My Changing Thoughts on Science Fantasy Games

[Stormonu]

Sorry guys, I'm not able to build a vision of a situation where a balanced campaign would result in something being missed. An example please

My thoughts go to the "Dying of the Magic" sort of worlds. Science is on the rise, and magic is becoming less common. People can't prove magic exists because it fails to work in the presence of the doubter, who is becoming more and more common. In this case, science is being to rule because it can flat-out cause magic to cease to exist. The PCs might be the last of the surviving mages, now practicing in secret behind a world cloaked from the mundane eye. Maybe the PCs have to protect the last living dragon, and magic will fade should the dragon cease to exist.

Mage the Ascension uses a form of this, with Paradox.

 

[GrimCo]

I love science fantasy, specially of space opera variety.

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." I love that quote. Specially for post apocalypse setting when you can blur the lines between tech and magic nicely. Thundar the Barbarian is prime example of it.

In ttrpg context, it makes life easier. Take for example artificers thunder guntlets from 5e. They do 1d8 thunder damage on impact. Is it conducting magic or is it storing kinetic energy of movement and transforming it into sonic energy? Who knows. Same with lightning louncher. Does it channel magic or does it just uses static electricity created by friction in armor joints and gem is one big Lyden jar capacitor. In reality, it's both, rules and fiction wise. For some characters it's "magic", for other, it's just tech.

 

[aco175]

Wouldn't most of these things be levels of technology or advancement? If space aliens landed on Earth we might think that some of the stuff they have is magic if we cannot explain through science. If one of them could touch someone and cure cancer and says that it is his belief in god that allows him, we might think magic.

Maybe like Star Wars the whole of the galaxy contains peoples that magic alongside of mundane. Maybe it is just stuff we cannot explain.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

To comment on the balance issue of science vs magic: I think the issue often arises because in most magic-heavy settings, magic is limited by class: only the sorcerer and the wizard can blast people for 8d6 fireballs(or whatever). In sci-fi/fantasy, you can find the “tactical incendiary exploder gun” that does an 8d6 burst. The problem is this item can be used by any character, potentially an unlimited or multiple number of times per day and isn’t necessarily gated by level. In that scenario, tech can overshadow magic. The setting would have to be able to balance those issues.