Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 The_Kurgan May 24, 2011 18:28:33	I've decided thar I'm probably going to run a game some time this summer, and I'm trying to build up my world as much as possible before then. I've decided I want to take the world away from the semi-medieval feel of your standard DnD setting, and give the world a much more "modern" feel. Not in terms of technology, since I'm not exactly great with "magitek" and such, but more in terms of culture. Rather than leaving most of the healing and such to clerics and churches, for example, hospitals exist, which, even though they employ divinely powered healers, most of the work is done by doctors, with great knowledge of human anatomy, and sicknesses. Also, for example, Bards might not be wandering entertainers, but members of famous bands, whose travels consisted of music tours. Rather than Local lords, aristocracy and Kings, a form of representative government might be in place, both in local areas, and nation wide. Similarly, inns and shops may be independant, or they may be part of a chain. This won't be entirely modern-society based; countries won't have hugely well-defined borders, and there still isn't a knowledge base of everything needed to know. Barbaric societies, and monsters keep long distance travel limited to the daring, the tough and the rich, who can afford guards. While magic item factories may exist, and some mass production exists, much of this mass production is limited to the +1 common magic items, so not too much of a change would occur in the magic item economy. Has anyone ran a campaign similar to this? Anyone have any other ideas? Anyone have thoughts that you can anticipate my players might have, that I can prepare for?
#2 bone_naga May 25, 2011 10:01:48	I ran a campaign like this before. To keep magic items under control in a society where it seemed they would be like any other common household appliance, I had them strictly controlled by the government. Basically, the society depended on magic not just for its convenience, but for its very survival (the was a waterworld setup with many inhabitants living on city-ships that needed magic to control them and protect them from storms or living on giant turtles that had to be kept in a deep sleep so they wouldn't decide to go for a swim and drown all the inhabitants). The accepted theory was that there was a finite amount of magic in the world. Temporary magic items (ones with charms that faded after a few hours or a day or so) were like most spells, they used up magical energy for a short time, then released that energy back into the world when they were done. Permanent magic items and permanent enchantments took that energy away forever. Therefore they could only be created under certain circumstances with government approval (usually for widely beneficial things, like teleportation circles between cities). Taking magic items offworld was even more difficult. A magic item could be destroyed on the world, releasing its energy (thus there was a large interest in acquiring powerful items that could be destroyed to provide more magical energy to the world). A magic item taken offworld and then lost or destroyed was a truly permanent loss. Another thought might be that factories and such turn out very simple magic items, whereas the ones the PCs want (items that help in combat) are more difficult to make and have less widespread application. Most items probably have a single minor daily power, something on par with a cantrip. So every wife has a broom with a daily power that causes it to sweep the entire house. However, getting a +1 longsword, something with a constant and permanent effect, is a different matter entirely and still requires a fair degree of effort. This way the world will still be wondrous and full of magic, and creative PCs can probably do some interesting things with magic brooms and crystal ball phones and such, but it won't cause them to be overpowered when it comes to combat.