Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Bluebrush 01-02-04, 08:36 AM	I dunno if this should go on one of the DM boards but... Soon I'll be taking my players to a large town which is feeling more noticable effects of the industrial revolution, factories, trains, prehaps even electrical light in some parts of town. The town is situated near some dwarvern mines, and exports coal and iron, along with a few otrher items, by rail. I could do with some suggestions for things to be made in the factories. The town is not coastal, so shipbuilding is out, and at least one of the factories should be good to have a combat scene in. (Never challenge a knife thrower to a duel in the cutlery factory). Any ideas? I could possibly add more nearby resources if it would make things more interesting.
Doom of Men 01-02-04, 08:45 AM	weapons & armor the rails and trains clothing light bulbs just to name a few. Look around you and you'll find plenty more..
Tzor 01-02-04, 09:02 AM	It depends on what level of technology you want to establish. Personally I would avoid electiic lights in favor of gas. Nothing beats the steam age for big impressive works. And you don't even need steam to make it impressive. There were a series of factories built in the 19th century near Troy, New York, that were powered by a giant water wheel (it is also said that this was the wheel that inspired Ferris to create his amusement ride) that powered, among other things, a factory that mass produced horse shoes at a record pace. (They also rolled the steel that was used on the ironclads of the north.) Generally speaking, however, the source of iron was not always at the same location as the foundry. Iron ore mining isn't exactly one of the nicest things you can encounter. It requires a lot of heat to process the ore, either chopping down forests or using coal, which burns hotter but still not cleanly.
Duskey 01-02-04, 09:05 AM	You might also consider how magic influences all this. How simple spells can be a great help make some things easier to do in a facotry/industry town
Bluebrush 01-02-04, 09:13 AM	Hm... An iron ore mine or a steel mill would be a good place for a fight. The players will be thankful for those potions of fire resistance. How would gas lighting in the streets work? Would there just be pipes leading up the streetlamps to flames atop them? Would it be dangerous? The level of technology is kinda steampunkish. There's no gunpowder, but gnomish technology has produced some incredible weapons (See this thread) (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=130778&perpage=30) and airships fly the skies. Technology has a proliferation similar to magic. Most people have seen some, few understand it, and it's mostly in the hands of those who have mastered it. Though it does effect quite a few more people, due to factories and railways and such.
Zherog 01-02-04, 10:06 AM	I, too, would avoid electric lights. Magic has this covered already - continual flame. Here's what I would do (whether you care or not :P ) : First, I would try and determine how magic would influence the manufacturing process. Continual flame spells as a source of lighting is just one way. There are a lot of simple spells that could have a part in the manufacturing process - Clean, Mending, etc. Higher level spells such as Fabricate also have to be looked at to determine what their influence is (if any) on the process. Once you've determined the interaction of Magic and Technology on the world, then you are ready to "build" your factories. Some ideas for things you might see in a factory, given a mix of technology and magic: pre-packaged food Horseshoes Armor and Weapons other adventuring gear, such as backpacks clothing Furniture Wagons (or parts for wagons, such as wheels) Track or cars for the trains Parts used on the flying ships Toys and games
zodiki 01-02-04, 10:24 AM	Originally posted by Bluebrush How would gas lighting in the streets work? Would there just be pipes leading up the streetlamps to flames atop them? Would it be dangerous? ... Yes, there would be pipes and yes it would be dangerous. I think I'd go with E-Torches instead of gas lights. Gas could be in the factories though - a broken burning gas line torch could make for an interesting combat feature. Also, don't forget street urchins, there have to be street urchins, there just have to be. Factories: Steel - nuff said Glass blowing - furnaces Ceramic - kilns Textiles - lots of big looms Dyeing/treating/tanning - lots of big vats with noxious chemicals Lumber/furniture - big saws and drill presses All of these could have gangways, statirs, cranes and dollys to add a 3-D element to any combats that might occur there.
Tzor 01-02-04, 10:53 AM	For gas light technology, exceptionally popular in the 19th centuty, pipes would be used in the same way electric cable is now. They would lead to outlets that had control valves. For street lighting, every evening, a person with a wick on a pole would go to each street light, turn the valve to the on position and use the wick to light the lamp. Another person would turn the valve off in the morning. The technology was similiar indoors as well. Pipes would come out of the wall and end in a control valve. You would then turn the valve to the open position and light the lamp. This is the same technology that is used in gas stoves. Early stoves required you to light the stove after you turned the gas on. Later stoves were equiped with "pilot lights" in effect a light that was always burning. After that, they were equiped with electric starters that would ignite the gas once the valve was turned to the on position. For the most part, the pipes were relatively safe. Turning on the valve and forgetting to light the lamp, on the other hand, was a common problem of the technology. This resulted in an obnoxious odor being added to the gas, because gas is technically odorless.
Ssussunriyh 01-02-04, 12:52 PM	Every industrial base needed a corresponding transportation infrastructure, otherwise all the manufactured goods couldn't be marketed. Water transport was cheap and simple, so think rivers and canals. Railroads, even using horse- or mule-drawn carts instead of steam locomotives. Depending how valuable steel is in your campaign, you might have a problem with orcs or something stealing the rails off the train tracks to re-forge into weapons.
JLP 01-02-04, 01:06 PM	Iron Golems?
Bluebrush 01-02-04, 01:46 PM	Originally posted by Ssussunriyh Depending how valuable steel is in your campaign, you might have a problem with orcs or something stealing the rails off the train tracks to re-forge into weapons. Heh. I've already been thinking about a kind of mounted partol who look after the rails and make sure they haven't been torn up or anything. Was trying to think of a tampering alarm system earlier.
Istirith 01-02-04, 04:06 PM	You could have some kind of spell cast on the tracks that would either notify some kind of guards if the tracks are tampered with or fry any living thing that touches them.
*Truean* 01-02-04, 07:03 PM	I am currently exploring the possiblity of gnomes as users of technology while hiding in nature (thus majorly altering the race). Walls that are hidden in the ground only to be lifted up from their camoflague (doors open walls come up from underground chambers, ect). There would also be feats to get more out of repeating crossbows, ect As for what to procuce in the factories the factories: Ammo (crossbow bolts, bolts for seige engines {batalisti}) Foodstuffs Plating (coatings over certian items ei: crome) Bricks, mortar, ect (building material) Mass produced houseware (cups, forks, knives, spoons, plates, serving dishes, pots, pans, ect) Military (arms and armor) glassworks (windows anyone?) publishing (depends on your level of education, but.... Could also be used to print flies with government edicts on them, almanacs, maybe even local news or a calender) pipes (if they can build a steam engine they can pump water/ gas, I would hope at least. [water is required for a steam engine]) nails, screws, buttons, pins, needles, turnbuckles, clevices, and other fastening devices. rope, shoelaces, yarn, textiles [clothes] carpet, floortiles, plaster, and other building materials [look in a home improvement store for other examples] shoes wagons/ sleds (if there is a wintery like type season) ink, pencils and/or other things to write with paper [ somthing to write on] lightsources [ lamps(oil), lanterns, ect] furnature horseshoes, shovels, picks, mining equipment, metal braces (to hold timbers up to reinforce the mine) pottery, ceramics, earthen ware, toufs (I know didn't spell it right, but it's the thing that a horse eats out of) water trays (for livestock to drink out of) shingles and other roofing materials trade tools, musical intruments (all of those masterwork healers kits come from somewhere) [also includes medical supplies] spare parts for just about anything (wagons, seige engines, weaponry [bowstrings, triggers for your crossbow] Basically, anything that you can see a character using can be made in a factory [yes with a few exceptions]. I understand your problem though and I used to have a hard time thinking about this kind of stuff too. Such is life, and I hope this helped. Truean