How medieval are your medieval(-ish) fantasy games?

[haakon1]

Does every kingdom have its own currency (its all silver, etc. but without the right face on the coin it won't be accepted legally and/or is worth less?

No. GP in my campaign are like Spanish pieces of eight in the real world c. 1600-1850. They are valid currency across a vast area. (Spanish "dollars" were legal tender from Hong Kong to Mexico to the US at the time.)

Does every region has its own dialect and every kingdom its own language?

No, I'm running a home version of Greyhawk. Most countries speak Common, the language of the old Great Kingdom.

Are serfs bound to the land they live on and property of their lord who can micromanage them as much as he wants (for example who they can/have to mary)?

Not in the countries the PC's have visited. Slavery is actually more common than serfdom in most of the campaign world.

Is literacy a sign of wealth or nobility as schools hardly exist and lower class children have to work anyway?

No. Everyone but barbarians is literate by default.

Is sanitation and hygene virtually unheard of, with only very big and wealthy cities having a sewer?

No and yes. Sanitation and hygiene exist. But only ancient, wealthy cities have a sewer. Most use cess pits and midden heaps.

Is the church extremely powerful and even the mightiest of kings bowing to their wishes?

Not in most countries.

 

[delericho]

Not even remotely. Even in a setting with medieval trappings, the game resembles the Wild West (during a gold rush) much more than anything medieval. But, in truth, it resembles the modern world much more than anything else.

Of course, just now I'm running Eberron, which doesn't even pretend to be quasi-medieval - it is unabashedly fantastic, and all the better for it, IMO.

 

[Dioltach]

My fantasy games tend to ignore reality, especially if it detracts from the fantasy experience (as opposed to adding flavour). That said, if I use a historical setting, I will try to get as much historical detail right as possible if it doesn't hinder game play or enjoyment.

 

[Derren]

So for those who do not use a medieval flavor, doesn't this have an impact on immersion? After all the societies at that time were, among other things, a product of the available technologies.
Of course magic would change things, but is in your settings magic really so common that it would change how societies work?

Also, what do you societies look like? And how much thought went into creating them?

 

[sheadunne]

When I think of a D&D game being associated with medieval, I think of the technology level (up to but not including guns), architecture (although adjusted for magic when applicable), and titles (kings and queens), but very little else.

 

[Derren]

I think of the technology level (up to but not including guns)

Thats probably the only thing were most fantasy settings are behind the real medieval times were guns and cannons already existed and were used more than what most people think.

Also, monarchy is not really a trademark of medieval times. They have existed before and after that, although the ruled quite differently. If some government type is linked to (western) medieval then it is imo feudalism.

 

[sheadunne]

Thats probably the only thing were most fantasy settings are behind the real medieval times were guns and cannons already existed and were used more than what most people think.

Which is why I made a point of saying that I don't include them.

Also, monarchy is not really a trademark of medieval times. They have existed before and after that, although the ruled quite differently. If some government type is linked to (western) medieval then it is imo feudalism.

I said titles not forms of government.

Carry on.

 

[Derren]

I said titles not forms of government.

What I meant was that the title King or Queen, at least to me, doesn't automatically make me think about medieval times. We still have monarchs today and they already existed way before the romans rose to power.

 

[sheadunne]

What I meant was that the title King or Queen, at least to me, doesn't automatically make me think about medieval times. We still have monarchs today and they already existed way before the romans rose to power.

Works fine for me. Not sure what you're trying to say? You can define Medieval any way you like. For some it's castles and knights, for others it's kingdoms at war, for others it's the dominance of religion, and for some, it's robin hood. Doesn't particularly matter which flavor of medieval your using. Once magic is in the picture, it's all fantasy anyway

 

[Storminator]

I think the medieval mindset and society is sufficiently different from our own that a faithful reproduction would be endlessly jarring. And given the power level of even moderate level D&D PCs and the modern ideas of every player I've ever had, your adventuring party will soon go about removing all the jarring elements that irk them. Soon you're in neither a medieval setting nor a rational one . . .

PS