Most common old/new world biology mistakes in European historical (fantasy or not)

[Peter Knutsen]

Rather than compile a mile-long list of all the plant and animal species that aren't acceptable in the context of historical fantasy or vanilla historical RPG campaigns set in Europe (or anywhere else in the "old world"), it would probably be more useful to just ask about the most common or most likely mistakes. Because such a list would be read and remembered by many more players.



Some of my candidates (and yes, a certain famous Professor is mostly to blame):

Potatoes, tobacco, tomatoes.

Others:
Cocoa and chocolate (which actually is a very expensive import from Vinland in my Ärth setting), raccoons (because they're so cute and adorable, players may strongly desire to have them as Familiars for their characters or shapechange into them, or even play raccoons that have been deliberately or accidentally uplifted by magic), curare (AFAIK one of the most efficient natural non-binary poisons there are), coca leaves and derivatives.

Any other suggestions for such a list?

Actual mistakes you've seen and which you think to have been particularly harmful or which you think are likely to be made by others? Or just ones you think are likely to happen but have not actually seen or heard of 2nd hand?

Keep in mind, mistakes like this harm everyone at the table since they constitute a threat to the suspension of disbelief. It's not about pedantry, but about protecting everyone's ability to take the world in which the campaign takes place seriously.



A "reverse" list could also be useful, one of plants and animals that are actually perfectly legit for a Eurasian/African campaign but which some players might likely call "bogus" at.

Offhand I can't think of any. There's various forms of cannabis, and opium, as something players might mistakenly declare "anachronistic" (smoked opium almost certainly is, though - a very useful thread, over in Chatter some time ago, confirmed my impression), but I don't actually consider it likely that most even reasonably intelligent players would assume those to be new world things. Any mistaken objection would be based on time period and not on geography.

[Astromancer]

Once a character, in a medieval fantasy campaign were the PCs were Hedge-Wizards and Herb Wife/Witches trying to preserve their villages against the local lords and barons, asked were his character's salt and pepper shakers were.

I have no idea of what his plan was but I pointed out to him that he was a cottar with magical powers who made his living as a commoner in a magical version of 14th century England. He didn't have pepper and had probably never tasted pepper in his life. Because pepper, in 14th century England, cost an once of gold for and once of pepper.

This led on to other arguements.

I was told to ignore the grotty grimmy realism and stick to fun. I complied.

[Peter Knutsen]

This thread isn't about goods that were imported but that just happened to be wildly expensive.

It's about plants and animals that cannot possibly exist (or which, if they do exist, do so because the world builder has made a deliberate and conscious alternate history decision).

And it's about historical fantasy, not about medieval fantasy.

[Anders]

Maize? I've seen it happen.

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Anders

Maize? I've seen it happen.

Good point, thanks!

It also occurs to me that players and groups based in Europe might make somewhat different mistakes compared to groups based in the New World but still trying to simulate a historical or historical fantasy Europe.

[Anders]

Wikipedia suggests "allspice, bell and chili peppers, vanilla, and chocolate."

[Peter Knutsen]

Originally Posted by Anders

Wikipedia suggests "allspice, bell and chili peppers, vanilla, and chocolate."

Very interesting! I'd have assumed vanilla to be some sort of East Indian herb or spice and so to be legit (but of course I would have looked into the matter. Probably).

What Wikipedia article is it that suggests those plants? (Keep in mind, I can read Danish and Swedish and both Norwegians, although Nynorsk is a bit difficult, in addition to English.)

[Anders]

The article on spices.

Yeah, vanilla couldn't be grown outside its original area because they're fertilized by a local animal (bat, I think).

[The Colonel]

I've attended a "medieval banquet" at Warwick castle where they served such traditional medieval fare as corn cobs and baked potato...

[shawnhcorey]

Originally Posted by Anders

Maize? I've seen it happen.

Originally Posted by Peter Knutsen

Good point, thanks!

It also occurs to me that players and groups based in Europe might make somewhat different mistakes compared to groups based in the New World but still trying to simulate a historical or historical fantasy Europe.

The problem is that corn appears in manuscripts before the New World was found. What they refer to is wheat, barley, oats, and rye. The use of the word corn to mean the principal grain crop of the region should be acceptable.