Low Magic Settings
Magic exists in a Low Magic setting, but it remains subtle, elusive, and sometimes dark and dangerous.
The Mundane
So what do adventurers do in a Low Magic setting? What humans have done in every world and in every time: earn gold by unsavory means, fight wars, rescue maidens1 (usually for a price), eat, drink, and kill each other over trifles. A Low Magic world is like any other adventuring world, only without the conveniences and safety of magic on command.
The Monstrous
If magic is subtle, monsters aren’t. Monsters may be beasts of unusual size and ferocity, ordinary animals warped by magic (or demons or witches), primeval beasts heretofore unknown, or people cursed long ago into bestial form. This last theory explains monsters of humanoid shape and manlike intelligence such as undead and goblins, as well as certain dragons said to be able to talk.
The Arcane
For nearly all of humanity (and other sapient species) magic is a matter of legends and myths. Fae haunt the woods, but few have seen a fae (and lived). Priests pray to idols of stone and bronze, but the gods they pray to may or may not hear them. Every place has a story about some monster who threatened the town; some may even be true.
Magic takes many forms. These are the most common.
Curses and Fate
Words spoken in anger or hate, especially by a dying man, can echo across the years to doom the target of that curse. All mortals are born under good stars or ill, and the fate the stars fortell cannot be eluded, only subverted.
Charms and Incantations
Nearly everyone uses charms or rhymes to ward off misfortune or invite good luck. Most of these do not work, save to calm the nerves of those chanting them. Yet words have power, as curses demonstrate. Some words, in the right order and addressed to the right entities, can pierce the veils between worlds and summon forces and beings which can only be called Magic. Finding these incantations can take the work of a lifetime, and sometimes the effect is not what the magician intended.2
The Otherworlds
Just as all but the most ignorant knows the world is a sphere, all learned people in a low magic world know there are other worlds: the world of the dead, the world of nature spirits, the poisoned paradise called Faerie, the many hells from which demons come, and so forth. They may argue how many such worlds exist, and how they’re related, but nobody doubts their existence.
Witchcraft
A tiny minority of humans(?) can channel magical forces at will. Opinions differ on exactly what these “witches” are. Evil women who made pacts with demons for supernatural power? Remnants of an ancient order of enchantresses? Diminished demigoddesses from the dawn of time? A particular lineage or strain of “mutant” touched by magic? About all the “authorities” can agree upon is that Witches are dangerous and should be avoided.
Creating a Low Magic Character
Creating a character for a low-magic setting is almost the same as creating any other D&D 5e character:
- Choose an Ancestry appropriate to the setting.
- Choose a Culture appropriate to the setting.
- Generate or assign Ability Scores.
- Choose a Background from the ones listed below.
- Choose a Class from the ones listed below.
- Choose an initial Alignment: Chaotic, Lawful, True Neutral, or Unaligned. If in doubt, choose Unaligned.
- Record all the abilities, proficiencies, languages,
and equipment provided by Ancestry, Culture, Background, and Class.
- Characters may not start with magic items, but they may purchase masterwork items if they can afford them.
- Non-enchanted mithral or adamantine items are not considered ehcnanted, but they are uncommon or rare and therefore only available through adventuring.
Ancestries
In the absence of setting-specific Ancestries, the default is Human:
- Your Size is Medium
- Your base walking speed is 30'.
Non-human Ancestries may be available, including Dwarf and Eldren . Check with your DM.
Cultures
Your DM will present you with Cultures appropriate to your setting. Generic Cultures may be available. Check with your DM.
In the absence of setting-specific Cultures, give the character any two skill, tool, or vehicle proficiencies of their choice.
Ability Scores
First, generate or assign Ability Scores using one of the methods in the Players’ Handbook (2014).
Then, add points to the Ability Scores as follows:
-
Characters of Human Ancestry add 1 to all Ability Scores, as described in the Players’ Handbook (2014).
-
Characters of other Ancestries add three points to at least two Ability Scores.
Backgrounds
These are the available backgrounds in a Low Magic campaign. Specific settings may restrict or add backgrounds.
Background | Source | Notes |
---|---|---|
Acolyte | PHB/BR | |
Charlatan | PHB | |
City Watch / Investigator | SCAG | |
Clan Crafter | SCAG | Only if setting includes Dwarfs |
Cloistered Scholar | SCAG | |
Courtier | SCAG | |
Criminal / Spy | PHB/BR | |
Entertainer / Gladiator | PHB | |
Far Traveller | SCAG | Work with DM on homeland. |
Folk Hero | PHB/BR | |
Guild Artisan / Merchant | PHB | |
Hermit | PHB | |
Inheritor | SCAG | |
Mercenary Veteran | SCAG | |
Noble / Knight | PHB/BR | |
Outlander | PHB | |
Pirate | PHB | |
Sage | PHB/BR | Change “Wizard’s Apprentice” to “Arcanist”. |
Urban Bounty Hunter | SCAG | |
Urchin | PHB |
Classes
These classes are suitable for Low-Magic settings. Specific settings may restrict or add classes and subclasses.
Class | Source | Subclasses |
---|---|---|
Artisan | MotM | Armorer, Bladesmith, Bowyer, Tanner |
Barbarian | PHB | Berserker, Beast (TCoE+MotM), Totem Warrior (PHB+MotM), Zealot (XGtE+MotM), Steel (MotM), Tribal Warrior (MotM), Viking (MotM) |
Fighter | PHB | Champion, Battle Master, Cavalier (XGtE), Samurai (XGtE), Gladiator (MotM), Legionnaire (MotM), Marksman (MotM) |
Hunter | MotM | Wanderer, Warden, Wilder, Wraith, Beast Trainer |
Knight | MotM | Deliverers, Enforcers, the Green, Justiciars, Shield, Samurai, Chevalier |
Minstrel | MotM | Troubador, Skald, Sword Dancer, Snake Charmer |
Monk | PHB | Open Hand, Drunken Master (XGtE), Kensei (XGtE), Shadow (PHB+MotM), Mountain (MotM), Serpent (MotM), Elements (MotM) |
Mutant3 | MotM | Alchemical, Aquatic, Bestial, Monstrous, Venomous |
Rogue | PHB | Thief, Inquisitive (XGtE), Mastermind (XGtE), Scout (XGtE), Swashbuckler (XGtE), Brute (MotM), Dagger Master (MotM), Outrider (MotM) |
Priest | MotM | Ascetic, Crusader, Inquisitor, Preacher; Domains: Death, Forge, Knowledge, Life, Light, Nature, Night, Tempest, Trickery, War |
Scholar | MotM | Arcanist, Explorer, Physician, Tactician |
Shaman | MotM | Land-Bound, Medicine Man, Star Caller, Sword Medium, Witch Doctor |
Certain worlds will have traditional spellcasters, but they will be few and far between. Check with your DM before creating a spellcasting class.
Alignment
In a Low Magic setting the character’s initial Alignment is not that important. It mostly reflects the character’s initial outlook.
- Chaotic:
- Life is a random series of events. The character may believe in gods, but they care little for mortals. The only law is survival: the strongest, cleverest, or luckiest survive, and the weak, foolish, and unlucky die. Chaotic characters make no plans, keep no promises, and follow no law save what’s convenient in the moment.
- Lawful:
- Life has a purpose and an end goal. The character’s deity or deities have a plan for us all. Obeying the laws of the gods and men, be they just, allows individuals and society as a whole to prosper. Lawful characters plan for success, regard their word as their bond, and follow all laws consistent with honor and the common good.
- True Neutral:
- A well-lived life requires moderation in all things. Above Law and Chaos rises the Cosmic Balance: it weighs the deeds of mortals and gods alike. Maintaining the natural order and the cycles of life brings peace and harmony; tilting the scales toward Law or Chaos brings war, disharmony, and ultimately ruin. True Neutral characters stand between order and disorder, civilization and the wilderness, Law and Chaos, and resist all attempts by one side to dominate the other.
- Unaligned (a.k.a. Neutral):
- Life happens. Sometimes it seems like the will of the gods (or devils), other times it’s just pure dumb luck. Survival is the most important thing, even at the expense of honor and dignity. Neutral characters adapt to circumstances, embracing the principles of Law or Chaos as the situation demands.
See Hard Alignments for more about these alignments and how the DM may track them.
Languages
Player Characters can speak the Common language(s) and their Cultural tongue(s) plus one other language if their INT is at least 12.
They may also gain languages from their Background or Class.
Consult the DM, who will have a list of all available languages.
Feats
As per my house rules, a Low Magic game will not use Feats. I offer the following substitutes:
-
Players may roll with Advantage on Ability or Skill tests if the subject relates to the character’s Ancestry, Culture, Background, or Class.
-
Players may spend Luck Points to achieve much the same effect as many Feats.
-
Players who roll a natural 20 may specify another effect besides increased damage in combat, e.g. knocking the target back, tripping the target, etc.
-
Players may gain a Luck Point or straight Advantage on anything the DM thinks would be cool.
Combat and Adventuring
Even without magic the rules of D&D 5th Edition still apply, except when superseded by my house rules.
Most of these house rules enhance the “gritty” feel of a Low Magic campaign, but certain rules give players an edge:
-
Initiative both streamlines Initiative and lets players go first, albeit not with all their normal actions.
-
Luck Points somewhat make up for the loss of magic by enabling extraordinary actions a few times during a session.
-
Masterwork Items replace the common and frankly boring “+1 magic swords” with +1 mundane swords.
-
Silvered Weapons covers the main weapons against undead and other monsters in a world without easy magic.
Sources
- BR
- Basic Rules
- MotM
- Masters of the Mundane
- PHB
- Players Handbook (2014)
- SCAG
- Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
- TCoE
- Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
- XGtE
- Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
-
Maidenhood not guaranteed. ↩︎
-
At the moment Incantations are a story element, not a formal magic system. Our protagonists must stop an evil cultist from sacrificing a noble’s daughter and summoning a foul demon. An Arcanist translates an old book and unwittingly unleashes a malevolent spirit. A hedge magician knows the precautions and rituals to keep the fae at bay … but they don’t always work. And so on.
A full Ritual Magic system will be available … someday. Until then, enjoy these fragments. ↩︎
-
Check with the DM before selecting this class. ↩︎