The Role of Magic in the Campaign It’s safe to say that magic in one form or another is present in virtually all AD&D campaigns; only the most historical or unusual settings do away with magic altogether. But, beyond this simple observation, it’s clear that each group of AD&D players has their own interpretation of what magic is, how it works, how various spells interact with each other, and what player characters should and should not be able to do with their arsenal of spells and magical items. By altering some of the basic assumptions that are part of the AD&D game’s magic system, a DM can infuse his campaign with its own unique flavor and texture.

While the greater portion of this book deals with altering the rules of the game, this isn’t always a necessary part of changing the way that the players (and the NPCs they interact with) view magic and its effect on their world. For example, let’s say that the nature of magic in a campaign setting can be described by a simple scale that rates the scarcity, mystery, power, and cost of magic on a scale of 1 to 10. Obviously, a campaign with magic that is extremely scarce and weak in power represents a very mundane world when compared to a world where powerful magic is very common.

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