Greeks? Egyptians?

H

Heretic Apostate

First Post

• Apr 12, 2002

• #1

It's nice that the D&Dg is including three pantheons, but there's one problem: Who here thinks bronze age cultures like Greece and Egypt can survive against even iron age cultures, much less medieval cultures? The technology difference (about 2000 years, in our own world) is just too great.

So, would you keep the Tech Levels the same? Or would you try to advance civilization to a comparable level?

 

log in or register to remove this ad

Geron Raveneye

Explorer

• Apr 12, 2002

• #2

Hmm...

...I´d say the question is if rather "Do you want them side by side?"
If yes, there´s always a way of equalling the technological gap. You can make the area where your Bronze Age culture settles in pretty hard to reach for outside kingdoms, or at least for larger groups of travelers...or you adapt a bit, making it like a meeting between early-days Rome and the late Egyptian empire. Give one a distinct advantage that makes it difficult for the technologically improved to wipe them out.

 

Umbran

Mod Squad

Staff member

Supporter

• Apr 12, 2002

• #3

I haven't seen anything form Deities & Demigods, but I think perhaps there's one simple way to avoid this problem...

Simply making the tech levels even is the simplest route. I see no reason not to have greek gods and cultural facets in a steel-making society.

However, tech is not the end-all be-all of culture. Being of higher tech does not mean you automatically take over the world. Being of higher tech doesn't even mean you reach outside your own borders much. Only aggressive high-tech countries cause problems for lower-tech people.

 

Last edited: Apr 12, 2002

William Ronald

Explorer

• Apr 12, 2002

• #4

There are religions on Earth that are thousands of years old. Technology and rituals could have changed over time. So, it is entirely possible to have a medieval or renaissance culture worshipping deities from any epoch on Earth. Certain deities might gain new parts of their portfolio over time. For example, Ptah might be viewed as a god of technology in some settings. Or Athena might take a similar role, as a goddess of wisdom.

 

Geron Raveneye

Explorer

• Apr 12, 2002

• #5

Yeah, just imagine a psychoanalyst reverently touching a figurine of Athena before entering a session with a patient

 

Black Omega

First Post

• Apr 12, 2002

• #6

Heretic Apostate said:

It's nice that the D&Dg is including three pantheons, but there's one problem: Who here thinks bronze age cultures like Greece and Egypt can survive against even iron age cultures, much less medieval cultures? The technology difference (about 2000 years, in our own world) is just too great.

So, would you keep the Tech Levels the same? Or would you try to advance civilization to a comparable level?

Click to expand...

Well, the Greeks definitely hit Iron age before being finally conqured by the Roman. But Bronze age cultures would need some other edge, magical or geographical, to hold on against even iron age cultures, except in the short term.

 

Mouseferatu

Hero

• Apr 12, 2002

• #7

Why would a bronze age culture have to survive "against" a medieval one? If I'm going to use the Greek pantheon, I'll probably set it in a bronze-age world.

Sure, you could set the cultures beside one another. I've done that sort of thing, in a few campaigns. You just have to make sure the bronze-age has other advantages (more magic, or a lot more manpower). But overall, on average, I don't think they were intended to be used together.

(Of course, it would be cool to see a three-way rumble between high priests of Thor, Hercules, and Kord...)

 

H

hong

WotC's bitch

• Apr 12, 2002

• #8

Geron Raveneye said:

Yeah, just imagine a psychoanalyst reverently touching a figurine of Athena

Click to expand...

That's the WORST pickup line I've ever heard.

before entering a session with a patient

Click to expand...

... and this doesn't make it any better.


Hong "IYKWIM, AITYD" Ooi

 

Eben

First Post

• Apr 12, 2002

• #9

Two points:

1.There are many examples of great empires being overrun by technically less advanced cultures (Sea People, Huns, Germans, ...)

2.Two cultures living side by side would adopt customs. This could happen on a technological level (mostly through commerce) and on a cultural level (take the large spread of the (Egyptian) Isis cult in the later Roman empire for example.)

 

Mustrum_Ridcully

Hero

• Apr 12, 2002

• #10

Be aware that, if you compare the different pantheons, you will find many similarities. (The reason why the DragonStar "Unification Church" might exist)

Roman adapted the greak gods, they just changed some names.