D&D 5E What would a 'real' D&D society look like?

[Greenstone.Walker]

Don't try to mix real-world items with game items - that way madness lies.

Physics, society, economy (especially economy!).

 

[aco175]

I would think that things would be a terrible mess. Our Western history has only god in varied forms for the most part and millions of people have been killed in his name. Terrible wars fought, imagine if each god had fanatics and people looking to convert others.

Humans have not been able to get along in our history. I cannot imagine that races would mingle well. It is hard to imagine life as an elf where I could live hundreds of years. What kind of job would I have and how ling should I work before I can collect benefits? Health insurance, medical, who would get the best quality of life. What about resentment towards the other races seen as coming onto our historical land or even things like elected officials and passing down titles.

What about the monstrous races? Is it genocide to kill orcs and goblins? There can be arguments that they should have rights and be protected. Would people herd other races into ghettos and enclaves. I think that it would be like in the movies, the X-Men movies with mutant vs. humans and other invasion movies where the new races seek to displace the native one.

 

[tardigrade]

I've never liked the pseudo-medieval type world for D&D, unless it's low magic.

As Arthur C. Clarke said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic". You pick your level of magic available in your world and find a similar technology level you want it to simulate.

I usually go with a pre industrial type society so we're talking 18th/19th century. Sure, you have monarchies still around, but other forms of government are also taking shape. I tend to go with some more modern type of morals and sensibilities as well.

I see your point, but I'm not sure it would look anything like our history, though. To be honest, if most of the population had access to Eldritch Blast, I'm not sure we'd have ever learnt to smelt metal. I think we'd be looking at a global-scale version of the Dutch Disease (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_disease).

 

[TheCosmicKid]

There are really only two paths for a "real D&D society," due to the way people behave and believe. It comes down to a power struggle between practitioners of magic versus those of "the faith," and I'm inclined to believe the later would gain popular support.

Yes, just like in real life the only possible society is locked in a power struggle between doctors and engineers.

 

[MichaelSomething]

No one mentioned Eberron yet?

Sent from my VS990 using EN World mobile app

 

[BookBarbarian]

I can easily see a world where magic users band together (some voluntarily, but others are forced) as a sort of guild to make sure magic isn't commonplace. So for 99% of the population you still have a pseudo medieval society but for the 1% anything is possible if they are willing to pay the price.

Some of these magic users might want to rule, but I could see a fare amount more interested in the magic itself, as long as the money keeps rolling in.

 

[Saeviomagy]

The thing is that all the high powered folks have to worry about opponents who can appear out of nowhere and meteor swarm them (or worse).

So in my mind, society is split into the low powered guys who nobody really cares about, and therefore get to get on with their lives, the high powered guys who are living in constant fear of being instantly obliterated, and have to spend their whole lives (and all their spell slots) hiding in magically fortified sanctuaries and playing shell games, and the middle class (anyone who isn't actually all that magically powerful) who actually have the time to run the place.

And that kind of explains why low and mid level adventurers get work, why mythic realms personalities hire mid level adventurers, and why the the world isn't destroyed every week.

 

[Ganymede81]

This world would be filled with people learning Prestidigitation solely to make foods bacon-flavored.

There would likely be entire industries based upon the magical baconification of food.

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

No one mentioned Eberron yet?

Its been mentioned, but Eberron differs from generic fantasy world no. X in several important ways other than actually treating magic logically.
Gods that don't talk directly to people/come down and stomp all over the landscape.
Very rare PC classes: most priests for example can't cast spells. Also much fewer high-level casters etc.
Existence of magically-gifted families and resources that allow for much more common magical items than the dearth of PC-class casters would normally indicate.

 

[Zardnaar]

10% is to high along with 1% of every class.

Most of the classes would not exist in any significant numbers.

Fighters and Rogues would, Clerics would, Paladins would be very rare.

Barbaian restricted to geographical area probably a small one.
Druids Rare
Sorcerers probably very rare.
Monks probably restricted to geographical area

I do not see why classes would inherently fight or why wizards and clerics would inherently dislike each other.