[Tale of the Twin Suns] Astrology v. Cosmology

[Angel Tarragon]

I've been giving some thought to the Tale lately and since the civilized lands are going through Earth's equivalent of the Gothic era there are fields of Knowledge that are available to PCs & NPCs that aren't in a standard D&D game. Earth Sciences, Life Sciences & Sciences knowledge skills (as presented Masque of the Red Death D20) are present.

Would Knowledge (Science) include astrology? It already has Astronomy as one of its sub-sciences so I'm not sure about this.

In addition how should I set astrology apart from cosmology? How would this be done in a normal D&D campaign?

 

[Knightfall]

Would Knowledge (Science) include astrology? It already has Astronomy as one of its sub-sciences so I'm not sure about this.

Science, modern science that is, doesn't include astrology. (I know this from my Research night class's textbook.)

Astrology falls into the same category as metaphysics and alchemy whem it comes to being "unscientific."

". . . metaphysics, the search for the meaning of the cosmos, was out; alchemy, the search for that secret substance that would be used to transform iron into gold, was out; astrology, the study of how the movement of celestial bodies . . . determined humanity's fate, was out. Science -- astronomy, physics, chemisty -- was in." (McIntyre, 2005, p. 16).

 

[Starglim]

Astrology is Knowledge (arcana), or in Masque of the Red Death (where Hermetic magic doesn't seem to play a large part as far as I recall) maybe Prognostication. Cosmology is Knowledge (religion) until well into the Industrial Age.

 

[Sepulchrave II]

Would Knowledge (Science) include astrology? It already has Astronomy as one of its sub-sciences so I'm not sure about this.

Prior to the early modern era, there was no real differentiation made between astronomy and astrology, and the terms were used interchangeably. Astronomy - studying the motions of the planets and stars without inferring any other meaning - was 'natural astrology.' The split between the two disciplines evolved during the course of the 19th century. Kepler, Newton, Tycho Brahe etc. were all astrologers, as well as astronomers.

In addition how should I set astrology apart from cosmology? How would this be done in a normal D&D campaign?

I guess that's entirely up to you. Are stars burning balls of hydrogen, or are they something else in your campaign? What are the planets?

 

[Baron Opal]

Doesn't cosmology properly fit under the Religion skill?