A question about Tech Levels

[Kerdied]

Howdy!

I'm developing a Sci-Fi campaign centered about a Hegemonic Empire which closely resemble fantasy romans.

The question is: I was taking a diveregent path to technology - magic and tech mixed - so I choosed to give to this Empire the TL of 2+8 or 3+7. How would it be?

[weby]

The idea is that up to the first number the tech progresses as in our world, the +x is how many equivalent tech levels have progressed in a divergent path.

A 2+x would have had our progression to iron age(Roman tech), but diverged before Middle ages,

A 3+x would have had our progression to Middle ages, but diverged before Age of Sail.

[whswhs]

What is it that you envision as having been discovered sometime between the fifth and fifteenth centuries that was not discovered in our history, but that led to advanced technology, more advanced that ours? Are you thinking of real inventions that were pushed ahead and made workable centuries earlier? Or are you envisioning some sort of unknown or different natural laws? The first thing that comes to mind when I think of this is actually working alchemy, leading up to transmutation of metals, creation of homunculi, prolongation of life, and so on; would that suit?

[Stormcrow]

TL(2+8) would have fast interplanetary travel, blasters, bombs that can destroy whole planets, artificial life forms, advanced healing, body alteration, and all the other things you associate with TL10, only most of their technology is powered by magic. Anything from TL2 and below is just like ours; anything above is powered by magic. Instead of reading a book on a book reader, you use a scroll that uses a scrying spell to download books from central library. Instead of robots, you can buy custom-made golems. Instead of an antimatter-powered spaceship, you have a magic-powered spelljammer.

The difference between TL(2+8) and TL(3+7), if both feature a divergence having to do with the introduction of magic, is that TL(3+7) has non-magical technology as far as TL3. So for instance, while TL(2+8) never invented the non-magical printing press, TL(3+7) did.

Distinguishing between TL(2+8) and TL(3+7) would be very difficult from our perspective. Most of the non-magical advances of the latter would be so far eclipsed they wouldn't be evident anymore. TL(3+7) probably doesn't use non-magical printing presses anymore, while TL(2+8) never did. Both have blasters that shoot magical energies, but the TL(2+8) version might be based on the crossbow while the TL(3+7) version is based on primitive hand guns... if there was every any benefit to fitting magic to those forms in the first place.

You could probably more or less arbitrarily put the point of divergence, where magic was introduced, anywhere in the distant past, and it wouldn't make a whole lot of difference to the players.

[Ulzgoroth]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

TL(2+8) would have fast interplanetary travel, blasters, bombs that can destroy whole planets, artificial life forms, advanced healing, body alteration, and all the other things you associate with TL10, only most of their technology is powered by magic. Anything from TL2 and below is just like ours; anything above is powered by magic. Instead of reading a book on a book reader, you use a scroll that uses a scrying spell to download books from central library. Instead of robots, you can buy custom-made golems. Instead of an antimatter-powered spaceship, you have a magic-powered spelljammer.

The difference between TL(2+8) and TL(3+7), if both feature a divergence having to do with the introduction of magic, is that TL(3+7) has non-magical technology as far as TL3. So for instance, while TL(2+8) never invented the non-magical printing press, TL(3+7) did.

Distinguishing between TL(2+8) and TL(3+7) would be very difficult from our perspective. Most of the non-magical advances of the latter would be so far eclipsed they wouldn't be evident anymore. TL(3+7) probably doesn't use non-magical printing presses anymore, while TL(2+8) never did. Both have blasters that shoot magical energies, but the TL(2+8) version might be based on the crossbow while the TL(3+7) version is based on primitive hand guns... if there was every any benefit to fitting magic to those forms in the first place.

You could probably more or less arbitrarily put the point of divergence, where magic was introduced, anywhere in the distant past, and it wouldn't make a whole lot of difference to the players.

This is quite good, with of course the note that 'magic' should be seen as a general term for technologies that we historically didn't (and probably can't but that's not theoretically required) get to work that way. It could be biotech based on improbably-effective selective breeding, or working alchemy, or any number of other things besides wizards making magic scrolls and golems.

[GodBeastX]

It need not be "Magic" though to be divergent. Psuedo-science and weird science work just as well.

"We discovered the mineral Unobtainium... we havn't been able to obtain it yet but when we do it will revolutionize our world!"

"China made clockwork computers in the 1200s and now these mechanical computers run the globe!"

Both examples of deviating technology.

[Stormcrow]

Originally Posted by Ulzgoroth

It could be biotech based on improbably-effective selective breeding, or working alchemy, or any number of other things besides wizards making magic scrolls and golems.

Oh sure. Maybe magical magnification techniques have allowed the people to learn about cellular biology. When someone gets cancer, the doctor might teleport a tiny metal probe wand into the body where it uses a spell to seek out the cancerous cells. He scries with his crystal ball to monitor the wand's progress, then directs the wand to alchemically transform the cancerous cells to benign cells. Stuff like that.

Originally Posted by GodBeastX

It need not be "Magic" though to be divergent. Psuedo-science and weird science work just as well.

Yes, but the original poster was specifically asking about a divergence based on magic.

[Daigoro]

Originally Posted by whswhs

The first thing that comes to mind when I think of this is actually working alchemy, leading up to transmutation of metals, creation of homunculi, prolongation of life, and so on; would that suit?

...or he could go the mythological route. The empire's magic is powered by the Shewolf's milk flowing from the Lupercal out into the galaxy as a hyperspace network. Spaceships are powered by Grapes of the Bacchanalia, and blast their enemies with the Divine Sunbeams of Apollo. Mech pilots are warriors who bind a strix to their back and arms to harness its scream for combat.

[GodBeastX]

Originally Posted by Stormcrow

Yes, but the original poster was specifically asking about a divergence based on magic.

Point heard and a-ok! SOmetimes my eyes paraphrase things and my brain believes them. I think my eyes have base 18 in Fast-talk (Neurons)

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Daigoro

Mech pilots are warriors who bind a strix to their back and arms to harness its scream for combat.

Oh my... /Takei

Consider that idea stolen.