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Pathfinder Unchained / Spell Alterations / Limited Magic

Other Considerations

Source Pathfinder Unchained pg. 146
Limited magic can take some getting used to. It reduces the power of most spellcasters dramatically, but can speed the game up by requiring less research into the caster levels of monsters, NPCs, and magic items. Limited magic can also encourage better-rounded spellcaster characters, especially if you’re using the purchase system to generate ability scores, as there’s less reward for focusing solely on their spellcasting attributes. Using this system means that if a class gets a spell at a lower level than another class does, that spell’s effects are weaker for the former class. A bard’s heroism is not as good as a wizard’s. However, classes with slower spell progressions (such as the bard, paladin, and ranger) have other abilities that keep them competitive when limited magic weakens the overall power of spells.

Consider altering other rules to account for a landscape with lower average DCs. For instance, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, and Lightning Reflexes might provide only a +1 bonus on saves, or the increases to spell DCs from Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus could go up to 2.

With Esoteric Spell Components: This system works especially well with the esoteric spell components system. Using both systems means that spellcasting in the campaign is weaker overall, but can be boosted on occasion by characters willing to spend money to increase the potency of their spells.

Archives of Nethys

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Other Considerations