Literacy in a medieval fantasy world?

[blargney]

I think it's fairly well established that the vast majority of people was illiterate in Earth's medieval society. Notable exceptions were scribes, clergy, nobility, scholars, and a few others.

Why, then, are all adventurers (except barbarians) literate in D&D? If not for flavour, then does it improve the game in some way?

-blarg

 

[mkarol]

Why, then, are all adventurers (except barbarians) literate in D&D? If not for flavour, then does it improve the game in some way?

In my experience this is an oft asked question and my response is: Magic!

Now, this is more so in high magic than in low magic settings. No, magic doesn't cause everyone to read. No, wizards do not walk around teaching everyone to read. No, little Tommy and Jane do not go to bed each night ready to learn to read in the hopes of becoming magic wielding heroes.

Rather, unlike medieval Earth, D&D worlds are 'medieval' for long periods of time; they do not progress industrially because Magic serves the purpose of technological advancement or captures the minds of the dedicated individuals who would come up with steam power, automobiles, and the internet.

So life does 'improve' for even the unwashed masses in these worlds, although butler's can't expect a vacuum cleaner to come along anytime soon. These improvements include education and in turn literacy.

Personally, I think the idea of illiteracy only for Barbarians to be stupid.

---


I think literacy adds to the adventure by making the characters able to read maps, scrolls, hints, and so forth without being overly bogged down with pictograms or hieroglyphics. They can also write notes back in forth or with NPCs where appropriate. Sure, in a dungeon crawl, it might not be that necessary, but if you want to communicate with an employer or liege or church; well, it makes it easier.

Granted, I do know of some fun RP experiences where a character (unbeknownst to the others) could not read very well. Said illiterate was in charge of the map, and then given the written 'clues.' The DM would write him garbled messages like "Brown ?/';! is left" and the illiterate would just make things up while his party bought it!




Edit: I stopped ranting, and actually answered the question asked.

 

[jgbrowning]

Re: Re: Literacy in a medieval fantasy world?

Personally, I think the idea of illiteracy only for Barbarians to be stupid.

me too...

I think the reason 3E is this way, is that its trying to be more portable to other settings besides the medieval period. unfortunatly, most of the tropes of the book rely upon a medieval setting, so it seems incongruous.

just me .002$

joe b.

 

[Tonguez]

IMC everyone starts illiterate and need to take the appropriate 2 ranks in a Language skill to learn to read/write. Wizards get the skill for free in 'Arcane Script' only.

Its really not much of an issue overall...

Oh yeah and I agree the DnD World isn't medieval - its more a magically skewed Renaisance era ...

 

[jgbrowning]

Oh yeah and I agree the DnD World isn't medieval - its more a magically skewed Renaisance era ...

didn't mean to imply that i didn't think DnD was medieval... i do think it is medieval. late/high medieval period.

if it was renaisance, there would be guns, reduction is heavy armor value, larger cities, and an urban population greater than an average 8% of the total population. DnD is definitely in the middle ages, not the renaisance. (at least core rule DnD)


joe b.

 

[barsoomcore]

Why, then, are all adventurers (except barbarians) literate in D&D? If not for flavour, then does it improve the game in some way?

Because all players (except barbarians) are literate. We're all used to life as literates and see the world as literate people. D&D is not intended to be a historical simulation, it's just a fun game, so it doesn't try to force people to accept restrictions they might have to think too hard about.

Reducing barriers to entry is what it's about.

 

[jgbrowning]

Re: Re: Literacy in a medieval fantasy world?

Reducing barriers to entry is what it's about.

That's why i carry "Portable Battering Ram" (TM)


joe b.

 

[LostSoul]

At any rate, it's a really simple fix.

 

[Roman]

That the vast majority of peple were illiterate during the late Middle Ages is an often held misconception of the era. Although that was indeed true during the Dark/Early Middle Ages, by the late/high Middle Ages literacy in Europe has shot up dramatically and was in fact about the same as in some poor Sub-Saharan African developing countries today and sometimes even higher. Historians estimate that by the time of the Reneissance, the majority of people in Europe were literate. Standard D&D is set on the verge of the Reneissance era or in Late Middle Ages, so it makes sense for PCs to be literate, especially if you consider the fact that they are unlikely to be peasants that made up the majority of the population at the time (and even a significant portion of the peasants was literate by then).

 

[WayneLigon]

Re: Re: Literacy in a medieval fantasy world?

Because all players (except barbarians) are literate. We're all used to life as literates and see the world as literate people. D&D is not intended to be a historical simulation,

Yep. I tried playing a character once that was illiterate. I found it almost impossible, because most of our games tend to be pretty literate: written clues are found, diaries, journals, etc. I gave up after the third or fourth session and had the character learn to read.