Using metric in TFT - house rules

[Chris Goodwin]

In my world -- in fact, in my worlds, from here on out -- the Wizards' Guild or whatever passes for it, uses the metric system. Along with any closely related guilds or guilds they oversee (such as Alchemists, Chemists, Mechanicians, etc.)

[hcobb]

My setting has the ever logical and honest Goblins using this fancy metric system they devised instead of the system of royal decree. Which is why everybody hates them.

[platimus]

My system will use the system of the common man that was later standardized by royal decree. But beverages will come in containers that are labelled with both system's unit of volume...because wizards like their beverages and their fancy metric system too. Eventually, the wizards will have their way and the metric system will be used by all by royal decree.

[hcobb]

The reason why it cost wizards double to learn other skills is that the units of measure a baker uses differ from what they use to make magical potions?

[platimus]

No, it's because they are used to dealing with complex tasks and subjects like magic. This has the unfortunate side-effect that they tend to over-analyze simple subjects and tasks, causing them to take longer to learn things that simpletons simply accept. :)

[Skarg]

When I converted my TFT campaign to GURPS circa 1986, we considered what to do with the measurement system. Seeing that both games seemed to have values that weren't particularly consistent with real-world weights for weapons & armor, which seemed to be the weights that mattered most since they affect encumbrance for combat purposes . . . I decided that GURPS pounds would be used since we were using GURPS, and that the GURPS pound was an "effective weight" for encumbrance purposes, and that the actual terms used weren't particularly important and may be translations from whatever words they actually use in my campaign's part of Cidri, to modern English.

[EKB]

I'm sticking with the metric system of the earlier editions, rather than changing.

I've even written a blog post to handwave the use of metric: "A Medievalized Metric System"

[TippetsTX]

Originally Posted by EKB

I'm sticking with the metric system of the earlier editions, rather than changing.

Same.

And besides, it's not a stretch to think the Mnoren would've established a common system of measurement across Cidri.

[EKB]

Originally Posted by TippetsTX

Same.

And besides, it's not a stretch to think the Mnoren would've established a common system of measurement across Cidri.

Mnoren? Cidri? Never heard of them. ;)

From the Watsonian perspective, metric is just one of those things in my world/setting of Etan. Like the Wizard's Guild dwindling away in importance until the only surviving remnant today is the Conjurors' Research Council, the branch of the old Guild whose sole remaining task is to publish the Handbook of Alchemy and Metaphysics - a fat $500 volume often found in wizard's labs where it grants the bonus of reducing the cost of enchanting items by the munificent amount of $1 per week.

[David Bofinger]

I like the metric system because it gives a feeling that this setting is not just fantasy but also post-apocalypse. A sensible measurement system left over from the ancient times is a very Cidri thing.