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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 1706108" data-attributes="member: 3146">Well, let's assume that most real midwives had heal skill. So that's a wash. What you're claiming would make the difference is Cure Light Wounds. And it would--provided that deadly childbirth does 1d8+1 damage. If deadly childbirth sometimes does 2d8+2 damage, it may be that a cure light wounds doesn't save women from death in childbirth. Or maybe, a breach birth actually does 1 point of damage per minute of labor. When does the priest cast the CLW? If he casts it too soon it might not save her. If he waits too long she might die. Given that hit point costs for specific injuries are rather difficult to actually quantify, and there are no mechanics for childbirth complications, I don't think it's possible to tell how many childbirth deaths cure light wounds would avert. The exact quantity of lives saved will vary greatly from campaign to campaign.Maybe and maybe not. This assumes that the dangers are roughly the same as IRL. It's quite possible, however, that rampaging orcs, manticores, magic and the sacrifices required by mens' dark gods will keep the population growth in check. It could also be that the preying of vampires and other creatures who specifically feed on humans would keep populations in check.A D&D world is undoubtedly full of many things that are more dangerous than anything our ancestors faced. The existence of magic and the social instability it might cause (as explored earlier in this thread) would also serve to reduce populations. So there might be an increasing population and there might not be. It's trivial to change the assumptions of the world to match whatever kind of population trends you want.My, what a whiggish view of history we have here. Historical inevitability and all that rot. Again, maybe and maybe not. There have been a lot of times of great population expansion other than the end of the 18th century and in case you didn't notice, only the 18th century in Europe and North America produced the kind of Progress you see as inevitable. The culture and faith of 18th century Europe and North America had as much to do with that Progress as population growth. Even in Europe, some areas grew experienced more Progress than others. Population growth isn't even half the story.Dude, "technology as technology" didn't naturally occur just because populations reached a certain density. IRL, it occurred in western Europe in the 18th century, most particularly in England and later in the United States. There are innumerable times and places where it didn't occur for various and sundry reasons.Heck, if technology (which, as philosophers like George Grant and Martin Heidegger, et al point out is dependent upon a particular way of looking at the world) were the inevitable consequence of population growth and "human capital" the Aztecs, Incans, and Mayans would have used the wheel for something more than a child's toy and the Chinese would have had effective firearms long before the europeans.At the end of this implausible paen to the inevitability of technological Progress, let's imagine the world 300 years after the first running water, flush toilets and showers were installed on the British Isles, massive roads were constructed, laws were formalized, etc. Oh, that's right. Three hundred years after all of that, this ragged guy (or clean-cut romanized celt) named Arcturos (or Arthur or something like that) was busy leading a group of warriors from Caer Camel or thereabouts to fight the saxon invaders on Mount Badon. Or at least, that's what the legends say. A thousand years after that, the saxons were standing around a hill at Hastings with shields and greataxes, waiting for the Norman knights to charge and break like water upon their shieldwall. Then a lucky arrow struck down their king. (Who, according to some reports, survived that arrow but was killed later in the battle). All the wonder and glory of Roman Britain turned to dust. History has been full of golden ages, conquering heros, progress and advancement. Most of thoe inheritors of the golden ages have descended into decadence and returned to barbarism. Most of those conquering heroes are food for the worms. Most of that ancient progress is forgotten only to be rediscovered in part by later civilizations at later times. We dig up Roman plumbing from the ruins of Hadrian's Wall. At present, we in the western world are fortunate to be living in one of the longest lasting eras of technical advancement and prosperity. However, there was no guarantee it would happen, no guarantee it would continue, and no guarantee it won't return to dust and fond memories like all of the empires before us.Inevitable "Progress" is a myth. Our current situation is the result of divine favor or happy coincidence (depending upon how one looks at the world). Eithe way, its continuance is far from guaranteed.</blockquote>

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