One of my favorite fantasy series is Memory, Sorrow, Thorn by Tad Williams. There are a lot of reasons I love these books, and many of them are applicable to gaming. The one apropos here, however, is the setting.

Probably my favorite aspect of the setting is the fact that it seems so realistic... at least at first. The cultures represented in the book seem like they could fit right in with those of our own history. The supernatural is spoken of, but scarcely believed in by the masses. There are tales of kings killing dragons, but that's all in the past. The reader doesn't even encounter another race of beings (a mainstay of fantasy) until a good way into the first book.

Of course, being fantasy, the mundane state in which the book begins doesn't last. Eventually, the main character pierces through the veil to view the fantastical elements of his world. This is the first step on the character's path of growth from a regular boy into a hero. It's also a prime example of why I like low magic settings.

Low Magic Settings

The campaign world in which I've done most of my gaming since the sixth grade is intended to be a low magic setting. Most folk do believe in magic, but they've probably never seen it. If they did, they'd probably call their friendly neighborhood Inquisitor.

Our current foray into Swords and Wizardry is also a relatively low magic setting. There are no player races other than Human. Yes, I'm playing a mage, but I cast maybe one spell a game, if that. If Cornelius breaks out the magic, it means that somebody's going to die otherwise.

This does not mean that magic doesn't show up in a low magic setting. Supernatural stuff happens in just about every game. We just try to dole it out strategically, and usually away from the eyes of the masses. The players become a part of the fantastical underbelly of the otherwise mundane world.

Why is this interesting?

First and foremost, a largely mundane world makes the magical parts even more impressive by contrast. A dragon showing up in some settings might be dangerous, but is ultimately nothing particularly special. One showing up in our campaign world would be earth-shattering. In the example of Cornelius above, when he does resort to magic, it usually changes the tide of a battle, and some of the NPCs fear him because of it.

I also just find it more believable. I have a much easier time picturing bandits than some weird extra-planar monster. That makes it that much easier to "get into the game". Giving the campaign more realism increases immersion.

In a high magic setting, you just end up with magic everywhere. Characters are casting, wearing, wielding, and drinking it. When there's a problem to overcome, guess what inevitably solves it? If you make that crutch less available, the characters are forced to expand their repertoire. In a low magic campaign, magic isn't always the answer.

You also get a whole new set of options as a GM. You might use "Scary Demon version 14" a few less times, but you gain just about any real world danger you can think of. Take cold for instance. I spent one night under a plastic sheet, trying to sleep in a sleeping bag on frozen ground. It's hard to convey the feeling of hungry winter trying to steal every last bit of heat, but I tried when I ran a group through a winter campaign. People freeze to death every year, even with modern technology, but this danger is just about eliminated when everybody and their brother can whip out their portable mansion or protection spell.

Crossing the Threshold

Myths and fairy tales usually have a moment when everything changes for the main character. It's when they realize that they're in this crazy adventure whether they want it or not. They're not in Kansas anymore.

From a Hero's Journey perspective, this is Crossing the First Threshold. The characters leave behind their mundane lives, and come face to face with the fantastic. This could be Frodo and Sam leaving the Shire, Jack climbing the beanstalk, Rand fleeing Emond's Field, Jason setting sail on the Argo, Luke leaving Uncle Ben's farm, and so on. This happens in the Memory, Sorrow, Thorn trilogy's first book, the Dragonbone Chair, when the main character is forced to flee his old life in the castle for the mysterious unknown.

It's difficult to leave behind a mundane world, however, when your world is already brimming with magic. If you're riding around in Eberron's elemental-powered trains now, how impressed are you going to be when yet more magical crap shows up? To Cross the Threshold in a high magic setting, you'd pretty much have to crank up the fantasy to 12, since it was already at 11. Which brings me to...

Sequel Syndrome

The few times I've played in campaigns with a higher magic level, it seemed like the GM had to try a little harder in each game to come up with something to impress the increasingly desensitized players. It reminded me of blockbuster movie sequels where they have to crank up the special effects another notch every time.

Take Pirates of the Caribbean for instance. They start out in the first movie with sword fights and ship to ship combat. Pretty much the only element of the fantastic was the gold's curse of undeath. However, the later movies end up with krakens, weird barnacle ships with fish crews, and ships with their top masts locked together as they fight in a whirlpool. (I haven't seen the fourth one, and probably won't until it comes out on DVD). Quick question: which movie did you like better?

Magic: the Smattering

I like spicy food. I can think of three different kinds of hot sauce in my kitchen right now, and three jars of salsa. Still, I don't put it on everything. Even when I do make something hot, I don't make it overpowering, because then you're not tasting anything else.

Similarly, I like the fantasy genre. Many of my favorite characters have been magic users. If the rest of the world is chock full of magic, though, you may as well be a plumber. Wizards are no longer anything special. The same goes for the GM's magical NPCs.

If magic is the exception, though, then your wizard character is once again wielding powers that are mysterious and a little scary. The first undead that pops up after a few games of mundane enemies will seem that much more daunting for the rarity. When that dragon rears its mighty head for the first time ever in the campaign, it might actually have its rightful effect. Low magic settings are like a good movie that eschews the special effects bonanza, leaving room for plot and character, which are far more interesting in my book.

Do you have a preference for high or low magic settings? Did you think of more reasons to love or hate low magic campaign worlds? Do you object to my comparing Star Wars to Jason and the Argonauts? Were you one of the weirdos folks that enjoyed Pirates of the Caribbean 2 or 3 more than the 1st one? Let us know in the comments!