How mediaeval is D&D, anyway?

[Hairfoot]

The issue of D&D's loyalty to the mediaeval era seems to crop up often on ENWorld over issues such as the political layout of a campaign, the style of sourcebook art, or the limits and capabilities of plate armour and other technology.

Whatever Gygax and Co intended with Chainmail, since the release of AD&D I've rarely thought of the D&D world as a mediaeval analogue. Instead, D&D worlds are more like the real world, but with an alternate history in which magic and divine intervention have interrupted the development of real world technology.

For example:

In most D&D worlds (homebrew notwithstanding) feudalism doesn't really exist and, as other ENworlders have pointed out, D&D societies are more like the American wild west than a superstitious, disease-ridden Dark Age Europe.

The outposts of civilisation are very civilised indeed - at least equal to the Roman empire - and mechanical and materials technology is quite advanced.

Wizardry is portrayed as an advanced science, with the outcome being uncommon but stupendous feats of magic, rather than broad-based industrial manufacturing.

Of course, none of that is categorical, but it does fit with many of the overall themes and assumptions of D&D.

What do you reckon?

 

[jdrakeh]

I reckon that the only thing "medieval" about D&D, even way back in 1974, are some of the items on the equipment list (and possibly the analogue between Clerics and Crusaders).

 

[Treebore]

I reckon I don't worry about it too much and just go with it.

Your right, though. Not really medievel Europe by a long stretch of the imagination. I look at it more as being just before, and the beginning of, the Renaissance, even though that doesn't really cover it either.

 

[WayneLigon]

Whatever Gygax and Co intended with Chainmail, since the release of AD&D I've rarely thought of the D&D world as a mediaeval analogue.

Anyone who has thought of D&D was ever supposed to be set in some sort of recreation of our world's medieval past, save with monsters and demihumans, has missed the point, badly.

It borrows far more from Conan and Lankhmar than it does King Arthur, but even there... find me a King Arthur story that revolves around the economics of serfdom, mentions subinfeudation, or really even mentions them other than as 'peasants'. The lands of Hyperboria have loose-knit kingdoms but the stories concentrate on the heroes and not the fiddly-bits of the world. Not because Howard didn't know about them - Howard was probably better-read than 80% of the people reading this - but because he knew it was boring crap that didn't make for an exciting tale. Because for the most part, they're not all that important unless you want to be unusual and focus on that sort of thing for a campaign.

All that kind of stuff is there for the GM to fill in on his own.

Chivalry and Sorcery first edition did that; they even had a supplement with all the knight's fees, villages, churches, etc. Harn did this sort of thing as well.

 

[Edgewood]

This quote comes from the preface of the Player's Handbook from the D&D Companion Boxed Set, written by Brian Blume in 1984.

"First, the game must be fun - else why play the game? Second, it must be playable. Many historically accurate details in medieval times are complex and disorganized - generally all too human to use in a game."

Clearly it was not meant to emulate medieval times, but simply borrow from it just as it has borrowed from oriental culture, the Rennaisance, Egyptian, dark age, and even into the days of enlightenment.

It's what you make of it I guess.

 

[Arkhandus]

Little real medievalism in D&D, especially in 3E but still more or less the case in earlier editions too. I've always thought of it more as fantasy early/pre-Renaissance alternate-earth settings, with a few modern quirks. Plus Spelljammer, which is somewhere between seafaring fantasy and space fantasy, but I'm cool with that (yes, even the sillyness).

 

[Delta]

It says it's medieval. It's more medieval than any other time period.

 

[Aeric]

It's medieval fantasy, with emphasis on the fantasy.

 

[shilsen]

D&D doesn't map at all well to any historical period from Earth, but if one had to pick one, I've always seen it as borrowing most closely from the early Renaissance in Europe. The only reason there's all that reference to the medieval in D&D is because people laugh when you say "I'm going to get Renaissance on your ass"

 

[Rabelais]

Instantaneous travel and communication? Check
Universal Literacy (at least in 'civilized' lands)? for pete's sake, it's spelled out in the PHB that everybody can speak and write their native language. Check
Governments organized on something other than familial relationships? Mostly so Check
Complex economies based on consumer goods? a hearty Check



In my campaign Waterdeep has more in common with San Francisco (circa 1900) than it does 14th-16th century Paris