Magic’s Limitations

This point goes hand-in-hand with the previous one. The 5th-level teleport spell requires 50 minutes of memorization time, which makes it impractical for almost any trip that can be made in less than an hour by other means. Further, teleport is risky; even if the caster is very familiar with the destination there is a 2% chance per use for at least a minor accident (arriving too high) and a 1% chance for a potentially fatal accident (teleporting low).

It’s important to remember that magic is unlike technology in that most spells do one thing and one thing only. Magic missile, for example, harms creatures but has absolutely no effect on inanimate objects; knock can force open doors and locks, but it can’t bowl creatures over or effect portals such as portcullises and drawbridges. Players tend to have modern minds and they often expect their character’s magic to be as adaptable as technology. Make sure that they don’t get away with doing that.

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