Electricity: Photvoltaic Technology For A Fantasy World?

[Angel Tarragon]

I'm trying to find a scientific way to introduce eletricity into a fantasy game. I've been looking at photovoltaic technology and think it might fit with a victorian theme.

Your input would be appreciated.

 

[Pyrex]

What are you trying to accomplish?

Just some method of generating current or an Arcanum-esque magic vs. technology feel?

 

[Angel Tarragon]

What are you trying to accomplish?

Giving entire kingdoms access to electricity without the use of magic.

 

[blargney the second]

Most generators use magnets, which even occur in nature.

A waterwheel hooked up to a magnet in a coil would generate more or less constant electricity.
-blarg

 

[JustKim]

It takes a considerably higher level of technology to harness photovoltaic energy than it does to produce electricity. The only reason solar energy is around today (and the reason it isn't more popular) is because we have the luxury of expending a lot of energy toward a lesser source of energy in the hopes that it will eventually be worthwhile. For a fantasy society, photovoltaic technology would represent an effort even modern Earth is not equipped to undertake, with minimal returns and a delicate technology which must be exposed to the harsh conditions of a D&D world to function.

I can't really see it happening. It's a neat idea though.

 

[Temmogen]

Ancient Technology

Try looking up the Electron Tubes of Dendera. Depictions of a Lightbulb like device found in an ancient egyptian temple. I have also read somewhere that they found an ancient greek or egyptian battery, similar to alkaline batteries.

 

[cmrscorpio]

What are you trying to accomplish?

Giving entire kingdoms access to electricity without the use of magic.

I think he's asking "Why are you wanting to give entire access to electricity without the use of magic?"

What purpose is the electricity going to serve? Is it some sort of plot device? What kind of flavor and tone are you trying to create?

 

[jdrakeh]

I think he's asking "Why are you wanting to give entire access to electricity without the use of magic?"

What purpose is the electricity going to serve? Is it some sort of plot device? What kind of flavor and tone are you trying to create?

I might be wrong but, for all of it's brilliance, D&D magic really sucks at duplicating the effects of technology in an efficient (i.e., easily accomplished) manner (using the RAW, anyhow).

 

[Pyrex]

Giving entire kingdoms access to electricity without the use of magic.

How much electricity?

The waterwheel* mentioned above and/or simple chemical batteries are your best bet for low-tech low-to-medium output current.

Trying to produce megawatts of current to power cities within a victorian/steampunk reference frame is going to be difficult without a rather large deux ex machina**.


*Or donkeys in a mill, or slaves for that matter. Really any readily available source of kinetic energy can be fairly simply converted to electricity.

**Which could also work. You could posit an underground lake heavily tainted with alchemical effluvia being turned into massive battery powering your entire neo-technological empire...

 

[DMH]

Steam and Steel (EN Publishing) has a nifty way of going about that. It has solar collectors which are not magical (or are quasi-magical?). Use them to power generators and you get your juice.

Or drop the magical requirement for alchemy and have chemical battery based technology.