Pathfinder 1E High(er) technology campaign

[wlmartin]

Watching the new reimagining of Wizard of Oz via the TV series "Emerald City" at the same time as planning for a Pathfinder Campaign hit me at the same time and I have been inspired.

In the show, magic vs technology is emphasized and I thought of creating a campaign that employs this.

I am not keen on creating a sci-fi campaign as such as is provided with the Numera campaign setting but instead am looking for a technology level of around the turn of the 20th century or just before.

++ Trains
++ Repeating firearms
++ Emerging of electricity / science

The premise for this is as follows

• Group of humans rebel against society with reasons of anti magic and pro technology concerns
• Said group rises up but is defeated
• They then migrate (sail off to an island, exodus to a new land, etc) away from said society
• Without magic curbing** their growth, they begin to become more industrious and science focused
• The party will encounter this society as an outsider and have adventures in this new land
• There will be a mix of real world and fantastical world, steam punk-esque with clockwork analoges to sci-fi concepts such as cybernetics, androids, etc
• There will be divine magic in this campaign area because there will be some Gods that either oppose magic for which become patron gods to this new order

**This idea is that science is driven by invention and invention is driven by need. If the needs of the populace are satisfied by magic then there is no drive to change and technology is stunted

This area will contain the humans, gnomes (who would be one of the natives of their new land but share similar industrious goals), various monster types they encounter and divergance of politics to form different sub-groups within the new area. Good humans and bad humans etc.

Guns will be a key part of this world and will perform an interesting challenge since players can eventually start using guns (if they want) but will for a good amount of time in the start of the campaign have to fight against them. Also, magic items will be sparse because whilst previous civilizations that lived in this area may have existed and treasures will be buried with them - there is no "new magic item" generation. Furthermore since using magic will be seen as a crime, these would only be available on a black market basis.

Add to this an underground society (exists before the party join) that is rebelling against science with magic, using it in secret and various takes on common tropes or preconceptions and I think you have a good idea for a campaign world.

Magic vs Technology... will the players side with their belief that magic is not an issue or welcome the conflicting views aspousing technology.

Is this a worthwhile idea for a campaign? Any thoughts? Any worthy reading materials (especially PF books) worth taking in to make it better?

 

[was]

..Try looking at the Mana Wastes and Alkenstar.

http://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Mana_Wastes
http://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Alkenstar

 

[was]

edit...Double Post

 

[Derren]

Not reading materials but the video game Arcanum had pretty much this setting. Except that there was no hard cut between technology and magic countries (although they certainly had a preference) as technology evolved naturally and began to replace magic as it was more useful for the common masses. Magic, while powerful always depended on a few gifted individuals and was hard if not impossible to use on a large scale.
Also, the mere presence of magic affects the laws of physics in its close vicinity. Not enough to be really noticeable by most people (unless of course the intention of the spell is to affect a specific law) but enough to cause machines to malfunction.
For example the presence of a magic sword might raise the electrical resistance of nearby wiring, etc. So magic existing alongside technology is not possible.

Maybe you can get hold of the manual somewhere. It contains some lore about the world.