wlmartin's page

Thank you for the replies

First, I am thinking closer to 1800 than 1900 thinking about it. I like the forward thinking, industrious and explorative elements of 1700-1800 society. Guns that don't repeat sounds balanced, a long reload vs a big amount of damage. No cars, no electricity, no phones, telepgrah perhaps, trains yes.. So steam punk is really the most likely mould I am drawn to.

A question that seems to have come up often is "Why is there no magic, there has to be a good reason"
The reason was explained but I may have not gone into enough detail. Magic is deemed as an enemy to science, there would be stories about science solving something magic had a good handle on dealing with and there being resistance by science to embrace it. Furthermore, it could be more moral than that where dangers or misuse of magic (such as some disasters caused by magic, serial killer using magic etc) could lead to similar mindset.

I can flesh this out properly later on.

Overall, magic is seen as "bad" by the group who fight against it, said group still feel that way when they are forced into leaving and continue to feel that way as they innovate along lines of science rather than magic.

Hope that makes sense? A good premise to base a game on?
(bearing in mind that players will not be solidly in this place, they will dip back into the "real world" from time to time - this is like a vacation into a new world)

Also, I plan to use 1st Edition "World Building Guide" for world creation, I find that aside from some of the mecahnical bits (filling races based on 1ed MM) it is very competent about creating a world. I would welcome any alternative methods?

Watching the new reimagining of Wizard of Oz via the TV series "Emerald City" at the same time as planning for a Pathfinder Campaign hit me at the same time and I have been inspired.

In the show, magic vs technology is emphasized and I thought of creating a campaign that employs this.

I am not keen on creating a sci-fi campaign as such as is provided with the Numera campaign setting but instead am looking for a technology level of around the turn of the 20th century or just before.

++ Trains
++ Repeating firearms
++ Emerging of electricity / science

The premise for this is as follows:

- Group of humans rebel against society with reasons of anti magic and pro technology concerns
- Said group rises up but is defeated
- They then migrate (sail off to an island, exodus to a new land, etc) away from said society
- Without magic curbing** their growth, they begin to become more industrious and science focused
- The party will encounter this society as an outsider and have adventures in this new land
- There will be a mix of real world and fantastical world, steam punk-esque with clockwork analoges to sci-fi concepts such as cybernetics, androids, etc
- There will be divine magic in this campaign area because there will be some Gods that either oppose magic for which become patron gods to this new order

**This idea is that science is driven by invention and invention is driven by need. If the needs of the populace are satisfied by magic then there is no drive to change and technology is stunted

This area will contain the humans, gnomes (who would be one of the natives of their new land but share similar industrious goals), various monster types they encounter and divergance of politics to form different sub-groups within the new area. Good humans and bad humans etc.

Guns will be a key part of this world and will perform an interesting challenge since players can eventually start using guns (if they want) but will for a good amount of time in the start of the campaign have to fight against them. Also, magic items will be sparse because whilst previous civilizations that lived in this area may have existed and treasures will be buried with them - there is no "new magic item" generation. Furthermore since using magic will be seen as a crime, these would only be available on a black market basis.

I do intend it to be balanced, not everyone will have guns - there will still be value in honorable combat with swords but its unlikely there will be much more melee than that. Not like i expect to have dire flails, warhammers, mauls, nets, katanas etc - just swords or guns.

Add to this an underground society (exists before the party join) that is rebelling against science with magic, using it in secret and various takes on common tropes or preconceptions and I think you have a good idea for a campaign world.

Magic vs Technology... will the players side with their belief that magic is not an issue or welcome the conflicting views aspousing technology.

Is this a worthwhile idea for a campaign? Any thoughts? Any worthy reading materials (especially PF books) worth taking in to make it better?

Has anyone done something like this before?

(P.S. I have heard balance issues with guns is a big concern in such campaigns. There is a story reason I want guns included but i dont want to tip the game into disarray, I don't intend the players to immediately begin using them and I can moderate their use with rules on usage (so perhaps guns are possible for all but there are moral/legal/social reasons why not everyone will use them) - I welcome advice)