Yrth technology

[KDLadage]

I guess I am unique in that the only time I have ever ran an Yrth campaign, it was in the first three years following the Banestorm. In other words, there were no Human Kingdoms, no nothing like this.

Thus, my questions on why the world was still medieval and the like were moot.

[Not another shrubbery]

Originally Posted by Kromm

Thus, when I run Yrth, I inject significantly more modern values -- social mobility, women's rights, etc. -- than the canon recommends. No debate about Yrth's state of technological and social evolution can really go anywhere useful until either it's accepted that the canon medievalism is dubious or a clear mechanism is presented that enshrines said medievalism.

And technology? What do you do with that?

It always struck me that Technomancer was what Yrth should be.

[Ed the Coastie]

A few thoughts...

• A clever transportee from Earth could do a bang-up business by making and selling such things as hobo knives, replicas of Franklin stoves, and woodcut reproductions of selected "How To" articles from magazines such as Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, The Mother Earth News and even High Times.
• In the old Amra zine -- and reprinted in The Blade of Conan -- is an article on the technology of the Conan universe. Could be worth a read.
• Regarding army magic, I suspect that it would wind up looking more like as depicted in the Black Company series of novels than in Operation Chaos. But that is just my (probably wildly inaccurate) opinion...

[Crakkerjakk]

Said clever transportee from earth would most likely get snapped up right quick by the Ministry of Serendipity or equivalent technology repressing agency, mind-wiped, and released back into society in less time than it takes to say "Ow my head," at least according to cannon.

As far as the Black Company reference, are you talking about the massively scary spellcasters who threw waves of killer energy at lines of troops? I mean, I know there was a lot of logistical information passed along as well, but the casters in (at least the first few) of the Black Company novels were the scariest mofos on the battlefield. Looks like a textbook example of magic-as-powers to me, for a lot of it.

[Qoltar]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Said clever transportee from earth would most likely get snapped up right quick by the Ministry of Serendipity or equivalent technology repressing agency, mind-wiped, and released back into society in less time than it takes to say "Ow my head," at least according to cannon.

Oh, I kin d of disagree with this thought. The Ministry might be VERY good at what trhey do - but they're not 'perfect' and cannot possibly be everywhere at once.
When I ran BANESTORM, one of my players played a banestorm victim ('transportee') who got zapped over to Yrth less than 3 or 4 days before the game story started. She had only partial amnesia.
This was because she would up very close to the Caithness border and the mana drop-off line played hell with the usual spells that the Wizards use on BANESTORM victims. She also reflexively escapede from her captors and punched one in the face when she ran. It was an instinct thing.


Anyway ...sorry for the digression - but SOME B-strom victims are likely to slip through with some memories. A small percentage, but there will be a few.


- Ed Charlton

[Ed the Coastie]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Said clever transportee from earth would most likely get snapped up right quick by the Ministry of Serendipity or equivalent technology repressing agency, mind-wiped, and released back into society in less time than it takes to say "Ow my head," at least according to cannon.

Yeah...you're probably right. Darn it...I liked the idea, too.

As far as the Black Company reference, are you talking about the massively scary spellcasters who threw waves of killer energy at lines of troops? I mean, I know there was a lot of logistical information passed along as well, but the casters in (at least the first few) of the Black Company novels were the scariest mofos on the battlefield. Looks like a textbook example of magic-as-powers to me, for a lot of it.

It's been a while since I read any of the books, but it seemed to me that the massively scary spellcasters (Soulcatcher, Shapeshifter, Stormbringer, and others from among the Taken) tended to cancel one another out in the grand scheme of things. Most army wizards struck me as being along the lines of Silent, Goblin, and One-Eye.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by Ed the Coastie

Most army wizards struck me as being along the lines of Silent, Goblin, and One-Eye.

The only petty magicians I can think of were the ones with the Black Company. Most other wizards who were actually mentioned in the books were horribly scary.

[Ed the Coastie]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The only petty magicians I can think of were the ones with the Black Company. Most other wizards who were actually mentioned in the books were horribly scary.

Whisper -- before she becomes one of the Taken -- is a wizard, as are all of the Circle of Eighteen. And I believe there was some wizard-vs-wizard combat in the Windy Country.

The point is, though, that the bulk of the war is fought by normal soldiers. Wizards, no matter how powerful, do not fight entire battles by themselves.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Ogo

3. GURPS is somewhat unique in that its magic system explicitly includes a lot of spells that do "boring stuff" like food-, metal-, and stone-work, along with more exciting stuff like mind control, transformation, fireballs, etc. Does anything in fantasy or older mythical literature bother with the "boring stuff" at all?

Hell Yes!!! The tale of the Sorcerer's Apprentice relies on such magic. Old RL grimoires included spells to make bread rise, chickens cook right, beer ferment properly, and all sort of boring domestic stuff (including spells to stop your husband straying, of course).

Almost all the technological developments of the early industrial age were in the textile industry, and in agriculture: mechanical looms and jennies and all of that. We forget how much work it took the medieval economy to keep everyone clothed and fed. Maybe it’s the weavers and not the gunmakers that the mages should keep their eyes on!

Also metallurgy, transport, and energy - those mechanical looms had to be manufactured, powered, and supplied with raw materials.

[Rupert]

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

Not so sure about that. The Middle Ages and Renaissance are littered with charismatic leaders who were low-level clergy (and didn't bother to work their way up to becoming bishops and the like), low-level noblemen, people who styled themselves as such whether or not they had any claim on it, or in a few cases were simply remarkable individuals. Consider Savonarola, Wat Tyler, or the leaders of the Children's Crusade.

My favourites are Bertrand du Guesclin and William Marshal.