If you accelerated the history of D&D's implied setting by several centuries...

TristramEvans · January 30, 2015, 03:51:19 AM

Magic + Scientific advancement in a future D&D -like world?

Spoiler

jibbajibba · January 30, 2015, 06:11:54 AM

Quote from: Ravenswing;813110And there just aren't enough enchanters to do that, in most game systems, D&D included.

The Potterverse is certainly an interesting example of how this might spin out, but the point to remember is this: everyone who counts is either a wizard or a member of a magical race. The people who can't do magic are a despised and pitied minority who are lucky if they can get menial work.

And how exactly is that different from how the proles are viewed by the 1% these days ? ...

If wizard = Savant (newton, hooke, et al) then I think its a pretty robust anaology.

Armchair Gamer · January 31, 2015, 01:13:40 PM

Quote from: TristramEvans;813203Magic + Scientific advancement in a future D&D -like world?

MotU has strong roots in D&D and the same stuff D&D was rooted in. Larry DiTillio, who wrote a lot of scripts for the Filmation cartoon (and a couple for the 200X relaunch), got the job in large part because of his gaming background, and Granamyr and Lord Masque come from his own campaigns.

Omega · January 31, 2015, 04:39:04 PM

Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;813197The presence of magic would probably stunt any sort of real innovation and strangle science in the crib. Most invention has come from necessity. When you can just cast a magic spell to do it, there is no pressing reason for any resourcefulness.

Actually there is MORE pressing need. The non mages may be forced to come up with mechanical means to meet that magical might. All it takes is one person with the means and skill and the urge to do it.

Unless everyone is a caster then there will be those without and they will eventually come up with mechanical methods to emulate. Unless the mages are providing for the mundanes every need.

RPGPundit · February 06, 2015, 06:37:04 PM

I did sci-fi with fantasy elements, if done well. I dig gonzo fantasy with sci-fi elements. But I don't really dig "modern day world with fantasy", for some reason.

Will · February 06, 2015, 06:49:08 PM

Overt magic, like 'Cast a Deadly Spell' (ok, modern-ISH), or covert, like WoD?

Shipyard Locked · February 06, 2015, 07:42:52 PM

Quote from: Will;814446Overt magic, like 'Cast a Deadly Spell' (ok, modern-ISH), or covert, like WoD?

Yeah, good question. I really dig setting like the one in Final Fantasy VIII, where it's a different (i.e. not ours) but modern world with magic and tech built into society without everything being completely alien.

I don't dig "exactly our world and history, but with monsters and magic" anymore.

Omega · February 07, 2015, 10:33:43 AM

Fairly common in anime too.

Sometimes leftovers from an older era. Sometimes just developed in tandem.

Vampire Hunter D was interesting in that its premise was that certain supernatural creatures were real and took advantage of some past cataclysm to take over. So you had low level magic, supernatural beings, mutants, and varying levels of technology.

The Marvel cartoon Visionaries was another fun take on the idea with the age of technology ending and the age of magic returning. Eventually hybrids of the two developing.

Shipyard Locked · February 07, 2015, 10:47:51 AM

Quote from: Omega;814518The Marvel cartoon Visionaries was another fun take on the idea with the age of technology ending and the age of magic returning. Eventually hybrids of the two developing.

Oooh, I remember the pilot for that one, yes. Thanks for reminding me of its name. Someone around here was using an avatar from that show for a while I think.

Anyway, it felt more post-apoc than modern + fantasy to me.

ArrozConLeche · March 04, 2015, 10:32:27 AM

Today an interesting blog post related to this topic made it into my G+ feed:

http://www.lostkingdom.net/the-porcelain-argument-magic-versus-technology/

It says that the discovery of porcelain by the Chinese, prevented the development of glass, which was critical to things like telescopes, eye glasses, etc.

It takes that argument, but replaces porcelain with magic.