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World Building: Tech, Magic, and Society
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<blockquote data-quote="Oofta" data-source="post: 9055320" data-attributes="member: 6801845"><p>There are many ways of deciding what level of magic there is in the world. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Part of the issue is that I'm not sure that we know what society would look like if there was magic. But ... and this is a big but ... why do we assume that magic is attainable by everyone? Why assume that magic is generally beneficial? For every wizard that wants to better society, there's a wizard who just wants to watch the world burn.</p><p></p><p>Then there may just be some natural aptitude required to use magic, particularly arcane magic. You can say that natural selection would encourage arcane magic aptitude, but that's kind of like saying natural selection would encourage intelligence, and it has. But it depends on how you look at it. Compared to the great apes we're geniuses. But high level intelligence comes at a cost, and there's a pretty vast spectrum of innate capabilities on several spectrums. In addition, advancement of technology (or magic) is not a given. Our ancestors used bone or stone tools for millennia, it was not because they were unintelligent. It's just that multiple things had to come together for them to advance technology wise.</p><p></p><p>In my own campaign world, I do assume that humans have evolved with magic. It just doesn't have big flashy implications like everyone having PC class levels. Magic is ubiquitous, but not flashy. </p><p></p><p>When it comes to divine magic, you're assuming anyone that wants to cast divine magic can. I don't agree. Magic has to come from somewhere, power never comes for free. In my campaign the power of the gods that can affect mortals is really just power that comes from mortals in the form of prayer and devotion. Each prayer is like a raindrop, get enough raindrops and you get a lake but lakes can be drained more quickly than they are filled. </p><p></p><p>Druids get their power from nature and living things, constantly feeding everyone on goodberries could be seen as a massive power drain form nature with unacceptable side effects. Just as important, food and eating is a very important part of our life and culture. More on that below. So druids can bless fields and double the output of crops which is a good thing because it puts less pressure on the wildlands. But the crops still need to be planted, harvested and tended. On a side note, druids also provide free birth control in my campaign in large part to control the spread of civilization. Since child mortality is much lower (again, magic) than it was historically, the population is relatively stable.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Many cities have lived with air assaults for a century now. We don't build cities underground, although we do have bunkers. Instead we have antiaircraft defenses. Make it dangerous for dragons to attack cities and they won't attack. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>If becoming a wizard is like becoming a physicist then it doesn't matter how many people would <em>like</em> to be a wizard, only a few can actually attain it.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>You're suggesting a very radical world, almost unrecognizable. That's fine, but it can also cause other issues of relatability. People need to feel comfortable with your world and feel like it's "real". Change too many things, make it too foreign, to distinct, from our reality and people will be less able to relate to that world. If people are happy eating goodberries for their entire lives that dramatically reduces the need for taverns and the like but it also many of our cultural touchpoints. You wouldn't have feast days, you wouldn't have that family gathering around the dinner table. Heck, you wouldn't have a dinner table.</p><p></p><p>If you want to look at a world where magic is ubiquitous, I'd suggest also looking at Eberron where magic in many ways is indistinguishable from technology. But go too crazy with magic? It might work with the right group, but it's likely to be more interesting as a thought experiment than an actual campaign world.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Oofta, post: 9055320, member: 6801845"] There are many ways of deciding what level of magic there is in the world. :) Part of the issue is that I'm not sure that we know what society would look like if there was magic. But ... and this is a big but ... why do we assume that magic is attainable by everyone? Why assume that magic is generally beneficial? For every wizard that wants to better society, there's a wizard who just wants to watch the world burn. Then there may just be some natural aptitude required to use magic, particularly arcane magic. You can say that natural selection would encourage arcane magic aptitude, but that's kind of like saying natural selection would encourage intelligence, and it has. But it depends on how you look at it. Compared to the great apes we're geniuses. But high level intelligence comes at a cost, and there's a pretty vast spectrum of innate capabilities on several spectrums. In addition, advancement of technology (or magic) is not a given. Our ancestors used bone or stone tools for millennia, it was not because they were unintelligent. It's just that multiple things had to come together for them to advance technology wise. In my own campaign world, I do assume that humans have evolved with magic. It just doesn't have big flashy implications like everyone having PC class levels. Magic is ubiquitous, but not flashy. When it comes to divine magic, you're assuming anyone that wants to cast divine magic can. I don't agree. Magic has to come from somewhere, power never comes for free. In my campaign the power of the gods that can affect mortals is really just power that comes from mortals in the form of prayer and devotion. Each prayer is like a raindrop, get enough raindrops and you get a lake but lakes can be drained more quickly than they are filled. Druids get their power from nature and living things, constantly feeding everyone on goodberries could be seen as a massive power drain form nature with unacceptable side effects. Just as important, food and eating is a very important part of our life and culture. More on that below. So druids can bless fields and double the output of crops which is a good thing because it puts less pressure on the wildlands. But the crops still need to be planted, harvested and tended. On a side note, druids also provide free birth control in my campaign in large part to control the spread of civilization. Since child mortality is much lower (again, magic) than it was historically, the population is relatively stable. Many cities have lived with air assaults for a century now. We don't build cities underground, although we do have bunkers. Instead we have antiaircraft defenses. Make it dangerous for dragons to attack cities and they won't attack. If becoming a wizard is like becoming a physicist then it doesn't matter how many people would [I]like[/I] to be a wizard, only a few can actually attain it. You're suggesting a very radical world, almost unrecognizable. That's fine, but it can also cause other issues of relatability. People need to feel comfortable with your world and feel like it's "real". Change too many things, make it too foreign, to distinct, from our reality and people will be less able to relate to that world. If people are happy eating goodberries for their entire lives that dramatically reduces the need for taverns and the like but it also many of our cultural touchpoints. You wouldn't have feast days, you wouldn't have that family gathering around the dinner table. Heck, you wouldn't have a dinner table. If you want to look at a world where magic is ubiquitous, I'd suggest also looking at Eberron where magic in many ways is indistinguishable from technology. But go too crazy with magic? It might work with the right group, but it's likely to be more interesting as a thought experiment than an actual campaign world. [/QUOTE]
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