A more restrained Technology

This is from the latest version of the D&D Technologist spec (not
yet on the web site), and might explain a little why this, rather
than conventional 20thC/21stC 'real world' technology, might get
on with a Spelljamming setting.


_Style of Technology_

This may vary by DM choice between cinematic and gritty realism.
>From 'Flash Gordon' home-made spaceships and evil scientist-
emperors, to skirmishing against orc raiders armed with dart
pistols. It is not intended to be science and technology as we
know it, in the early 21stC, as almost all technological devices
are hand-built in workshops, rather than mass produced, and the
mass of people in a fantasy world regard it as just another
variety of mysterious magic, just more reliant than most on
material 'props'.

In particular, the science behind the technology is carefully
chosen so that it should have no more impact on society than
magic does. Only the basic mechanical devices could be duplicated
or repaired by such as a smith, or basic (al)chemical devices
made by an alchemist. And, enchanters often make use of a smith
or alchemist in some of their work.

Almost all equipment works at 'room temperature', and compressed
or liquified gasses are not used, which is one of the things
which sparked a scientific revolution in our world. Explosives
are excluded, as are explosive-propelled missile weapons and
non-fuel cell chemical energy. Easy-to-investigate
electromagnetic effects, such as led to radio, are not used, and
production engineering in general, or large-scale materials
production, is not done by this variety of technology. See
Education and Training, below, for some idea about the areas
actually covered, which is more on the lines of anti-gravity,
force fields, and robots. High tech weapons are deliberately
restricted from the 'save or die' variety.

Only if a DM desires it need technology have any more impact on
their campaign than just another strange sort of magic. Of
course, some DMs may want to have a campaign where the characters
are fighting against the spread of something like technology. Or,
their campaign world is going through a technological revolution,
and Technologists are observers or advisors, trained by or
possibly from another world, maybe trying to ensure things don't
go too badly wrong.


--
Dreamer
dreamer@??????.?????.??.uk
http://www.romsys.demon.co.uk/