The World
- Like in normal 4e D&D, the world is ancient. Crumbling ruins, remnants of fallen civilizations, and forgotten menaces are just some of the things the PCs will encounter.
- The world is NOT exotic. Men, elves, dwarves, and halflings are the only races available to the PCs. Most of the enemies they encounter are as mundane as goblins, hobgoblins, orcs, and a few bugbears. Ogres are also not uncommon. Fiercer monsters do exist, but they are very powerful and lie hidden in the dark corners of the world.
- Like normal 4e, the world is vastly uncharted. Civilization is limited to small settlements filled with peasants, controlled by self-proclaimed "kingdoms" which are really just small baronies.
- The world is big. Overland travel will be common.
- Magic items are few and far between, but those that do exist are almost always unique are very powerful. (ex: the players may find a flaming sword, but it will probably be the only one of its kind and will have a specific name and history.)
- The players will, however, find special weapons that, though they are not magical, are very finely crafted or exotic and therefor still come with bonuses attached. (ex: a mundane longsword that has the same properties of a +1 vicious longsword.)
- All but rulers live in poverty--therefor, the players start with very little gold to buy their starting equipment.
- Monsters will hit harder but die faster.
- On critical hits or very high damage rolls, a die will be rolled against a random injury table to see if the victim has a bone broken, an extremity severed, or just a very nasty cut that will leave a permanent scar.
- Martial classes will make up the majority of the group.
- Magic classes, including primal, divine, and psionic classes (though many will not be allowed at all) will be modified to minimize magic casting (but without diminishing the classes' effectiveness). Note: This is where I need the most help.
- Leveling up will be slightly tougher than usual.
- Paragon paths will be modified if necessary to minimize magic or superhuman abilities.
- The level cap will be lowered to somewhere in the teens (certainly before epic tier).
Overall I love the idea. I am a big fan of traditional S&S type gritty worlds. However, implementing this is not always easy.
-Magic items: Pretty easy fix, you can use inherent bonuses and boons to make up the difference. If the PC does find a magic item, either keep the bonuses very small or don't let item bonuses stack with inherent bonuses. Either way, make sure there are some interesting powers for the weapon as this will be what really makes it stand out.
-Critical hits: I am a longtime fan of crit charts. However, this does pose some problems as it makes multiattackers much more powerful than they intended to be. Your wizard may end up taking out more enemies than the rogue with this rule. You might want to find an alternative to this. One solution I liked was injury cards (or you could do a table either way). A character could choose to ignore damage from an attack by taking an injury instead. It gives a similar feel to the game without introducing too many balance issues. Another possibility might be having area attacks only roll once for the group instead of attacking each target separately, and if a crit is rolled the attacker can choose 1 target only to roll on the crit injury table.
-Combat: A lot of people do the increased damage/reduced HP rule and it seems to work out well enough.
-Classes: Instead of modifying classes, a single-classed character can only take a martial class. A hybrid character can take one martial and any other class, and all classes are open to multiclass feats. This way you can have magic present without it being the dominant force. Depending on just how low magic you want this to be, you could even eliminate hybrid classing, or if you really want to go far, cut out the multiclass feats too and have all magic be ritual-based, but I think that last one might be too extreme even for most S&S settings.
-Paragon Paths: cut out non-martial paths and you should be ok for the most part. Cap the campaign at 20. It gives you enough time for the players to enjoy the campaign, develop their characters, and get some fun powers, but the demigod level stuff just doesn't really fit the setting.
-Final Notes: Even though 4e is cinematic it by no means can't handle a grittier world. If some of the powers seem over the top, just keep in mind the feats performed by archetypal heroes like Conan and Legolas. I would also use lots of minions, especially for humanoids, to reinforce the idea that most people die easily. A gritty setting is less about the rules themselves and more about the overall tone of the campaign.
Second, I have to ask: what do you mean when you say "sword and sorcery"? I ask because you don't seem to want much sorcery.
Now to your stuff.
The World
No problems here. You can even use monster stats to represent different groups. For example, a barbarian tribe might use orc or gnoll stats. This will give the players a greater variety of combats without ruins the versimilitude of the world.
TreasureBoneNaga's idea of using inherent bonuses is a good one; however, if you plan on having them find a normal amount of what I will call masterwork weapons (your non-magical weapons that have properties) then you don't need to use inherent bonuses. I think I like the idea of the PCs finding masterwork weapons, either made from cool materials or just very well crafted. It gives the same joy of a magic weapon without the magic, and it is also something that PCs will get well known for (Run, its Gregoth, the weilder of the Starmetal Sword!)
I wouldn't limit their starting gold. Don't think of them going to the store with a bag of 100 gp and buying stuff. Rather, their starting equipment (yes, total value of 100 gp), is family heirlooms, gifts from a lord, etc. However, it would be fine to have players start out with a set package of equipment: 1 main weapon, 1 or 2 backup weapons (must be small like dagger or handaxe), armor, and shield if desired. Then give them all an adventurer's kit and a handful of copper pieces.
Combat
Again as BoneNaga said, having monsters that hit hard and die fast is fine. One way to implement this is to use advanced minions. Advanced minions are bloodied from one hit and killed from a second hit. This lets you have a fight with a bunch of mooks (little goblins) several tougher dudes (big goblins) and a hefty full of hp boss (cave troll).
The critical hit alternate rule is one where you should definitely make sure the PCs are on board. Rules like this give a much larger advantage to the monsters. In nearly every fight, the PCs are going to win and the monsters are going to die. So it doesn't matter if the rogue chops off the orc's arm. But the PCs are going to continue after the fight, so when the orc chops off the rogue's arm things get very difficult, even to the point of needing to make a new character. As the PCs get into more and more fights, the chance of critical hits against them quickly goes up. Again, if your players understand these implications and don't mind making new characters often, this rule will make for a wonderfully gritty game.
Classes
BoneNaga is on the right track here, but I would even disallow hybrid classes and maybe even paragon multiclassing. Essentially, you need to decide on the amount of magic you want: daily, encounter, or at-will. If you are ok with at-will magic, then there is no reason to ban any classes, just tweak their flavor. If you are ok with encounter magic, use multiclassing to achieve it. Have everyone start as a martial class, and they can freely multiclass. Even Gandalf could do serious damage with his sword. If you don't want magic other than daily powers, you can still use multiclassing, but PCs can only take powerswap feats for daily and utility powers (utilities must be daily).
Also, some of the classes can be reflavored to work just fine. The barbarian requires very little of this to work perfectly. I don't know if you are going to have gods in your world, but cleric, avenger, and paladin would also work. Just remove their more obviously magic powers, or restrict them to daily powers. So a cleric couldn't take an at-will that blasts a ray of light, but they could take a daily.
Growing in Power
No problem with slower leveling (again assuming your players are on board). As for paragon paths, reflavoring can often help. Obviously ones that allow the PC to fly would be off limits, but say for example there was one that gave the PC damage resistance because of magical shields. Reflavor this to just being very tough (like Marv from Sin City) and it works just fine. As BoneNaga said, most of the work will be in the tone of the campaign rather than the rules.
Good luck!
If you include an epic monster (like the players taking on the Dragon when the normal adversaries are Goblins and Orcs) then don't run it like a monster, run it like a skill challenge/trap series of encounters where they have to outsmart the monster to defeat it, instead of just wailing on it until it croaks.
Any attacks against the monster fail, but they can taunt it, anger it, lure it, trap it, and/or defeat it with a ritual. Anything creative and special, but nothing mundane. That keeps the feel of "Swords are no more use here!" for these creatures.
@bone_naga:
Magic Items: Sorry, I don't know what you mean by "inherent" bonuses. Are you talking about magic items that level up with the player?
Critical hits: We have a house rule that when attacking with certain bursts and blasts that only one attack roll is made, if it makes sense. See, if you blast a bunch of minions with fire, it's the same attack. But if you're a monk and you use a blast power and the flavor text says that you "lash out over and over" or something like that, then you are making multiple attacks. But anyway, if a one-attack-roll-power came up as a 20, I'd let all the monsters take it (but with separate injury rolls for each of them).
Combat: Yup.
Classes: I really like this idea! I'll talk to my players about it.
Paragon Paths: Can hybrid classes take a paragon path from either class?
Final Notes: Pretty much sums it up. Thanks!
@Arithezoo: All but one of the players is cool with this idea, and the one player that isn't just doesn't know about it because he's out of town. But we're communicating by email and I'm sure he'll be fine with it. He never plays over-the-top magical classes anyway. (He even has a halfling rogue named Peregrin, so I'm sure he'll be fine with a LotR-style campaign.) As for the name Swords and Sorcery, that's just what the genre's called. Look on page 137 of the DMG.
The World: I'm pretty accustom to switching and substituting stats from the MM, so no problems here.
Treasure: Since you agreed with me on the masterwork items, no problems here. But as for the starting gold, my players and I like having to work hard to get our money, and we always start with lowered gold. It's just a personal preference thing, and one that fits well with S&S.
Combat: I don't like the idea of advanced minions because then they ALWAYS die in two hits, and it's kinda odd. I usually use monsters with under 10 HP so that they usually, but don't always, die in one hit. As for crit charts, I looked online and found a good crit chart. It doesn't actually let the PC suffer permanent injuries, but it injures a certain part and then makes that part of the body take penalties until it heals.
Classes: I was going to modify classes, but I found this pretty difficult. I like bone_naga's idea because it achieves close to the same thing but without messing with game mechanics too much. I like to avoid changing important game rules too much if possible.
Growing in Power: If I disallow magical paragon paths, that should do the trick.
@Pluisjen: I really like the idea of this skill check idea. However, I don't know how much my players would like it. I'll try to include a mix of skills checks and regular combat. Certainly if they face something like the Balrog they'll either have to be pretty skilled at defeating it or simply run like hell, but remember that the dragon in the Hobbit was taken down with one lucky shot. So "Your swords are no more use here!" doesn't always apply to big monsters. (Granted, it was actually a lucky shot from a bow, but I'm sure a sword could have done the same thing.)
EDIT: I had the idea that in addition to making all the players create good back-stories so I can work them into the plot somehow, any magic-users, not just warlocks, have to come up with a good reason for how they got their magical abilities. Wizards won't just be able to "study" because any magical tomes are hidden deep away and guarded by fearsome creatures. So they might have bargained with one of these creatures, making a deal with it, like promising payment at a later date in return for the books they need. Then at an appropriate point in the campaign the creatures comes back for its "payment" and the group has to fight it off. What do you guys think of that?
Crits: My concern on this is just that controllers might end up doing a lot more damage than strikers due to their area-effects, whereas a striker often only hits a single target. Even though the striker will still have increased damage, if the controller can take out a whole mob of enemies with crits, there's not much point to the striker. This also greatly increases the potential for the Avenger and elves, since rerolling an attack increases the chance of a crit. You might want to do something for classes like the rogue and warlock, maybe increase the crit range by 1 or something or give them a bonus when their target rolls on the critical injury table to give them a better chance of a killing blow. Rangers shouldn't need a boost since with multiple attacks they will already have an increased chance to crit. Avengers will be doing some serious damage. I'm not as familiar with the other PHB2 and PHB3 strikers, but basically anyone that already has multiple attacks should be left as is, whereas those that do not might need some help.
Paragon Paths: Yes normally hybrids can take PPs from either class. Since you are going for a low-magic campaign, I would restrict hybrids to martial PPs only, though. You might allow other PPs for multiclass characters, since a multiclass character has so little from the other class that even with an arcane/divine/whatever PP he'll still be a primarily martial character. It just depends on how low-magic you want it to be. You could even disallow hybrids entirely if that fits the world better.
Advanced Minions: I agree with you that it is weird for minions to always die in two hits. Two of the suggestions I prefer are either giving the minion DR = its level (so it can survive multiple weak hits or one good hit will kill it, and there's still no extra tracking required) or when it gets hit have it make a saving throw. If it succeeds, it lives but is bloodied. If it fails it dies. A bloodied minion doesn't get a saving throw, it just dies. I also suggest having minions inflict a lesser critical injury result (give them a penalty when their target rolls on the table or something). Otherwise minion fights could end up a lot messier than they are intended to be. Obviously you don't want to remove the threat entirely, but a bunch of mooks shouldn't have a higher chance to kill the characters than the BBEG.
Backgrounds: I love this idea. I've used it myself in low-magic campaigns and had a lot of fun with it. If the caster has a familiar, the familiar could be a minion of the patron who is keeping tabs on the caster, and sometimes passing on instructions from his master. The minion tells the patron when the time is ripe for him to return and cash in on his investment.
Crits: Believe me, crits are rare with my group, especially with ME, the WORST roller by far in the group, and the one who'll be rolling for the monsters. It'll be fine.
Paragon Paths: I'm pretty sure multiclassing players don't even get a paragon path if they continue multiclassing, but instead replace a bunch of their powers with powers from the other class.
Advanced Minions: I like the saving throw idea. I'll play around with it.
Backgrounds: Yeah, right now I'm so out of plot ideas I'm telling my players they gotta create really good backgrounds so I can base the whole campaign off them xD I love this familiar idea. I'll strongly encourage my wizard to take a familiar so I can do this. Imagine when the wizard is a powerful caster at paragon tier, about to embark on the quest with his party to slay the ultimate evil, and the demon he bargained with to get his spell book all those months ago pops up and says, "Alright, time to hand over your soul then!" I can't wait. He he he >:D
Even better will be role-playing his familiar for him to get him really attached to it and then revealing that it was a double-agent all along! Of course I'll give him a break and have it change sides once it sees its old master, the demon, defeated by its new master, the wizard.
@Pluisjen: I really like the idea of this skill check idea. However, I don't know how much my players would like it. I'll try to include a mix of skills checks and regular combat. Certainly if they face something like the Balrog they'll either have to be pretty skilled at defeating it or simply run like hell, but remember that the dragon in the Hobbit was taken down with one lucky shot. So "Your swords are no more use here!" doesn't always apply to big monsters. (Granted, it was actually a lucky shot from a bow, but I'm sure a sword could have done the same thing.)
"Killed by a lucky shot" sounds like the perfect conclusion of a skill challenge involving finding it's one missing scale where you can hurt it, distracting it and luring it into a cave so it can't fly away, keeping it busy with taunts so the rogue/warrior/whomever can climb on its back, locate said scale, and then put a sword through it.
It's all in the descriptions, but Skill Challenge battles are the ones that usually have the spectacular endings.
Paragon Paths: I'm pretty sure multiclassing players don't even get a paragon path if they continue multiclassing, but instead replace a bunch of their powers with powers from the other class.
That's only if they choose to paragon multiclass. A character could take a wizard MC feat, and then take a wizard PP. Much like hybrids, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just depends on how much magic you want to be present.
@Pluisjen: You're also right. I'll try to include something like this.
Inherent Bonuses: If magic items are going to be "rare", then I strongly urge you to give these a shot. Without them, your players will feel miserable and behind the curve (because they will be both miserable and behind the curve), because the game already assumes you have these bonuses. Here's the rules in a nutshell:
- Attack and Damage: All characters gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls at 2nd, 7th, 12th, 17th, 22nd, and 27th levels.
- Defenses: All characters gain a +1 bonus to AC, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will at 4th, 9th, 14th, 19th, 24th, and 29th levels.
The enhancement bonuses provided don't stack with items, so if you DO include a magic item, the player uses the highest of them. A level 16 character (with a +3 bonus) who picks up Lordannor, Hammer of the Giant Kings (Lightning Mordenkrad +4) uses the +4 bonus instead (as well as the base properties of the weapon, like bonus crit damage, etc).
Long story short, you need the bonuses (or some other equivalent adjustment) to play the game with standard encounter levels, whether or not you want to have magic items. The inherent bonuses is a fairly simple, effective means to that end.
Combat: Adjusting existing monsters to the new MM3 damage expressions (check the rules updates for the DMG) should really be all you need to do to up their lethality. Another options for advanced minions I've seen used is giving them HP equal to 5 + their level.
Epic Monsters: Just to clarify, a skill challenge is very different from a skill check. You used the latter term when responding to Pluisjen, so I just wanted to make sure the difference was noted. You don't appear to have DDI, but there's a pretty fantastic example in Dungeon 173 called the Colossus of Laarn that showcases a massive creature that can't be physically hurt by the PCs. The skill challenge allows them to destroy it, but you could just as easily build a similar encounter in which victory is escape or entrapment.
Classes: I'm not sure you need to modify the classes at all. While encouraging the use of martial classes is appropriate, I'm not sure you can't achieve the same result by simply refluffing the powers instead of attempting to rework them. (For the record, I also like bone_naga's suggestion.)
I had more comments but my brain died halfway into the formulating of this post.
To minimize the magic that you use, try a splice on the basic classes. Multiclassing is one way to roll with this but players might feel cheated if they have to spend a feat to use the magic that they wanted to use to begin with. I would suggest that you tweak out the rules and instead create a new feat while banning the Wizard or whatever class you're not feeling. To achieve this, let's do away with hybrids but overcharge multiclassing:
Sorcery: Heroic Feat
The character gains access to the Wizard (or whatever) power list when choosing daily abilities. The character must be trained in Arcana. The character gains a spellbook and can take Wizard feats.
This lets you have pcs who are more swords and less sorcery, but doesn't rip your players off of too many of their feats as normal multiclassing does, and keeps you out of messy hybrid work. If you're hell-bent on curtailing magic, this is a good way to satisfy a player who is hell-bent on running wizard, and it captures the gandalf-with-sword-and-occasional-light-beam thing, and all you did was create a feat and ban a few classes.
Currently, I was going martial only, and noticed that this effectively made ritual casting "hard", because you had to take 2 feats to use it: one for skill training in arcana or religion, and one for the actual ritual casting. I figured that was a good amount of magic for me to be looking at.
I was also considering allowing the alchemist feat.
I've been debating on allowing the barbarian and the monk, as they are pretty archetypical, but also have a lot of powers that are too flashy for my taste. I didn't want to go through and pick out all the ones not to allow, so I've been blanket removing effect types and damage types, hitting the keywords pretty good. Thunder has been the only one that I'm really debating