New Fantasy Setting Seeds.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

I think you really have to start off any kind of "ancient warfare vs modern warfare" thinking off with the question "How much do I want to level the odds?" and then build from there. You can still get some mileage out of an uneven match and the lesser side picking their battles, but if you want full-on even battling you probably need to discard pseudo-medieval warriors and start looking into super-dragons and legions of metal golems.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Originally Posted by Varyon

....and you may wind up with vehicles having blades or similar mounted as aftermarket additions to increase their impact area....

That's suggesting more of a Mad Max vs D&D set-up, which might make the match-up less one-sided.

[ronwit]

If what are running is a Standard Fantasy Setting from TVTropes then GATE is going to be the default. It isn’t that the other world can’t field high tier warriors, Rory Mercury could have taken all three of the SF units that were sent against them by herself. It is they don’t have enough of them.

When Princess Pina visits the Japanese base, their soldiers each had armor and a gun. Unless you can equipe SFS troops with armor and wands of ranged death dealing, and recharge/replace them at the same rate a modern army can resupply then the SFS army will lose.

As far as the stupidity of attacking an unknown foe, Admiral Yamamoto told the Army that he could run the table with the Americans for six months and then it would be the American’s game. He was right but the Army didn’t listen. Before WWI the French believed they could beat the Germans with Elan and red pants. And these were near pier powers that should have had knowledge of what their enemies could do.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by ronwit

It isn’t that the other world can’t field high tier warriors, Rory Mercury could have taken all three of the SF units that were sent against them by herself. It is they don’t have enough of them.

This is going to be a problem on all levels, not just the high tier. The population of the modern world is just so much *bigger* than a standard fantasy setting could be supporting that you're outnumbered all around. Indeed I'd hazard a guess there are more trained swordsmen in the US [now] than any European army between the fall of Rome and the height of the Spanish Empire, despite the fact swords have been obsolete for a couple centuries. Given that it's a high school sport there, I bet that's even more true of Japan. These guys aren't military veteran skilled swordsmen, but they're better than medieval levies, conscripts or new recruits.

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by ronwit

As far as the stupidity of attacking an unknown foe, Admiral Yamamoto told the Army that he could run the table with the Americans for six months and then it would be the American’s game. He was right but the Army didn’t listen. Before WWI the French believed they could beat the Germans with Elan and red pants. And these were near pier powers that should have had knowledge of what their enemies could do.

The Japanese government was backed into a corner. If they did anything other than attack they were looking at a coup that would kill them all. It was actually safer to attack and lose the war than to avoid the war for the guys making that call. As for the French they were not so overconfident as that. That was why they had their alliance with the British and Russians. The balance of forces was legitimately hard to sus out which was why the war ended up being resolved by one side collapsing from internal exhaustion.

Neither of them were attacking an enemy they couldn't hope to put up a fight against.

[malloyd]

Originally Posted by David Johnston2

Neither of them were attacking an enemy they couldn't hope to put up a fight against.

I think the easiest justifcation is to know (correctly or not) the enemy can't chase you back. The trick to being a successful raider is to hit the lightly defended spots and be able to break contact quickly. This has worked for everybody from vikings to nomadic light cavalry. It's not necessary to be able to defeat the civilization you are raiding in a war of extermination, as long as you can keep their extermination capable forces from catching you.

Absolute control over where the when the gates appear might get you that, though there's always a risk you could slip up and open one there was a reaction force present if you can't scout first. Just control over who can pass them but not location is less good, you can still get away, but the entire "border" or "coast" can end up fortified to strongly to get through.

[Astromancer]

The Steed of Magicians

It's a good appointment for a young magician like yourself. The pay is good, plenty of time to study, a great chance to make diplomatic contacts. I would love the chance to visit so many different lands and cities.

But I'd still be a courier, a messenger.

A messenger with a knighthood and riding the fastest animals in the world.

Hippogryphs are known as "The Steeds of Magicians" because only people with Magery can ride them. Magery-0 allows you to ride these dangerous and unstable beasts. Each level of Magery above Zero counts as two levels of Charisma for Hippogryphs. Hippogryphs like being in contact with Mages. All the royal courts of these lands, and most ducal and episcopal courts as well keep stables of Hippogryphs and hire young Mages to ride them. For the power elites this is a fast secure courier service. For young Mages, just out of apprenticeship, this is a solid job with wonderful perks.

Basically, it's the pony express in the skies. Assume hippogryphs fly three times faster than whatever description of them you use says they do with ten times the endurance. Mages riding hippogryphs use either Ride or Thaumaturgy plus Magery whichever is higher to ride the hippogryph.

This is a Swashbucklers campaign with a focus on diplomacy. Assume that female Mages are treated as full equals with men. Which would make being a Mage really attractive to most women in most premodern societies.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The Steed of Magicians

I was actually expecting this would be a setting about being the steed. (Possibly in a voodoo sense of "riden = possessed".)

[Astromancer]

Originally Posted by SilvercatMoonpaw

I was actually expecting this would be a setting about being the steed. (Possibly in a voodoo sense of "riden = possessed".)

Are you disappointed? Do you like the basic frame?

[ericthered]

Originally Posted by Astromancer

The Steed of Magicians

The description misses on explaining what the qualification to be a mage is, whether by Heredity, Astrological Timing, Mana-based Mutagens, Pacts, or diligent study.


My first thought was that having riders as a different kid of "special" than magicians, but having characters who are technically magicians but only use it to ride hippogriffs works just fine.