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Message: <blockquote data-quote="wingsandsword" data-source="post: 5601568" data-attributes="member: 14159">D&D is a fantasy pastiche of the middle ages, with significant elements from eras from antiquity through the industrial revolution thrown in in various amounts.From druids and polytheism in antiquity (and set pieces and plots like gladiatorial combat, world-spanning Empires and human sacrifices), to relatively modern social concepts of social equality, D&D pulls from a wide variety of sources while being nominally "medieval".I always thought the typical D&D adventure setting was more akin to the Wild West with trappings of the middle ages.  There is typically far more sexual and racial equality than there would be historically, the idea of an entire social class of semi-itinerant people carrying the heaviest weapons they can carry on their persons for self defense, seeking fortune and fame, and tending to go off like vigilantes (or at best an ad-hoc quickly deputized representative of local authorities) to bring justice to an evildoer is more suited to Zane Grey than Chaucer.It is actually mostly disguised Victorian & Wild West culture, trappings and technology of the early renaissance, and some "cool" elements from antiquity and the middle ages dragged along.I tried doing something close to actual medieval culture once in a D&D game.  It didn't go well.  I ran a pseudo-historic game set in a fantastic version of the 12th century.  It was low-magic, so that magic existed but was still rare and very special.  I researched medieval culture and religion to make the game more authentic.One player was playing a Paladin, and was apparently a devout Catholic.  He went into the game with modern-day post Vatican II sensibilities about religion.  The first time he went into a church and tried to talk to a priest about theology it got interesting.  He accused me of just making stuff up, I had to actually get out the books to prove how much doctrine and everyday worship had changed in the past 800+ years.Players tried to negotiate with local Barons and Counts the same way they'd barter with a random Mr. Johnson in a Shadowrun game.  That didn't go well either.Basically, players, in my experience, want a medieval fantasy game with the atmosphere and trappings of the late middle ages or renaissance, and a 19th or 20th century culture with a thin veneer of medievalism grafted onto it.</blockquote>

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