how much XP they would lose with a level loss, and apply that much negative xp to their total. As they gain XP, they also lose the same amount of negative XP until there is no more. This means that they effectively earn double XP until they catch up (and in the end have lost no XP). This still keeps them 1 level lower than the party for about 1 or 2 adventures, yet lets them truly catch up.
Players do not know their XP totals. I am eyeballing the whole XP thing, and if I want them to level for the next adventure, then they level. I didn't want my players fixating on the numbers. I wouldn't say it is arbitrary. I still give standard XP for combat and all. The eye-balling XP thing is mostly role-playing awards and returning emails. I send an email with about 5 questions on it every week, mostly concerning my performance, other players' performances, campaign direction, and with the primary question being:

In character, what is going through your character's mind at this point in the campaign? What are his or her concerns, fears, hopes, etc?

They get @ 50 XP per character level for filling it out and returning it to me.

And if they (as a group) need to be 4th level for the next adventure, and they are about 500 xp shy, I bump them up. I am busting my butt to make it fun for each player, so I wouldn't purposely leave one player behind. Besides, my players are all way-cool.

All-in-all it has been a blast. The players are much more in touch with their character and his/her feelings, so horror elements are that much more effective. I tried Stu's bag of ice trick to make my hand cold (they were meeting a vampire), and the look of horror on my players' faces when they realized what that unnatural cold meant was priceless. You don't need to threaten their characters with death to keep players nervous.
#6
The_Jester
May 22, 2004 4:25:54 Personally I think that you're being a bit to hard on the spell casting classes. Either weaken all the classes or revert the wizard and the sorcerer to NPC status.
Yes all classes are weaker in Ravenloft where there is less magic and the mage classes can break this by creating their own items and such, but don't forget the monk is even more powerful with no items and no magic. And that the bard and cleric can be pretty darn powerful in their own right. Clerics can cast Flame Strike as well which is pretty much identical to Fireball IIRC.

If you limit the wizard and sorcerer classes as much as you say almost no one will want to play them and they'll contribute almost nothing to the group.

Other ideas:
1) Limit the spells. This works best with wizards as they must copy spells or research. Limit the spells they learn to spells they either encounter and can research or are based on (or more powerful versions of) spells they already posses. If you do not give them a spell they will not be able to learn it or cast it so no fireballs

2) Limit the gold. As mentioned by reducing the amount of treasure they have parties will have to scrimp and save to produce magical items. This is a valuable skill and you should encourage your players to make items as it is a good way to add history and character to their items. They help choose what it looks like, what it does, etc. Just make sure it has a side effect (minor to major depending on power level) and that it is a unique or special item and not just some DMG random cookie-cutter item. Don't forget the cost required to scribe spells into a spell book!

3) Increase the casting time. Double the length of time it takes to cast a spell. At least. So you can cast a single spell every two rounds but you need to spend both rounds chanting and reciting arcane verses from the spell book. Also a related idea is require the spell book to be open and present during the casting.

4) Make new replacement spells. Alot of work but satisfying. Re-write the entire spell list and remove spells that do not fit the setting and replace with new equivocable spells. Or change the description and spell effects. Instead of Lightning Bolt shooting from the hands of the caster a bolt of lightning comes down from the stormy sky. But thus the power is only usable outside.

5) Use the Masque of the Red Death classes and kits. Weaken everybody and severly limit magic.
#7
zombiegleemax
May 24, 2004 13:40:24 Also remember that spellcasters are trained scholars, so once they get past the shock of their magic going awry, they can study and apply things like chemistry to create viable alternatives in the form of gunpowder and other flammables to compensate for their loss.
#8
The_Jester
May 24, 2004 15:20:09 Check out quasi-official updated magic rules for Masque of the Red Death here:
http://www.livingdeath.org/

MotRd emphasises a lack of flashy magic and the like.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 harzerkatze May 19, 2004 7:32:51	Hi there, I just started a Ravenloft campaign with a group used to forgotten realms settings. We of course the ravenloft rules, but I had the feeling that a few additional rules are necessary to balance things und prevent developments that don't fit into the mood. My changes are: - Player characters may not play wizards. While this may seem like a strange rule, I had the feeling that the wizard is too prone to have just the right spell for any occation and thus make most campaigns quite magic-heavy, which is counterproductive. - Sorcerers get 1 spell/spell level/day less. Along the same line of thought as above, I want to discourage Players from playing arcane spellcasters, for they have it too easy IMO: They e.g. don't care about opponents vulnerabilities, magic affects all. So I fear a tendency to have too many arcane casters, and want to counteract that. - Players cannot craft wands and staffs. As above, these items carry too much magic into the campaign. - All firearms have a critical modifier of 19-20/x4. I know that is a lot, but firearms are less useful than a crossbow otherwise, not worth the feat. This rule makes them effectively "lucky shot" weapons, that are real great, but only if you are lucky. I mean, society evolved technology for a reason... - When polymorphing, wildshaping etc. into a form that has "always evil" as alignment, a powers check of 1 % is in order. When taking a form of a creature with the evil subtype, a 5% powers check is in order. What do you guys think? And what other rules would you propose?
#2 zombiegleemax May 19, 2004 9:58:33	I don't think wizards would add too much magic. As for crafting magic items, resources are scarce and powerful wizards are scarce as well. A lot of magic items are created just through the will of their creators. IMC I have no problems with someone actually going about the steps. And speaking as a wizard enthusiast...all wizards really do is have the right spell at the right time (hopefully...and they hope it works). They don't do much else except that they know a lot of information, though not as much as bards. If you don't like the arcane spellcasting then I would say that you should take it out, it is your campaign...but just scratch the sorcerer all together. Sorcerers are already weak the way the game is built. (they can't specialize so they lose a "bonus" spell wizards get...so really they only have 1 extra spell per day up on a wizard...and they progress really slowly and have few spells to pick from anyway...) I think the sorcerer while interesting is the weakest of the classes. But if you are going to nix arcane spellcasting you have to do something with the bard too. And I would make sure that NPC wizards and the like are incredibly rare and hampered.
#3 harzerkatze May 21, 2004 5:45:51	I have no problem with arcane spellcasting per se, so I see no reason to change the bard. But I don't think blasting opponents with fireballs or lightning bolts fits into the mood of Ravenloft, which is why I want that to not happen too often. So I give the classes that can do that a disadvantage. To be honest, I have the feeling that the Ravenloft rules actually supports players who play sorcerers and wizards compared to other settings. Here are a few points why: - Fear, horror and Madness saves are all based on will, where these two classes excel. Otther campaigns don't have these. - Wizards and Sorcerers tend to stay in the rear while fighters etc. wage the battle up front. Ravenloft is a domain with very dangerous monsters and less options to counter diseases like lycanthropy than other campaigns. So being a front-liner is more dangerous than it is in other settings. - Ravenloft has Monsters that are immune to many weapons, so fighters have to experiment with which weapon the can wound their opponent, while taking quite a beating at that time. Magic hurts all opponents, however. - Ravenloft has more supernatural monsters than other settings. theer are no Orc invasions or Ogre bands where the fighter feels at home. Most opponents have special abilities, which isn't what exactly the fighter excels against. Spellcasters do, however. - Ravenloft is a world where magic items are very scarce. So the ability to make them yourselves is more precious than in other settings. These and other points lead me to the conclusion that is seems to make sense for players to prefer spellcasters: In a world where supernatural opponents are more frequent, getting not-mundane abilities is more important. But that in turn doesn't fit into the setting too much. So, to make a long post short, I think arcane spellcasters should be discouraged as PC option. I wouldn't want to take them from the campaign, for if a player likes them, he can play them. But they shouldn't automatically be the best choice.
#4 Tintagel May 21, 2004 22:41:47	I think mages are going to be essential in later levels, where incorporeal undead are going to be a real challenge without magic. I have run Ravenloft for many years, ever since 2nd ed. Here is how I deal with mages & sorcerers. Wizards: First, reduce the 2 free spells per level to 1, or get rid of them altogether. Make the wizard find, research, or purchase those spells from others (rare). This should keep him in check. Item creation really is controlled by judicious distribution of gold. Keep the gold thin, and you should not have to cut the item creation stuff very much. Keep the campaign moving, and keep time an integral part of the campaign, and they won't have time to scribe 20 scrolls. I changed the Wand creation prerequisite to 9th level, like in 2nd, since wands of healing can really damage a desperate mood in a horror campaign. Sorcerers: These guys should choose a specific theme of progression for thier spells. Then, let them specify what spells they would like to have, but you pick the spells they gain as they advance. In Ravenloft, socrerous abilities are a natural part of development, and many times the individual does not have any control over his or her latent powers. They can be quite disconcerting and frightening for the unprepared. By choosing the spells, you keep game balance and control, and the player gets an opportunity to role-play out his or her growth more. Example: We have a sorcerer in our campaign who used to be a scientist. He has slowly been aquiring sorcerous abilities, and has recently take up the Alchemical Philosopher prestige class. Believe it or not, he took the Logical Mind feat, and he doesn't really buy into the supernatural much. He took Spell Thematics at 1st level, and everything he casts is in the form of alchemical or laboratory-type abilities. His spells: Shocking grasp, Magic Missile (they look like little explosive beads that he hurls), melf's acid arrow (he hurls an acid flask), glitterdust, cat's grace (in the form of an injection), lightning bolt (in the form of a rod and some wire), etc... He loves the character, and he is very valuable in the group. If the sorcerer or wizard is a threat, many monsters in Ravenloft will target them. Incorporeal undead will fly through walls, front lines, etc to get to the one guy who is causing them so much pain (magic missile), so many times, he pulls too much aggro. Many aimals will attack weak, unarmored foes first, as the tin cans are not fun to bite, and they instinctively go after weaker prey. You better believe that our sorcerer gets jumped by dire wolves first. After a round of fighting, they usually switch to the real threats (the ones dealing them damage), but by then the sorcerer is in melee and on the defensive. Oh, you better believe that muskets are pointed at those who can shoot (or cast) back, too. There really is no need for heavy-handed tactics.
#5 Tintagel May 21, 2004 23:02:49	I figured I would share with you the ground rules for my Ravenloft campaign (3.5): Before we roll a single die for character creation, we make up a history and develop a personality profile (see the 3rd edition Ravenloft book) for the character. The player and I come up with modifications based on the background, and the player ultimately decides (after rolling stats) whether his background will have an affect on his scores or not. I borrowed many from the game Arcanum, but players are fully free to make up their own. Once we get a character concept and idea, we roll dice… As far as character deaths go, they really have to come almost to a grinding halt (unless the player truly asks for it). With this much back-story, you just can't afford to have them die to bad rolls and such. Attacking Strahd Von Zarovich on a whim, however, should be lethal. Also, there are more horrifying things than death (curses, insanity, lycanthropy). I allow only select feats and prestige classes. I am keeping the magic very low, so arcane archers and such are pretty much out. I also altered the priest spell lists, removing all nature-based spells and almost all of the offensive spells. I also have a separate list for good and evil priests. Good priests get bless and remove fear, while evil ones get bane and cause fear. Priests are still very powerful… I am only allowing Ravenloft religions unless the character is a non-native (as our priest is--he came from Gothic Earth and worships God!) Anyways, if the spell is in the Domain, then they get it regardless if it is not on their spell lists anymore. Also, Nature religions usually have Druids as their primary followers. I beefed up the firearms, but increased their re-load time. I also use misfire rules. I run a live table. That means if they say it, their character says it unless the player says “out of character” or something like that. I really enforce this against game terms and such. I want players expressing things through the eyes of their characters. I look quizzically at any player that mentions game terms (level, DC, etc). I am rewarding xp for staying in character, keeping the game fun for everyone, avoiding meta-game terms, and such. Understand that we are not ** about this. I still have some players who mention 5 foot steps, and when they swing weapons, they talk about "bringing it to the dome [head]." I just give them a look and every once in a while I try to steer them away. I award xp for avoiding meta-game at the end of the night, but I never penalize unless it was consistent. I don't sit taking tally marks for each comment. During combat, players don't automatically know their hp. I describe every wound and roughly how they feel (great, hurting, barely standing, etc) and rough hp equivalent (10's, 20's, 30's...). A player may take a full-round action (6 seconds really is not that long to focus with all that adrenaline) and a successful heal check (DC 10) to reveal exact hit points. This provokes an AoO. I have always kept hp totals on one handy sheet that also lists PC armor classes (flanked, flat-footed, etc). I also keep track of on-going spells and all on this one sheet, so there is no more paperwork for me in terms of hp. I'm using a marker board as our battle mat instead of the fabulous 3x4 ft grid that we use for my regular D&D campaigns. I want players to get away from the Chess style of play. We eyeball everything and if it looks like 30 ft, it is. I keep a ruler handy for critical distance calls (1 inch = 5ft), but I have rarely use it. Combat goes faster, and my players really like the absence of the grid. I really think that level draining has gotten much more forgiving in 3rd edition, and that is a good thing. Losing a level hurts more than the character; the player usually takes a huge hit to his or her motivation and interest. It is almost like failing a grade in school. You get to watch all of your friends always be a step ahead of you. When a character loses a level in my campaign (due to undead or raise dead), I note how much XP they would lose with a level loss, and apply that much negative xp to their total. As they gain XP, they also lose the same amount of negative XP until there is no more. This means that they effectively earn double XP until they catch up (and in the end have lost no XP). This still keeps them 1 level lower than the party for about 1 or 2 adventures, yet lets them truly catch up. Players do not know their XP totals. I am eyeballing the whole XP thing, and if I want them to level for the next adventure, then they level. I didn't want my players fixating on the numbers. I wouldn't say it is arbitrary. I still give standard XP for combat and all. The eye-balling XP thing is mostly role-playing awards and returning emails. I send an email with about 5 questions on it every week, mostly concerning my performance, other players' performances, campaign direction, and with the primary question being: In character, what is going through your character's mind at this point in the campaign? What are his or her concerns, fears, hopes, etc?** They get @ 50 XP per character level for filling it out and returning it to me. And if they (as a group) need to be 4th level for the next adventure, and they are about 500 xp shy, I bump them up. I am busting my butt to make it fun for each player, so I wouldn't purposely leave one player behind. Besides, my players are all way-cool. All-in-all it has been a blast. The players are much more in touch with their character and his/her feelings, so horror elements are that much more effective. I tried Stu's bag of ice trick to make my hand cold (they were meeting a vampire), and the look of horror on my players' faces when they realized what that unnatural cold meant was priceless. You don't need to threaten their characters with death to keep players nervous.
#6 The_Jester May 22, 2004 4:25:54	Personally I think that you're being a bit to hard on the spell casting classes. Either weaken all the classes or revert the wizard and the sorcerer to NPC status. Yes all classes are weaker in Ravenloft where there is less magic and the mage classes can break this by creating their own items and such, but don't forget the monk is even more powerful with no items and no magic. And that the bard and cleric can be pretty darn powerful in their own right. Clerics can cast Flame Strike as well which is pretty much identical to Fireball IIRC. If you limit the wizard and sorcerer classes as much as you say almost no one will want to play them and they'll contribute almost nothing to the group. Other ideas: 1) Limit the spells. This works best with wizards as they must copy spells or research. Limit the spells they learn to spells they either encounter and can research or are based on (or more powerful versions of) spells they already posses. If you do not give them a spell they will not be able to learn it or cast it so no fireballs 2) Limit the gold. As mentioned by reducing the amount of treasure they have parties will have to scrimp and save to produce magical items. This is a valuable skill and you should encourage your players to make items as it is a good way to add history and character to their items. They help choose what it looks like, what it does, etc. Just make sure it has a side effect (minor to major depending on power level) and that it is a unique or special item and not just some DMG random cookie-cutter item. Don't forget the cost required to scribe spells into a spell book! 3) Increase the casting time. Double the length of time it takes to cast a spell. At least. So you can cast a single spell every two rounds but you need to spend both rounds chanting and reciting arcane verses from the spell book. Also a related idea is require the spell book to be open and present during the casting. 4) Make new replacement spells. Alot of work but satisfying. Re-write the entire spell list and remove spells that do not fit the setting and replace with new equivocable spells. Or change the description and spell effects. Instead of Lightning Bolt shooting from the hands of the caster a bolt of lightning comes down from the stormy sky. But thus the power is only usable outside. 5) Use the Masque of the Red Death classes and kits. Weaken everybody and severly limit magic.
#7 zombiegleemax May 24, 2004 13:40:24	Also remember that spellcasters are trained scholars, so once they get past the shock of their magic going awry, they can study and apply things like chemistry to create viable alternatives in the form of gunpowder and other flammables to compensate for their loss.
#8 The_Jester May 24, 2004 15:20:09	Check out quasi-official updated magic rules for Masque of the Red Death here: http://www.livingdeath.org/ MotRd emphasises a lack of flashy magic and the like.