D&D General Tech in DnD; What should be included and how much is too much? (+)

[James Gasik]

Just going to put this here.

 

[DammitVictor]

My favorite published D&D setting is Spelljammer. I'm more or less a fan of Dragonstar. I played a fair chunk of Urban Arcana in d20 Modern.

It depends on the setting. Always thought it was weird how many people have huge problems with primitive guns, while there's late-period ("bulletproof") plate armor and printing presses and those are fine.

 

[jmartkdr2]

I’m okay with using DnD rules for Star Wars, so I guess I would vote “any.”

But I don’t like using DnD for games without certain things, like magic.

 

[Oofta]

My world magi-tech is fairly advanced, although not to the level of Eberron. I don't do steam engines or firearms because I just don't see a need for it and because it would make sense to me that they never advanced. On the other hand, there are soldiers trained to do magic that will only ever master cantrips, and golems are occasionally used for power.

I assume magic takes the place of a lot of technical and medical advances. Because a lot of magic lasts virtually forever, most people have continual flame lanterns for example. Hedge witch poultices really do heal, etc..

But with the level of technology assumed with things like plate mail, things have to be pretty advanced.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I’m surprised by the amount of people who are merely stating specific ‘ages’ of technology, given the amount of anachronism in DnD i was expecting more discussion about specific areas/themes of technology being allowed or excluded

 

[Vaalingrade]

Do we mean beyond the core giant robots and antimatter rifles?

 

[aco175]

I sit here any say no robots, that is not D&D. But then I'll throw constructs at the PCs and justify it to myself.

 

[Reynard]

I’m surprised by the amount of people who are merely stating specific ‘ages’ of technology, given the amount of anachronism in DnD i was expecting more discussion about specific areas/themes of technology being allowed or excluded

I think folks are using eras as short hand. "Medieval" invokes a certain set of technological parameters (even if most people are wrong about what technologies are actually "medieval") and Renaissance another.

But I think I get what you are saying. You want to know if people are ok with printing presses or gunpowder or Ironside warships, etc.

 

[CleverNickName]

I started playing D&D in the 1980s with the BECM rules and the Mystara campaign setting. So right out of the gate I was comfortable with giant robots, crashed alien spacecrafts, and magic airships mingling in with my dragons, sorcerery, and elves.

Tolkien is very popular, and I know it's the default vibe for a lot of tables (and for good reason! It's a rich, detailed, iconic fantasy setting with oodles of content.) But my vibe is quite different.

 

[CleverNickName]

I’m okay with using DnD rules for Star Wars, so I guess I would vote “any.”

But I don’t like using DnD for games without certain things, like magic.

It's like they say: "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." So I guess one DM's photon blaster is another's wand of magic missiles.