Embracing Dynamic Discoveries and Change in the Campaign!

SHARK · Aug 11, 2007

Greetings!

Well, in my campaign world of Thandor, I have been running various campaigns with different groups for many years now. However, to some degree with my own campaign, but also with published materials, I notice a tendency for everything to "already be there" in the sense that ships have already been invented and used; navigational equipment is standardized; philosophies are often the same as they always have been; technology never changes; and so on.

Do you see what I am saying?

In my own campaign, I always try and remember how dynamic much of the late Roman Empire was; or the Classical Greeks; or the "Dark Ages" or various times in the High Middle Ages, and incorporate--embrace, if you will--the thoughts of new exploration, new inventions, new ways of doing things, from technologies, to new philosophies and ways of looking at the world, society, and culture.

I think using magic in the game also allows for a great scope in this regard. For example;

Periodically, in my different campaigns, I have different navigational tools invented; different kinds of ship designs that revolutionize or at least significantly change trade and travel; I have new styles of metallurgy, allowing for different metal products, from weapons and armour, of course, to fixtures, tools, and machinery such as pulleys, gears, and other tools that change the way things are built, or the way or speed or cost of producing something, or performing some kind of task or work.

What kind of explorations, discoveries, and dynamics have you used in your own campaigns?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

SHARK · Aug 11, 2007

Greetings!

I was also thinking about this: In your campaigns, are there certain spells that have been researched that only some nations or kingdoms possess, and not others? Has the development of new and different magic spells changed society in some interesting way in your campaign?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

barsoomcore · Aug 11, 2007

Hey SHARK, good to see you.

To answer your question -- yes, absolutely. Change and ongoing development was always a critical part of my Barsoom campaign.

For example, a generation before the campaign started, a group of smiths and craftsmen had developed the first firearms in some subject states of the Empire of Kish. Their ability to exploit that technology led to the near-complete overthrow of the Empire by the time the campaign started, so the campaign took place in a world where the influence of the Empire had faded away -- but now they were developing their own firearms and throughout the world fear of conquest began driving many nations to arm up and become more defensive.

Likewise, another nation, the Shaer, had just before the beginning of the campaign, discovered a magic mineral that when heated, rose upwards against the pull of gravity. They used this mineral to power flying ships and now the secret of those ships is sought by all nations, most especially the resurgent Empire of Kish.

During the campaign, the great sorceress Yuek Man Chong devised a set of spells that could handle and manipulate the human soul. This led to the discovery of full-blown cures for vampirism and lycanthropism, and profoundly altered the way in which societies were able to deal with such problems. Ironically, although Madame Yuek was responsible for developing such "technology", she was never able to profit by it.

In my forthcoming DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND campaign setting, one of the key new technologies is breech-loading cannon -- they use a magic seal around the base of the cannon that is opened via an activation rod but when sealed is absolutely without flaw. This technology is known only to the denizens of the islands, who need every edge they can find in their struggle to maintain independence against the Great Empire's constant predations.

Good question!

awayfarer · Aug 11, 2007

In my Eberron game I recently introduced cameras. They're bulky, the flash is practically weapons-grade and thus far only the gnomes of House Sivis (and the Korranberg Chronicle) have them. They're basically like the old-timey cameras they had in the 1800's.

SHARK · Aug 12, 2007

barsoomcore said:
Hey SHARK, good to see you.

To answer your question -- yes, absolutely. Change and ongoing development was always a critical part of my Barsoom campaign.

For example, a generation before the campaign started, a group of smiths and craftsmen had developed the first firearms in some subject states of the Empire of Kish. Their ability to exploit that technology led to the near-complete overthrow of the Empire by the time the campaign started, so the campaign took place in a world where the influence of the Empire had faded away -- but now they were developing their own firearms and throughout the world fear of conquest began driving many nations to arm up and become more defensive.

Likewise, another nation, the Shaer, had just before the beginning of the campaign, discovered a magic mineral that when heated, rose upwards against the pull of gravity. They used this mineral to power flying ships and now the secret of those ships is sought by all nations, most especially the resurgent Empire of Kish.

During the campaign, the great sorceress Yuek Man Chong devised a set of spells that could handle and manipulate the human soul. This led to the discovery of full-blown cures for vampirism and lycanthropism, and profoundly altered the way in which societies were able to deal with such problems. Ironically, although Madame Yuek was responsible for developing such "technology", she was never able to profit by it.

In my forthcoming DINO-PIRATES OF NINJA ISLAND campaign setting, one of the key new technologies is breech-loading cannon -- they use a magic seal around the base of the cannon that is opened via an activation rod but when sealed is absolutely without flaw. This technology is known only to the denizens of the islands, who need every edge they can find in their struggle to maintain independence against the Great Empire's constant predations.

Good question!

Greetings!

Barsoom my friend! That sounds very cool! Who or what else lives on this island? I want to know more!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

SHARK · Aug 13, 2007

awayfarer said:
In my Eberron game I recently introduced cameras. They're bulky, the flash is practically weapons-grade and thus far only the gnomes of House Sivis (and the Korranberg Chronicle) have them. They're basically like the old-timey cameras they had in the 1800's.

Greetings!

Cameras heh? How have your players responded to that little invention? That sounds pretty neat. Has the development of cameras made any other, larger campaign influences?

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Teflon Billy · Aug 13, 2007

In my longest running campaign, the answer is no.

Spellcasting Guilds and Organized Religions jealously stamp out any advances they see in the general populace's technology...so as to protect the advantage Spellcasting gives them.

I mean, if TNT gets developed...is a Fireball that big a deal?

mhacdebhandia · Aug 13, 2007

There's a discussion concerning the teleportation circle spell and its absence from Eberron over on the official Eberron forums which goes into this a little.

Eberron incorporates a history of advances in magical and magitechnological development to which you can actually point. The creation of the warforged race is the big example, but so too is the invention of the elemental airship and other dragonmark-powered devices like the speaking stones of House Sivis.

One of the cool things about a world which, like Eberron, has almost no high-level characters by the book is that your PCs can be among the "great inventors of the age" in this regard, or at least among the first to master the great magics of a vanished era - say, the teleportation circle effect known to the giant mages of Xen'drik . . .

green slime · Aug 13, 2007

Yes.

As various cultures/civilisations are defined by their race/choice of class/clothing/armour/divinities/weaponry/metallurgy/inventions/spell access/ideas/philosophies, the spread of information and intercultural activities spread those items across the continents.

Various "items" become banned as (heretical, dangerous, hazardous, corruptive, unpractical, unfashionable) they are perceived as threatening the status quo of the ruling elite, while others are encouraged.

A quick, victorious war will introduce the "items" of the conqueror into the vanquished region, and oppress previous prevalent ideas in the area.

Trade facilitates the exchange of ideas, while a war that has dragged on along one border, and resulted in a practical "hot war" stalemate has ensured that no ideas filter through at all. The Empire, having fought the Bone Necromancer's armies for hundreds of years, has banned all Necromancy spells.

WayneLigon · Aug 13, 2007

SHARK said:
What kind of explorations, discoveries, and dynamics have you used in your own campaigns?

In the current Eberron campaign, we just finished Eyes of the Lich Queen.

Spoiler tagged for those who have not played this adventure.

In the course of the module, all the PC's acquire either true dragonmarks or Aberrant dragonmarks. Even races normally incapable of this gained an Aberrant mark. (Since I don't have the book here, I can't remember if that's in the module or my change to it). The shifter gets an Aberrant mark of course which freaks him out since he's set up his character to be a hunter of Aberrations. Then he realizes his Nemesis: Aberration sense doesn't ping on himself or the others that have Aberrant marks.

Things go along. They wind up with the gratitude of the Chamber, which is one of the Dragon societies of Argonessen. The shifter, the bard and the Inqusitive work with a couple of the dragon mages to see just what was done to them that turned them into the Eyes of the Dragon. (Since the power source is now defunct, the dragons no longer have to worry about them becomiing the super-weapon that could be used against Argonessen...)

They talk about Aberrant marks with a dragon sage, and the inquisitive, with her Let's-See-what-I-Can-Find-Out 43 Gather Info roll... manages to wrest a precious secret from him: Aberrant marks are actually the real dragonmarks, born of Chaos and power. The so-called True Dragonmarks are the lesser Law-aligned marks, and are considered inferior. They are a lesser peice of the Prophecy, if they should even be considered.

So now they have information that could shake the power of the Dragonmarked houses to their foundations, if they can figure out a way to use it. All the party are Chaotic Good and save for House Medani, whom they work for, they really dislike almost all the Houses. They're 11th level now, serious movers and shakers among the low level norm of Eberron. Next level, their Bard will develop the Syberus Mark of Shadows, giving him two dragonmarks, making him a creature unique in all of Eberron (that is a house rule, because he's planned to do this since the beginning of the campaign and no way am I letting a module's fiat screw with that - It works in perfectly with plans I already had). House Thuranni will come looking for him, and the secret will be out. Perhaps.

There's a reason why the third 'book' of the campaign is called The Mark of War.