Give them a group patron that has access to potions or some source of healing magic/science and dial everything else way way down. There's no need to worry about their access to spells at all. As far as magic items go, I don't know much about that series, but I gather they're going to craft a certain amount of gear from dead monsters and use the gear to fight other monsters? That sounds like it could be fun.
All they need is a few more healing potions than normal.
The party is entirely viable. You do not HAVE to have mages. In fact, you might find that CR and "encounter difficulty" actually scale properly with a mage-less party. It's the insane effects of the higher level magic spells that break things like CR more than fighters and rogues do.
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
If you feel comfortable with it, you can give them items that allow them to do elemental damages as well similar to coating and oils from Monster Hunter. You can make them last a certain amount of rounds or hits or even just for the scene (being as long as you want them to) A nonmagical way to deal elemental damage and a totally viable way to make the world feel more monster hunter.
Also, if you look up Monster Hunter Dnd there a project that introduces monster hunter monsters into dnd with statblocks and everything and introduces some new mechanics biased on the varying blights and its totally free. Might be worth looking into.
In the game there are plants that you can gather to make healing potions. You could let characters with Nature or Survival skills look for these plants. They don't have to be available all the time. They don't have to have the same effect as others - stronger healing, heal over time, increased stats, temporary hp, etc.
You can also consider if the party kills a creature that regenerates that they can craft healing materials from that.
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"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
5e isn’t built like a video game, where you’re expected to fill all the roles in a party. You’ll do just as well without mages as with them: in fact, I’d worry even less about a no-mage party than I would about an all-mage one! The only wall you’ll hit is monsters that are resistant or immune to non-magical attacks: those get more common at higher levels. I’d recommend rewarding your most reliable players with some +1 versions of their weapons of choice, which’ll overcome the magic resistance nicely.
Yes, definitely give +1 weapons or even something like a moon-touched sword, which has no real bonus but overcomes magic resistance. I would say +1s by level 5 with a non-mage party. After that, the nicer magic comes at your discretion.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
NPCs are fine if you want them but the advice to give the party an NPC who can cast spells implicitly advises the DM that the party HAS to have a spell caster. They do not. They can do just fine without one, PC or NPC.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
There is a weapon called a flametongue...doesn't have to be fire, I know that in the game you can make elemental weapons from parts of beasts...do the same, reflavor the flametongue (2d6 fire damage) to be different element types. still a magical weapon to help overcome magic, but it doesn't have to be a sword, could be a bow, glaive, etc.
Flametongue does also does shed bright light for 40ft, dim for 40. So maybe different elements can have a 2nd effect instead of the shedding light?
Monster World has readymade sidekicks for you to take advantage of. Give the party a handler and a Palico and reflavor some spells as gadgets/potions/fish/elaborately cooked meals.
Also as mentioned above, I'd expect plentiful magical-type items in a MHW-themed campaign, but flavored as crafted creature parts rather than the default D&D enchanty-type magic.
Not that you need either of these really to be successful. But I think they could help your party match the abilities of a conventional group while also being a lot of fun.
You should do whatever you think is interesting. If you want to try and do a game with limited spellcasters that is totally viable. There is plenty of things you can do to reskin things that already exist to not require spellcasting. If you want to give them some sort of spell casting NPC (like a palico or something) then that is totally fine as well.
I will remind you that there are subclasses for fighters, monks and rouges that do gain magical or suto-magical abilities. So you may end up with some spell casters anyway depending on what content you have access too.
Just run the world as a low magic world - think Conan or Pirates of the Caribbean.
Give them a group patron that has access to potions or some source of healing magic/science and dial everything else way way down. There's no need to worry about their access to spells at all. As far as magic items go, I don't know much about that series, but I gather they're going to craft a certain amount of gear from dead monsters and use the gear to fight other monsters? That sounds like it could be fun.
All they need is a few more healing potions than normal.
The party is entirely viable. You do not HAVE to have mages. In fact, you might find that CR and "encounter difficulty" actually scale properly with a mage-less party. It's the insane effects of the higher level magic spells that break things like CR more than fighters and rogues do.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
If you feel comfortable with it, you can give them items that allow them to do elemental damages as well similar to coating and oils from Monster Hunter. You can make them last a certain amount of rounds or hits or even just for the scene (being as long as you want them to) A nonmagical way to deal elemental damage and a totally viable way to make the world feel more monster hunter.
Also, if you look up Monster Hunter Dnd there a project that introduces monster hunter monsters into dnd with statblocks and everything and introduces some new mechanics biased on the varying blights and its totally free. Might be worth looking into.
Buyers Guide for D&D Beyond - Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You - How/What is Toggled Content?
Everything you need to know about Homebrew - Homebrew FAQ - Digital Book on D&D Beyond Vs Physical Books
Can't find the content you are supposed to have access to? Read this FAQ.
"Play the game however you want to play the game. After all, your fun doesn't threaten my fun."
In the game there are plants that you can gather to make healing potions. You could let characters with Nature or Survival skills look for these plants. They don't have to be available all the time. They don't have to have the same effect as others - stronger healing, heal over time, increased stats, temporary hp, etc.
You can also consider if the party kills a creature that regenerates that they can craft healing materials from that.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
5e isn’t built like a video game, where you’re expected to fill all the roles in a party. You’ll do just as well without mages as with them: in fact, I’d worry even less about a no-mage party than I would about an all-mage one! The only wall you’ll hit is monsters that are resistant or immune to non-magical attacks: those get more common at higher levels. I’d recommend rewarding your most reliable players with some +1 versions of their weapons of choice, which’ll overcome the magic resistance nicely.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Yes, definitely give +1 weapons or even something like a moon-touched sword, which has no real bonus but overcomes magic resistance. I would say +1s by level 5 with a non-mage party. After that, the nicer magic comes at your discretion.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Maybe a friendly senile, mage as an NPC. Fizban
I would throw them an NPC Corpsman to help them along.
My group has one. I run him as a pacifist that will not do anything agressive.
NPCs are fine if you want them but the advice to give the party an NPC who can cast spells implicitly advises the DM that the party HAS to have a spell caster. They do not. They can do just fine without one, PC or NPC.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
There is a weapon called a flametongue...doesn't have to be fire, I know that in the game you can make elemental weapons from parts of beasts...do the same, reflavor the flametongue (2d6 fire damage) to be different element types. still a magical weapon to help overcome magic, but it doesn't have to be a sword, could be a bow, glaive, etc.
Flametongue does also does shed bright light for 40ft, dim for 40. So maybe different elements can have a 2nd effect instead of the shedding light?
Maybe have a look at the rules for sidekicks if you really want them to have a spell caster travel with them.
Monster World has readymade sidekicks for you to take advantage of. Give the party a handler and a Palico and reflavor some spells as gadgets/potions/fish/elaborately cooked meals.
Also as mentioned above, I'd expect plentiful magical-type items in a MHW-themed campaign, but flavored as crafted creature parts rather than the default D&D enchanty-type magic.
Not that you need either of these really to be successful. But I think they could help your party match the abilities of a conventional group while also being a lot of fun.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
use an npc who uses magic join group bro
You should do whatever you think is interesting. If you want to try and do a game with limited spellcasters that is totally viable. There is plenty of things you can do to reskin things that already exist to not require spellcasting. If you want to give them some sort of spell casting NPC (like a palico or something) then that is totally fine as well.
I will remind you that there are subclasses for fighters, monks and rouges that do gain magical or suto-magical abilities. So you may end up with some spell casters anyway depending on what content you have access too.
Buyers Guide for D&D Beyond - Hardcover Books, D&D Beyond and You - How/What is Toggled Content?
Everything you need to know about Homebrew - Homebrew FAQ - Digital Book on D&D Beyond Vs Physical Books
Can't find the content you are supposed to have access to? Read this FAQ.
"Play the game however you want to play the game. After all, your fun doesn't threaten my fun."