D&D General Why Do You Prefer a Medieval Milieu For D&D? +

[Mr. Lahey]

tl;dr version is that swords are cool.

Hello. To me, the reason I don’t like firearms in TTRPGs (mostly D&D) is that I know what firearms can do, from a minor wound to an unimportant part of the body to instant death from a .22 calibre bullet in the right spot. There is no way that modern TTRPG rules can accurately reflect what we know to be true without adding a level of randomness that (I think) most people don’t want. The idea of a gun doing a finite amount of damage, like 1d12, or something like that, just isn’t believable.

The exact same thing is true for swords (and knives/daggers), but in general, because we are so far removed from hearing about and witnessing sword wounds on a daily basis, we are much more able to believe the D&D paradigm of needing multiple major hits before dying (once one is above 3rd or 4th level).

In regards to the OP, the reason I like the medieval (we always referred to it as quasi-medieval fantasy) is that it’s ‘known’ in terms of what is and isn’t there. For example, I’ve played Shadowrun but I could never visualize what this world was like - if it was a modified future world, what aspects remained and what has changed? I imagine it could be anywhere between Bladerunner and Fallout, in terms of infrastructure and social order. Having read things from LOTR to Conan, I can understand enough for my imagination.

Also, to me, quasi-medieval fantasy refers more to a Victorian fantasy of the Middle Ages, similar to an SCA event or a Ren Faire, rather than Hârn or something trying to be ultra realistic. This sort of idealized medieval world also represents the sort of place people could imagine living in. It is free of the “bad” modern elements and the problems of the world are all solvable by courageous and plucky adventurers.

 

[Aldarc]

Hello. To me, the reason I don’t like firearms in TTRPGs (mostly D&D) is that I know what firearms can do, from a minor wound to an unimportant part of the body to instant death from a .22 calibre bullet in the right spot. There is no way that modern TTRPG rules can accurately reflect what we know to be true without adding a level of randomness that (I think) most people don’t want. The idea of a gun doing a finite amount of damage, like 1d12, or something like that, just isn’t believable.

But this is also where I find Eberron interesting. Mages and artificing basically became the artillery on the battlefield of mass warfare, with wands and siege-staves. There were even developments made so that non-mages could use this sort of siege. Imagine what a Napoleon could do with that sort of artillery and their logistics!

 

[hoffrg86]

This is a subject that comes up in other threads relatively often, but I feel like we usually talk around it rather than about it. So I thought I would start a thread asking directly:

For those that do*, why do you prefer a medieval fantasy milieu for your D&D games? Why do you want castles and kings and thatch roofed villages, knights and towers and chain? Why do you not want firearms or printing presses, trains or airships?

*This is NOT a thread where you talk about why you don't want a medieval milieu. Nor is it one where you argue with people about their preferences. Hence the +.

I think the rules of D&D [any edition] fit better in a fantasy type setting, real Merlin, Conan, LoTR type stuff, the weapons and armor, magic.. artificer and warforge I usually ban from my games, doesn't fit my fantasy themes, now a plancescape world hopping setting, maybe spelljammer i'd use artificer and warforge.. but I probably never run those settings.

Trying to cludge modern, sci-fi, horror etc. with D&D and it's been crap, guns, AC/HP being some reasons. There are just way better systems to handle modern, super hero, space, sci-fi etc. which is what we do for those types of settings not Fantasy.

 

[GobHag]

Hello. To me, the reason I don’t like firearms in TTRPGs (mostly D&D) is that I know what firearms can do, from a minor wound to an unimportant part of the body to instant death from a .22 calibre bullet in the right spot. There is no way that modern TTRPG rules can accurately reflect what we know to be true without adding a level of randomness that (I think) most people don’t want. The idea of a gun doing a finite amount of damage, like 1d12, or something like that, just isn’t believable.

The exact same thing is true for swords (and knives/daggers), but in general, because we are so far removed from hearing about and witnessing sword wounds on a daily basis, we are much more able to believe the D&D paradigm of needing multiple major hits before dying (once one is above 3rd or 4th level).

I no longer believe this, because I've played multi-million dollar games where people get shot repeatedly.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I appreciate the highly fictionalized so-called "Medieval" milieu for D&D because I like knights in shining armor and lovely fairy-tale kingdoms, rescuing dapper swains and beautiful dragons from the depredations of wicked princesses, all that sort of stuff.

I also recognize that: (a) most of what people think of as "medieval" is a schizo-tech, schizo-cultural patchwork quilt, a melange of stuff ranging from late-Antiquity all the way to late-Renaissance/early-Enlightenment with zero regard for actual historical context; (b) the milieu is so heavily romanticized that you have to wear jade-colored glasses just to see normally; and (c) people get real darn persnickety about anything that deviates from their rigid requirements of a "medieval" worldview, to the point of excluding plenty of actually fun and compatible things.

None of which is to say that these things are bad (well, the persnickety-ness can be, but isn't always.) It's just important to not get hung up on some of this stuff, because it can lead to people making foolish arguments and insisting on some...really super not-great stuff for completely incorrect reasons. E.g. claiming that it is "historically" true that women were not generally allowed the freedom to be adventurers, so that means female characters shouldn't be permitted....while neglecting the many, many, MANY historical inaccuracies and outright fabrications that the so-called "Medieval" milieu relies on.

As long as we can recognize that this is a gross fictionalization, understand that it's going to romanticize or gloss over some of the really bad things of actual history, and accept that some people are comfortable including some things that others might not be and vice-versa, a good time can be had by all.

It's not that i prefer it per se. It's just that d&d doesn't have good mechanics for games set in more modern periods.

Rules, as they are, work best with quasi medieval technology level with sprinkling of renaissance.

Also, i prefer more grim & gritty games with all the worst elements of real world medieval history and worlds that are in constant conflicts with wild lawless areas where those on the fringes of polite society converge. My inspiration is from real world history of my home country, mainly Antemurale Christianitatis and Military frontier of 15/16th century, but technologically scaled back to period where full plate was still a thing.

Minor historical note: the 15th century is when full plate was a thing. The first full plate armor came into existence circa 1420. It's the influence of modern fiction conflating late-medieval culture (where jousting was a popular sport) with High Medieval period courtly romance stories. Hand cannons predate plate armor by nearly a century (they were widespread in France by 1340.)

 

[GrimCo]

@EzekielRaiden

Brain fart on my part. Meant to write 1500s/1600s wrote 15/16 ct. I know that plate armor as depicted in D&D is 15 to early 16 century. It's just that my main historical inspiration is from Habsburg/Ottoman wars in the Balkans. For instance, if you look at the depictions of Battle of Sziget, you won't see lot of full plate on either side, but cannons, those where the thing. So i scale it back technology wise to match with D&D (and replace canons with wizards ).

 

[haakon1]

Archetypes in our collective unconscious.

Myths (back to the Greeks) and legends and fairy tales and Tolkien all fit D&D as it was originally created.

WotC and others have tried to create their trademarked versions of this, but the Jason and the Argonauts, Hansel & Gretel, etc. are beyond their lawyer’s reach and part of why it works.

A world lit only by fire, where magic is real, with witches and wizards and princes and things that go bump in the night, isn’t hard to conjure for many imaginations.

“The sweetest song of silence that I’ve ever heard
Funny how in your dreams, your feet never touch the earth
In a wood full of princes, freedom is a kiss
But the prince hides his face, from dreams in the mist

These dreams go on when I close my eyes
Every second of the night, I live another life
These dreams that sleep when it’s cold outside
Every moment I’m awake, the further I’m away”
- Heart