Sword & Sorcery & Super-science!

[Malcadon]

Am I the only one who thinks this is totally awesome?

I'm not talking about "hard science", but more fantastic stuff like Barsoomian radium-rifles & airships, stuff that you find in comic books & 80's cartoons, and the retro-tech of the classic Gamma World game. What I'm talking about is "science fantasy", mixed into a Sword & Sorcery setting, much like Thongor of Lemuria, Thundarr the Barbarian, Korgoth of Barbaria, pre-saga Star Wars (before it delude itself with any sort of realism), and Tékumel: Empire of the Petal Throne.

My ideal Sword & Sorcery setting is a post-apocalyptic/cataclysm of a technologically advanced civilization, that reduced the world into a state of evil sorcery, mad-science, and raw savagery!!! A setting with archetypes like Conan, John Carter, Elric, Dejah Thoris, Inara Serra, the Gray Mouser, Tars Tarkas, and Han Solo (who never shots last!) being the common sorts of PCs.

So, what are your ideas on mixing Science Fantasy in Sword & Sorcery settings?

 

[Jotenbjorn]

Outside of Star Wars, mixing sci-fi and sword & sorcery is dreadful. I prefer my barbarian warriors not have laser rifles, thank you. Though I've got to admit, I was mildly amused by Dolph Lundgren's Masters of the Universe. It was like some wierd train wreck, I couldn't look away.

 

[Jeffreywns]

Adamant put out Mars, which uses the Conan D20 system. I used it to entertain my party while waiting for the 2nd edition to come out. It's just what your talking about.

 

[rabindranath72]

There are some examples of weird science in Conan's stories. Tolkemec's wand is an example of weird science, the various demon fires, and the gardens in Xuthal; as Thalis says in The Slithering Shadow:

"They manufacture their own food out of the primal
elements. They are wonderful scientists, when they are not drugged
with their dream-flower. Their ancestors were mental giants, who built
this marvelous city in the desert, and though the race became slaves
to their curious passions, some of their wonderful knowledge still
remains. Have you wondered about these lights? They are jewels, fused
with radium. You rub them with your thumb to make them glow, and rub
them again, the opposite way, to extinguish them. That is but a single
example of their science. But much they have forgotten. They take
little interest in waking life, choosing to lie most of the time in
deathlike sleep."

Also, being the Conan universe effectively a part of the Cthulhu Mythos, alien artifacts would not be unheard of. So yes, I like the idea, and I used it. I must say I prefer weird science to widespread use of magic. IMO the only "true" sorcery should be of the summoning and necromancy types.

 

[Malcadon]

Thanks for pointing out Slithering Shadow. The green-stone cities are some of the unique elements in Conan. Are they a creation of magic or advanced science? Who can say? Most likely, both. When science is so advanced it like "magic", even with our modern mindset. Back in the pulp days, magic and science was seen as interchangeable, and "radium" was the fad Unobtanium (an fictional element so advanced (or a real one that is poorly understood), that it bypass the laws of physics). Its a shame there is such a sharp schism between fantasy and science fiction - both sides taking themselves so seriously.

What I find funny and ironic is that the method of spellcasting used in D&D came from a novel establishes magic as a form of science (The Dying Earth, by Jack Vance). Of course, the original D&D booklets had lots of examples of science fantasy elements (most of it is Barsoomian stuff). Back then, the folks at TSR did not take everything so seriously.

My exposure with "science fantasy" in RPGs stems from a campy old game called Gamma World. This game takes place in the far future, centuries after the holocaust of a technologically advanced civilization. The radioactive fallout had the same effect of comic book radiation (or Lovecraft's The Colours Out of Space), and a lot of strange life was spawned because of it. The PCs start off as simple spear-chucking tribesmen, who must survive an alien world that is both savage and queer! One of the best methods of survival, is to figure out the workings of high-tech artifacts. Such devices are vary 50's B-movie in style, and could be anything - from a harmless toaster, to an armed A-bomb! You figure them out just like magic items in D&D. It is not unusual for a Shaman to hold his power with "the magic of the ancients" (like a Death-ray Blaster, or something), or even whole cults forming around supercomputers (the sort of computers that would burnout, when Cap. Kirk just says "Hello!" :wink: ). It a grim and savage game, but it don't take itself too seriously - it can be quite silly at times. (later versions tried to make it vary serious with Mad Max styled stuff, and hard science, but it lost everything that made it fun - plus, there was enough gritty, realistic post-apoc RPGs on the market)

Taking a queue from 80's cartoons (namely, Thundarr the Barbarian), I like to add a mix of sorcery onto the game - ideally, Hyborian/Lovcraftian sorcery. Gamma World is just strange enough, where Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos would not be at all out of place. Someone also did just that and made an odd OD&D supplement called Carcosa. Carcosa not just has campy retro-tech, it also has the strange alien artifacts of the Great Race & Primordial Ones (power crystals, living stones, and such), so figuring things out is even more strange!

As awesome as Conan is, I like to toy with all sorts of pulp fantasy - even it they have a lot sci-fi elements in it.

 

[Spectator]

What I find funny and ironic is that the method of spellcasting used in D&D came from a novel establishes magic as a form of science (The Dying Earth, by Jack Vance). Of course, the original D&D booklets had lots of examples of science fantasy elements (most of it is Barsoomian stuff). Back then, the folks at TSR did not take everything so seriously.



Excellent point Malcadon!

 

[RPGnerd]

I mix Lovecraftian technology in my Conan games. I also use Call of Cthulhu /BRP instead of the OGL system to run my Conan games.

Deep Ones make great enemies and knowing Set and Thoth are both avatars of Nyarlathotep adds a very insidious secret to Hyboria.

Yithians and their technology can take a character from the 1920s then exchange them with a Hyborian....a quick solution to spice up a tired CoC game is turn them into Aquilonians!

The tower of the Elephant was very Sci-fi, an almost Lovecraftian alien lands on earth....and the heart/gem almost could be alien technology.