Worlds With Excessive Amounts of Magic
In worlds where magic is relatively common, the non-wizard is sometimes the
outsider. Wizards are the most frequently encountered character class and
typically hold all positions of power. Wizards of good alignments consider themselves
caretakers of the non-wizard population; wizards of evil alignments see the
non-wizards as an exploitable resource.
Kingdoms controlled by evil wizards often clash with one another. They also
frequently wage war on kingdoms controlled by good wizards. The awesome power
wielded in these conflicts can easily devastate the entire world. (Think of such
conflicts as the wizardly equivalent of nuclear war.)
Mentors and academies of magic are common, as are wizards of all schools and
levels. Novices tend to rise quickly in ability, and high-level wizards are in
abundance. Magical items and magical monsters abound. There may be a large
number of priests as well, since they are also magic-users, but an abundance of
wizards does not guarantee that a world has an abundance of priests. (Priests get
their magical abilities from the gods, who may be as generous or as stingy with
their gifts as the DM wants.)
Worlds where magic is prevalent are invariably populated by a large number of
powerful characters. The DM will probably have his hands full trying to
maintain play balance, devising challenging adventures for his player characters, and
prevent non-wizard player characters from feeling overwhelmed or insignificant.
For these reasons, it is suggested that only experienced DMs attempt to stage
adventures in a magic-heavy campaign world. Creating a world where magic is
taken for granted can be difficult, but for DMs and players up to the challenge,
it can be a fascinating alternative
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