| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| silverwolfer |
Posted - 22 Oct 2014 : 21:21:22
If I have to have a 5e Forgotten realms that snipped in the bud of the mortal casters having huge high level magic then I want Lantan back.
This is a perfect chance for Gond to get back into power as a major god. I want steampunk in forgotten realms to be a thing. We just came out of the dark ages with the sundering, lets have some age of enlightenment stuff now. |
| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 04 Jan 2015 : 15:46:51
actually, what I would find more interesting would be that Lantan transferred to Abeir, and a sunken city from Abeir transferred to Toril..... and no one knew until the sundering, when Lantan returned and the two cultures begin to interact. You could have the undersea culture truly undersea (they may not even be humanoid.... for some reason the octopoid Tako come to mind), with the Lantanese using submersibles and/or tunnels from the surface to interact with the other culture. Not sure where I'd take it, but that opens up some possibilities that don't exactly mirror what's been done with Seros. |
| Gustaveren |
Posted - 03 Jan 2015 : 09:49:36
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
quote:
Originally posted by Gustaveren
Well, I have wanted to run some aquatic adventures and it is a nice respect for the ancient FR lore if some parts of Lantan survived via some gond inspired aquatic dome.
If you're looking for underwater or aquatic adventures in the Realms... there is already a sub-setting present in the form of Seros, as detailed admirably by Steven Schend in the 2e Sea of Fallen Stars tome.
Yeah i know, but it could some more material and it would be different types of aquatic adventures if it was seros or Lantan as an aquatic dome city with some nearby atlantis inspired ruins. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 03 Jan 2015 : 02:34:43
quote:
Originally posted by Gustaveren
Well, I have wanted to run some aquatic adventures and it is a nice respect for the ancient FR lore if some parts of Lantan survived via some gond inspired aquatic dome.
If you're looking for underwater or aquatic adventures in the Realms... there is already a sub-setting present in the form of Seros, as detailed admirably by Steven Schend in the 2e Sea of Fallen Stars tome. |
| Gustaveren |
Posted - 02 Jan 2015 : 23:48:59
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
I too wish Lantan back. I'd prefer if it wasn't outright steampunk, but I wouldn't really mind it. Some ''magi-tech'' would also add a nice touch, IMO.
A poster here (Diffan maybe, I can't remember now) turned Lantan into an Atlantis-like area (advanced underwater city protected by a sort of dome) in order to explain its survival to the flooding that hit with the Spellplague. Personally, I wouldn't mind if they used this an explanation for how the island came back.
I hate steampunk and the 2 biggest issues i have with Golarion is the gunpowder tech in the mana wastes and the crashed space ship in numeria.
Nevertheless, i have to say i do like this atlantis idea with an underwater dome having protected some enclaves of Lantan. Well, I have wanted to run some aquatic adventures and it is a nice respect for the ancient FR lore if some parts of Lantan survived via some gond inspired aquatic dome. |
| Aldrick |
Posted - 25 Oct 2014 : 05:47:04
My version of Lantan involves magi-tech and an advanced society. It is something on par with Netheril at its height, maybe even surpassing it in some ways. However, there is a much darker underside of their society. Things are not so great there, and they tend to be rather xenophobic. To make sure nothing really filters out into the main areas of the setting, I have the power source of their magi-tech localized. It is not Weave based. This prevents the issues of having the magi-tech from spreading to the larger Realms, and keeps the high magi-tech feel I love for the island nation. It is also a great place to begin a Spelljammer or Planescape campaign that begins on the Prime Material Plane. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 25 Oct 2014 : 04:49:13
I just lumped most of Eberron (the Five Kingdoms, anyway) into my version of Halruaa; its a decent fit, and out-of-the-way enough where I can use stuff from there, without it being 'in your face'. I like my airship travel too much to just let it all go. |
| sfdragon |
Posted - 25 Oct 2014 : 03:53:20
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Entromancer
I don't know what you would call this, but the Realms are a very high magic setting. Instead of forcing steam powered innovations, why not devices that harness the various types of magic, and use those for upward development from the middle ages era. If that's what you're looking to do with steampunk.
Indeed. Pushing the tech level in the Realms would result in something more like Eberron, thinks I. I've nothing against Eberron, and I do like some of those developments, it's just not the kind of setting I want to play in.
I like a few of the races, not much else so mage-tech, steam-punk are just not my cup of tea, what happens in eberron stays in eberron |
| sleyvas |
Posted - 25 Oct 2014 : 02:48:15
I wouldn't be adverse to seeing Lantan survive. That being said, I see some things people are saying that I'd prefer NOT happen. The reference to it becoming a majority gnomish place. It was primarily humans in Lantan with some gnomes. I'd like to see it remain that way. That way it doesn't become some poor copy of Dragonlance's tinker gnomes. I'd also like to see the Lantanese island not having sank beneath the waves. I'd prefer that it had transferred to Abeir. It easily could have transferred and the other continents not really having known about it, so they'd still remain safe. They would however have to rediscover contacts to the world. So, maybe they headed towards Maztica, since it also transferred. That way we could have a whole jungle type society with technological type upgrades... maybe they even do a "Swiss Family Robinson" type of vibe. Maybe they even setup some kind of Empire, where they rule over the tribes by bringing technological advancements to them.
One idea that had occurred with me was also about Maztica |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 25 Oct 2014 : 02:24:36
quote:
Originally posted by Entromancer
I don't know what you would call this, but the Realms are a very high magic setting. Instead of forcing steam powered innovations, why not devices that harness the various types of magic, and use those for upward development from the middle ages era. If that's what you're looking to do with steampunk.
Indeed. Pushing the tech level in the Realms would result in something more like Eberron, thinks I. I've nothing against Eberron, and I do like some of those developments, it's just not the kind of setting I want to play in. |
| Entromancer |
Posted - 25 Oct 2014 : 01:26:47
I don't know what you would call this, but the Realms are a very high magic setting. Instead of forcing steam powered innovations, why not devices that harness the various types of magic, and use those for upward development from the middle ages era. If that's what you're looking to do with steampunk. |
| Diffan |
Posted - 24 Oct 2014 : 22:05:10
quote:
Originally posted by sfdragon
oooh, how nice. I however already new that.
smokepowder also is magical in nature too.
That's debatable. I site the short story Gunne Runner from Realms of Magic anthology (written by Roger E. Moore), in which a young wizard gets involved with smuggling smoke-powder weapons and during which, reveals that smokepowder is just a specific combination of ingredients, no magic involved.
At least, I think it was that particular story. It could also be Smoke Powder and Mirrors by Jeff Grub, also a short story in the same book.
Now I guess further supplements or lore can supersede this, but at least it has been addressed in Realms canon.
quote:
Originally posted by sfdragon
there is STILL no gunpowder in the realms and something to consider, all that smokepowder knowledge is lost to the Realms after the spellplague, and only a few areas if at all would still have that. Candlekeep is one and another is in the great rift area if even at all.( some article on the wonderbringer's faithful.. or something in one of the ddi articles or Ed Lord High Ranger of the Greenwood's eye of the realms articles.)
I'm not really sure if they touched on Smoke-powder in the post-Spellplague Realms. Smoke-powder weapons were becoming a bit more prevalent on Lantan and along the Sword Coast (heck, it was even in the starting items from Player's Guide to Faerûn). Did they ever write an article that delved further into this subject?
quote:
Originally posted by sfdragon
eitherway, you cant go down to the local redwizard mart and pick some smokepowder up, nor can you go pick some up from the honest looking Halfling vender over there either. Yes honest looking Halfling, you can trust him.....
True enough.
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| Xal Valzar |
Posted - 24 Oct 2014 : 08:29:36
well a cool quest or even mini campagin would be to go to Lantam and have an excavation to see whats left of its technology. or maybe finding the floating city the Lantamese would have had. or find some clerics of Gond that might know of such stuff.
Or, *gulp* ask Gond himself. |
| sfdragon |
Posted - 24 Oct 2014 : 07:54:04
quote:
Originally posted by silverwolfer
quote:
Originally posted by sfdragon
there is no gunpowder in the realms at all,
Smokepowder, which is nearly functionally the same.
and to back it up... Magic of Faerun supplment
http://www.toddlockwood.com/resources/images/galleries/dnd/03/firearms.jpg
In the Forgotten Realms, firearms are known as Smokepowder Weapons. Smokepowder is an alchemical substance created by the rock gnomes of the island nation of Lantan. Smokepowder pistols and muskets are rare outside of Lantan, but due to the large number of gnomish merchants selling these new weapons, they are increasing in circulation.
Now, though powerful, smokepowder weapons are not without their faults. First off, after every shot the weapon must be reloaded, a process involving adding a measure of smokepowder, a bullet, using a metal rod to slide the bullet and powder into place ,and placing a priming cap in the firing chamber. They are less versatile than a traditional ranged weapon and the firing rate is much slower. Also, if not loaded and primed properly, smokepowder weapons have a tendency to misfire, jamming or destroying the weapon and causing injury to the wielder. For these two reasons, smokepowder weapons have gained a reputation as being powerful, but unreliable weapons.
oooh, how nice. I however already new that.
smokepowder also is magical in nature too.
there is STILL no gunpowder in the realms and something to consider, all that smokepowder knowledge is lost to the Realms after the spellplague, and only a few areas if at all would still have that. Candlekeep is one and another is in the great rift area if even at all.( some article on the wonderbringer's faithful.. or something in one of the ddi articles or Ed Lord High Ranger of the Greenwood's eye of the realms articles.)
eitherway, you cant go down to the local redwizard mart and pick some smokepowder up, nor can you go pick some up from the honest looking Halfling vender over there either. Yes honest looking Halfling, you can trust him.....
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| Xal Valzar |
Posted - 24 Oct 2014 : 07:48:48
actually with the abundance of electrical power and ways to make it by organisms one can use a Gauss gun that might be more deadly then any heavy crossbow.
also things like vibrating blades via electrical power. tons of electrical innovations. i know FR has lodestones, magnets. so that might happen XD.
actually i have a character and a merchant party, that is gathered in Amn and they might make that a way to compete with magic exports. |
| silverwolfer |
Posted - 24 Oct 2014 : 05:37:48
quote:
Originally posted by sfdragon
there is no gunpowder in the realms at all,
Smokepowder, which is nearly functionally the same.
and to back it up... Magic of Faerun supplment
http://www.toddlockwood.com/resources/images/galleries/dnd/03/firearms.jpg
In the Forgotten Realms, firearms are known as Smokepowder Weapons. Smokepowder is an alchemical substance created by the rock gnomes of the island nation of Lantan. Smokepowder pistols and muskets are rare outside of Lantan, but due to the large number of gnomish merchants selling these new weapons, they are increasing in circulation.
Now, though powerful, smokepowder weapons are not without their faults. First off, after every shot the weapon must be reloaded, a process involving adding a measure of smokepowder, a bullet, using a metal rod to slide the bullet and powder into place ,and placing a priming cap in the firing chamber. They are less versatile than a traditional ranged weapon and the firing rate is much slower. Also, if not loaded and primed properly, smokepowder weapons have a tendency to misfire, jamming or destroying the weapon and causing injury to the wielder. For these two reasons, smokepowder weapons have gained a reputation as being powerful, but unreliable weapons. |
| Xal Valzar |
Posted - 24 Oct 2014 : 04:11:27
well it doesnt have to be gunpowder. we know there are magnets in the realm, perhaps there can be a hand crossbow that has 2 balls of metal and one of them is charged via the shocking grasp (touch) cantrip. and one can get a Guass Cannon that might be more dangerous then a bullet from a handgun.
also you can make a gun with things other then gunpowder.
or someone using the princple of harmonic vibration and add a string to his sword so it will vibrate more and allow for a deeper cut. in the process making a much cheaper +1 sword then a magical +1 sword. make a lot of money and start his own huge company.
or any invention by someone smart enough to observe physical forces and to manipulate those into a weapon. also one would need crafy engieneers, but most gnomes are good enough at that.
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| sfdragon |
Posted - 24 Oct 2014 : 03:11:22
had a comment to put here, thought better of, save this. Good thing you never will see it outside ofa homebrew campaign nad just because it works in Ebersuxs, does not mean it would work in the realms, or greyhawk, or darksun, or dragonlance, or ravenloft.....I take that back it might work in ravenloft, new demi plane of dread....
there is no gunpowder in the realms at all, |
| Xal Valzar |
Posted - 24 Oct 2014 : 01:22:55
I wouldn't say steam-punk since that is the not the way technology would progress in FR. But i would like to see a major progression of technology, what ever that might be. Wheter it is magic independent of the Weave or Shadow Weave and technology based on better scientific and philosophical principles (like the enlightenment came to be). something like Eberron setting would defiantly be awesome.
I would expect the big head of the new technology to be in Amn since there always working to produce more and become wealthier, and can afford large investments into tech ventures.
I dont suppose that those new technologies would be available without intellectual leadership though, so some school of learning needs to be put in.
I would love to see gunpowder technology though, it should not be too hard to engineer though for an int 18+ character.
I love Gond as a god, in fact he is one of the 2 gods the party worships, the second bein Wuakeen. (the party is from Amn mostly). I would love to see a battle of Gond vs Mystra that might change the working of magic and the fate of FR. |
| Roseweave |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 22:24:50
In our 4E game we're pretty much just assuming Lantan went underwater and became Rapture from Bioshock. Seems like the logical conclusion and others seem to be going in a similar direction.
I love Magipunk type stuff as I grew up with Final Fantasy. It can fit if you spin it right. Our setting has a lot of it. |
| Diffan |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 21:48:00
quote:
Originally posted by Irennan
I too wish Lantan back. I'd prefer if it wasn't outright steampunk, but I wouldn't really mind it. Some ''magi-tech'' would also add a nice touch, IMO.
A poster here (Diffan maybe, I can't remember now) turned Lantan into an Atlantis-like area (advanced underwater city protected by a sort of dome) in order to explain its survival to the flooding that hit with the Spellplague. Personally, I wouldn't mind if they used this an explanation for how the island came back.
Hey, yea that was me. I took liberal amounts of ideas from Bio-Shock to form that version of Lantan and I still think it's the best case scenario for maintaining the current lore of the Realms and keeping Lantan around. Besides there aren't too many underwater locations that have adventuring opportunities, which I feel Lantan easily creates.
As for the steam-punk theme, I'm not against is but it has to be different than other forms of quasi-tech fiction we've seen in other D&D settings (like Eberron). |
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 05:46:38
Giving everyone smokepowder weapons would either result in Mutually Assured Destruction (likely) or world peace (what the salesman wants you to believe). The advantage of limiting them to Lantan is that Lantan has no imperialistic desires. On their island, the sea limits who can attack them, and offers opportunities to see attackers coming and pre-emptively thin their ranks. Conquering and holding territory on the mainland would eliminate all of their advantages.
I'm not trying to say that everyone should love Lantan, or firearms. Just defending/exploring the idea of a steampunk Lantan for those who want it within a setting that's consistent with the original Realms. |
| sfdragon |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 05:06:58
umm yeah, I recall in one of the drizzt books, there was this gondite stating some thing like giving everyone smokepowder weapons... make them all equals bla bla bla.
no, I might be in the minority here, but I don't like Lantan, but then I'm biased, I get sick of video gamers asking for guns in fr video games in order to keep up with other fantasy video games that have them. And if that's not bad enough, they go on to defend their argument via trade routes. Which could work in theory, that said it has flaws, namely the distance from Lantan and NEverwinter( last game was nwn2 iirc), the rareity of said item, the amount of ammo that one would have to find to make it a viable item....
oh wait that's it, Im rambling again aren't I.
I hate Lantan and as an underwater city, it might not be bad, but it too could backfire. |
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 05:02:12
quote:
Originally posted by lordsknight185
During the Time of Troubles Gond's mortal form dropped on Lantan, where his most devout worshipers were. And he gave the people of Lantan alone the secrets of Smoke Powder.
No hostility assumed.  I'll agree that the people of Lantan would be "starstruck" for some time after the TOT, and probably motivated to greater adherence to his doctrine/suggestions/whatever. The priests of Gond run the show on Lantan for a while after 1357, probably to a greater extent than they already did. Totally fair point.
From his side, though? It's completely reasonable for Gond to appear in a temple which was surrounded by his most devout worshipers. Perhaps he has a long-term plan for Lantan, or for one of his priests there, but not necessarily. It's entirely possible that Gond chose Lantan (to whatever extent the gods were allowed to choose where they landed) because that's where he was going to be most welcomed, and where his words would be most eagerly acted upon.
Giving them the secrets of smoke powder --and he would have specifically given it to his most devoted engineer/priests-- could have been motivated by at least a couple of factors, including rewarding them for being his most devout worshipers in the first place, or because it's a component which will inspire them to more speculative inventions for several decades. It could have even been as an "oops" for blowing up their temple with his arrival. Bane and I think some other gods inadvertently destroyed the temples they landed in. But honestly I suspect he gave them smoke powder because he knew they would be excited to make things that use it, and as word of those things spread, it would spur more inventions and also pave the way for his priests to build new temples.
Still doesn't mean that weapons have to be actually sold to anyone in particular. This is mentioned in FR Adventures, now that I'm thinking about the TOT:
quote:
During the Time of Troubles, however, the Lantanese, whose state religion is the worship of Gond the Wondermaker, were taught how to make reasonably safe and accurate smoke powder weapons. As a result, examples of their new technology are now drifting into the heartlands. These weapons are rare, hard to use, and often as dangerous to the user as they are to the target. Most rational fighters have rejected them, but they remain as an oddity, at least for the moment.
The extent of firearms use in any specific Realms campaign is up to each DM.
Even if you choose to allow PCs to have firearms, this bit of lore doesn't imply that anyone outside of Lantan is being taught (or allowed to learn) how to make smokepowder, or firearms, or even repair the firearms. Furthermore, it's undoubtedly only the smallest and weakest of the weapons that get demonstrated abroad.
I'm just saying it's totally possible to have a steampunk Lantan if you want to, while also having Lantanese merchants in whatever coastal cities you want them to visit, and merchants from anywhere in the Realms walking through the marketplaces of Lantan, while also keeping firearms out of everybody else's hands. |
| silverwolfer |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 04:08:53
that is where gond landed during the times of troubles giving it a huge boon. Leading up to the point that one of his two high temples was located on that island.
ninjed |
| lordsknight185 |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 04:06:32
quote:
Originally posted by xaeyruudh
quote:
Originally posted by silverwolfer
Lantan = Gond
I disagree with the directness of this equivalence. I may be moving away from canon on this; I haven't researched it, but I think that Gond favors the creative spark that some folks of Lantan have, without necessarily showing favoritism to everyone else that lives there... same as every other place in the Realms.
Not trying to say right or wrong, or be hostile, just informing. During the Time of Troubles Gond's mortal form dropped on Lantan, where his most devout worshipers were. And he gave the people of Lantan alone the secrets of Smoke Powder. |
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 02:28:03
quote:
Originally posted by silverwolfer
Lantan = Gond
I disagree with the directness of this equivalence. I may be moving away from canon on this; I haven't researched it, but I think that Gond favors the creative spark that some folks of Lantan have, without necessarily showing favoritism to everyone else that lives there... same as every other place in the Realms.
That might be foggy. What I mean is that Azuth favors spellcasters, regardless of where they're from. It happens that some places have a higher ratio of spellcasters than others, or are more famous for their spellcasters regardless of the ratio, and it's completely understandable if the biggest and/or most influential temples of Azuth are in those areas. Halruaa, for instance. Azuth isn't going to spend any time or energy on those who have no ability to wield magic, even within the borders of Halruaa. Just an example; the specifics regarding Azuth's temples don't matter for this.
I think it's about the same for Gond. He favors inventors, everywhere, and he probably doesn't give a flying rat's caboose about the concerns of those who have never had a creative thought in their lives. Either there's something special about the people of Lantan, which raises the ratio of creative/inventive types there, and that draws Gond's attention to them... or the ratio of creative types to everyone else is basically the same as it is elsewhere in the Realms and the commonly believed association of Gond and Lantan is due to the isolation of Lantan, and the comparatively great freedom the people there have to pursue their hobbies... one of which happens to be technological inventions.
I'm open to the possibility that you're right, that Gond has a thing for Lantan. Just saying that in my version of the Realms it's not a thing for Lantan... it's a thing for invention, and a particular flavor of invention takes place in Lantan with much more enthusiasm than anywhere else, and that is what makes Lantan unique in Gond's eyes; that's the source of the common perception that Lantan enjoys the favor of Gond -- a perception which has naturally been encouraged and exaggerated by the people of Lantan because it benefits them for others to believe that a major god watches carefully over them above other peoples.
With regard to Gond wanting people to trade their inventions... "yea but." Yes, he wants people to share their inventions, for the purpose of spurring further improvement of each invention, increasing interest in inventions as a whole, and inspiring creativity on a more general level. However, I don't think he would compel the inventor of bombards to sell bombards to hostile nations. Individual entrepreneurs may want to sell their inventions, for accolades or money, but selling weapons has a funny way of increasing the violence in the world, and that has a negative impact on creativity as empires fall, to be replaced by smaller nations, which fall in turn and become city-states, which then fall, and nobody has the funding to support or protect inventors, and the worship of Gond falls as prayers to Tempus and Torm and Helm rise, and ... that's what Gond has nightmares about. So yes, by all means inventors should share ideas and sell their inventions... but weapons (and armor) are an exception to the rule.
All just my personal opinion, of course.
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| silverwolfer |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 01:20:55
Lantan = Gond
A big thing of gond is that you trade the stuff you invent, and spread it around. That is why I don't like this mystical isolated island vibe, that folks are seeming to want here. |
| xaeyruudh |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 00:47:42
A natural consequence of shared settings, particularly when each new book jumps a year or two ahead, is that the world evolves over time. We're coming up on the 30th anniversary of the original gray box, and dozens of designers and authors have put their mark on the Realms. I like the opportunity this presents.
I think something (maybe only one thing, I dunno) has been lost in this evolution, though: the provincial perspective in most of the Realms. The Cyclopedia in the gray box kinda illustrated it, by giving only a short paragraph to places like Mulhorand "of which little truth and much rumor is known" and nothing at all on many others such as Narfell and Luskan. I say "kinda" illustrated because it actually has quite a bit to say about Lantan and Nimbral, compared to other places, and says nothing of Halruaa, which is certainly better-known to Faerun than Nimbral.
My point, whether it's well-illustrated or not, is that the average commoner of Shadowdale knows basically nothing about the Realms outside of his dale, and he wouldn't even recognize the names of places beyond the smallish circle of Zhentil Keep, the Dragon Reach, Westgate, and the Desertsmouth Mountains. Plus Waterdeep; I'm comfortable assuming that Mourngrym has mentioned Waterdeep in public a time or two. It's a certainty that dalesman has never heard of Caer Corwell, even though we players and DMs have several places we can go to read bits about it.
This is relevant to Lantan because I think it can be a bit steampunk if you want it to be, without impacting the rest of the Realms. Chiefly because almost nobody knows about them beyond the merchants and pirates of the Trackless Sea and the Great Sea, and those individuals can all be written to treat Lantan and its citizens with a great deal of respect. Doesn't mean that everyone likes them, but everyone can respect them. For example, aggressive pirate ships are consistently blasted to splinters of driftwood before even getting within cannon range of the docks, and friendly merchants become rich... in short order, the pirates find someone else to pillage and the merchants are falling all over themselves to obtain goods that Lantan wants to buy.
Another reason why a steampunk Lantan won't break your Realms is that they simply don't export their secrets. Why would they? Selling weapons would effectively be arming potential conquerors, and no amount of gold is worth sacrificing their security and identity. So they keep their weaponry under wraps until it's needed, with judicious minor demonstrations at festivals and such in order to impress merchants and tourists -- stories of Lantan's advanced capabilities serve to warn the acquisitive, inspire competitors and other engineers abroad, and attract more mercantile business and investments. Competitors are not a bad thing; Lantan would have spies sprinkled up and down the the Sword Coast and the coast of the Great Sea, focusing on the population centers where innovation is most likely to occur. When such innovations occur, Lantan is quick to hear about them, understand them, and build on them. Spies are easily concealed amongst the clergy of Gond, Oghma, Deneir, and probably even Milil. These inventions and inventors, if they present a threat to Lantan's safety, are sabotaged or redirected as subtly as possible but as persistently as necessary.
In short, I don't think interpreting Lantan as a land of technology is a problem... as long as they stay reasonably aloof from other civilizations, and they have every reason to be aloof. I'm in complete agreement about pushing the Realms into stupid molds being a failmove; but Lantan isn't the whole Realms, and as long as you keep the steampunk confined to this one island then it simply creates an opportunity to add another quiet faction to a long list of coastal cities stretching from Luskan to Qudra (woohoo Al-Qadim!)
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| Bladewind |
Posted - 23 Oct 2014 : 00:29:42
Aye, all the more reason it stays more isolationist. But I imagine the experience of seeing a cathedral of Gond rising from the waves, pushing back massive amounts of water through immense gargoyles and statues of Gond, making way for a Market area behind the waterfall brimming with gnomes, will make people tell the story that they saw a whole city rise from the seas.
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| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 22 Oct 2014 : 23:58:58
quote:
Originally posted by Bladewind
Let it rise out of the seas by steampower alone I say.
But I agree that it's probably best to have it a tad isolated and paranoid of outsiders. Lantans exports of magitech and gunpowder weaponry shouldn't outcompete the rest of Fearun.
The gnomes in an underwater dome could use the pressure differences around their dome to power lots of elevating pistons of massive size, but could just as easily dive the whole city back under sea. This way they can trade with those in the know of their return, but stay removed from sight of ships of their enemies keeping them in the dark.
If it is an underwater city, it'd be easier to elevate and lower a "landing area" instead of the entire city... Or use a convenient, still above water location for trade, and transfer the goods up and down thru other means. |
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