Steamtech or 19th Century Tech in Planescape

7 posts / 0 new
Last post
Kobold Avenger's picture
Offline
factotums
Joined: 2005-11-18
Steamtech or 19th Century Tech in Planescape

In my depictions of characters and situations in Planescape, the typical technology used is somewhere around the 19th century. Though it's the fantasy version, steam-tech and all that with some so-called magi-tech as well. A lot of the stuff that existed around the early half or the 19th century is conventionally developed, some in common use, some not. The technology is sort of all over the place with it being quite developed in some areas, and less developed in others. Electricity is used for a select number of things and is a new development, while mechanical devices just get more and more complex.

Some things that were invented in the 19th century are listed here.

With the help of magic, psionics and other supernatural forces, things beyond the capability of 19th century technology exist such as airships and flying machines of various kinds. They become a very in demand form of transportation, as militairies and other groups start getting armadas of airships. The Analytical Machine, essentially a mechanical calculator is turned into a Thinking Machine with the power of the supernatural. Artificers rise in significance. And parties of adventurers come equipped with all sorts of weapons (percussion cap firearms), and strange devices, finding stranger and more mysterious devices on other worlds (some even beyond the 19th century, though really advanced devices often don't work or are altered by reality itself to be less advanced when taken from their worlds).

Think of the CRPG Arcanum in terms for the way how some things are...

So anyone have more ideas to go with such developments? Or more such items to be used?

ripvanwormer's picture
Offline
Factol
Joined: 2004-10-05
Steamtech or 19th Century Tech in Planescape

Some of the things from d20 Modern, particularly the demon-posessed machines, seem apt. Especially since Planescape already has a demon-posessed machine: Grundlethum's Automatic Scribe.

If you've read Perdido Street Station by China Mieville you'll see a lot of other interesting uses of steampunk and sorcery.

Almighty Watashi's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2004-11-22
Steamtech or 19th Century Tech in Planescape

I'm a great fan of fantasy/steampunk crossover but I've never seen it as an appropriate adittion to planescape. It does look more advanced in terms of clothing or politics then most other fantasy worlds, but it's still incapable of going beyond clockwork as far as technology is concernet

But, if you want to add advanced steam machinery to fantasy worlds, there's a warcraft d20 book called "magic & mayhem". The mayhem half describes a lot of wonderful machines for flying, trapping, killing or grinding things plus some guidelines on creating your own devices of mayhem. It's not perfect (not even close) but it has great ideas and lots of tech artwork by samwise Smiling

simmo's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2004-05-11
Steamtech or 19th Century Tech in Planescape

I've never played Arcanum, although I'm always on the look-out of a bargain copy. Steampunk is superb in my opinion and I've run a short pirate-themed Iron Kingdoms campaign. There's definitely scope for integrating it in to a planar campaign if you were so inclined.

Orendil's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2004-06-25
Steamtech or 19th Century Tech in Planescape

A steampunk setting of planescape doesn't seem to just have technological effects but cultural ones as well.

I forsee Air Ship and Bi-Plane battles of Acheron. Baatezu dressed in Victorian suits and high hats walking down Sigil's dusy streets. The Lower Ward full of steam and soot as workers with shovels over their shoulders march in unison to the factories. And so forth.

[I need to stop drinking tea just before bed time.]

Swiftbow's picture
Offline
Namer
Joined: 2005-08-27
Steamtech or 19th Century Tech in Planescape

I like to think of the Planescape world having bizarre chunks of technology of varying levels floating around due to imports from Prime Material worlds of differing levels of tech. Thus, items of high advancements may appear rarely, with most not even knowing what it is these items do.

__________________

Kobold Avenger's picture
Offline
factotums
Joined: 2005-11-18
Steamtech or 19th Century Tech in Planescape

Even wide spread technological developments like the proliferation of firearms and airships would affect the setting much, as to me it's been more about philosophy, politics and other things.

But anyways I always pictured there are bits of technology that are scattered and even off. You could probably even find some 20th century inventions in a Sigil that's around the 19th century in terms of technology, like teabags, duct tape or crayons in the market ward. They wouldn't be widespread though, and would be a little more like novelties. Zeppelins were apparently invented in 1900 according to a page I'm looking at, and those sort of things are somewhat widely used in steamtech settings.

Of course it does make room to put in more bizarre things like air-pirates, urban shaman, incarnate flesh-golem cowboys (Frankenstein's monster with six shooters), the Ethergaunt from Fiend Folio with really advanced alien tech (stargate-like), and carzed goblin inventors into the setting.

Planescape, Dungeons & Dragons, their logos, Wizards of the Coast, and the Wizards of the Coast logo are ©2008, Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc. and used with permission.