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Technology in Fantasy

Steverooo

First Post
I have no problems with Bazookas in D&D... Boredflak had such a "Wand of Fireballs", as well as a "Wand of Magic Missiles" which looked awfully like a Tommygun! (Clarke's Law) You want a wand of fireballs? You need some ruby tubing, mirror-polishing equipment, sapphire, glass-blowing gear, some metal wire, some acids and metals...

Einsteinian and Newtonian physics works in my world. Pretty much all non-theoretical sciences do. This allows PCs to base their actions on real-world analogs.

Magic is just a new layer added onto the reality we already know. It is powered by the Positive and Negative Material Planes (and sometimes the Elementals), which are "porous". Micro-wormholes connect these planes to the Prime Material (and in a few places, like the heart of a volcano, there are larger connections). The ability to "use magic" is the ability to sense and control these teeny gates, to some extent, and call forth the effects generated by the spells...

Magic Missiles? Open a micro-wormhole to the Positive Material Plabe in short burts. Manifest the energy as force. Point the force. Aim it at your enemy, with the tightest possible control, maintain concentration until the missiles hit.

I feel that taking the approach of "This world works differently" for the Prime Material is a mistake. It disallows the PCs to relate their actions to the real world. Some GMs prefer to have their PCs running around, trying whatever, doing things that (in real life) would be silly. I don't. YMMV.

I save the "worlds with other laws" for higher-level plane-travel adventures! ;)
 
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