D&D General The Transition of a D&D World into the Industrial Era

[generic]

Sounds a lot like our ZEITGEIST setting! Magic vs Technology is a really fertile ground for fantasy storytelling. Steam pushing out the fey, and the dire consequences thereof.

My idea wasn't so much Magic v. Technology, but rather, the evolution of the two in tandem.

Thank you for introducing me to an amazing setting, though! I was reading through the ZEITGEIST threads, and the world looks, from what I've seen over the years here, really, really cool!

 

[Zardnaar]

How realistic are we being? It it Victorian UK in the D&D setting mid 19th century or do we have steam powered ironclads?

Things you need for IR

Easy access to coal and quality iron ore
Political stability
Finance

Fey probably be on the way out.

 

[generic]

How realistic are we being? It it Victorian UK in the D&D setting mid 19th century or do we have steam powered ironclads?

Things you need for IR

Easy access to coal and steel
Political stability
Finance

Fey probably be on the way out.

Fairly realistic, and, to address your questions:

1. Coal and steel are not a problem. There are mining networks, steel mills, and a good system of trading caravans that carry coal from mountainous regions down to metropolitan cities.

2. This one's a bit tougher, but there are established governments, with various agendas. There are four main Nations that hold power, and a few smaller fiefdoms with no real ability to challenge the "big four". Each of those Nations (the four main ones) is stable enough to innovate, if not very pleasant.

3. Not a problem for the main four Nations.

And yes, Fey would probably be on the way out. However, Fey and Elementals are somewhat bound in my setting, and the cosmology is a bit different, so that's not really a concern.

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

I feel as though a viewing of Avatar: The Last Airbender followed by The Legend of Korra will address this quite well.

 

[generic]

I feel as though a viewing of Avatar: The Last Airbender followed by The Legend of Korra will address this quite well.

Ha. Ha. Very funny. Not those Four Main Nationstm.

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

It's still useful for inspiration. The image of Mako working away in the factory doing welding work with his lightning feels very much at home in an Eberron-esque industrial magic world.

But to be fair, the TV universe's worldbuilding took a few cheats by keeping many of the monsters hidden in the Spirit World for part of the run of Korra.

 

[generic]

It's still useful for inspiration. The image of Mako working away in the factory doing welding work with his lightning feels very much at home in an Eberron-esque industrial magic world.

But to be fair, the TV universe's worldbuilding took a few cheats by keeping many of the monsters hidden in the Spirit World for part of the run of Korra.

I appreciate the suggestion. But, the problem is that the setting that I've created is not exactly Eberron-esque in that magic is actually fairly rare in terms of spellcasting and items.

I'm looking for suggestions on how to deal with things such as monsters, the uncommon spellcasters which do exist, and the growth of technology in a world with things like Demons, Giants, and the like.

 

[Zardnaar]

By finance I mean something like a national Bank and proto stock market. Early factories were often located very close to coal.

It's a key reason it started in the UK. Instead if say France. Tax also had something to do with it. Napoleonic wars UK outspent France something like 2-1with 1/5th the population.

So firearms and cannon exist, the DMG has cartridge based guns. They're more common late 19th century.

IR started late in places like Italy and Eastern Europe.

Geography plays a part as well Spain has often come up as another place it could have started.

So you could have a place where it started. Dwarves could be there as well espicially if they're plugged into trade routes.

Note bows outperformed guns well into the 19th century. Make guns simple weapons. UK had to import wood to make bows and they're to hard to train people on.

Being compact with ports helps as well. Doesn't have to be an island.

So if you're being realistic land owners with coal or iron bought their way into the nobility, your 4 nation's could be not UK, not France, not Germany, Dwarves may have iron in not Sweden.

Any country that can export coal is also rich assuming trade links are developed enough.

 

[Arvok]

I appreciate the suggestion. But, the problem is that the setting that I've created is not exactly Eberron-esque in that magic is actually fairly rare in terms of spellcasting and items.

I'm looking for suggestions on how to deal with things such as monsters, the uncommon spellcasters which do exist, and the growth of technology in a world with things like Demons, Giants, and the like.

As far as dealing with demons (and other fiends), I see two main options:
They are extremely powerful forces that act as independent nations (sort of). They are overt, military threats.

The other option is that they are subtle, working behind the scenes. The Screwtape Letters could provide inspiration. They are able to change shape and since magic is rare, it's hard to ferret them out. Depending on how well they have infiltrated power structures they might control the archbishop summoned to ascertain whether or not the government official is a fiend or being influenced by one.

 

[Zardnaar]

Friends won't care to much if they are immune to non magical stuff.

If they're subtle corruption is easy enough.