D&D 5E Setting Idea: Bronze Age Utopia

[Dannyalcatraz]

You assume every society must produce madmen, misanthropes, ect..., I'd suggest those are only produced by societies failures.

I make no such assumption.

I have yet to see a human population that doesn’t have to deal with these issues. Why? Because those issues don’t necessarily arise from problems with society- some arise because humans are imperfect beings. IOW, society hasn’t failed- genetics, illness, injury or other factors have contributed to a failure within the person.

 

[Tonguez]

Did you ever see the Fantasy Arms Race thread (En World 2003!) it started from prehistoric times to trace the development of Magic and ended up creating a setting - Cressia, a druidic theocracy where werewolf paladins (Dog Soldiers) serve the organic Temple cities and where an extensive network of roads are lined with hedges of rose brambles designed specifically to allow entangle to be an effective deterent to invaders.
Cressian society is primarily agrarian and technology is late bronze-age, with metal rare. Politically society is divided into four Septs being the Warriors Sept (Fighter, Barbarian), the Wanderers Sept (Ranger, Rogue), the Lamp Watch (Bard, Adept) and Temple Sept (Druid, Paladin, Cleric) each with distinct roles

 

[Warren Ellis]

I make no such assumption.

I have yet to see a human population that doesn’t have to deal with these issues. Why? Because those issues don’t necessarily arise from problems with society- some arise because humans are imperfect beings. IOW, society hasn’t failed- genetics, illness, injury or other factors have contributed to a failure within the person.

Not only that, utopias are deadly boring and impossible. Unless this utopia is created through tons of mental magic to make everyone fit into its particular system.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Not only that, utopias are deadly boring and impossible. Unless this utopia is created through tons of mental magic to make everyone fit into its particular system.

ALL HAIL LORD HYPNOTOAD!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

A society where everyone is content and happy is a society without free will.

 

[Warren Ellis]

A society where everyone is content and happy is a society without free will.

This being D&D, I'm sure there are ways to have a happy and content society with free will intact.

 

[keynup]

You'd want a clear reason why someone would want to use iron.
Weapons give +1to hit,+2 to damage. A concentration save from iron damage add +5 to DC.
Iron armor give save bonus from non DeX saves.

Use jewelry to designate social class. With lower classes using gold. Lower Middle class would be covered in gold like modern wannabe thugs.
Upper middle would have almost no jewelry, just a few copper items. With upper class have glowing jewelry.

"Iron blooded" sorcerers were mentioned, they should have a clear advantage over regular caster. There might some unpredictability, but nothing too extreme.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

This being D&D, I'm sure there are ways to have a happy and content society with free will intact.

A key aspect of having free will is being able to choose to be unhappy and discontent - note that no reason is required, if you have free will you don't need a reason to feel as you do.

So no, it's not possible.

Take Modrons for example - they are content and happy because they have no free will.

 

[dave2008]

You'd want a clear reason why someone would want to use iron.
Weapons give +1to hit,+2 to damage. A concentration save from iron damage add +5 to DC.
Iron armor give save bonus from non DeX saves.

Use jewelry to designate social class. With lower classes using gold. Lower Middle class would be covered in gold like modern wannabe thugs.
Upper middle would have almost no jewelry, just a few copper items. With upper class have glowing jewelry.

"Iron blooded" sorcerers were mentioned, they should have a clear advantage over regular caster. There might some unpredictability, but nothing too extreme.

This seems to be the opposite of what the OP wants. The idea is that iron is not a good conduit for magic.

 

[dave2008]

A key aspect of having free will is being able to choose to be unhappy and discontent - note that no reason is required, if you have free will you don't need a reason to feel as you do.

You can have free will and choose not to be unhappy and discontent. The idea that happiness requires giving up free will is, IMO, without merit and an oversimplification of many things.