New Fantasy Setting Seeds.

[dcarson]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The Faraway Near

He opened many small doors to someplace far stranger. A place of our world but not our realm of existence.

The land forms seem to be the same and the climate. But magic is rare and weak. They have great skills of other kinds and seem to be very rich.

Although they do have warriors with strange weapons, they don't use magic in combat. I smell easy conquest and rich looting.

Well the old fool may have been useful after all. What is this new land called warlord?

California my lord. The city of Los Angeles.[/I]

Do to a botched spell a nearby parallel world of barbarian swordsmen and exotic sorcery is now in direct contact with a modern American city. Full contact hasn't been made yet. It's a fair assumption that both sides will be surprised.

The Sword and Sorcery realm is Normal Mana. The societies are mainly monarchies or oligarchies. The culture vaugely resembles Hellenistic Greece or Ptolemaic Egypt. Religion is polytheistic and most priests are at least trained in some form of sorcery. The Tech Level is three. Although as in the Mediterranean classical period some really impressive technology exists, it's in the hands of a narrow elite and mainly used as toys, showpieces, or luxuries.

I'm tempted to steal this for a arc of my Monster Hunters campaign. Phoenix, AZ instead of LA because that's where it is. Well Goodyear but that's more or less a suburb of Phoenix.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The Faraway Near

What useless stunt did that old Necromancer pull to get himself killed?

He seems to have been trying to open a doorway to a far star controlled by a demon lord allied to himself.

What did he achieve?

He opened many small doors to someplace far stranger. A place of our world but not our realm of existence.

The land forms seem to be the same and the climate. But magic is rare and weak. They have great skills of other kinds and seem to be very rich.

Although they do have warriors with strange weapons, they don't use magic in combat. I smell easy conquest and rich looting.

Well the old fool may have been useful after all. What is this new land called warlord?

California my lord. The city of Los Angeles.

Some further notes:

The Earth being invaded from the Sword and Sorcery realm was Very Low Mana. Since the door between the realms are opened the worldwide Mana Level is Low and raising. Many people have gained Magery but they don't know any magic.

There are three types of magic in this setting.

Path/Book magic is ubiquitous. The tribes folk and the rural poor use Path magic. The City Folk and the literate use book magic. Those who more formally study Sorcery start with the Emerald Primer which covers the basics of setting up a Wizard's workshop. Most people read books that fit their trade. Sailors read The Periplus of Neptune's Realm to learn spells to summon good winds, keep water and food fresh, and repair leaks.

Powerful witches use Pacts to gain powers. (Use GURPS: Psi Powers. But remember this is a low tech world. Computer psi and energy manipulation don't fit.

The most powerful Sorcerers use realm magic. The Realms in use in this setting aren't consistent. Priests tend to use the members of their God's pantheon as realms with each realm shaped by that deity's attributes and myths.

Secular Sorcerers use widely varying realms. Generally based on the theories they learned to cast realm magic.

[SionEwig]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The Faraway Near

One thought comes to mind, which "side" would be most interesting to play?

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by SionEwig

One thought comes to mind, which "side" would be most interesting to play?

I'm certain that is a matter of taste and the talents of the Game Master. A GM with a talent for suspense might make being the Los Angelenos attacked by these mysterious warriors a great horror campaign. Where a group wanting something goofier might enjoy being barbarians in LaLaLand. This setting offers choices.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by SionEwig

I would play in a game using your idea. It could be fun!

It could be, but I think rather short term. Then the raiders lose and it turn into the crushing invasion of fantasyland. Which can also have its moments but is a different sort of game. There are several anime and light novels on that theme worth glancing at for ideas.

The problem with any sword and sorcery thing interacting with the modern world is the modern world easily crushes it. If guys with swords have [any chance at all] against something, it's doomed against modern foes, and by the nature of the diversity of specialists in a modern economy, and the agricultural revolution needed to support them, fantasyland is always vastly outnumbered even neglecting the quality differences.

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by malloyd

It could be, but I think rather short term. Then the raiders lose and it turn into the crushing invasion of fantasyland. Which can also have its moments but is a different sort of game. There are several anime and light novels on that theme worth glancing at for ideas.

The problem with any sword and sorcery thing interacting with the modern world is the modern world easily crushes it. If guys with swords have [any chance at all] against something, it's doomed against modern foes, and by the nature of the diversity of specialists in a modern economy, and the agricultural revolution needed to support them, fantasyland is always vastly outnumbered even neglecting the quality differences.

True. But the shock of the meeting and the immediate results are what most people would focus on.

Still, move the story a couple of decades forward. Fantasyland would be undergoing several kinds of revolution. The priesthoods of the various pagan gods would be fighting all change tooth and nail. Most kings would be with them. Many other people would be violently rejecting their old lifestyle and desperate to get something better.
Most of fantasyland's people would be living at Roman poverty levels. Anything would be better.

Meanwhile, back on regular Earth. People know magic is real. After twenty years of contact with fantasyland the Mana level is Normal. Earth is going through several kinds of cultural revolution.

Just picture how the introduction of full blast magic into a society that never had it before would not just upset all applecarts, it would blast them out of existence. All aspects of society would come under stress. Example: Are Love Potions rape? Medieval courts called them black magic.

[Prince Charon]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

Just picture how the introduction of full blast magic into a society that never had it before would not just upset all applecarts, it would blast them out of existence. All aspects of society would come under stress. Example: Are Love Potions rape? Medieval courts called them black magic.

The mind-controlling version of love potions certainly qualify as date-rape drugs, IMHO. The version (that is not necessarily a potion) that just makes you much more likely to meet that special someone, on the other hand, seems far more innocuous, and the law would probably make a distinction if the difference were made clear soon enough (provided that both exist).

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by malloyd

The problem with any sword and sorcery thing interacting with the modern world is the modern world easily crushes it. If guys with swords have [any chance at all] against something, it's doomed against modern foes, and by the nature of the diversity of specialists in a modern economy, and the agricultural revolution needed to support them, fantasyland is always vastly outnumbered even neglecting the quality differences.

One of my current projects is called Bullet Eaters, and its explicit goal is to turn make a fight between sword-wielders and a modern army even. Tricks I've used so far:

• The fantasy land is underground, with impossible terrain for aircraft and horrendous terrain for tanks or trucks
• Going insubstantial is common
• Mind control is common
• Healing Magic and Resurrection are common
• Homogonous, Diffuse, and Unliving are common
• Tricky Monsters that look like puddles or attack through portals are common
• The Local sword-users have defenses and experience against all of this
• Magic is common, and fueled by a harvestable resource.
• Most opponents can see light sources but don't need them to function

One of my big questions is how much money do you need to give a DF character with the DF equipment list to stand toe-to-toe with a modern soldier. Also, Monster Hunters has great ideas for reducing the utility of guns.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Generally when I want Sword to go up against Gun, Sword is backed up by superhero-level martial arts.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by SilvercatMoonpaw

Generally when I want Sword to go up against Gun, Sword is backed up by superhero-level martial arts.

That's about right. One of the factoids I carry around from decades ago wargaming is that estimates and a few historical engagements are that early firearms are worth about 2, bolt action rifles are worth about 20 and more modern rifles about 70 troops armed with pre-gunpowder weapon.

So yeah, getting Sword-guy up to at least the modest superhero level of "worth 20 men" is pretty much a minimum necessary start, probably more given that guys with battlefield appropriate pre-gunpowder weapons like spears and bows are themselves probably worth a couple guys with just swords.