Standing in the way of technology

[durath]

This may have been covered in the old "industrial revolution" threads but I would like some fresh perspectives.

Imagine a typical fantasy world with your standard races and creatures. Now lets say that instead of doing the typical thing(retreating) the elves of this world do not want to see technology come into play and stand up and try and stop it.

What races do you think would oppose technology? How would they stop it? Could magic(wish, miracle etc.) stop tech from advancing. Is it possible to keep a fantasy world pristine and unspoiled?

I am having a discussion with a couple of friends on our campaign messageboard and they are saying that magic is incapable of stopping technology. Every race wants to get tech and those that don't couldn't stop it anyway with such little guns like "magic".

I am saying magic could stop tech advances and races likee elves and other fey might like having a more "natural" world.

Thoughts anyone?

 

[Sixchan]

I don't think elves, as a whole race, would oppose technology. Most large cities have elven communities, right? Not all elves live in trees, do they? And if they can put up with a light spell, what's so bad about a light bulb? Or a Tractor? Would pollution be an issue in a magical world where you have spells that can purify water and air, and so on?

 

[Sagan Darkside]

Salutations,

I doubt many of the lines would be divided by race.

Dwarves- I could see some taking the stance that their fathers and their father's fathers did something the traditional way. Why change now?

I could also see some Dwarves taking to the appeal of using the earth and the results of their mining for further means.

Halflings- Same deal, but change it to agriculture. Also, the louder and more trouble it makes- the less they may be interested.

They might be the least interested, but not the most resistant.

Gnomes- Ehh, who cares?

Seriously, this is probably the main supporter of technology since it is their stereotypical hobby.

Goblinoids- If they can steal it, then it will be theirs.

Dragons- They will sit back and watch. If it results in some peasants using a cannon to blow them out of the sky, then they will quickly become anti-technology.

Humans- Ehh, depends on the culture, but I would just look at the agricultural revolution and try to follow a similar pattern of distrust.

Arcane casters- I have trouble seeing many of them opposing technology, but instead adopting it for their own uses.

Divine casters- This is where you may run into trouble. When medicinal tech starts evolving, then clerics are not as needed. When the forests start getting stripped, then the druids and rangers are going to have a fit.

However, these dynamics may change if elves declare war on technology.

The peasants who are finally having streets lit at night and easier means to defends themselves from monsters, are now being told to go back to being cold and afraid? Ha! And by an elf? I think you will find many human cultures and a handful of races turning against them.

Could a Wish stop technology? Oh, I would love to see the wording on that Wish.

Is it possible to keep a fantasy world pristine? Well- it depends on the world.

How about a powerful church begins to make such innovations and realizes the dangers they represent to their powerbase. The clerics begin to put together a quiet inquisition to keep such advances down.

SD

 

[Buttercup]

If elves were opposed to technology, and there were enough of them, I think they could do a great deal to slow its progress, if not halt it completely. After all, elves live much longer than other races, so they have more time to develop ways to throw a wrench into the works (pun intended).

As for magic, I'm sure you could come up with a way that the use of magic would set up an anti-machine vibe.

Finally, imagine what a few thousand powerful elven druids could do to shut down technology. They could make plants overgrow factories like kudzu. They could send hordes of vermin in to chew through wires, belts or other fragile parts. They could use several thousand Heat Metal spells simultaneously to set the factory on fire.

You know, this is actually a really cool campaign idea....

 

[Sixchan]

There is no reason to assume that in a magical environment, particularly one with druids and rangers, technology = destruction of nature. Think about what a few thousand powerful elven druids could do as ministers for the environment.

 

[Sagan Darkside]

There is no reason to assume that in a magical environment, particularly one with druids and rangers, technology = destruction of nature. Think about what a few thousand powerful elven druids could do as ministers for the environment.

Fair enough- but where is the conflict (i.e. fun) in that?

On a more serious note- I could see a merging of technology and magic to compliment each other eventually, but there is almost always an adversarial relationship between a new and old social force- especially when they tend to have similar ends.

SD

 

[Sagan Darkside]

Finally, imagine what a few thousand powerful elven druids could do to shut down technology. They could make plants overgrow factories like kudzu. They could send hordes of vermin in to chew through wires, belts or other fragile parts. They could use several thousand Heat Metal spells simultaneously to set the factory on fire.

Heh, I have trouble picturing a large elf population, but I like where you are going with the idea.

In defense against the Elven assaults/terrorism, you could develop some unusual alliances. Humans begin to outfit goblin and orc armies with limited technology to assault the elven lands. Perhaps even too much- leaving to big problems for them in the long term.

Human society could begin to shift as well- since half-elves and even some elves could pass as humans, it becomes fashionable to have short haircuts or even just shaved heads. People hiding their ears are seen as suspect.

Dwarves respond by sending the waste products of their own advancements into the water supply of elven lands.

Halflings side with the elves since the won't get the support from humans and would rather stick with what they know.

Gnomes begin to work on long range delivery systems for defoliants and poisons.

Good dragons side with the elves- leading to evil dragons being an unwelcome ally to the humans.

You know, this is actually a really cool campaign idea....

Agreed- I think my flying island campeign is going to have to be adjusted for this.

SD

 

[durath]

awesome

These are great ideas guys. Keep em coming. I really like the visual of the Druids sending in horde after horde of insects to wreack havoc on machinery.

 

[Sixchan]

Heh, I have trouble picturing a large elf population, but I like where you are going with the idea.

In defense against the Elven assaults/terrorism, you could develop some unusual alliances. Humans begin to outfit goblin and orc armies with limited technology to assault the elven lands. Perhaps even too much- leaving to big problems for them in the long term.

Human society could begin to shift as well- since half-elves and even some elves could pass as humans, it becomes fashionable to have short haircuts or even just shaved heads. People hiding their ears are seen as suspect.

Dwarves respond by sending the waste products of their own advancements into the water supply of elven lands.

Halflings side with the elves since the won't get the support from humans and would rather stick with what they know.

Gnomes begin to work on long range delivery systems for defoliants and poisons.

Good dragons side with the elves- leading to evil dragons being an unwelcome ally to the humans.

With the exception of the Halflings and Dwarves, this sounds almost identical to the first IR.
But I don't see why Good Dragons side with the elves. What if some peasants blew a Red Dragon out of the sky with a cannon?
And I still don't buy the "All elves are tree-huggers" idea. City-dwelling elves aren't unheard of in most (AFAIK) campaign worlds. In one of my own Homebrews, I had Elves as human-like city builders, and had western humans be the hippies.

 

[Sagan Darkside]

Re: awesome

These are great ideas guys. Keep em coming. I really like the visual of the Druids sending in horde after horde of insects to wreack havoc on machinery.

Heh, just keep in mind this trick will only work the first few times.

After that, they will learn to deal with the pests the same way they do now- poisons, controlled fires, or even controlled floods.

Also- keep in mind that just because a group of people are adapting technology does not mean they are giving up magic.

I suspect it would not be magic versus technology, but magic versus technology & magic.

SD