Merging Real-World History with Science Fantasy

meribson
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Merging Real-World History with Science Fantasy Oct 12, 2017 0:51:25 GMT DM Exitium and DM Lord Neptune like this

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Post by meribson on Oct 12, 2017 0:51:25 GMT

So I've been looking through Starfinder and had a curious idea: creating a science fantasy setting without changing history.

Essentially, up until humanity colonizes Mars and discovers alien ruins, history continues as it has been. On Mars, reverse engineering alien technology centered around a specific element (let's all it Aetherium) jump humanity's technology by centuries. However when exposed to Aetherium in the womb, the person born has the chance to develop incredible powers (IE: magic). I know that this is a reflavoring of the backstory of Mass Effect, but hey if it works.

That's one possibility: another is that for some reason, the stretch of space that we call home is a cosmic anti-magic field. So humans never developed magic until we managed to leave it. The question however: is if humans gain magic upon leaving this field, or if because we evolved in a dead magic zone we are forever unable to use it?

I'm just spitballing ideas out there, anyone else have ideas for how our world could eventually be part of a science fantasy setting?

Check out a setting in the works by a friend of mine and I: Ruins of the Forbidden Elder

Or take a look at a different world-building blog of mine, one where I use the real world as the inspiration: Dungeons & Destinations

DM Lord Neptune
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Apologies if this post is lengthy...

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Merging Real-World History with Science Fantasy Oct 12, 2017 15:47:24 GMT

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Post by DM Lord Neptune on Oct 12, 2017 15:47:24 GMT

Palladium's RIFTS had a premise based around the real world getting blasted with nuclear Armageddon, and all the psychic energy that was released from the billions that died simultaneously tore rifts in the world to other dimensions but also ignited the ley lines around the world, which brought magic back to the world. Or at least made it more prominent. I can't remember, it's been a while.

I think Shadowrun also had something that happened that released magic into the real world, which ended up changing some humans into elves, orcs, dwarves, etc, as well as creating many monsters everywhere.

DM Lord Neptune (AKA Ryan)
Keep on Dungeon Mastering indeed.

Mariok Soresal Hillick
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Merging Real-World History with Science Fantasy Jan 28, 2018 2:06:14 GMT DM Exitium and DM Lord Neptune like this

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Post by Mariok Soresal Hillick on Jan 28, 2018 2:06:14 GMT

Well one way could be where technology gets so advanced that we basically go back to using swords again, except they're made of energy or something like that. I like your idea better though. I also like the idea of dungeon-delving like a fantasy setting on Mars, but with modern technology. I imagine the aliens might have been sort of like the Aztecs and India. I don't know, just a thought.

In my Land of Adventure I'm thinking of having it normal to have Wizards with magical portals to Mars and the other planets, and my Land of Adventure is a fictional past of the world, so perhaps the buildings they're building on Mars could be the ancient ruins when our modern world goes to Mars.

"The unexamined life is not worth living" - Socrates, the greatest philosopher of all time.

"In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit." -J.R.R. Tolkien from The Hobbit.

"The book you hold in your hand contains a description of a new fantasy world, together with rules for conducting adventures therein." - M.A.R. Barker from The Empire of the Petal Throne.

meribson
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Merging Real-World History with Science Fantasy Feb 22, 2018 17:35:51 GMT joatmoniac likes this

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Post by meribson on Feb 22, 2018 17:35:51 GMT

Started working on a timeline for a Starfinder setting with the cosmic anti-magic premise. Thus far have up to First Contact with a reflavored Ysoki into a race of Rocket Raccoons. Humanity has not yet expanded past the anti-magic reach of space, but I have ideas for what they'll find when they do.

Humanity once they reach magic-okay reaches of space will try to find ways to combine magic and science, and spark a war with some of the locals that feel that magic and technology should be kept separate. The war ends more or less in a stalemate, but it gives me plenty of different themes and eras to play around in.

One of the major powers post war is an empire ruled by a great wyrm red dragon that extends her life by swapping out failing organs with cybernetics. Her lieutenants include a half-Terminator balor and a technomancer lich.

Last Edit: Feb 22, 2018 17:54:02 GMT by meribson

Check out a setting in the works by a friend of mine and I: Ruins of the Forbidden Elder

Or take a look at a different world-building blog of mine, one where I use the real world as the inspiration: Dungeons & Destinations

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Merging Real-World History with Science Fantasy

Post by meribson on Oct 12, 2017 0:51:25 GMT

Post by DM Lord Neptune on Oct 12, 2017 15:47:24 GMT

Post by Mariok Soresal Hillick on Jan 28, 2018 2:06:14 GMT

Post by meribson on Feb 22, 2018 17:35:51 GMT

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