Reducing strength of magic


Homebrew and House Rules


I'm making a homebrew campaign and I need some help trying to make it so casters aren't quite as strong. The in universe explanation is that Nethys was killed by the evil powers that be, which will drive some of the changes that happened in the setting. As a result all magic, both arcane and divine, has been weakened and the only mortals who can use magic are the ones with connections to outside sources (divine casters, witches, summoners) or that have innate magic ability (sorcerers, bards, alchemists), along with the relevant new classes. That means no wizards and only bladebound or hexcrafter magi. The mechanical reason is to reduce caster powercreep.

I've tossed around a few ideas (increasing spell failure chance, making divine casters subject to spell failure, rigidly enforce concentration, abuse spellkillers and superstition barbs, gaining experience at different rates, reduced spell progression like PrCs, etc.), but I'm not sure.

What would be the best way to water magic down a bit that's relatively simple (for both the players and me as a GM) and doesn't dilute it too much?


Change casting times from one standard action to one full round.
If you're damaged during that round, you lose the spell.


Spell Blight everywhere!!


Kirth Gersen wrote:

Change casting times from one standard action to one full round.

If you're damaged during that round, you lose the spell.

That along with a feat to restore casting time to normal could work.


Blind Pilot wrote:
Kirth Gersen wrote:

Change casting times from one standard action to one full round.

If you're damaged during that round, you lose the spell.
That along with a feat to restore casting time to normal could work.

Maybe not a feat but a class feature gained long after you gain that level of casting. So when you gain 5th level spells you can finally cast your 3rds as a standard action.

Another (not quick) fix is to rewrite all the spells so they're not so OP.

The Exchange

Pathfinder Rulebook Subscriber

reduce spell slots, give everyone Diminished Spellcasting. =D


Simply making the monsters and NPCs more "aware" of how casters work can make a world of difference. You don't need ranks in Spellcraft to realise spellcasters need to be silenced or hindered in their movements; just tell your players in advance so no-one feels "targeted".

Some things that really cramp a caster's style are:

  • Heavy smoke (although the rules don't actually say your coughing makes your casting more difficult)
  • Bleeding damage
  • Tanglefoot bags
  • Lassos
  • mancatchers
  • harpoons
  • nets
  • Grappling monks.
Also: don't forget to read up on the spells, and apply their text and flavour rigidly. A lot of the power of magic comes from lax enforcement of the rules.


switch to the Words of Power system from Ultimate Magic or one of the 3PP systems that are out there.

A Different set of rules for magic significantly changes the feel of it


Kirth Gersen wrote:

Change casting times from one standard action to one full round.

If you're damaged during that round, you lose the spell.

I'd actually suggest against this. I've played in a game that did both and it was frustrating for the wizard player that tried to get off simple spells to aid his party. In any given game, it was rare for him to cast more than one spell since he always got hit by an archer or some kind of ranged attack. The only way he could ever get more spells off was if we ambushed, and the GM made sure that we were the ones ambushed constantly. It's really easy for GM abuse and honestly, too punishing for people that enjoy playing casters. And this is coming from someone that prefers playing fighters. If you're going to pick one, choose the extended casting times, since at least the caster can have a chance at making the Concentration check to overcome. Better to give the player a chance at success rather than constantly shutting them down.

What I do in low magic campaigns is I take all spells that are 4th level or above and turn them into incantations from the old Unearthed Arcana book. Someone actually updated it here for $2, but you can get the 3.5 version off the SRD here. It makes those higher level spells more into long-time casting rituals, which really fits the theme of slower magic. You can make it a feat that casters have to take to cast certain levels of rituals. Maybe 1 for each 2 levels of spells (4-5, 6-7, 8-9), or just completely cut out 8-9 level spells to show that magic has weakened.

Just keep in mind, you want to lower magic's effects without making playing a caster not fun. Be careful not to abuse the "mage hunts" and superstitious too much. Negative aspects and conflict in a setting is fine, but if you overdo it, the players being targeted may lose their emotional attachment to the setting/game.

I hope this helps and I wish you all the luck in the world!


Greylurker wrote:

switch to the Words of Power system from Ultimate Magic or one of the 3PP systems that are out there.

A Different set of rules for magic significantly changes the feel of it

This is actually a really good idea. Words of Power feels primal and basic and would certainly fit the tone of a lower magic game. From experience, it's good.


Maybe consider removing metamagic rods and the more powerful metamagic feats?


Odraude wrote:
I'd actually suggest against this. I've played in a game that did both and it was frustrating for the wizard player that tried to get off simple spells to aid his party. In any given game, it was rare for him to cast more than one spell since he always got hit by an archer or some kind of ranged attack.

It should go without saying that this option also requires some mechanic by which martial characters can "get in the way" and take a hit for the wizard. But, seriously, my suggestion is more or less how it worked in 1e, and I don't remember whining too much if I lost a spell -- because the ones I actually got off made a huge difference.

Verdant Wheel

instead of automatically losing the spell on a full-round casting time, as a compromise, each sustained 'hit' could force a concentration check (with +5 DC per consecutive 'hit'?)

this, layered on top of the already existing concentration rules.

example: a threatened wizard starts casting a spell, and must succeed on a first concentration check. if he is hit (or disturbed) as the round progresses, he must make additional concentration checks. at the end of the round, if he made all his checks, the spell goes off.


Adventure Path Charter Subscriber; Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I posted some ideas on reducing the power of spellcasters a while ago over on my blog.


Blind Pilot wrote:
What would be the best way to water magic down a bit that's relatively simple (for both the players and me as a GM) and doesn't dilute it too much?

Disallow 5' steps except when doing full round melee attacks.

OK, that messes up archers too, but that's partially why I like it.


?

Verdant Wheel

and/or,

making a concentration check could be revoked as an automatic privilege (a 'non-action').

instead, making a concentration check requires the expenditure of either a swift or immediate action.


I think I've got a good system.

-Highest level spells suffer a 5% chance to trigger a primal magic event, which still uses up the spell slot, and spells that ordinarily require a standard action to cast require a full-round action.
-Second highest level spells have the same chance to trigger a primal magic event, but all the spells have their regular casting time.
-Activating a magic item has the risk of triggering a primal magic event, which still eats up a charge.
-Spell-like abilities gained through classes can trigger primal magic events and waste a daily use on the first level you acquire them (e.g. a heavens oracle who picks dweller in the darkness as his level 11 revelation can trigger a primal magic event at level 11, but from 12 on they're good to go)


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The harshest setting-specific rules I've used for casters basically combined this:

Melee (and ONLY melee) full attacks took a standard action (thrown and ranged full attacks still took everything but your 5' step that round).
Spells by default took your full round, excepting the 5' step.
Concentration checks didn't exist, any damage or failed saving throw or grapple in effect automatically made your spells fail.
Melees were given enhanced ability to 'hold the line' through additional class abilities based on BAB (the main feature being the ability to designate an adjacent square as 'occupied by them', with an extra square if they have a shield, and extra squares at bab 6, 11, and 16 reflecting their ability to always 'be in the way' like an American football offensive line).

My observations with this is that groups of 6 STILL took an arcane and a divine caster, they just stacked the group with less of them than they usually did.
The balance

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