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keftiu
Senior Scribe
656 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 02:18:48
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I know how divisive things like firearms in fantasy or anything resembling steampunk can be, and I know a linear model of “progress” is garbage, but I’d love to know: what’s the average level of technology and sophistication in your take on the setting? What’s the upper limits of it? I’m curious to see if anyone’s games go Renaissance or further, or dabble in a more magitech direction like Eberron does.
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4e fangirl. Here to queer up the Realms. |
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bloodtide_the_red
Learned Scribe
USA
297 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 02:56:44
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Renaissance Magetech is the level of technology for most of my Realms. Magic is just starting to become a bit more common place, but it's not common yet. So most places have eversharp knives and everburing candles. Some places like Cromyr and Tethyr like to keep magic more ''mysterious" then practical. Neverwinter, Baldur's Gate, Amn and Lantan go for the Tech like approach.
Some places like the North and Dalelands have very little magic. |
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Renin
Learned Scribe
USA
290 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 03:29:55
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No guns.
No steampunk.
'Trinket magic' is a lot easier/flexible to get. It's easy enough to have a real broom that sweeps itself. Might be the only thing in the household that is magical, though. Grandma's passed down jewelry box actually has an illusionary fairy dancing to the tune. The family estate may have a doorlock that is magical to try and bar all ordinary entry at night; all family members are taught the glyphs and command word.
Definitely not Harry Potter level of everything has to run with magic, but probably at least all common folk see some form of a helpful magic once in a week. |
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keftiu
Senior Scribe
656 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 03:39:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Renin
No guns.
No steampunk.
'Trinket magic' is a lot easier/flexible to get. It's easy enough to have a real broom that sweeps itself. Might be the only thing in the household that is magical, though. Grandma's passed down jewelry box actually has an illusionary fairy dancing to the tune. The family estate may have a doorlock that is magical to try and bar all ordinary entry at night; all family members are taught the glyphs and command word.
Definitely not Harry Potter level of everything has to run with magic, but probably at least all common folk see some form of a helpful magic once in a week.
What you describe is basically how Eberron treats things, though with a few larger-scale conveniences as well. |
4e fangirl. Here to queer up the Realms. |
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TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore
USA
1289 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 03:40:20
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| No firearms or smoke powder in mine. The rich in large cities probably have a Nchaser's glowing globe or two. A recent discovery are spells that can heat and cool a home (the magic is based on Leomund's tiny hut) and one that can preserve food (neither of those have gotten any kind of market penetration). Otherwise, there are certain locations with things like movable type printing presses. Windmills, lightning rods, waterwheels, dams, and Archimedes screws are fairly common. I am still trying to wrap my head around how water is supplied in the larger cities. Maybe there was a couple wizard brothers that went around from city to city setting up the water supply for the city (the M'ari'o brothers, maybe). |
"Iriaebor is a fine city. So what if you can have violence between merchant groups break out at any moment. Not every city can offer dinner AND a show."
My FR writeups - http://www.mediafire.com/folder/um3liz6tqsf5n/Documents
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader
Colombia
2442 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 03:40:23
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| My Realms are closer to canon, save for Laerakond, that I don't know why I believed it had an Eberronian level of technology. So, in Laerakond you have wide-magic stuff. At least in my version of Laerakond. |
Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world... |
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lookatroopa
Acolyte
Netherlands
38 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 04:25:47
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| I tend to go with whatever's canon for the most part. If there are blanks to fill in for contemporary Faerûn I kinda mix-and-match, from all the way back to the Late Period and classical antiquity up to the end of the Age of Sail (with exceptions reaching as far as contemporary history and even going into the realm of sci-fi). |
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4426 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 05:01:04
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I run with smoke-powder guns, though they have been in the Realms Canon for a few decades now. In my Realms, Lantan didn't "vanish" but went underwater. Basically Realms-Bioshock hybrid. So when things sort of cleared after the initial disaster of the Spellplague, it resurfaced with odd tech via the priests of Gond and artificers.
Still, firearms are largely outlawed in most major cities and if found carrying one is a significant charge. Still, it's possible to obtain them and even get people to enchant them further. |
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keftiu
Senior Scribe
656 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 06:26:30
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quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X
My Realms are closer to canon, save for Laerakond, that I don't know why I believed it had an Eberronian level of technology. So, in Laerakond you have wide-magic stuff. At least in my version of Laerakond.
As an aside, I have a friend who has a half-sincere conspiracy theory that Eberron (with its lack of traditional gods) is the distant future of Abeir, which she calls Abeirron with no small degree of joking smugness. |
4e fangirl. Here to queer up the Realms. |
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Delnyn
Senior Scribe
USA
889 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 08:18:14
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| There are no firearms or the like, except in Lantan. Yes, I know Lantan officially disappeared in 4e. That said, gunpowder was already well known in Faerun as an alchemical reagent. My Take Only: Gunpowder was imported from Shou Lung, where it was used for fireworks celebrations and augmented with wu jen magic for extra special visual effects. |
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Renin
Learned Scribe
USA
290 Posts |
Posted - 07 Apr 2020 : 18:21:29
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quote:
Originally posted by keftiu
quote:
Originally posted by Renin
No guns.
No steampunk.
......
What you describe is basically how Eberron treats things, though with a few larger-scale conveniences as well.
Hunh. Never knew to be honest. All I know of Eberron is 'war-forged' golem things or something. I actually didn't think magic was the prevalent.
The more you know... |
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What tech level is your Realms?
