Last updated on June 14, 2021
We’ve all been there. You’re jumping into a new game of DND after reading into the latest character class you’ve never played before, excited to see if you can get to level 10 and really start being powerful and the DM hits you with the classic, Low Magic preamble, squashing your hopes and dreams in one fell swoop.
Of course low magic has its place as does high magic. You don’t want to do run a high school teens have to stop a rift from opening in their hometown when the wild magic grants them level 20 powers with ray guns and death wands. Or maybe you do, I don’t know your life. All I’m saying is Stranger Things works because despite the high magic of the setting, the characters are all very mortal. None of them are clerics able to bring back the other from the dead, so the horror setting works due to the lack of hero resources.
That’s all Magic is, another character resource. A good DM will be able to feel their party out and ask questions about what type of vibe the players are feeling before running a game. I know you, as a GM, probably have this ONE THING you want to run, and that’s so important. It will keep you motivated to continue writing session after session. But if your players weren’t anticipating something or want the direct opposite of something that is a core value to your story, you need to stop playing and reassess.
High magic only works when there’s a balance of power and is shied away from usually because there’s so much to keep track of. DND isn’t the only TTRPG out there. Go explore a bit more if you want to run something that’s incredibly high or incredibly low magic. Starting with a different TTRPG might help your players know what to expect as well.
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