Doing away with UMD

[LostSoul]

I am REVVING up for a new campaign I plan on starting over the Christmas holidays and was thinking of making it a low magic setting, and doing away with use magic device. Can anyone see any huge issues I might face in doing this in a moderate to low magic environment?

Any comments would help.

[Kayerloth]

Nope, I don't see any especially in a low magic situation.

[Darigaaz the Igniter]

Having full casting classes will be more disruptive to a low-magic setting than use magic device. Consider banning clerics, druids, sorcerers, wizards, summoners, and witches.

[blackbloodtroll]

Keep UMD, and get rid of full casters.

Low magic feel achieved.

[Ipslore the Red]

Get rid of UMD, get rid of all casters, have Master Craftsman be the only way to craft magical items.

[Umbriere Moonwhisper]

Darigaaz the Igniter wrote:

Having full casting classes will be more disruptive to a low-magic setting than use magic device. Consider banning clerics, druids, sorcerers, wizards, summoners, and witches.

i'd recommend keeping sorcerers and oracles, they are the least disruptive of the full casters, summoners i wouldn't recommend, not because they are a full caster, but because they have a full caster's progression crammed into a 2/3rd caster's spell list and spell slots, which while balancing at the low levels, does little to balance them post level 10 when they can afford to cast their spells willy nilly.

i'd also recommend keeping use magic device, it is hardly a disruptive skill, or another idea, is to give everybody, the ability to use scrolls and wands, regardless of class.

[BzAli]

I once played in a campaign that required us to have 2 levels of non-caster classes (defined as 'anything without spellcasting abilities at lvl 1 and 2') before being allowed to take casting levels. That was a pretty effective way of limiting magic use.

[Atarlost]

The CR system will produce vastly more lethal fights without CLW wands to enter each encounter at full health and adjusting downwards will still get you cakewalks.

Without scrolls or wands of the remove and restore line spells clerics become absolutely indispensable. Otherwise your players will have to go home and convalesce after facing enemies with certain abilities. If NPC casting isn't available and affordable they may be forced to retire from adventuring completely.

[Psion-Psycho]

I played a low to almost no magic game before. The game was on my top 10 list of favorite games ive played ever, note ive been playing since AD&D. The DM banned all casters outright with exclusion to Bards and Alchemist. Alchemist because there fluff is science and Bards because of the lack of offensive spells and how there music/dancing is creating the effects.

I will like to state by the way items are only as important as you make them out to be in home games. In the game my fighter did not replace its masterwork gear until level 10 and that is because the DM started tossing things at us that required Magic to buy pass there DR. Also it makes wealth less important since they do not need magic items. I would though toss the occasional sunder here and there to make the players spend there cash on extra weapons and armor.

[Kayerloth]

To a large extent dealing with full casters and crafting issues would eliminate the need to worry about UMD. UMD is only useful if the items to use it on are around and available in the first place.