Which maximum spell levels do you prefer?

[leon]

5th level for clerics and 6th for magic users as in the LBBs or 7th and 9th respectively as in Greyhawk?

Being used to other versions of D&D 7th and 9th level is the "normal" for me. But I'm considering changing it to the lower "original" levels, as I like my game to have a (comparatively) low magic feel. Not that teleporting and raising people from the dead can really be considered low magic of course! It's not an issue yet, since it will take some time before my players encounter such powerful spells, let alone wield them. But eventually it will happen so I have to set the "tone" and the power level of the world relatively soon. What do you prefer and why?

[makofan]

My sweet spot for D&D is levels 3-9, so I prefer the lower level spells. I find it difficult to run a campaign where the players have access to level 7 and 9 spells.

[Falconer]

I guess it’s kind of a moot point, since, if you’re not going to have very-high level campaigns, the spells are never going to come into play anyway. So on the one hand, maybe leave them in as something to strive for, even if only theoretically. On the other hand, maybe you prefer a feel of having “finished” the game at a certain level. I have trouble with high-level campaigns, but so characters are basically retired around the time they hit name level, but even so, I like to bring them out once a year for a reunion game. So it’s nice to still have something to reach for.

Another cool thing about high-level spells is you can find them on scrolls even at lower levels.

[leon]

Sept 24, 2010 11:36:32 GMT -6 Falconer said:

I guess it’s kind of a moot point, since, if you’re not going to have very-high level campaigns, the spells are never going to come into play anyway.

You never know really. I, for one, never stopped a campaign or retired a character because we got in too high levels. The campaigns always stopped because of real life issues and lack of time.

So even if you plan to retire at name level, magic is all around. Powerful NPCs wield it, it can be found on scrolls as you said, etc. So the "power level" of the campaign setting must be decided in advance, before the players wield or even encounter that sort of magic. It also sets the tone and mood of the campaign. Is 9th level magic apparent everywhere you look? Are high level spellcasters with powerful spells abound? Can clerics cause earthquakes by praying and magic users rend open the fabric of reality and allow other beings to enter this world?

[Finarvyn]

What I like to do is assume that the level 1-6 level spells are "common knowledge" and that the 7-9 level spells are out there but you have to find them on scrolls or in ancient spellbooks. Gives the MU something to hunt for.

[leon]

Sept 24, 2010 14:25:53 GMT -6 Finarvyn said:

What I like to do is assume that the level 1-6 level spells are "common knowledge" and that the 7-9 level spells are out there but you have to find them on scrolls or in ancient spellbooks. Gives the MU something to hunt for.

This is a very good idea. "Powerful spells lost in the mists of time" sits very well with me. For example, in Vance's Dying Earth there used to be thousand of spells but in the book's era only a hundred have survive which wizards hunt down for their grimoires. So something like this is quite similar.

I don't know about clerics though. If it is so for MUs, then clerics should also have some hard time to move past 5th level spells. Perhaps they must also use prayer books for their spells and the most powerful prayers have been lost?

[James Maliszewski]

Sept 24, 2010 14:25:53 GMT -6 Finarvyn said:

What I like to do is assume that the level 1-6 level spells are "common knowledge" and that the 7-9 level spells are out there but you have to find them on scrolls or in ancient spellbooks. Gives the MU something to hunt for.

That's more or less what I do in my Dwimmermount campaign. Spells of such power are largely unknown nowadays and the few examples of them that exist are precious bits of knowledge retained from the past.

[Lord Kilgore]

I prefer the lower-mid levels of play, so the lower-mid levels of spells are all that casters generally have available. But I don't rule that higher-level magic doesn't exist...it just isn't encountered very often.

Our home-printed game manuals don't even include the higher level spells.

But high-level magic can still be found on scrolls, cast by powerful enemy mages (or liches, demons, etc.), or, someday, acquired by PCs who adventure long enough to find some and be powerful enough to access it.

[calithena]

In my game, spells go to 11.

[coffee]

I prefer lower level spell lists.

But I also prefer pretty thin spell lists, so the players are encouraged to research their own.

[waysoftheearth]

Most players will probably assume that whatever spells are appear in "the rules" will, one way or another, be available in game, unless the ref tells them otherwise.

If you are using the 3LBBs as "the rules", that sets a certain level of expectation among players. If you are using Greyhawk, or some other expansion or house-rules, then that sets a different expectation.

But I'm with Coffee on spell invention. In my games I assume that every magic-user invents a new spell of their own devising at each new experience level. That's part of the fun of that class

[cooper]

I have ars magica spell research conversion rules for d&d over in the dragonsfoot workshop section, some of you might enjoy reading it.

[leon]

Sept 30, 2010 17:47:13 GMT -6 cooper said:

I have ars magica spell research conversion rules for d&d over in the dragonsfoot workshop section, some of you might enjoy reading it.

That could be interesting. While I haven't played Ars Magica, I liked its magic system. Do you have a link for that conversion?

[cooper]

www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=43954

I tried to do spell creation ideas, specialist wizards, and item creation.

[18 Spears]

I use the boxed set books as a base but let players research their own spells too. Some of them use other editions spells for inspiration and thats okay.