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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mobius" data-source="post: 388598" data-attributes="member: 6124">The D&D magic system is inherently unrealistic (to say nothing about fantasy gaming in general).  Your predicted world likely would arise as a result of D&D style magic, but it most certainly wouldn't arise as a result of 'magic' as a more generic force to be manipulated.1. Can a caster ever 'fail' at casting a spell in D&D?  Nope.  Spells that fail cause problems, injury and even death.  The number of volunteers to light the city or to provide running water would go down enormously when there is some measure of personal risk for the caster.  Provide light to some peasant?  I have more important things to do than to risk my neck for a mere gutter rat.  2. Where does the iron from a Wall of Iron come from?Limitless resources are unrealistic.  In D&D magic, it isn't unrealistic to create a 100 zillion iron walls with no effect on the current stores of iron in the ground. 3. Is a Wall of Iron cast by Zakhar the Illustrious, High Mage of Danzir the same as a Wall of Iron cast by Jeremy Barnswallow, hedge mage of a halfling community?Yep.  Very unrealistic that spells the world over are exactly the same in effect.  So, I think you can see my point.  When every Wall of Iron is exactly the same, does not draw on any limited resources, can be cast without failure, it is pretty easy to see that traditional ironworkers would be quickly out of work.Nothing could be farther from 'realistic' though.My second point is more philosophical.  You are a 20th century man inundated with mass production, technology and weaned on values such as individuality, progress and innovation.  When you see magic, you see a force to be manipulated - you turn magic into technology.  If an indigenous culture 'discovered' magic, they would come up with some very different uses than you would conceive of because their cultural values do not match ours, or are even diametrically opposed.In other words, do not suppose that 'human nature' is the same from one culture to another with regards to progress.</blockquote>

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