What do you all think of a campaign like this?

[Bob5th]

Ok its kinda of a Stargate thing in which the Gods of the world are not actually Gods but a race of technologically advanced races. The divine casters derive their power from faith in their God and not the God. They beleive the God will grant them power but it's actually them who have the power.

 

[drnuncheon]

I ran a campaign once where the magic was actually Clarke's Law-level technology being used by a world that had regressed into medieval barbarism. The gods were programs running on the massive supercomputer network that controlled the place, and clerics were able to access and run certain programs. Wizards, on the other hand, were essentially 'hackers', using backdoors and bugs to access the system and produce the effects they wanted.

J

 

[ShadowX]

I ran a campaign once where the magic was actually Clarke's Law-level technology being used by a world that had regressed into medieval barbarism. The gods were programs running on the massive supercomputer network that controlled the place, and clerics were able to access and run certain programs. Wizards, on the other hand, were essentially 'hackers', using backdoors and bugs to access the system and produce the effects they wanted.

J

If your are out adventuring how do you have access to the supercomputer?

 

[MarauderX]

I ran a string of adventures that were similiar to what you are describing. The BBEGs were this race of alien looking psionics with a bunch of technology (laser guns=magic missle, grenades=fireballs) that only the high INT PCs could learn how to use. It was great fun as they thwarted the bad guys at a bunch of locations and the PC's mission was basically sabotage, interference and guerilla warfare against them using any means possible. The setting was much like stargate in which the subdued people had some knowledge of magic but had never used much of it before.

Cool highlights:
-- The PCs stampeded a herd of elephants at one BBEG outpost before attacking to finish them off.
-- The BBEGs had space ships that they would fly around in and the PCs managed to get the aid of a local dragon (the villager had never seen a dragon before) and one of the PC fighters flew on it's back into the air combat.
-- PC monk ambushing a bunch in a net then pummeling them senseless all by himself (BBEGs had very low STR)
-- PC wizard memorizing all dispels to make the BBEGs technology faulty.

It was awesome, and looking back I think I could have made them tougher at times, or had more variety to them, like some of them on steroids or something.

 

[Tonguez]

I ran a campaign once where the magic was actually Clarke's Law-level technology being used by a world that had regressed into medieval barbarism. The gods were programs running on the massive supercomputer network that controlled the place, and clerics were able to access and run certain programs. Wizards, on the other hand, were essentially 'hackers', using backdoors and bugs to access the system and produce the effects they wanted.

J

I once used this premise (stole it from Galaxy Rangers I think) IMC 'Magic Items' were used to access the Supercomputer (which was a Biotech organism and the 'Soul' of the 'Living Planet') so for instance the Staff of Ra would be activated and the Computer would run the appropirate programme which summoned and controlled a Flying Ship. A circlet of Telepathy worn around the head allowed the Computer to interpret thoughts.

 

[drnuncheon]

If your are out adventuring how do you have access to the supercomputer?

The supercomputer was originally designed to terraform and control the environment of the world. Given that, it's hardly a stretch to imagine that people on it can access the computer from just about anywhere...

J

 

[blackshirt5]

Ok its kinda of a Stargate thing in which the Gods of the world are not actually Gods but a race of technologically advanced races. The divine casters derive their power from faith in their God and not the God. They beleive the God will grant them power but it's actually them who have the power.

Only if it features Amanda Tapping. *wolf whistle*

 

[Scupper]

For a pretty cool treatment of a similar idea, I recommend John Varley's Titan, Wizard, and Demon.

 

[DragonLancer]

I once had a AD&D 2nd ed setting where (as background rather than setting background), Thri-Kreen were what was left of a race that evolved space travel and left to explore the stars. Humans, elves and orcs evolved from apes thousands of years later.