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Foxhelm
Senior Scribe
Canada
592 Posts |
 Posted - 22 Jul 2012 : 22:18:39
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Given the changes from The Last Airbender to the Legend of Korra, I was curious if people had changed the time period of the realms to something other then medieval times?
Like the Renaissance, like Airbender the Industrial Revolution, like Korra the Roaring twenties, Modern Times or something else. Even far future?
I am not even asking if it was for a whole campaign but for an adventure or two. How do you merge the future time period with the power of magic arts, divine prayers or other powers?
(In Korra you have the example of Firebenders bending lightning to generate electricity for the population at power plants).
Comments, opinions, thoughts, examples?
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Ed Greenwood! The Solution... and Cause of all the Realms Problems! |
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sfdragon
Great Reader
2285 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2012 : 05:29:27
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Oh no, just no.
If they ushered in the IR into the realms, the Realms fans would go even more Rabid then we did with the garbage they did with the 4e ruleset.
sory but no. |
why is being a wizard like being a drow? both are likely to find a dagger in the back from a rival or one looking to further his own goals, fame and power
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2012 : 05:45:04
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In the mid-90's I ran an 'Old West meets FR campaign'. I borrowed heavily from the Deadlands rules and setting (which became Weird West in 3e - D20/OGL would have made my life so much easier had it happened a decade sooner). It was set in Anchorome' in the 1490's (yeah, I did the century time-jump 10 years earlier then WotC did), and I had a train, and steam-tech, and all sorts of other 'kewl stuff'. At least I thought so.
My players didn't seem all the into it, and the campaign fizzled just a few sessions in. 
It couldn't have been because of Doc Hobbitday and Wyatt Elf, could it? 
Anyhow, all I did was use the maps for the Savage Baronies (Mystara/Red Steel setting) for Anchorme's coast. That setting already had a an 'old west' vibe, and it was more swashbuckler-level tech as well (no walking 'tanks' in heavy armor).
Did I mention I had a train? I LOVE trains.... |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Edited by - Markustay on 23 Jul 2012 05:46:26 |
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Thauranil
Master of Realmslore
India
1591 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2012 : 12:12:23
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The interaction of magic and science in the future might make a good setting and plotline for a fantasy/sci fi series but I am not sure if the realms should go in that direction, after all we already have similar stuff like warhammer 40k out there.
Perhaps it might be fun for a trilogy or two though. |
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire
USA
15724 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2012 : 16:28:37
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If I were to do this, I would base it loosely on the world of Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, which was way ahead of its time in open-style RPG play (although the graphics were dated, even then).
Steampunk is, to me, the furthest I would want to run a game into a future-fantasy setting. I like the oddball movie or story about magic and tech mixing, even in the far future, but I wouldn't want to run a game in that (because the further you move from a medieval-level setting, the more the development of tech would have changed by the existence of magic).
For instance, I enjoyed the movie Cast a deadly Spell, which was about an alternate, circa 1940's Earth where magic worked, and was even somewhat commonplace. I enjoyed it thoroughly - the scene where zombie laborers can be seen in the background on a construction site was great. It was quirky, and at times it was a bit silly (it was supposed to be neo-noir with a 'gumshoe detective'), but it was great for a one-off. I don't think an entire series based on such a world would hold my attention for long. the closest you can come is the modern horror genre, which dips heavily into fantasy (Buffy, Twilight, Charmed, Being Human, True Blood, etc, etc).
I guess you can't do modern magic without going a bit 'dark'. The world looses a bit of its charm when dumped into a post-industriel age setting, and magic always gets associated with monsters.
That's the problem - if such settings had 'staying power', they'd be more popular. That's why games like Space: 1889 and Weird West (Deadlands) never got big. They are great games, but they just can't pull down the numbers to stay afloat. And if companies can't find an audience, how much harder will it be for you to find players? |
"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2012 : 18:09:43
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quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
If I were to do this, I would base it loosely on the world of Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura, which was way ahead of its time in open-style RPG play (although the graphics were dated, even then).
Steampunk is, to me, the furthest I would want to run a game into a future-fantasy setting. I like the oddball movie or story about magic and tech mixing, even in the far future, but I wouldn't want to run a game in that (because the further you move from a medieval-level setting, the more the development of tech would have changed by the existence of magic).
Well, in the Iron Kingdoms, they've got a mix of fantasy and steampunk -- and there are a lot of spells being tossed around in that setting (including my faves, Chain Lightning and Voltaic Snare). They do have steam-powered robots, but those require a magical brain to operate, and someone with some magical talent to drive them. They don't have the plethora of magical items you'd find in other settings, but that's because magical items are much harder to make -- so they have mechanika as an alternative. Mechanikal items are magical, but rather than make a sword and toss spells into it, they'd have to make the sword, work some rune plates in somewhere, and then an accumulator to charge it... |
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Entromancer
Senior Scribe
USA
388 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2012 : 00:45:05
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I'd love to see this done, maybe for a module or a novel or two. We don't need to go post-apocalyptic. The Dark Tower Cycle features a backstory to Mid-World that fits with this idea. In Mid-World, magic used to be commonplace, as did creatures such as demons, vampires, wizards and witches. However, for some reason the magical force known as the Prim began to vanish. Then the Old People turned more toward science fictiony devices to sustain their advanced society.
You could do something similar here. In order to "Restrict" magic, I'd think anti-magic orbs, such as the one Morik had in either The Spine of the World or Servant of the Shard would be necessary. You'd need lots of them, but I have no idea how commonplace those are. I read that the Imaskari were able to block the gods as well, so you'd need their assistance as well.
Maybe gnomes could be behind all of it? |
"...the will is everything. The will to act."--Ra's Al Ghul
"Suffering builds character."--Talia Al Ghul |
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Erik Scott de Bie
Forgotten Realms Author
USA
4598 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2012 : 01:04:50
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I've been considering a d20 Modern Forgotten Realms game (where you could freely choose to play a d20 modern class or a d20 D&D class). Maybe I'll run that at a convention some day.
Cheers |
Erik Scott de Bie
'Tis easier to destroy than to create.
Author of a number of Realms novels (GHOSTWALKER, DEPTHS OF MADNESS, and the SHADOWBANE series), contributor to the NEVERWINTER CAMPAIGN GUIDE and SHADOWFELL: GLOOMWROUGHT AND BEYOND, Twitch DM of the Dungeon Scrawlers, currently playing "The Westgate Irregulars" |
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Alystra Illianniis
Great Reader
USA
3750 Posts |
Posted - 24 Jul 2012 : 23:53:35
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| Erik, I would DEFINITELY play in that game! You've no idea how often I've wanted to run a d20 Modern Urban Arcana campaign. Also, for a magic/steampunk setting, Full Metal Alchemist did a pretty good job with the Conquorer of Shamballa movie. Two alternate Earths, each with different rules, and they managed to combie the two. The alchemy in Ed an Al's world, and then the pure science of the other one. (with Germany ramping up their efforts in the 30's for WWII.) Loved it! And one of these days I'm really going to run that D&D/superhero campaign I've been planning. Batman in Waterdeep? How can you NOT love that? (Obviously, the Green Goblin would actually BE a goblin- through magic, of course....) |
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sfdragon
Great Reader
2285 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2012 : 00:25:06
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II wanted to do a modern d20 game set in the FR, looks around. sees nobody.
I'd want to do it semi post cataclysm. but not after some big explosion that rocked toril. I'd want it after some epic spell that took a turn for the worst and all the cities became covered by massive flora and is covered by dire fauna....
think jungle ruinsxcept its all over the realms and its so twisted that even the oldest realms species does not know what to think of it. |
why is being a wizard like being a drow? both are likely to find a dagger in the back from a rival or one looking to further his own goals, fame and power
My FR fan fiction
Magister's GAmbit
http://steelfiredragon.deviantart.com/gallery/33539234 |
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Changing the Time Period of the Realms
