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I'm getting very close to playtesting stages with my new project and would love to find more than a few players.

This is a topic I've been struggling with lately as I've been working on a project of my own, and I'm anxious to hear what this forum has to say on the topic:

What does everyone think of the abundance (perhaps excess?) of magic that can work its way into a D&D campaign, particularly one that advances beyond 9th or 10th level.

It seems the Wizards and Sorcerers often become so powerful they rendor the specialized abilities and powers of other classes useless. (Why have the Rogue disarm the trap if the Wizard can turn it to mud, or has stoneskin and can take the damage?)

I'm in the process of running (and writing) a campaign in which magic is quite a bit "dumbed down". Its a world where wizards and sorcerers are few and far between and no one is wading into battle against 8 Frost Giants because their shooting fireballs from their eyes, and bolts of lightning from their arse!

Braveheart quotes aside...what does everyone think about the amount of magic in games. Does it inspire better roleplaying and make things more fun for the players, or does it eventually turn the game into who can best utilize a spell to accomplish anything?

Thoughts?

Here's the first chapter preview and the results of the first game session...I'm sure everyone will be bored with this, let alone the full background behind the names and places, so I'm not going to add all the details...

Chapter 1: Among the Falling Leaves

In Mid-Setting, the already beautiful lands of Relfar become all the more splendid as its numerous Elms and Maples begin to color and fall to the grass, which is lush and overgrown from the increasing rainfall. The sound of the countryside is a mix of rumbling wagons hauling in the day’s fruit crop, crackling leaves beneath the feet of hurried farmers and playful children, and the trumpeting of geese who have abandoned the south shores of Lach Dennen and the coasts of Brandsend for the still warm temperatures of southern Relfar and the north of Lyree.

In the midst of the land, just west of the rapidly cooling lake of White Pond, sits the capital city of Greer, its blackstone shaped walls ever vigilant of the bustling province on all sides. But in Greer, all is not well…

A Relfaran caravan set out from Greer and bound for the coastal city of Lorenport is one week overdue, and no trace of the 8 wagons, 12 horses, and twice that number of men has been found. While it is true the caravan was not well guarded, the route down the Easting Road was deep within Relfar’s territory, and not a dangerous one. To make matters worse, Drenethin Larn, the Elder, Elder of the Relfaran Council, received a delegation of Pandfolk (Halflings) just two days ago, and rumors already abound that they too are missing a cobbler and his son and their accompanying caravan who set north of Lyree for Lorenport recently.

The timing of these mysterious events is most unfortunate as the Relfaran Council has already been addressing the worrisome reports of increased presence of Orc tribes to the west of Relfar, and surely if danger comes from the east now as well, Relfar may be in for troubled times.

With the onset of Mid-Setting, caravans from Margov and Brandsend are arriving daily, seeking to trade in year-end metal and stone surplus, as well as freshly harvested crop, and the Elder Larn would not have his province be one of chaos and peril when hosting guests from the stronger, larger kingdoms.

To this end, Larn has asked those savvy of the wilderness and skilled with the blade report in to Greer that they might be assigned a route of investigation to discern the dangers flanking the normally peaceful province. The Greer Hall of Poll’De, God of Commerce and Fellowship has been opened by the Elder Larn on the eve of the second day of the coming week for all those willing to take up his call and join in the cause to make safe the lands of Relfar once again.

And after the game session....the conclusion of Chapter 1:

Chapter 1: Among the Falling Leaves -Conclusion

The evening of the 2nd day of Mid Setting found the streets of Greer abuzz with talk of the disappearances of two caravans, and the arrival of a great deal of adventurers, hireswords, do-gooders, and heroes who have answered Drenethin Larn the Elder’s call for aid to investigate the most troubling incidents.

Four such adventurers, perhaps given to boredom, wanderlust, the need to do right by the people of Greer, or even too-much of Barkeep Feldon’s ale found themselves sitting ‘round a table that same night, pondering what the Elder Larn may have in store for them, and finding themselves forming a most unlikely of alliances with one another, in an effort to solve the mysteries beset upon Relfar in recent nights.

Liana, a traveling Ranger of Human and Howlek Half-Elvish lineage, had arrived in Greer only nights before, and befriended a lady Halfling Druid, Phawn, on an apparent pilgrimage to the Washan Isle and advancement of her powers and faith. The pair of women soon made the acquaintance of two Margovian brothers, caravan guards of some note, who found themselves drawn to the higher purpose of aiding their neighboring land of Relfar. Julen, Guardian of Forgoth, and his elder brother Wilbur, Disciple to the same God of War opted to join the Women of the Wild to form a unique band of adventurers, united under the common cause of good.

The gathering at the Temple of Poll’De that same night saw 30 some of these adventuring bands, hailing apparently from throughout Lyree, Relfar, and even Margov, all with common purpose, but perhaps widely differing underlying motives. While largely making an effort to keep to themselves, the foursome of adventurers had the misfortune of meeting with a band of rather arrogant Margovians, apparently also Blood Faithful to the God Orlar. No names were traded and only brief chidings exchanged between the two groups.

Later in the gathering, The Elder Larn and his Captain of the Guard, Gerol, addressed those present, explaining that Caravan Master Logan the Grey, renowned for his safe travels, expert tradesmenship, and honest hand was the leader of the missing caravan bound for Lorenport. It was also revealed that a caravan of Pandfolk, led by Arding the Cobbler and his son also disappeared somewhere between the Relfaran border checkpoint and their destination city of Lorenport.

Singled out by Captain Gerol because of their wilderness skilled companions, the foursome of adventurers was asked to take on a clandestine portion of the search. It was revealed that Logan the Grey had somewhat secret dealings with the Lanor Elves of the Dallan Wood. While many in Greer know simply that Logan vanished sometime after leaving Greer and before arriving in his checkpoint city of Xyle, Gerol suspects Logan made a detour into the Dallan Wood to pick up various Elvish tradegoods to include in his cargo.

The adventurers were given the directive to question Wessen the Silkmaster, perhaps the last Greer merchant to see Logan before he left town, and then explore the Dallan Wood in an attempt to see if the Elves have any information pertinent to the investigation. The foursome was also asked to bring their investigation down the Easting Road from Greer to Xyle and check in with Telkin the Elder, governor of the city, to see if any further information may be helpful.

The visit to Wessen was brief and hostile, yielding very little useful information short of Logan carrying a great deal of the Silkmaster’s coins with the intent to purchase imported Silk in Lorenport. As Julen and Wilbur canvassed the remainder of the wealthy merchant district of Greer, Liana and Phawn visited Wessen a second time, in an attempt to persuade more information from him. Yielding little more, Wessen simply allowed the women to take along three of his Silken Scarves to trade with the Elves should they need collateral for information bargaining. After Wessen left the room, the ladies of the wilderness purloined a small crate of the scarves and headed back to their inn.

As the party reunited late that evening, their conference was cut short by the sudden and terrifying appearance of two Worgs, who savagely beset upon the adventurers and their inn. The battle was swift and furious, and Liana sustained significant wounds as she heroically stood fast in the doorway, barring the second Worg from entering the establishment and affording the Margovian brothers ample time to dispatch the first beast, and then come to her aid to finish off the second.

Screams and cries of panic from the street indicated the Worgs had caused more havoc in the town than simply within the heroes’ inn. After brief investigation, it became apparent the Worgs had also visited Wessen, tearing him and his shop limb from bloody limb, and seeming quite focused on tearing and destroying many of his imported silks. After Phawn, mischievous Halfling Druid that she is, revealed to the other adventurers that she and Liana had some of the silks back at their inn, it became clear the attacks of the Worgs were perhaps not so random.

Bruised and scarred, and now feeling their mission was going to be quite more than a simple search and rescue, the adventurers set to their beds after midnight, hoping to take ride at first light and begin unraveling the grave circumstance their mysteries had now undertaken.

Chapter 2 coming soon...