Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="gamerprinter" data-source="post: 5692668" data-attributes="member: 50895">Sorry, I was 'fixated' on IR, because I thought that's where this conversation was at - a world like Eberron, has undergone some kind of industrial revolution because elements like transportation in Eberron resembles planes, trains and automobiles - I thought this is what you meant by magic as a setting device. I guess I was mistaken. I mentioned pages earlier how I use magic as a setting device in Kaidan, however, it really isn't the same thing as you're describing. Kaidan's magical setting elements are nothing created by man/wizards/authority directly, rather they were engendered by a curse that founded the empire. Kaidan is a basically a closed state, like Japan was from 1600 to 1868, but not because of imperial decree, so much as it's like Ravenloft, the land is surrounded by impenetrable mists - you can't get into the land even if you enter the mists, as Kaidan really exists in its own demi-planar bubble. Unless the 'dark powers' of Kaidan let you in, you can't get in. This to me is a setting device, not a plot element. Cosmology and the afterlife are different in Kaidan then the rest of the D&D world, based on the reincarnation mechanic of the setting, and the soul eating engine of evil that is the cosmology of the setting. This is also tied to the social caste system. Since the reincarnation mechanic determines which social caste you reincarnate, not through any kind of social mobility in the setting. This was caused by the curse that created Kaidan, and not some active technological development by the inhabitants. This too is a setting element and not a plot device. Also arcane tattoos though a magical thing applied by tattoo wizards has its own stigma as it does in Japan. Only an animal would wear a tattoo - at least in the eyes of any social caste that is not the Eta or tainted, bottom caste of society. Only a yakuza rogue would ever wear a tattoo. Because a tattoo is a magical thing, it could be considered a plot device, but because only a lowest class member would wear one, it is also a setting element. However, I can already tell by the general gist of this thread, that that is not what what you're talking about. Rather you mean normal spells and magic items of the game becoming setting elements rather than plot devices - something more like Eberron (and that to me implies industrial revolution, and not a setting that I want to play in.) I think magic can be a setting element, just in a completely different manner than you are discussing in this thread. As I said, much of Kaidan's uniqueness involves how magic is a setting device. But we are talking apples and oranges, here. And [MENTION=6676736]Pentius[/MENTION] I don't begrudge your desire to create a possible industrial revolution based on magic as technology. Even though I'm not interested, I don't mean to suggest that others shouldn't be either. It is a viable subject for use in RPGs and you're welcome to discuss it and dissect it - that's a good thing. Its just not interesting to me.</blockquote>

Verification