Does technology (steamtech/magictech/clockwork/etc.) figure in your game? What kind?

[MoogleEmpMog]

Absolutely. Steampunk is the default tech level for my games, and it's very unusual for me to run one that's pre-gunpowder. Indeed, I'm much more likely to run a game without fantasy than a game without tech.

The last D&D game I played regularly was in the Iron Kingdoms.

 

[spectre72]

Start with a base of Eberron, add muskets, cannon, zepplins, steamtanks, ...etc.

Shake well.

This is the basis of my campaign.

I use FFG's Sorcery and steam and AEG's Swashbuckling adventures.

Has worked well so far.

Scott

 

[WayneLigon]

In most campaigns, I'll have it occassionally as a curiosity. Usually I'll use some form of real-world tech that is more 'advanced' than was the case in our world at around the late middle ages/early Rennaisance: dwarven steam engines, something like a hang-glider, the wate closet, etc. Stuff that would be very plausible for them to make normally, but either we never thought of it or it was regarded as a momentary curiosilty and then dumped for 200 years or more.

Most fantasy tech is some kind of ancient device, but the occassional wizard will decide that, dammit, I am going to have shaved ice on shipboard and I'm a wizard so I'm going to do something about that; he binds an air elemental into a wooden crate and creates the deep freeze.

 

[Grymar]

I run Eberron, so yeah Magitech is there.

But no muskets, cannons, zepplins, steamtanks, etc.

I've never been a fan of gunpowder, especially in Eberron where there is no use for it. Why buy guns for your army when you can have five magewrights or experts with fireball wands?

 

[lukelightning]

I play in an Eberron game, with "magitech" (the DM even included firearms to suit a "gunslinger" PC). I like it in this setting.

However, the game I run is an Arcana Evolved game, set in the Diamond Throne, and I've purposely kept the "tech" level low; think Roman Empire/knights in shining armor. I've also avoided "tech style" things. For example, golems in my world are animated statues, not robots; they aren't constructed out of articulated pieces. A magical war machine is more likely to be a magical rune altar than a magic-launching ballista.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

Well, if I got to DM,There is Gnome-Tech, which is quirky and often does something completely different than what it was supposed to do. It is also often pretty advanced and they have things lke Geothermal Power and one even managed to make a Nuclear Bomb(It never got detonated tough).

 

[Arnwyn]

Yes, but only as an oddity (published setting [FR - Lantan, Halruaa, and Nimbral]).

It's a bit modified by me, and is mostly magitech with a dash of steamtech.


Edit: And while I'm here - does anyone have any recommendations of good products for having/creating some form of magitech (especially into a 'standard' D&D fantasy milieu - i.e. no 'advanced technology' assumptions)?

 

[an_idol_mind]

Technology versus magic is a big theme in my game, so I do use steam technology and other oddities, including a prestige class I made that gets a clockwork familiar. Tecnhologically, there are essentially three eras of my campaign setting: one where magic was the technology (it isn't common enough to be viable anymore), one where magic and technology mixed, which resulted in a few lasting marvels, including a floating city/airship base called Skyharbor, and one where steamtech is the norm and magic is scarce (the current era). The whole advent of steamtech was essentially a way for me to bring tropes from Final Fantasy into a low-magic setting. Add in the fact that I love the Tolkeinesque conflict of the fires of industry versus the green and good old world, and you've got my homebrew.

 

[Voadam]

I use a published setting that allows for it though does not emphasize it, Wildwood.

One of the players wanted to play a giant anime robot style character in a D&D setting and I was OK with the concept so I worked with him to adapt the power armor adept class from the d20 super hero game Deeds Not Words and modified a warforged to large size. His armor gives him a str bonus, adamantine DR, AC, and limited use jump jets. I didn't want guns or lasers.

His backstory is that the peaceful scout ship from a tech/magic/psionic adept race got pulled into Wildwood, tried to dimensional port out and crashed instead. The ship was heavily damaged and was soon overwhelmed by nature. Recently a comet appeared in the night sky and the warforged awoke with damaged systems and memory. He left the ship wandering aimlessly until it met dover who brought him to their village where their scholar king taught him the dover language and the obsequious warforged switched his loyalties to the Dover village and king.

Now the party of two seeds adopted by the village (a dwarf and tiefling, both rangers) are taking the warforged out to try to track down where he came from and see if there are more clues or resources to be gained.

The characterization has been fun so far.

I've got a module I'm modifying to fit what they will find in their explorations, though most is .

I got Steam and Steel and Fantastic Tech during the $1 sale so I will be considering using some stuff from there as well.

I still want it to be D&D, but these elements can fit in I feel.

 

[frankthedm]

Dwarves have guns and flamethrowers, but even with drarven craftmanship they still suffer badly on a natural one. The guns fire slow but have a slight edge against armor [usually negating 2 to 4 points of armor's AC] & the flame throwers are alchemist fire super soakers that are quite a sunder target.

http://www.rafm.com/images/product/DW/04511.jpg
http://www.rafm.com/images/product/DW/04513.jpg

IMO unreliable tech works alright in a fantasy setting.