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Fantasy Arms Race, Round Two
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<blockquote data-quote="ajanders" data-source="post: 678265" data-attributes="member: 3271"><p><strong>Responses</strong></p><p></p><p>Assuming they think like "Western Man", they'll probably start by copying all the good ideas they can.</p><p></p><p>So they'll start by developing shields of their own.</p><p>Next they'll look at the swords: they may be able to reverse engineer bronze from the swords: it depends on how good their metallurgy is. Even if they do reverse engineer it, they still need the copper and tin to make it.</p><p>Since you've described them as being on a river delta, that means generally sedimentary soil with a lot of organic components...good for farming, not, I think, so good for copper, though they can probably placer mine casseterite and smelt it for tin. (Like in Wales.)</p><p>If they have a religious distaste for fire, I might add, it's unlikely they will be very happy with the smelting and smithing processes. If they're being done on a regular basis, it might be that smiths, miners, and the warriors who use their products all become members of a specialized religious caste: sort of the "unpleasant necessary" caste.</p><p></p><p>Assuming geology and religion allow them to duplicate bronze, they'll probably then use it to improve the tools they know: evolutionary advancement, not revolutionary. They'll make bronze-tipped spears and knives, using them for hunting and working as they always have, but always keeping one eye on how well they'd handle in a fight. Not that this would be much of a challenge, mind: if your spear can stop a charging boar, one man won't be a significant problem.</p><p>But HERE's an interesting side point: what if bronze was an "evil unnatural metal" made and used by the Cresian equivalent of the untouchables to do wicked deeds like murder men, just like the "evil invaders from across the sea".</p><p>You might get a split society, one group non-metallic, peaceful, and committed to working the land with farming and husbandry while the other group mined, created weapons, and fought/hunted.</p><p>The relationships between the two types of Cresians might be well understood by both sides at first, but generations later, the knowledge might be lost, creating tension between the "twisted unnatural unproductive warriors" and the "soft foolish farmers".</p><p>Let's assume that doesn't happen, however. The next decision would be a political one: do the Cresians prepare themselves for this to happen again, do nothing (assuming the invaders learned their lesson), or go after them?</p><p>Given their sedentary nature, I'm betting they lack the open ocean navigation skills to chase the invaders home, so they will prepare themselves with bigger fortifications, including watchtowers to see ships or invaders coming from farther off. They'll also start a militia: there'd be limited training and no real tactics other than ambush, gang up, and take cover.</p><p></p><p>That covers the mundane stuff. Magically, the priests will probably get together and invent the concept of magical force multiplication: they'll get their own guards and join the armies. The next time someone tries to outnumber them, they're going to get buried in celestial badgers and war dogs.</p><p>Buffing spells will be in: when the enemy magicians enhance the prowess of their small teams of warriors, they'll be met by a champion under the influence of bull strength, cat's grace, and maybe a barkskin spell.</p><p>Somebody will start having the biggest fighters develop the Precise Shot feat, allowing them to lob sling bullets and spears into the enhanced enemies engaging the champion...hopefully allowing the Cresians to get some extra numbers into these conflicts themselves.</p><p></p><p>Conspicuously absent will be the use of the proto-lycanthropes: they don't retain enough intelligence to take orders, make plans, or even distinguish friend from foe. If this evolved into berserker rage, somebody might start to direct it into the first army unit, the Wolf Guard.</p><p>As it is, they're just wild lycanthropes killing everything they see. The enemy might get the surprise of their lives the first time they try to kill one, but unless they're extremely cowardly they'll need to be faced and beaten using more organized methods</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="ajanders, post: 678265, member: 3271"] [b]Responses[/b] Assuming they think like "Western Man", they'll probably start by copying all the good ideas they can. So they'll start by developing shields of their own. Next they'll look at the swords: they may be able to reverse engineer bronze from the swords: it depends on how good their metallurgy is. Even if they do reverse engineer it, they still need the copper and tin to make it. Since you've described them as being on a river delta, that means generally sedimentary soil with a lot of organic components...good for farming, not, I think, so good for copper, though they can probably placer mine casseterite and smelt it for tin. (Like in Wales.) If they have a religious distaste for fire, I might add, it's unlikely they will be very happy with the smelting and smithing processes. If they're being done on a regular basis, it might be that smiths, miners, and the warriors who use their products all become members of a specialized religious caste: sort of the "unpleasant necessary" caste. Assuming geology and religion allow them to duplicate bronze, they'll probably then use it to improve the tools they know: evolutionary advancement, not revolutionary. They'll make bronze-tipped spears and knives, using them for hunting and working as they always have, but always keeping one eye on how well they'd handle in a fight. Not that this would be much of a challenge, mind: if your spear can stop a charging boar, one man won't be a significant problem. But HERE's an interesting side point: what if bronze was an "evil unnatural metal" made and used by the Cresian equivalent of the untouchables to do wicked deeds like murder men, just like the "evil invaders from across the sea". You might get a split society, one group non-metallic, peaceful, and committed to working the land with farming and husbandry while the other group mined, created weapons, and fought/hunted. The relationships between the two types of Cresians might be well understood by both sides at first, but generations later, the knowledge might be lost, creating tension between the "twisted unnatural unproductive warriors" and the "soft foolish farmers". Let's assume that doesn't happen, however. The next decision would be a political one: do the Cresians prepare themselves for this to happen again, do nothing (assuming the invaders learned their lesson), or go after them? Given their sedentary nature, I'm betting they lack the open ocean navigation skills to chase the invaders home, so they will prepare themselves with bigger fortifications, including watchtowers to see ships or invaders coming from farther off. They'll also start a militia: there'd be limited training and no real tactics other than ambush, gang up, and take cover. That covers the mundane stuff. Magically, the priests will probably get together and invent the concept of magical force multiplication: they'll get their own guards and join the armies. The next time someone tries to outnumber them, they're going to get buried in celestial badgers and war dogs. Buffing spells will be in: when the enemy magicians enhance the prowess of their small teams of warriors, they'll be met by a champion under the influence of bull strength, cat's grace, and maybe a barkskin spell. Somebody will start having the biggest fighters develop the Precise Shot feat, allowing them to lob sling bullets and spears into the enhanced enemies engaging the champion...hopefully allowing the Cresians to get some extra numbers into these conflicts themselves. Conspicuously absent will be the use of the proto-lycanthropes: they don't retain enough intelligence to take orders, make plans, or even distinguish friend from foe. If this evolved into berserker rage, somebody might start to direct it into the first army unit, the Wolf Guard. As it is, they're just wild lycanthropes killing everything they see. The enemy might get the surprise of their lives the first time they try to kill one, but unless they're extremely cowardly they'll need to be faced and beaten using more organized methods [/QUOTE]
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