Power
What can magic accomplish in the campaign? Is there anything it can’t do, and
why? Will 10th-level magic be allowed as an option, or is 9th level the most
powerful magic available? Can wishes change history or reverse events that have already occurred? To what degree do
the gods and their avatars involve themselves in this world setting? In most
magic systems, setting boundaries to a character’s ability to affect events with
magic is vitally important. Typically, an AD&D game assumes that 9th-level
spells are the most powerful magic known to mortals, and that the player
characters encounter a deity no more than once or twice over the course of an entire
campaign.
The impact of magic on a campaign world can be greatly lessened by reducing
the maximum level of spells that can work there, although this is getting into
rules alterations. For example, by limiting spells to 8th level, mages can no
longer make use of wishes or gates. If the maximum is 7th level, mages lose the spell permanency, which is a key
part of the magical item creation process. Without this spell, magical items
become temporary or disposable—no persistent enchantments can exist.
Another point lies in the emphasis on the power of characters versus the power
of magical items. Should a fighter become a killing machine because he
happened to find a vorpal blade, or should most of his combat bonuses be derived from skills and training? In
earlier incarnations, the AD&D game leaned strongly towards the first option,
but with the advent of weapon mastery, style specializations, and other
character-based bonuses, it is now possible to create a character who doesn’t need a
powerful magical item to drastically increase his combat power. The real danger
to game balance lies in combining these two benefits—a weapon master equipped
with a powerful magical weapon becomes nearly unstoppable. If your campaign
features a lot of high-powered magic, you should strongly consider playing without
optional specialization or proficiency rules.
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