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-   -   New Fantasy Setting Seeds. (https://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=182670)

jason taylor 10-11-2023 01:55 PM
Re: New Fantasy Setting Seeds.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 (Post 2504375)
It's a Chekov's cannon issue. If you include guns then a modern audience, especially an American audience are going to expect it to be a big deal, not something too impractical to have much impact.
Oh it had an effect just not the one people think. It just melded into the medieval tactical system.

Prince Charon 10-11-2023 02:35 PM
Re: New Fantasy Setting Seeds.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason taylor (Post 2504379)
Oh it had an effect just not the one people think. It just melded into the medieval tactical system.
Yes. For that matter, depending on how frequent mages with at least one good combat spell are (and which spells or rituals are most common), battle-wizards could slot in to roughly the same places that handgonners and early bombardiers did.

SilvercatMoonpaw 10-11-2023 05:31 PM
Re: New Fantasy Setting Seeds.
 
I skip over slug-throwers and go right to lasers. I blame He-Man.

malloyd 10-11-2023 08:32 PM
Re: New Fantasy Setting Seeds.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jason taylor (Post 2504371)
Not to mention the need to carry the elements separate and mix on site (they had problems with volatility then, I forget how they solved it).
You mix the ingredient powders, dampen them so they stick together, pat into a cake, let it dry, and grind it. VERY carefully. Mechanizing that last step enough for mass production is the hard part. It's the reason powder mills (they're mostly called "fireworks factories" these days, but same thing) still blow up fairly regularly.

Astromancer 10-12-2023 02:25 AM
Re: New Fantasy Setting Seeds.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by malloyd (Post 2504414)
You mix the ingredient powders, dampen them so they stick together, pat into a cake, let it dry, and grind it. VERY carefully. Mechanizing that last step enough for mass production is the hard part. It's the reason powder mills (they're mostly called "fireworks factories" these days, but same thing) still blow up fairly regularly.
So a spell that turns the cake into powder safety would be highly sought after and a Mage with that spell could make a good living.

malloyd 10-12-2023 03:59 AM
Re: New Fantasy Setting Seeds.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Astromancer (Post 2504443)
So a spell that turns the cake into powder safety would be highly sought after and a Mage with that spell could make a good living.
I expect the [real] demand would be to crush ores or grind grain into flour, but yeah, a Pulverize spell in the same energy per unit volume as most Shape or X to Y spells would be pretty useful.

mburr0003 10-12-2023 04:24 PM
Re: New Fantasy Setting Seeds.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by David Johnston2 (Post 2504375)
It's a Chekov's cannon issue. If you include guns then a modern audience, especially an American audience are going to expect it to be a big deal, not something too impractical to have much impact.
Depends on the audience... and this is an area that gunstrokers and swishybocklers will agree on: Guns do not have to be practical to be useful or fun.

The gunstrokers will be extremely happy when a swashbuckling film "gets teh guns right" and the swashbucklers are happy when the swording is supreme (but the muskets are still used and useful). And both of them enjoy the BOOM of the big cannons...

Astromancer 10-15-2023 06:56 PM
Re: New Fantasy Setting Seeds.
 
Another TL4 area for a good mage would be at sea. If a Mage could turn saltwater fresh and keep food wholesome and tasty it would be a massive advantage in in the early deep water navigation period.

For that matter, a simple spell that allowed someone to know what time it was at their house would be a massive aid to navigation. For several centuries before accurate watches existed, people understood how accurate timekeeping could aid navigation. They just lacked the metalurgy and watchmaking skills needed to use that understanding.

malloyd 10-16-2023 05:06 AM
Re: New Fantasy Setting Seeds.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Astromancer (Post 2504734)
For that matter, a simple spell that allowed someone to know what time it was at their house would be a massive aid to navigation.
Well, depending on the shape of the world and predictability of the motions of the heavens. On a flat motionless world where the sun rises when the Footmen of Dawn get the doors of the Heavenly Barn open and the stars routinely rearrange themselves to send messages about will of the gods, it's less useful.

Astromancer 10-16-2023 08:11 AM
Re: New Fantasy Setting Seeds.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by malloyd (Post 2504755)
Well, depending on the shape of the world and predictability of the motions of the heavens. On a flat motionless world where the sun rises when the Footmen of Dawn get the doors of the Heavenly Barn open and the stars routinely rearrange themselves to send messages about will of the gods, it's less useful.
I was thinking of a magical version of 15th/16th/17th century Earth. But point taken.


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