[d20 Modern/ Forgotten Realms] FR DR 3000!

[kkoie]

Firstly, I'm typing as I think, so this may come off as a tad unorganized, but thats because I just came up with this idea not even 10 minutes ago. I was thinking about possibilities for campaign settings for d20 modern when it occured to me...

What would the Forgotten Realms be like when they reach the modern age?

They now have black powder, say in a 1000 years or so, they might be just as modern technology speaking as we are.

In any event, these are just my innitial thoughts on the subject. All sorts of things are possible. Like the underdark, does everyone eventually move to the surface, or do they modernize and expand? Can you immagine a drow city in the underdark the size of say, New York?!

Elminster would probably be a Demi-God or Lesser God by then.

And I'd have to reinvent most of the geographics as far as cities are conserned. But places like Waterdeep would probably be the size of London! Not to mention the races, some would still be around (I don't see the Red Wizards going anywhere, they are just too nasty to be exterminated), but I can see some of them having been all but wiped out. Then there are the gods... man this has all sorts of potential.

What do some of the rest of you think?

 

[d12]

off the top of MY head

First I would see if your fellow players are as enthusiastic as you. If they are, then put them to work! Ask them what they envision in the Forgotten Realms of DR 3000.

Here's what I might do, in no certain order.

1. Elminster and other great heroes (Khelben, Drizzt, etc...) have all either died or become minor deities. Its tempting to keep these character around forever but I'd be more likely to record their heroic deaths.

2. Several realms-shaking events have likely taken place in the last 1700 years. Maybe Cormyr became exapansionistic and took over all the the lands of the Moonsea and the Heartlands [in the name of good of course].

3. A new threat - while some of the old bad guys may still be around, many should have passed away or evloved into something else. Perhaps the Zhentarim have forged a nation. Perhaps they were wiped out by a new race of half-dragons in F-16s.

 

[Sixchan]

It's sorta hard to imagine politics without making a complete history. Since it's only 1000 years, the change in Technology is quite rapid, so this is something to consider. Things to think about:

1. Do the Elves declare war on Technology? How do Druids Feel?
1a. They started it, right?
1b. Do they get their asses Kicked?
1c. Are both sides forced into unfavourable alliances?
1d. Do the elves do something stupid like cast Karsus' Avatar?

2. Are Magic and Technology inversely related? Would modern day tech rule out the existance of magic?

3. Have all the Nations accepted technology? Are some holding out?

4. Who started the IR? The Gnomes, the Humans or the Dwarves? Or even...the Elves?

5. How does this race relate to other races?

6. Is Kara-Tur now like modern day Japan?
6a. Do Elminster, Drizzt, etc. Get their own Animes?
6b. Magical Girl Pretty Elminster sucks, right?

7. How did Imperialism work out?

8. Is Zakhara now Faerunian Iraq?

9. Once decent firearms were available, was there a Revolution in Thay?

10. Have alliancies brought countries and City-States together as Single Nations?
10a. Have superpowers developed as a result of this?
10b. Was there a Great War?

There are other issues, but these are all I can think of for now.

 

[kkoie]

you guys have put up some great points to ponder. I haven't had a chance to talk to my players yet (our next gaming session is this sunday). At the moment, I was working on what the map of the world would look like, nation wise.

 

[Mordane76]

Just from the ideas I hear kicking around, and having been reading d20 Modern a lot lately, I think it might be interesting to play with the idea of the receding/encroaching Shadow from Shadow Chasers and Urbana Arcana, especially if you're looking for a "new" old threat.

Another idea might be an increase in Gond worship and a potential upheaval in the pantheon that brings about this rapid modernization. What happens to Ao is also a question ---> perhaps industry arises because Gond somehow replaces Ao, depending on how you see the Overgod.


Depending on how you spin it, major players in the modern realms would probably include Waterdeep (now probably the 'center' of a nation), Thay (who I think would still be incredibly powerful, like the Soviets before Glasnost), Cormyr (who I think would absorb Sembia and the Moonsea), Silverymoon (just because they're "democractic" and nicey-nice), and possibly Halruaa (depending on the magic-tehcnology interaction).

What about the Underdark? How do you think the Drow would handle the expansion of technology? I think the Mind Flayers would latch onto it readily... in attempts to bring about their great empire.

 

[Sixchan]

Gond doesn't have to replace Ao, he really just has to replace Oghma. With no superior stopping his inventions going down, they'd get there WAY to fast. If Gond were to get into such a position, there wouldn't be enough history and politics to stop rivals nuking each other off the Face of Toril, which itself won't last long. Gond either needs just some more power (not too much), or the inhabitants of Toril need to figure it out themselves.

I still like how it was done in the first IR with regards to the Underdark. The alignment for the Illithid, as a race, slowly changed to neutral, and then they were split into Neoillithid (good) Illithid (neutral) and Deep Illithid (evil). All had technology, and functioned differently. Neoillithid helped the nations of Faerun, Illithid mostly stayed out, and the Deep Illithid tried to block out the sun.
Drow, were destroyed (I think), and so were the other elves, until they got ressurected and befriended the Humanoids. Then all the races in the world got down to a good old-fashioned inter-species orgy.

 

[Ferret]

IR?

And why 3000? shouldn't it be 2000?

 

[Mordane76]

What is IR? I confused...

I really think that as time advances, another upheaval akin to, if not greater in magnitude than, the Time of Troubles HAS to occur in the Faerunian pantheon. As for the other pantheons, I think they would actually either be absorbed into the Faerunian or die out completely.

Also... it depends on who gets the technology first. If humans had it, I think there would be a rapid decrease in the types and numbers of icky monsters (look at us now and how we kill every animal under the sun). If gnomes had it first... then this thread would be really short...

 

[Sixchan]

IR = Industrial Revolution

Here are the archives for EN's Industrial Revolutions. The First is very much a freeform one, but stick with it, since the elves do some pretty stupid stuff (They actually cast Karsus' Avatar!). The Second is LOADS of fun. Never got into the third, it seemed too regulated...

 

[kkoie]

I suppose it could be 2000, 3000 just seemed like a number.

As for the drow, I don't see them being wiped out. I can see them adapting. Lets face it, they could be capable of anything. Start a global war with the surface (maybe the drow start what turns into the FR version of WWI?!), only to be pushed back into the underdark.

The idea with the illithids splitting into 3 factions is a great idea. Although I think that even the good illithids would not be extremly friendly, just more tolerant.

I think that Ao would probably do little or nothing at all when it came to the conflict among the gods, unless they started overstepping their bounds again, like they did to inspire the Time of Troubles.

I think that Waterdeep would probably be the biggest and most influencial city in the realms, similar to New York or London (or any other modernday city that has lots of influence).