Can anyone tell me what defines a Low-Powered Campaign, or where can I get more info??
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Power level is a continuum. On one end is high power, which is often referred to as a 'supers' game. A game in which characters are all 'Superman' would be an example of high power. Most D&D games are short of this end.
Low power is the opposite. People are normal people, and nobody has any special powers. While I haven't played it, Call of Cthulu is probably a good example of this. D&D isn't a good example of this because PCs are supposed to be special.
So, low power D&D should be contrasted with high power D&D. Usually low-power uses lower starting arrays than high powered game. It requires a much lower level of magic items than a 'standard game' (as determined by the wealth guidelines in the DMG). It often involves lower magic in general. For example, instead of wizards you might consider adepts, or using the 'witch spell list' in the DMG.
There are no hard and fast rules - just ideas that reduce the general power level that you can implement. If you're thinking about running one, I suggest limiting the ability for characters to advance. 7th level may be the maximum you want to go to. Once you get much past that, it becomes pretty 'high power' even with a number of other limitations.
Can anyone tell me what defines a Low-Powered Campaign, or where can I get more info??
Low powered seems to fall more in line with reality in what the PCs can and can not do. Most settings can be low powered with some alterations. Roll stats 3d6 (or 25 point-buy), start off the PCs in the npc classes, magic and magic items should be exceedingly rare, npcs should like wise be low powered, and so forth.
Most historical settings are low powered. Hârn is a good example of some light fantasy but low powered - where the PCs can literally be dirt farmers and be living large if they have any dirt to farm.
Owner - Johnny Scott Comics and Games
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When I think of low power campaigns, I think of low magic as well.
Here are some suggestions that have worked for me to help you if you want to start a low powered campaign:
Magic items are rare, so compensation must be made to help your characters: Eliminate DR xx/Magic and replace it with DR xx/Silver (or cold iron, or a substance that can be located in your campaign setting).
Make your encounters challenging, but not overwhelming. Normal D&D ELs and CRs assume a certain amount of magic is available to the PCs, so you may find yourself toning down the villains to avoid TPK - especially early on.
Emphasize the PCs' backgrounds in adventure development. Since they're not supermen, the backstory is the best resource you have to keep them engaged. If they have no backstory, ask them to create one or, create on for them.
Deception/Mystery adventures tend to work well. You don't need a +5 Battle Axe of Cleaving to solve a mystery.
Select recurring villains and adversaries who are powerful, but not in an overwhelming way. A Wizard actually makes a great recurring villain in a low power, low magic campaign - especially one who manipulates things behind the scenes. You may not want to reveal his identity early on, or even reveal his existence. Just drop a few clues here and there before the big reveal at later levels. My experience has also been that lycanthropes (and the occasional vampire) make great behind the scenes adversaries.
Tailor your adventures to your party's strengths. Make sure they have the tools at hand to complete the quest.
Hope this helps!
Thanks, that helped a lot. I was wondering what happens to monsters? Are there any monster restriction? What about spells?
I appreciate your replies.
Depending on how you run the campaign, certain monster types are less suitable than others. Monsters that rely on a lot of spell-like and supernatural abilities can be extremely difficult to deal with, as well as bring up the question 'why does the marilith have all her powers but we don't'? Undead as a creature type have a lot of nasty status ailments that will be nearly-impossible to deal with without clerical magic, so bear that in mind.
On the other hand, a monster with some spell-like abilities can be a truly eye-opening foe in a low magic campaign if its magical might is played up properly.
Other than that, avoid monsters with DR/magic, epic, or alignment unless the PCs have a way to bypass those types.
everyones busting on the spells as far as low power. but if you take a wizard down to an adept then the fighter becomes a WAY more powered class. you'd have to adjust him as well. its easier to remove magic all together. which means messing with DR. a lot of monsters CR's are hightened by SR. everything needs to be re-evaluated and should be done carefully
I was a player in a very low magic campaign GM'd by fellow Paizo frequenter, Turin the Mad. I'll forbear to describe it, save to say, that is was IMMENSELY ENJOYABLE. Much of the headache of the game was removed when the game no longer became a single-minded pursuit of magic items in an effort to 1-up the bad guys, (even though it was heavily combat oriented).
Very frequently what makes a character especially powerful is the gear, not the class, stats, or feats (everyone has equal access to all that). I find that keeping a campaign relatively low magic (I typically think of the Arthurian legends for this-- magic exists, and there are wizards, but you can't go to Ye Olde Magick Weapon Shoppe and pick up a vorpal). Keeping found magic items relatively low is a great way to ensure that monsters stay challenging. As long as you don't randomly place treasure, you should do all right.
I was thinking about a low-power campaign that would work almost like a fusion of older D&D versions with the current rules. I would either reinstate minimum ability score values for many classes (paladins would have to have a Cha 17, things like that) or I would just take some classes and make them into prestige options- barbarian, bard, druid, ranger, paladin, maybe even the monk. Fighter, cleric, rogue and wizard/sorcerer would be the most common classes because they would have the most accessible requirements. With the abillity score requirements now, though, that would make those special classes rarer but also more powerful when they do show up.
I liked what I was told about 1st edition (started playing in late 2nd Edition), like how it took years to make a bard. Druids would just be clerics with the druid prestige class, which would likely require survival, handle animal, knowledge nature and maybe a certain domain from a list (animal, plant, air, water, fire, earth, travel with the proviso that no one with an alignment domain can take a level of druid). Paladins would be lawful good fighter-clerics, rangers would be fighter-rogues, berserkers would really be fighters from a tribal culture with certain skill and feat requirements and the performance of a special rite to get the ability to rage. Bards would be rogues with some wizard and fighter training, dabblers as usual, except with maybe either song magic or poison use. Monks might be another brand of fighter-rogue-cleric, with improved unarmed strike and other things. Maybe specialist wizards would also make good prestige classes. I find it a little more interesting and rewarding for a character to strive for something specialized like that rather than just starting at first level as one of these 'elite' classes. That might make them ultimately higher powered, though; with the blend of those fighter feats/skill points/spell casting abilities with the new options from the special class.
From Iron Heroes, the things I really liked were the Defense bonus because armor gave Damage Reduction and I liked skill groups, so I would use those. No buying magic items; one could commission them or craft them personally, but otherwise they would have to be found.
...yech, James, your avatar...I don't even want to know what that is...
But anyway. Besides stats, low-power campaigns are usually low-magic which should be mirrored in gear, number of spellcasters, and also encounters...majority of encounters should be with humanoids and animals, more special monsters should be few and far between and really special when you come across them.
One thing I did back in AD&D regarding the spellcasters was that I removed wizard and cleric classes from the game. Only mages were specialists, with their more limited spell selection and considerably higher stat requirements, and instead of clerics there were specialty priests, again with tougher stat requirements and considerably more limited spellcasting abilities. And as bards, druids, paladins and rangers already had rather tough stat requirements, there were fewer spellcasters around and while they were still rather powerful, they were considerably more limited.
The most popular low-powered campaign I ever played in (and at one point ran a game in) had the following rules.
All hit points beyond your constitution score just keep you alive, not conscious. When you regain consciousness from this range you must make a fortitude save, DC equal to damage beyond your constitution score. If you fail, you are scarred or mained. If you fail by 10 or more, you are dying despite being awake, and need total rest and healign to recover (getign a new roll each week to recover.)
*Power Attack has a max of -2/+2
*No more than one in three class levels can be a spellcasting class. If a class doesn't hgave spellcasting ability *yet* (like a 1st level paladin) you can freely take levels until it does (and then no more than 1 in 3).
*There are only three classes of bonuses – synergy, circumstance, and "everything else" Thus enchancement, morale, and luck bonuses don't stack.
*To make a permanent magic item, you must kill a sentient, living creature. This can be yourself. The cost for all such items is multiplied by x10. (Costs generalyl used for figuring whn you run into them as treasure, almsot never just to buy and sell – major cities MAY have 20,000 gp +1 swords, but not 80,000 gp +2 swords).
*Charged/1-shot items are limited to 1st level of effect.
*If you fail a UMD check, you must make a fortitude save or suffer penalties like becoming conscious (woudned and near death for weeks).
Grim as that sounds, ti is a blast. While the "wizard" in the longest-runnign game is only a 3rd level wizard in a 9th level game he can cast 2nd level spells. That's a big deal in thsi game. Magic is, obviously, rare, and, he's rogue 3/savant 3 too boot, so he has lots to do other than cast spells. It's gritty, and heroes have to be smart, and you're ALWAYS dealign with things mroe dangerous than you, but it's worked great for us for a lot of games.
I'm planning a campaign where I leave most of the classes alone but things are more expensive, especially magic items. They'll start out as a race very similiar to the Forsaken from World of Warcraft (also where I got the idea for the economy). Most of the changes are the economy (because the 'christmas tree effect' bothers me) but I'm having them roll 3d6 for stats and I'm possibly going to restrict the spellcasters (not really sure about this one yet).
Economy Monetary conversion: 50 copper=1 silver; 10 silvers= 1
gold; 10 gold=1 platinum
To determine the cost of magic items, use the following
conversion. Convert the cost into silver pieces and
then divide the result by 100.
To determine the cost of mundane items, convert the
list price to coppers (so a dagger costs 2cp, thieves
tools 30cp ect).
For my low-power campaigns I say that players get 25 points for playing a PC class, 28 points for an NPC class (such as expert or adept), and 32 points for playing a commoner. They can multiclass normally later, since that 32-point com1/rog1 is always going to suck skill-wise next to that 25-point rog1.
Our current low level campaign is very straight forward in its lay out:
All spell casters must roll a Spellcraft check (or if they are a divine caster a Ceremony check. Ceremony being a new skill for divine casters)vs a set DC based on the spell being cast. To gain spells the spellcasters have to study from existing books of magical philosophies or religious merit to gain their spells. Many low level spells are common, but as the casters want to learn higher level spells, things become harder, as the people who know the higher level stuff guard them with their lives, and usually want the characters to do quests in return for knowledge.
Creating a magic item costs a permanent amount of either Hit Points or Constitution or both (won't get into the math) as the creator is putting a piece of their life essence into the item to power it .
Also, magic items loose power over time.
That's the basics. its working well so far. No real changes to mechanics, just a little tweak here or there.
WC