D&D General D&D is now Steampunk (poll)

[Desdichado]

So which part of medieval history does the beholder come from?

That's such a pointless and silly question that I've got to imagine that it wasn't asked in good faith. C'mon. I feel like you're trying really hard to not understand what's being said so you can argue semantics. I mean, as soon as I said something to that effect earlier, you immediately demanded a definition of "Conan-esque." In the real world, people don't need to go around clarifying exactly what every word that they say means, because in the real world people can communicate without it causing this weird syntax error in our brains.

 

[Reynard]

That's such a pointless and silly question that I've got to imagine that it wasn't asked in good faith. C'mon. I feel like you're trying really hard to not understand what's being said so you can argue semantics. I mean, as soon as I said something to that effect earlier, you immediately demanded a definition of "Conan-esque." In the real world, people don't need to go around clarifying exactly what every word that they say means, because in the real world people can communicate without it causing this weird syntax error in our brains.

Let me be clear, then: you are wrong.

GARY had a focus on medievalism, but the D&D he actually produced was no more medieval than it was bronze age, renaissance or old west. It was full of contradictions and anachronisms because he and his fellow creators knew that they were making a fantasy game, based in large part on the most ahistorical of fantasy authors (Howard). So you can continue to assert that OD&D was "more medieval fantasy than sword and sorcery" but you would continue to be wrong.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Fantasy medieval, @Reynard . Fantasy.

So what’s the difference between fantasy medieval and fantasy imaginary?

 

[Micah Sweet]

So what’s the difference between fantasy medieval and fantasy imaginary?

More medieval trappings in the first one. Unnecessary in the second.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

More medieval trappings in the first one. Unnecessary in the second.

What is a “medieval trapping” when it’s at home? And why can’t I have it in my imaginary world?

 

[Micah Sweet]

What is a “medieval trapping” when it’s at home? And why can’t I have it in my imaginary world?

I don't understand these questions. Can you provide context?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I don't understand these questions. Can you provide context?

If you don’t know what a medieval trapping is, how do you know if a game has them or not?

 

[Reynard]

More medieval trappings in the first one. Unnecessary in the second.

What is a “medieval trapping” when it’s at home? And why can’t I have it in my imaginary world?

I think the intent is that if you call something "medieval fantasy" then you are implying that the world looks as much like European medieval history as is possible with te inclusion of magical elements. As opposed to a game that looks like, say, The Dark Crystal -- it is beholden only to its own fantastical nature, not any Earth historical analogue.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I think the intent is that if you call something "medieval fantasy" then you are implying that the world looks as much like European medieval history as is possible with te inclusion of magical elements. As opposed to a game that looks like, say, The Dark Crystal -- it is beholden only to its own fantastical nature, not any Earth historical analogue.

So, not D&D then.

Lets look at a few things:

Medieval Europe: monotheistic religion dominates politics.

D&D: multiple polytheistic religions scrap with each other but rarely have significant political power.

Medieval Europe: climate mostly cold and wet, largely forested.

D&D: climate usually depicted as hot and dry (coincidentally, very like America).

You can go on and on and on with stuff from early D&D that is nothing like medieval Europe.

 

[Reynard]

So, not D&D then.

Well, again, we need to figure out whether we are talking about settings or the D&D metasetting. In the latter case, no. But Dragonlance worked real hard to be very medieval in trappings, as do certain locations within Greyhawk and the Realms. Even Eberron has a nation that really embraces the knights and armor and castles aesthetic. but ultimately they are all aesthetics (hence "trappings") and almost none of them would stand up to any cultural or religious comparison to medieval Europe.