Quote from: RandyB;1144508Magic is no longer safe to use. The use of magic is inevitably corrupting to the user, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

I played in a Fantasy Craft game once where the GM had the Tainted Magic campaign quality in play. Magic-using classes weren't available to us starting out, but depending on how things went they could have been available to us later.

In his setting, all magic was divine in some way, though not in the specially-granted-to-clerics sense. More like the gods naturally radiated an energy into the world that spellcasters could then manipulate. But at some point in the past, the gods disappeared and magic began deteriorating those who used it and to some extent their surroundings, so it was eventually outlawed in most places. During the course of the game, we found out a little about what likely happened. Everyone thought that the gods had turned their back on the world, but we came across researchers who'd theorized that the gods had been forcibly separated from the world by something. The barrier couldn't prevent the gods energy from reaching the world, but its passing through the barrier caused it to go "rotten" in a sense.

Researchers with special permissions were still allowed to perform magical experiments under controlled circumstances. And through this research they had begun figuring out how to divert the rotting effects of magic into inanimate objects so that the caster could remain safe. Yeah, the GM got a little creative, and part of the backstory turned out to be that spellcasting in the days before the barrier went up didn't require material components. They were a new requirement in his homebrew setting, and the "rot" in the magic explains why they were destroyed upon use, too.

Quote from: Arkansan;1144597I like that idea, seems like it would lead to an economy of magic that would promote ruthless competition. I'm also always in favor of things that limit the commonality of magic in a setting. Magic that's too prevalent would have such large scale societal impact that it sort of bugs me not to attempt to flesh it out, and that's a headache.

Indeed, because spells are individually powered and there's no method to "copy" them, not only is magic in general as rare as the DM wants it to be, but each spell is as rare as desired. And being able to cast a spell more frequently is a matter of possessing more than one of them. It puts magic economy entirely in the hands of the campaign creator.

Quote from: RandyB;1144508Magic is no longer safe to use. The use of magic is inevitably corrupting to the user, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

For a D&D-like game, I'd almost rather go the opposite direction: magic used to be dangerous to use, but *something has changed* and now just about everybody is doing magic with no apparent risks...

The old world was destroyed in a cataclysmic collapse that ended an ancient, world-spanning civilization and sunk its greatest population center into the sea. Millions perished in the event and survivors were scattered around the globe, forced to start civilization anew in a drastically altered landscape. Marvelous technological secrets were lost to the deluge and knowledge of magic and the mystical forces was greatly diminished--what little of it that remained being passed down largely through oral tradition amongst the tiny few who possessed the innate Gift to harness such powers.

Knowledge of the old world is but a legend, passed down through generations as stories of a great flood sent as punishment by the gods for humanity's greed and arrogance. The world now is a harsh and unforgiving wilderness, full of dangerous creatures and fearsome predators that scour the landscape for their next meal. And humanity must make do with primitive tools and limited resources as they struggle to rebuild civilization from scratch and rediscover basic technologies that their ancestors took for granted.

But new cultures have begun to emerge. The embers of new kingdoms and fledgling empires have begun to dot the landscape, as the fires of civilization have been relit, bringing new struggles with it as rival kingdoms and warring factions vie for control.

But shadows of the old world still remain, trapped in ancient ruins and crumbling monuments overtaken by the wilderness, swallowed by vegetation and dust. These ancient halls hold the secrets of an ancient era, forgotten by time. Great treasures and strange artifacts lie within them, waiting to be discovered by intrepid adventures daring to brave their stony hallways and explore their forgotten secrets. But they are not alone, for ancient guardians lie dormant waiting to strike at trespassers into their ruins. Powered by unknown magic and forgotten technology these fearsome golems lie ever watchful for intruders, tirelessly patrolling their halls.

The ancient sites may also mark places of power, attracting rogue sorcerers seeking to tap into their magical reservoirs, as well as drawing hostile magical creatures from the world beyond, slipping through the cracks in reality created by the overflowing concentration of magical energy in the area. Life is a daily struggle, but the world is teeming with opportunity for daring adventurers strong enough to brave its challenges and uncover its forgotten past.

Quote from: VisionStorm;1144751The old world was destroyed in a cataclysmic collapse that ended an ancient, world-spanning civilization... Life is a daily struggle, but the world is teeming with opportunity for daring adventurers strong enough to brave its challenges and uncover its forgotten past.

Okay, I'm in, when's the first session?

Quote from: Stephen Tannhauser;1144760Okay, I'm in, when's the first session?

I would have to come up with at least a couple of major nations, cultures and factions, what sort of races or ethnic groups exist, some of the key geographical locations, and an overview of what the old world was like (since characters will be uncovering ancient secrets and forgotten lore all the time), plus probably some details on how magic works in that world (since the idea of ley lines and nodes of magical energy are gonna be a feature). But I've actually considered making a world like that before. Though, I never delved far into it, partly due to laziness and indecision.

I'm also not sure about the system, since  I never liked D&D magic and I don't know how well D&D's system would handle the idea of drawing magical energy from places of power to channel magic.

Quote from: VisionStorm;1144751The old world was destroyed in a cataclysmic collapse that ended an ancient, world-spanning civilization and sunk its greatest population center into the sea. Millions perished in the event and survivors were scattered around the globe, forced to start civilization anew in a drastically altered landscape. Marvelous technological secrets were lost to the deluge and knowledge of magic and the mystical forces was greatly diminished--what little of it that remained being passed down largely through oral tradition amongst the tiny few who possessed the innate Gift to harness such powers.

Knowledge of the old world is but a legend, passed down through generations as stories of a great flood sent as punishment by the gods for humanity's greed and arrogance. The world now is a harsh and unforgiving wilderness, full of dangerous creatures and fearsome predators that scour the landscape for their next meal. And humanity must make do with primitive tools and limited resources as they struggle to rebuild civilization from scratch and rediscover basic technologies that their ancestors took for granted.

But new cultures have begun to emerge. The embers of new kingdoms and fledgling empires have begun to dot the landscape, as the fires of civilization have been relit, bringing new struggles with it as rival kingdoms and warring factions vie for control.

But shadows of the old world still remain, trapped in ancient ruins and crumbling monuments overtaken by the wilderness, swallowed by vegetation and dust. These ancient halls hold the secrets of an ancient era, forgotten by time. Great treasures and strange artifacts lie within them, waiting to be discovered by intrepid adventures daring to brave their stony hallways and explore their forgotten secrets. But they are not alone, for ancient guardians lie dormant waiting to strike at trespassers into their ruins. Powered by unknown magic and forgotten technology these fearsome golems lie ever watchful for intruders, tirelessly patrolling their halls.

The ancient sites may also mark places of power, attracting rogue sorcerers seeking to tap into their magical reservoirs, as well as drawing hostile magical creatures from the world beyond, slipping through the cracks in reality created by the overflowing concentration of magical energy in the area. Life is a daily struggle, but the world is teeming with opportunity for daring adventurers strong enough to brave its challenges and uncover its forgotten past.

I must sound like a broken record. Sometimes I feel like one. But I'll say it again: Empire of the Petal Throne. All this and with deeper mysteries. It was the first published ttrpg setting ever (1975, and you can also get the playtest draft from 1974). It already exists, it's been around forever, check it out.