Low magic adventure paths and modules in Golarion


Lost Omens Campaign Setting General Discussion

Silver Crusade

I was wondering if trying to run paizo adventure paths and modules set in golarian with low magic would cause any problems with the stories in those products.

I just do not like the idea of being able to get any magic item from any large city, I like how Tolkien did it in middle earth, magic items were rare and held by few.

But would this conflict with story lines and such in paizo adventure paths or modules? Would it cause any problems dose any one think?


Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

In my experience, most APs would require quite a bit of reworking, either rebuilding NPCs without gear, or overhauling entire encounters to makeup to the fact that the party is lacking certain equipment that the designers assume they would have. For instance, I would have had a TPK many times over if my Carrion Crown players hadn't had ready access to ghost touch weapons, the inquisitor has died 3 times, and most of the rest have died at least once. Most of the APs are tough, but they tend to give the tools the party needs. Running it as is but deleting all the magic items rips those tools from the parties hands.

Story wise, whether it falls apart or works varies from AP to AP. Carrion Crown and ROTRL would fall apart in a low magic setting, but Kingmaker would work well with a few tweaks here or there. I haven't read Jade Regent or Skull and Shackles, as I'm currently in Jade Regent, and the same gm is running S&S. From my experience of playing the first half, though, Jade Regent would hold up well, depending on how you feel about certain plot items that show up early on in the adventure.

Either way, the biggest thing to bear in mind is that the system is built assuming that you have a 4 person party close to average wealth for their level, and that some magic is available in most settlements. The enemies defenses and attacks assume a party that is armed and armored with magic gear. To run combat as is, without readily available magic items, you need to compensate for that lack.


Its certainly doable. I agree with everything devil says above. I would say there are certain adventures that it would be easier to do this than others. Obviously high level adventures will have more difficulty. Off the top of my head I would recommend Haunting of Harrowstone, the magical items presented do have some unique character to them. Though potions of cure light, resotriation are present and probably necessary.
The Falcon's Hollow adventures from 3.5 might also work for something like this better than other APs or modules.
But any published adventure will require significant reworking of encounters. At that rate, homebrew might actually save you time.

Grand Lodge

Haunting of Harrowstone has a few encounters that NEED magic to get thru (or a tonne of holy water) that said, the module, as is, provides that. IF the players take the standard Fighter, Rogue, Wiz, Cleric mix (esp the cleric) Haunting IS a good module played independently. The first of the Rise of the Runelords is good.


The recommendation for Harrowstone was based on the assumption that the OPs objection was about the magic-store syndrome not so much magic itself. Harrowstone while certainly a fantasy adventure does give a lot of flavour to the magical items needed to overcome the villains/obstacles.

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