D&D General Why Fantasy? Goin' Medieval in D&D

[reelo]

Something that doesn't get explored enough, imho, is PRE-feudal times. The period between the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the Norman conquest seems to me ideal:

You have medieval weapons and armor (well, not plate, but leaving that out you can just adapt the ACs for other types up/down) you have both isolated villages and larger towns, you have crumbling ruins from a collapsed empire, you have people moving and settling, you have invaders and/or traders from faraway, you have religious strife ....

So if you want "medieval" D&D without all the hassle of a King»Duke»Count/Earl»Baron»Knight hierarchy, look for the Migration period, it has all you need.

 

[Seramus]

Also? I'm kind of distracted by trying to settle on a new avatar. So there's that.

You have excellent taste! Of course, you are a Snarf, so any kind of cat is appropriate.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

The themes of their work wasnt really about powerful (super)heroes though. Power was intangible to the protagonists. They survived by guile, luck, and heart. Not because they had super strength or shot laser out of their eyes.

Conan looks like a powerful action hero to me! He doesn't have superpowers, he is just better than everyone else. Which is really even more fantastical.

And there are plenty of mighty heroes in Tolkien, he just chooses not to focus on those characters.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

Something that doesn't get explored enough, imho, is PRE-feudal times. The period between the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the Norman conquest seems to me ideal:

You have medieval weapons and armor (well, not plate, but leaving that out you can just adapt the ACs for other types up/down) you have both isolated villages and larger towns, you have crumbling ruins from a collapsed empire, you have people moving and settling, you have invaders and/or traders from faraway, you have religious strife ....

So if you want "medieval" D&D without all the hassle of a King»Duke»Count/Earl»Baron»Knight hierarchy, look for the Migration period, it has all you need.

Why bother, some tables excepted, D&D is not exploring any history. The medieval period has been beaten into something that we can all use. Where a potboy can mouth off to a lord and survive the experience (again there may be tables where this is not so) and it is a thing of its own.
It has a much resemblance to anything historic as the "Mystic Knights of Tír na nÓg" has to the Book of Conquests

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Something that doesn't get explored enough, imho, is PRE-feudal times. The period between the collapse of the Western Roman Empire and the Norman conquest seems to me ideal:

You have medieval weapons and armor (well, not plate, but leaving that out you can just adapt the ACs for other types up/down) you have both isolated villages and larger towns, you have crumbling ruins from a collapsed empire, you have people moving and settling, you have invaders and/or traders from faraway, you have religious strife ....

So if you want "medieval" D&D without all the hassle of a King»Duke»Count/Earl»Baron»Knight hierarchy, look for the Migration period, it has all you need.

And this is the time when Beowulf and the early Arthurian myths are being created, and which inspired Tolkien to create Rohan. But of course it is called the Dark Ages because no one knows about it (see also: Dark Matter, Dark Energy).

 

[Umbran]

They survived by being smart or sheer will against ghostly beings and cosmic horrors they could never fully comprehend.

Being able to do that, being clever and indomitable, is a power in and of itself. The fantasy that you can be like Conan is still a power fantasy.

 

[payn]

Conan looks like a powerful action hero to me! He doesn't have superpowers, he is just better than everyone else. Which is really even more fantastical.

And there are plenty of mighty heroes in Tolkien, he just chooses not to focus on those characters.

Exactly, there is fantastical power beyond the protagonists that they must engage and survive. Conan has above average strength for sure, but he cant pick up a mountain or do any of the things Beowulf or Hercules can do. He looks scary cosmic horror and God like wizards in the face and says bring it! He survives through sheer will and luck.

 

[payn]

Being able to do that, being clever and indomitable, is a power in and of itself. The fantasy that you can be like Conan is still a power fantasy.

Indeed, a type of power fantasy. One in which a lot of folks want to take out of D&D. Which, I understand because it gets the most development and attention of the zero to hero to superhero dynamic. I just hope they don't remove this type of power fantasy because its all I want from D&D.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Exactly, there is fantastical power beyond the protagonists that they must engage and survive. Conan has above average strength for sure, but he cant pick up a mountain or do any of the things Beowulf or Hercules can do. He looks scary cosmic horror and God like wizards in the face and says bring it! He survives through sheer will and luck.

Conan can do exactly the same things that Beowulf can do - they are virtually the same character! And they survive against impossible odds because they are action heroes, and follow action hero rules.

Their feats are far more fantastical than Herakles, who can do what he does because he has divinely granted super strength.

 

[payn]

Conan can do exactly the same things that Beowulf can do - they are virtually the same character! And they survive against impossible odds because they are action heroes, and follow action hero rules.

Their feats are far more fantastical than Herakles, who can do what he does because he has divinely granted super strength.

When did Conan swim underwater for three days straight?