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If someone with a modern education went into the far past they still would find no sorcerers. But, assuming you mean if someone in our world went into the far past of an alternative universe where magic was real, OK I think I understand this sentence. I think you mean a modern person would, based on knowledge and theory of scientific principals, be about as powerful as a sorcerer. They would be able to put together some basic modern inventions like gun powder and the theory of the steam engine and, eventually, be able to essentially match a sorcerer for "power" in that era.
I have a modern education, and if I was transported either to our own distant past or into a fantasy world . . . I would die, probably fast. The average person doesn't have any more knowledge than they need to in order to survive in the world they inhabit. I couldn't make gunpowder, or predict an eclipse, or anything other than not be able to function in fantasyland!
Now, a hella smart engineer type getting shot into the past (or fantasyland), he/she just might be able to parlay their advanced knowledge into survival and prosperity . . . but hand them a sword and ask them to defend themselves . . . well, maybe if they also belonged to the SCA . . .
__________________ Brian Zuber
Proud Member of ENWorld since 2000 (under several lost screen names). Gaming since the mid-80s!
Favorite Settings: Love all of the official settings, Mystara is my nostalgia fave! Trying to create a homebrew that blends the best elements of the various settings. Favorite Edition: Can't decide between 3rd Edition and 4th Edition, like them both!
I have a modern education, and if I was transported either to our own distant past or into a fantasy world . . . I would die, probably fast. The average person doesn't have any more knowledge than they need to in order to survive in the world they inhabit. I couldn't make gunpowder, or predict an eclipse, or anything other than not be able to function in fantasyland!
Now, a hella smart engineer type getting shot into the past (or fantasyland), he/she just might be able to parlay their advanced knowledge into survival and prosperity . . . but hand them a sword and ask them to defend themselves . . . well, maybe if they also belonged to the SCA . . .
Well I think just knowledge of germs, sanitation, the method that diseases are typically transmitted, and some basic treatments for some common ailments would give us a leg up at least for some things.
Now, a hella smart engineer type getting shot into the past (or fantasyland), he/she just might be able to parlay their advanced knowledge into survival and prosperity . . .
Modern engineering knowledge, aside from general theoretic mathematic training is specialized for the modern production or experimentation chains. I doubt modern engineering education would give any advantage.
OTOH people that have some basic survivability knowledge like how to make soap would fate better on an anachronistic environment from people that have no practical idea of how to do these things.
Generally actual progress is based on infrastructure, not theoretic models. Of course the more complicated your infrastructure is becoming -which usually means a bigger productive potential regarding your current state- the more you need theoretic models and tools to organize it and the better you organize it the most you can make out of this potential which usually means more new progress. Middle ages for example are the times when this is not happening.
Having just finished a course in historical writing and Benjamin Franklin my mind can make sense of Tigh's opening paragraph. This is how I might have written the statement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tigh
OD&D = social mobility, 4e does not
If someone with a modern education went far into the past they could contend with any Gentleman on the basis of knowledge and theory. Social mobility used to be a big part of Americas' self image, at least for the founding fathers who chaffed against the glass ceiling imposed by being colonists, compared to what used to be called the old world. It appears to me that this trend has come full cycle. Now people dream of being married into royalty, getting lucrative jobs serving the oil rich, and being "discovered" by some existing authority.
Tigh
And in a bit of grand coincidence, this is my 1776-th post. Too bad it didn't come on July 4th!
Well I think just knowledge of germs, sanitation, the method that diseases are typically transmitted, and some basic treatments for some common ailments would give us a leg up at least for some things.
Maybe, but I'd still die when flying, invisible, hasted sorcerer summoned all those augmented dire wolves.
Ok. After 4 pages of authentic frontier gibberish, I still have no idea what the original post was supposed to be about. I do have a single question that can perhaps only be answered in this thread. Can I mambo dogface to the banana patch?
I'm sorry, those rules were only found the in Cook Basic set (3rd printing), Second Edition Skills & Powers, and First Print Deities and Demigods (under the Chuthulu mythos) You'll have consult those tomes.
Ok. After 4 pages of authentic frontier gibberish, I still have no idea what the original post was supposed to be about. I do have a single question that can perhaps only be answered in this thread. Can I mambo dogface to the banana patch?
You can. However you must roll a natural 20 to succeed.
How far I have fallen. Below is a post from 2003 representing how I used to be. After all these comments it really comes home how harsh, critical, and un-understandable I have become.
> From: Greg ..... <Greg......@.....com>
>
> Hi there. I'd like to introduce my 8-year-old nephew
> to fantasy role-playing (he's been clamoring after
> "Dungeons & Dragons" for a while now, without really
> knowing what it is).
Hi Greg. Thanks for writing. Everyone I know, who started role-playing, saw an increase in their math, english, and history grades. For us in the late 70's public education at our jr-high was slowing to a trickle at the pump head, and we were thirsty for more knowledge than that. D&D was a huge influence it our finding our particular fields of study early. Astro physics, Polymer physics, Architecture, Political Science, Etcetera. Now one has launched his own rocket carrying his team's experiment from white sands, NM, one works on a particle accelorator in pitsburg, one a political palyer in the muslim-american community, one who closed down his home building company to become a high end custom cabinet maker that makes more money than anyone else, and one is a movie producer in hollywood who's worked on star treck, Kiano Revees movies, and countless comedies. The most important thing about D&D for us was that one person got to be the teacher, also known as the Dungeon Master, and our learning could accelerate unimpeeded. In fact a lot of the personal style of a DM should give one the impression of how they would run a school, or class. Qualities of a good teacher are usefull; terse wording, efficient, impartial, fair, and aware come to mind. But you have already said that your nephew is interested, so lets move on to you taking him on an adventure.
> I was wondering if you, or anyone
> you can point me to, has some simple scenarios (1 or 2
> hours of play for 2-3 PCs) that you could share. I've
> got my old rule books, but have long since lost all my
> old pre-generated characters, maps, and so on
.
I do have some adventures to point you too. But the best adventures are always hand made. Take 6 first level monsters. Roll a D6 and give one of them a +1 weapon. Then fight all the monsters till only 1 is left with the sword. Do this alone and keep track of their experience. The survivor is your bad guy. Now you are ready to run. The rest is as you say "characters, maps, and so on." Try to run combat frequently and with lots of dice rolling. This developes their addition and subtraction muscles. Once they get to where they can read the total on a 3d6 roll without adding up the individual numbers, then learning for fun becomes just like breathing air. But the most important thing about combat is you want to be open, inclusive, and give reasons why you are doing certain things. You want to groom the nephew to become a DM in their own right. There is no greater gift you can give a student than the abilty to create their own world and attract their own group of players. Peers can learn from each other exponentialy faster than from an older teacher. They understand each others non verbal cues instantly. And they have a thorough knowledge of what their friends already know, and what they don't know.
Now for the scenarios. These are written in a ...
Greg thanks again for writing, and good luck!
So yeah. I guess I'm not the same person any more. Instead of shouting against the wind I'll just lurk and keep it to myself.
Woo, good thing my Unseen Servant is also unheard.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tigh
How far I have fallen. Below is a post from 2003 representing how I used to be. After all these comments it really comes home how harsh, critical, and un-understandable I have become.
So yeah. I guess I'm not the same person any more. Instead of shouting against the wind I'll just lurk and keep it to myself.
Well, maybe if you tried again, and worked harder on the coherency. Maybe you have something worth saying, maybe not, but surely you can do better than what you originally posted.
Now is someone can explain what this last post had to do with the first one... xp for you.
Well, that's actually pretty easy...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tigh
How far I have fallen. Below is a post from 2003 representing how I used to be. After all these comments it really comes home how harsh, critical, and un-understandable I have become.
(This is my motto as a DM.) I bet you the other 5 would have appreciated me realizing this before I killed them. The important point IMO demonstrated by this example is that the bad guy is always the one with the most treasure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tigh
Try to run combat frequently and with lots of dice rolling.
This could be a quote right out of the 4e DMG.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tigh
And they have a thorough knowledge of what their friends already know, and what they don't know.
I wish this were true in general.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tigh
So yeah. I guess I'm not the same person any more. Instead of shouting against the wind I'll just lurk and keep it to myself.
Dude, you seem like *exactly* the same person as in the OP. I've missed whatever shouting you've done (by "miss" I mean "not noticed" as opposed to "yearn for").
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