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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 07:32:46
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This is coming along great. These little tidbits are really worthwhile. Although it is a little disconcerting that those of us who have contributed can go to such lengths to make our campaigns so 'life-like' .
Anyway, I've got some new stuff coming in a few minutes.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 07:37:38
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Well, my stuff is just things I've collected that I looked at, thought "Mm, that's interesting" or "Hey, that's a great explanation" and stuck it in my general notes. Most of this I've never connected to particular stories, and most of it is completely disorganized. I'll be coming across different tidbits in a random fashion, I'm afraid.
I just have to watch out and make sure that I don't put in stuff that is too far off of the Realms -- I'm looking through a section of my notes where I'd piled in a lot of information about the sort of gunpowder warfare I've mentioned elsewhere. However, I don't think that a discription of cannon warfare is in keeping with the Realms. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 07:37:45
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I have about fifteen entries I want to post, but several need some work before they are posted up. My 'self-designed' shorthanded is difficult to understand by me even at my best. Anyway, I used a system of landholding techniques in a Dark Ages/Middle Ages campaign I ran several years ago. These little pieces were good just for reference material -
Feudalism
In it's basic form, Feudalism can be seen as a contractual agreement system of governmental and martial relationships which had existed mainly among members of the noble class in Western Europe during the period of history known as the High Middle Ages. The system of Feudalism was singularly characterized mostly by the granting of fiefs by a high noble, or elector, primarily in the form of landholds (tracts of land) and labor. In return, the fief-holder could expect from his vassal governmental and martial services. The contract between vassal and fief was normally sealed by oaths of homage and fealty on the part of the fief-holder. Although the system of Feudalism presented many problems throughout the Middle Ages it, along with governmental and military service, did succeed in preventing Medieval Europe from fragmenting into a variety of independent states and domains after the decline and collapse of the Carolingian Empire.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 07:40:24
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| Eek! Uncanny! I swear, I've got half of that post in my notes somewhere . . . though maybe it's not really the same wording. SOunds like it, though. Too bad I can't do an autosearch on a dead-tree notebook . . . . |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 07:40:41
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Here's another. This came in handy during my alternate timeline Roman Empire campaign. The fall of the Roman Empire never occured on this alternate material plane, instead the Empire maintained itself up until the First Dark War in 1867 -
Seignorialism/Manorialism
Seignorialism, or as it is known in England, manorialism, is normally classified as being a system or association of political, economic, and social/cultural relations mainly between the Seigneurs, or Lords, and their supported laborers (farming/agriculture) during the Middle Ages. In England however, King Alfred (849-899) issued a royal decree in his kingdom that every man should answer to a lord, and across Middle Age Western Europe Seignorialism was the standard contract. However Seignorialism should not be mistaken for Feudalism, which was a basic system of martial and governmental relationships and contracts between the Lords of the land only.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 07:43:09
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| Huh. That one's interesting. I didn't know there was that distiction. Interesting -- the political system I created for my Nine Elements story is very much like both of them. Maybe I'll detail it sometime . . . . |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 07:43:16
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This one was used in my Dalelands campaign, again another alternate timeline where Lashan of Scardale actually succeeded in forging his own state, and managing to create an vast dominion, to rival the power of Cormyr -
Serfdom
Serfdom is the basic system whereby peasants become legally bound to a lord to live and labor in one specific place in servitude to wealthly and noble landowners. These peasants (called Serfs), in return for their labor on the owners (Lord) land, were granted by the Lord, a crude and normally practical house, a minor adjacent and adjoined allotment of ground, a share of the surrounding fields, farm animals, and protection from bandits and outlaws as well as other influencing lords. The serf regularly gave a portion of his own crop to the Lord as a standard payment of rent and was therefore the subject of several other payment obligations and/or taxes. It can be said that Serfdom differed from the more common form of slavery mainly due to the fact that serfs had the right to own their own property, they were not subject to being sold in slave markets, and theoretically, were able to purchase their own freedom from the servitude of their lords.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 07:47:29
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The one thing I like about the d20 Modern campaign setting is that most of todays medical, scientific, and other disciplines information is all ripe for campaign useage. This little snippet came in useful for a Secret Intelligence Force campaign I ran several months ago. Anyway, continuing with the death and dying theme, here is some interesting information -
Shortly after death, there are several changes that will occur to the body that are usually used to detail and analyse the circumstances of body-death. There are several main changes that are used in the determination process. The first is Algor mortis - this is the cooling of the body after death, and is chiefly influenced and affected by the temperature of the immediate surrounding environment. The second change is Rigor mortis - this is the stiffening of the skeletal muscles, and tissue which normally begins from five to ten hours after body-death and will disappears after a period of three to four days. The next determination is Livor mortis - this is categorised as the reddish-blue discoloration that appears on the underside of the body. The is the normal consequence of the settling of the blood within the body. A process of blood clotting starts several periods after body-death, as does the cellular process - autolysis, the death of the cells. Finally , the putrefaction process, or the decay decomposition that follows after body-death, is caused by enzymic and baterial action.
The internal organs of the body decrease in active capacity and die at several different rates. Brain cells normally survive for anywhere up to 5 minutes after death. The heart can survive in a standard environment for a total of approximately 15 minutes, while the kidney for can maintain itself for only about 30 minutes. Of course, these rates are completely dependent on the outside environment of the body, as differing environmental conditions can affect these rates greatly.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 08:02:45
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| Hmm -- I hadn't really thought that many people would be interested in modern-setting information. (I'm saying this in reference to the note you had at the start of that last post.) Should I post some non-fantasy information as well, for a more modern setting? Though probably not right into science fiction -- Alaundo'd have our stars for that! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 08:16:00
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Well, what I only meant was that I used it for the Modern setting, however the effects of death would be the same in any campaign era anyway...mostly. I was simply using it as a point of reference. However I would limit the exposure of the Modern setting, since as you said it could lead to topics on Sci-Fi settings, and if I had to contribute the facts and trivia that I have collected on sci-fi notes for campaign settings, we may as well petition Alaundo to start a new forum, because we would definitely need it.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 08:30:41
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In another post I made mention of 'Greek Fire'. I will detail a few aspects about this substance here for reference and for use, maybe in someones campaign -
The ancient substance known as Greek Fire, is commonly believed to be a gelatinous, and incendiary mixture, which was utilised mainly for warfare, long before the invention of gunpowder. In the 7th century Callinicus (an Egyptian) is supposedly believed to have invented Greek Fire. Greek Fire can be used as a substantially effective weapon, especially if used in combat against wood ships at sea.
It is believed that the substance could ignite spontaneously, and could never be extinguished by water. The exact composition of Greek Fire was a secret kept under tight wraps by the Byzantine Empire for several centuries. However today, the exact chemical composition of Greek Fire is still in debate among scholarly circles. There is a general consensus though that it was mostly likely composed of a specific mixture of flammable materials, like sulfur and pitch and set in a flammable petroleum base. This gelatinous or jellylike substance was sprayed or thrown by makeshift catapult onto enemy positions or ships at sea. Sometimes a special set of tubes through which Greek Fire was forced under pressure by pumps could propel the substance at an enemy.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 08:31:12
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Okay, just making sure. There is one generic-type piece I have, though, that I got out of some info on the CIA. It's the acronym 'MICE': Money, Ideology, Compromise, and Ego. It was the 'formula' for turning people into your agents.
I'll post some more fantasy-setting info later . . . . |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 08:44:54
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| You know, you can make a chemical similar to what we think Greek Fire was -- or at least the effects. You just stick saltpeter into your naptha. Burns beautifully, I'm told, but very, very dangerous. Floats on water, but it can be put out with sand. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 12:13:55
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I found this information interesting, when thinking about the effects caused by the multitude of frost and ice related spells -
Frostbite is categorised as an injury to the skin generated by air temperatures below -12° C (10° F). It can sometimes effect the underlying deeper tissues of the body. These effect are mainly due to the freezing cells, or even greater, the formation of ice crystals in the tissues. The actual onset of frostbite normally causes no discomforture and victim's will most likely not notice the effects early on mainly due to the cold having an anesthetical effect on the skin and tissues.
There are three stages in the development of frostbite. These include, a reddening of the skin, development and formation of blisters on the surface of the skin, and then finally some skin cells and underlying tissue will start to die. Blood often clots in the blood vessels.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 12:16:08
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This is some interesting information on fortifications -
There are a variety of defense works which normally appear in two forms - permanent or temporary. City walls, castles and frontier fortresses are examples of the former. The creation of temporary (field fortification) is generally tied with tactical and strategic requirements on the battlefield. Examples of temporary forms include such works as the palisaded camps which were constructured by Roman legions for overnight halts during marches, or the conduct of war, similarly the sharp pointed wood stakes used by foot soldiers of the English armies to provoke enemy cavalry into chaos and confusion under arrow fire, and finally to modern warfare where the construction and use of trenches and sandbags illustrates another example.
When construction of a permanent defensive work or fortification commences in a pre-selected area or region, this will normally implies a continuing need for the protection of political, economic, or military interests tied to a specific region or locality.
If a progressing or moving situation becomes stabilized, it is not uncommon for a hastily occupied defensive position to be built into a more fortified position. An example of a development such as this is the stabiling of the western front in Europe during the First World War. Trenches and other temporary fortifications had became permanent defensive works.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 12:19:20
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In an alternative FR campaign, a newly created church venerating the All-Father sought to impose it's system of beliefs on the people of the Eastern Realms. In the campaign, the Realms was undergoing a period of profound religious strife. The existence of Gods and Deities where being questioned, other churches sought to rid themselves of rival faiths. Amongst the chaos a new sect dedicated to the All-Father was born. I crafted one of the churches policies to be similar to the decree of Emperor Leo III of the Byzantine Empire in 726 -
Iconoclasm
Greek eikon,"image"; klaein,"to break"
This is categorised as any type of mass movement against the religious use of effigies and images. An example of a serious argument against iconoclasm determined by the Syrian theologian and Father of the Church John of Damascus stated that Iconoclasm denied one of the most fundamental and underlying tenets of the Christian faith. This is the belief or doctrine of incarnation. However the opposing view, or those for Iconoclasm regularly state that Christ's human birth has laid the possibilities for his representations, which in a sense were shared in the divinity of their prototype.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jun 2003 : 20:46:44
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About those temporary fortifications . . . something to remember is that those stakes in the ground, as well as caltrops which are also in D&D, are not meant to injure others. It's really to slow them down. It gives you more time to hit them with arrows and such.
In fact, the only ones that they deal real damage to are horses, as their hooves have a softer area in the center that usually doesn't connect with the ground. That's why you have to check your horse's shoes after every ride, to make certain that nothing is lodged in there. It could easily make them go lame. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 07:30:21
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In the last page, I mentioned a use for wood ash. There are two others that you might want to take notice of. It's very good fertilizer. Not as good as animal byproducts, but (ahem) easier to deal with. And here's the second one: it's a main ingredient in soap. Interesting, no?
Boy, a Middle-Ages resident would find my family's treatment of this stuff just plain criminal.  |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 07:36:24
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| For those who do dessert campaigns, here's some information on how not to get lost. It's not that hard, once you know how to do it. The best way to navigate a dessert is to use the same that you would at sea. You use the stars. It's really the only way to do it if you're in a featureless plain like what we think of as a dessert. Of course, you could do it by day, using the sun; but that's just a tad stupid without speciallized equipment or some good magics. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 07:39:03
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Ah, here's another bit on a dessert theme:
Some people used to believe that camels were possessed by demons. After all, they stink, they bite, they spit green mucus at anyone too near, and every waking hour they complain in guttural voices like tortured souls. Really vile creatures.
Why do people use them? They can carry or haul three times as much as a horse, further and faster, and on less water and rougher forage. That's why. Simple matter of trade off. They aren't nice, but they are useful. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 07:40:28
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In a thatch hut, there is no real chimney, only a smoke-hole, but that can be useful. The smoke will soon soak through, both drying the straw and keeping vermin out. (The smoke will leave a broad band on the wall and roof.)
(I told you my info was random.) |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 07:48:57
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| Now to domestics. There used to be a certain member of a rich household's staff, the most junior maid, whose job it was to keep the stairways clean. Main stairs, servant stairs, outside stairs, any and all. The nickname for these maids was "tweenie" because they were always between levels. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 08:22:49
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| When describing to your players the interior of a smith's forge, don't forget what's under their feet. It isn't stone. Sure, that makes more sense than wood. Doesn't burn. But a sand-cover is a lot better. See, if there is an accident, it provides a ready-made extinguisher. You just reach down and grab a handful. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
Edited by - Bookwyrm on 18 Jun 2003 08:27:04 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 10:18:48
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Here is some interesting facts about Aztec culture and society. I utilised most of this information for my Maztica campaign several years ago, when the game expansion was popular -
The center of all Aztec civilization was the city of Tenochtitlán. Its ruler was universally recognised as the supreme leader of the empire, to whom all lesser leaders and rulers paid homage and tribute. The supreme ruler was considered semidivine, a direct descendant of the Aztec gods. He would serve as both military/army leader and the high priest of the gods. The ruler's official title was huey tlatoani which means "great lord" or "great speaker."
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Edited by - The Sage on 18 Jun 2003 10:20:58 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 10:21:50
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A little more on the Aztec -
The supreme ruler was always supported by a highborn-noble class of administrators, priests, and warriors. Down from the noble class are the common people. The commoners were normally composed of the merchants, artisans, soldiers, peasant farmers, and laborers of Aztec society. The Aztec merchant commoners also formed a hereditary class, called pochteca. They were allocated special quarters around the cities, they organised guilds, and were allowed many social privileges.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 10:23:32
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In keeping with the Aztec theme, I had found that this information was useful for my Dark Ages/Middle Ages campaign -
The Aztec rulers and nobles regularly owned allotments of land on sectioned private estates. Most of the land for the common people was owned by a calpulli. They were responsible for assigning its members plots of land for use. The Landholders were expect to pay tribute to the empire, normally in agricultural products, which the rulers and nobles of the empire used to finance their public projects and constructions.
Another aspect of Aztec culture required all able-bodied men to conduct military service for the empire. Common citizens were also drafted to work on public lands or to build temples, aqueducts, and roads across the empire.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 10:24:48
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This is just something I found interesting about the Aztec in general -
Although the society of the Aztec civilization had very strict social classes, a person’s status could be altered based on his or her contributions to the society as a whole. The common people could better their ranking, mainly by conducting themselves well in battle, and then become well-to-do landholders. The younger people of some of the social classes could study and learn to become priests and/or warriors. The number of prisoners captured by the warriors granted them prestige, influence, and wealth. The could also be promoted into several elite military orders. However those people who had conducted crimes or had failed to pay his debts was effectively classed a slave; although, these slaves eventually could regain their freedom, and their children were considered to be free from slavery when born.
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jun 2003 : 10:26:48
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This was originally designed for my Planescape campaign, but the adventure campaign was never finished due to some outside influences. I present here in it's original form, before I made the alterations to it to have it conform with PS mythology -
In the Vedic belief tradition (based on the Veda, an ancient Hindu holy text), there are two categories or classes of gods, that divided into two divisions of deities and demons during the later traditions. The 33 Devas (this is Sanskrit for deity) lord and govern the three main areas of heaven, air, and the earth. They assist the populace of humankind with their often beneficial godly-powers.
The Devas are opposed in the grand and cosmic struggle between Order and Chaos, by the demonic Asuras (this is Sanskrit for air of life). The Asuras are a race of titans that are also the enemies of humankind.
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Realistic Role-Playing
