D&D 5E (2014) Let's Talk About Guns in 5E

[Sacrosanct]

Again, the middle ages didn't believe minotaurs and medusa didn't still wander the Earth. They were tales told.

To be fair, they never did. They were unique creatures. After Theseus killed the Minotaur with the help of Madea, there were no more minotaur. And medusa was a singular person who got screwed (no pun intended) by Poseidon and Aphrodite.

But on topic, D&D has always been a mashup of different eras. Plate and full plate didn't exist until later, and general belief of monsters started to fade out in the 12th century. The Middle ages was what? 1000 years long? Much different from the 5th Century to the 15th

 

[Reynard]

Yes; the Minotaur specifically was pretty famously contained by a labyrinth.

"Wandering the Earth" heh.

My point was that the Greeks thought of the Heroic age as far in the past as well. No one believed there were minotaurs currently living in the world.

 

[AlViking]

My point was that the Greeks thought of the Heroic age as far in the past as well. No one believed there were minotaurs currently living in the world.

There are people today who believe in any number of cryptids from the loch ness monster to bigfoot. I wouldn't say "no one" believed. Of course I also don't see that it matters much D&D just grabs whatever creature from mythology that looks interesting contorts it to fit some role in the game and throws it in.

 

[Remathilis]

But on topic, D&D has always been a mashup of different eras. Plate and full plate didn't exist until later, and general belief of monsters started to fade out in the 12th century. The Middle ages was what? 1000 years long? Much different from the 5th Century to the 15th

Basically my point. D&D is a mixture of historical and mythological ideas covering from the Bronze Age though at least the Renaissance and increasingly has bumped into the enlightenment, Victorian, and other pre-20th century eras. (And Eberron gently tests even that boundary). To call D&D "medieval" is extremely generous considering how much it liberally pulls from pre and post medieval stuff.

 

[Laurefindel]

Basically my point. D&D is a mixture of historical and mythological ideas covering from the Bronze Age though at least the Renaissance and increasingly has bumped into the enlightenment, Victorian, and other pre-20th century eras. (And Eberron gently tests even that boundary). To call D&D "medieval" is extremely generous considering how much it liberally pulls from pre and post medieval stuff.

and yet I continue to say that this is exactly what "medieval fantasy" is; a romanticized hodge-podge of concepts and aesthetics of anything in between antiquity and modern eras, even borrowing elements of both. Just "fantasy" doesn't cut it; it's too vague.

Only Eberron really challenges this and yet clings to many "medieval" elements, concepts, and imagery (because they are core to the identity of D&D). I love this because it shows Eberron as a world in transition but not completely out of its medieval period yet.

But that's the hill that will see me die on sooner than I hope; I understand that we aren't many that see it this way anymore.

 

[Remathilis]

and yet I continue to say that this is exactly what "medieval fantasy" is; a romanticized hodge-podge of concepts and aesthetics of anything in between antiquity and modern eras, even borrowing elements of both. Just "fantasy" doesn't cut it; it's too vague.

Only Eberron really challenges this and yet clings to many "medieval" elements, concepts, and imagery (because they are core to the identity of D&D). I love this because it shows Eberron as a world in transition but not completely out of its medieval period yet.

But that's the hill that will see me die on sooner than I hope; I understand that we aren't many that see it this way anymore.

One of my favorite video game series was Soul Calibur. A fantasy weapon-based fighting game series where heroes were pulled from all across genres of fantasy. Some of the main characters included:

• A baker girl turned champion of Haephestus.
• A Holy Roman Empire knight.
• A ninja demon hunter
• A samurai
• A shou-lin monk
• A tribesman from the New World
• A Spanish pirate
• A French nobleman swashbuckler

What year was the games set in? 1586. And the pirate has a gun built in the hilt of his sword that was used to wound the priestess of the Greek God.

There is no way that realistically those characters could meet up at that period in history. But SC doesn't care about historical accuracy (if the lizard person is giant golem fighters didn't give that away). Still, I would not really call the game medieval either. To me, it is a fantasy aesthetic that grabs elements from across eras and mixes them with the vaguest veneer of plausibility. D&D does the same.

So if 1586 is "medieval", then we might agree. If it's not, then I don't think we can call D&D or Soul Calibur medieval...