Steampunk Suggestions

[Steampunk Knight]

I'm currently in the process of creating a steampunk setting and as such I could use some help from the good people here. Instead of schools of magic, I would like to have disciplines that serve the same function. Obviously the disciplines have a tech base, but I can only think of a few. They are: Chemistry, Steam, Magnetism, Clockwork, Electricity, Ballistics, Metallurgy, and Explosives.  Any further suggestions would be welcome.

Also, I am currently in the process of working on the setting fluff and a system. when I more of that I will post it.

[Elemental_Elf]

How are you differentiating these schools of steam punk?

[Steerpike]

How realistic is the world?  For example, can I build a steam-powered spaceship to sail the Luminiferous Aether?  Can I build a miasma bomb?  Can I reanimate the dead with a galvanic spark?  Can I have my skull read by a phrenologist to determine my character?

Is there any kind of magic?  If so, is it antithetical to science/technology (irrational, chaotic, wild, fey, whatever), or is it part and parcel of the physical, rational universe (or both, in different forms?)?

How advanced is the tech in general?  19th century?  More advanced?

A few ideas of the top of my head: Aeronautics, Hydraulics, and Pneumatics.

[ErebusRed]

How about bionics? 

[Superfluous Crow]

Some kind of biological engineering could perhaps be designed to fit with the general tone of steampunk. 
... transdimensional mathematics? ... emergent philosophy?
There are a whole lot of untapped esoteric options depending on what steam-to-punk ratio you decide on. 

[O Senhor Leetz]

Whats keeping these disciplines segregated from each other? Technology seems to need a cooperation between many disciplines in order for anything to work.

Do Steamers and Chemists have street-fights using piston-hammers and grenandes, respectively, over whose technology is better?

[Lmns Crn]

I have the feeling that scientist-heroes in this genre tend to be multidisciplinarian, crossing easily over very minimal boundaries between areas of specialty. I'm not sure dividing technology up into "schools of science" really serves your theme. (Not to mention the overlap-- it's hard to have explosives without chemistry, or ballistics without explosives and metallurgy, or arguably magnetism without both metallurgy and electricity, etc., etc. Some of these categories, I'm not sure what they'd do on their own.)

Have you considered, instead of dividing up technology into sections like this, letting scientist characters be generally competent across the board, with an additional area of extra proficiency? (i.e., if you have a character with a good science skill and a special focus in flying machines, for example, he's broadly competent at science but especially competent at building aircraft, regardless of what powers those craft.) I think you're more likely to conjure up images of Tesla or Da Vinci this way.

[Superfluous Crow]

I don't think that SK is talking about a complete segregation. He mentions the similarity to schools of magic, and honestly, what is the last game of D&D you played where the wizard only knew spells from one school?
Yet I might be wrong?
I do wonder what you intend to do with this division of fields. Skills? "spell" lists? or are we talking genuine factions?

[O Senhor Leetz]

I can see the use of divided schools of technology if it ties the flavor of the setting with the mechanics. But as pure flavor, I don't think it would work well. Divided things into even little pieces always seemed very artificial to me. That being said, I'm also no fan of elemental magic or alignment charts for that very reason of artificialty, so I'm biased.

But your "schools" could be used to great affect between factions who technology going in different ways, electrical vs. steam, or ceramics vs. metallurgists.

[Steampunk Knight]

How are you differentiating these schools of steam punk?

That is still up in the air. I mean I could go along the same lines as the traditional roles i.e. Clockwork = Conjuration, Magnetics = Abjuration, Explosives = Evocation, and so on. But the problem with that is, none of the disciplines that I have so far come up with fit neatly into single defined role. For example Magnetics could just as easily be evocation as abjuration. So long story short, I'm still trying to figure it out.

How realistic is the world?  For example, can I build a steam-powered spaceship to sail the Luminiferous Aether?  Can I build a miasma bomb?  Can I reanimate the dead with a galvanic spark?  Can I have my skull read by a phrenologist to determine my character?

Is there any kind of magic?  If so, is it antithetical to science/technology (irrational, chaotic, wild, fey, whatever), or is it part and parcel of the physical, rational universe (or both, in different forms?)?

How advanced is the tech in general?  19th century?  More advanced?

A few ideas of the top of my head: Aeronautics, Hydraulics, and Pneumatics.

To answer your first question, about as realistic as a world with magic.  As for your examples you could do any of those. Thanks for bringing up phrenology, I couldn't remember what that was called, but I know I want it in my setting.

I was thinking about having magic existing in the past but it either ceased to function or those who had arcane powers used them to subjugate and enslave those without them. Eventually the enslaved rose up and overthrew their arcane masters, destroying them and anything to do with the arcane. As you can read I am leaning towards the latter. I still might have arcane magic used as a power source, but I don't see a need to have magic (if I keep it) to be antithetical to tech.

As for your third question, I see the setting have very advance tech level but with a 19th century slant. For example you could have a steam powered starship (like your example above). Clockwork soldiers so advance they can think for themselves and so on.

I was thinking about aeronautics, I know do want to have ornithopters and zeppelins in the setting.

How about bionics?  

Absolutely  

Some kind of biological engineering could perhaps be designed to fit with the general tone of steampunk.  
... transdimensional mathematics? ... emergent philosophy?
There are a whole lot of untapped esoteric options depending on what steam-to-punk ratio you decide on.  

Your right, bio engineering could work. I am leaning far more to the fantastic side of the gene.  

Whats keeping these disciplines segregated from each other? Technology seems to need a cooperation between many disciplines in order for anything to work.

Do Steamers and Chemists have street-fights using piston-hammers and grenandes, respectively, over whose technology is better?

You are right, tech does need an understanding of other disciplines. I was just trying to create something for ease of use.  Then again it is all up in the air as of right now. I have also been thinking about a system that requires several different skills to accomplish a task. For example to build a rail gun a PC would need to have access to the magnetism, ballistics, and metallurgy skill and achieve a certain level of mastery with each.

As for 2nd part, it would be more along the line of whose faction is better, and less of whose tech is better. If that makes sense.

I have the feeling that scientist-heroes in this genre tend to be multidisciplinarian, crossing easily over very minimal boundaries between areas of specialty. I'm not sure dividing technology up into "schools of science" really serves your theme. (Not to mention the overlap-- it's hard to have explosives without chemistry, or ballistics without explosives and metallurgy, or arguably magnetism without both metallurgy and electricity, etc., etc. Some of these categories, I'm not sure what they'd do on their own.)

Have you considered, instead of dividing up technology into sections like this, letting scientist characters be generally competent across the board, with an additional area of extra proficiency? (i.e., if you have a character with a good science skill and a special focus in flying machines, for example, he's broadly competent at science but especially competent at building aircraft, regardless of what powers those craft.) I think you're more likely to conjure up images of Tesla or Da Vinci this way.

You know I didn't think of that, but since you mention it, it is something to think about. If you look at the answer to the post above you will see the line I am thinking along right now.

I don't think that SK is talking about a complete segregation. He mentions the similarity to schools of magic, and honestly, what is the last game of D&D you played where the wizard only knew spells from one school?
Yet I might be wrong?
I do wonder what you intend to do with this division of fields. Skills? "spell" lists? or are we talking genuine factions?

No, you are not wrong. They are going to be more like skills. As for factions, the setting will have them, but each faction as access to a different skill set.

I can see the use of divided schools of technology if it ties the flavor of the setting with the mechanics. But as pure flavor, I don't think it would work well. Divided things into even little pieces always seemed very artificial to me. That being said, I'm also no fan of elemental magic or alignment charts for that very reason of artificialty, so I'm biased.

But your "schools" could be used to great affect between factions who technology going in different ways, electrical vs. steam, or ceramics vs. metallurgists.

You are right, I could be a nice adding the bias to the factions that I am going to build.      

[O Senhor Leetz]

So what is going to be the "unique factor" in your steampunk setting. What is going to set it apart?

Also, this thread has inspired me to start brainstorming on my own steampunk setting, a genre, that up until now, I've never really enjoyed that much.

[Steampunk Knight]

So what is going to be the "unique factor" in your steampunk setting. What is going to set it apart?

Also, this thread has inspired me to start brainstorming on my own steampunk setting, a genre, that up until now, I've never really enjoyed that much.

That is a good question and I'm sorry to say, that I don't have an answer for you.  it is still up in the air. Have a few ideas:

Magic existed, and was used for centuries to dominate and enslave. The people then overthrew their arcane masters; destroying their tomes and places of power. They enjoyed in their new found freedom, but it was short lived. The people discovered that their former masters had woven powerful magics that changed the face of the land, sea, and sky. And without the wizards to maintain those magics, the world began to return to its natural state. Once fertile farm land turned to deserts, rivers changed their course, and dark creatures emerged form the forests.

In order to survive the people had to come up with new ways, new technology. Instead of sails; steam. Instead of arrows; bullets

I know that I will not be using the standard fantasy races. I don't know if I will have other races or how many there will be, but I know there will not be dwarves, elves, orcs, etc. 

It is all still vague and rough, but it where I am currently going.

[Xathan]

The idea of magic being overthrown and it created a sort of mini-apocalypse* is definitely something I could get behind - though I'm curious if it was completely eliminated or in some dark corners of the world secret cults hold on to ancient knowledge and intend on reviving the Old Way.

Also, if mages were so powerful they literally had changed the face of the world, how did the rest of the people get the power to overthrow them?

The one critique I have of this as what makes your setting unique is that it's history - for the players, if that's the primary unique factor, it's going to feel largely like classic steampunk with a more interesting backstory. It's hard being completely unique in steampunk without going way out there (stuff like Dragonmech, for example), and props for not going to the fallback of arcane vs. tech...maybe you could make it unique with the level of steampunk? Entirely clockwork cities that rival the grandeur of the mage's sanctums, or conversely, isolated settlements with ramshackle technology that's barely keeping them alive in the face of the landscape and re-emergence of dark creatures (neither of which I see commonly done in steampunk, though I'm sure someone has).

BTW, that last bit is another area ripe for exploration - what if the dark things wizards were holding back were, in fact, far worse than the Wizards themselves, and technology is now the only way to keep humanity/humanoidanity from falling to the danger they present?

*I'm completely in love with Apocalypses. Something's wrong with me.

[Steampunk Knight]

The idea of magic being overthrown and it created a sort of mini-apocalypse* is definitely something I could get behind - though I'm curious if it was completely eliminated or in some dark corners of the world secret cults hold on to ancient knowledge and intend on reviving the Old Way.

Magic is still around, just people who know how to use it are gone. Well for the most part. I can se a handful of mages escaping the purge. There will definitely be at least one group trying to revive the old ways.

Also, if mages were so powerful they literally had changed the face of the world, how did the rest of the people get the power to overthrow them?

Magic on that scale requires dozens of mages to perform and maintain. I only really see there being like 100 mages at most during that time.

A single mage, while still being very dangerous, can be overwhelmed if enough people attack him at once. I see magic requiring a lot of personal energy and concentration to perform. After while a mage just gets tapped out.   

The one critique I have of this as what makes your setting unique is that it's history - for the players, if that's the primary unique factor, it's going to feel largely like classic steampunk with a more interesting backstory. It's hard being completely unique in steampunk without going way out there (stuff like Dragonmech, for example).

You are right; it is really difficult to make it truly unique without going way out there. That is something I really don't want to do. I am hoping that the backstory and the fluff is good enough to keep people interested.

and props for not going to the fallback of arcane vs. tech...maybe you could make it unique with the level of steampunk? Entirely clockwork cities that rival the grandeur of the mage's sanctums, or conversely, isolated settlements with ramshackle technology that's barely keeping them alive in the face of the landscape and re-emergence of dark creatures (neither of which I see commonly done in steampunk, though I'm sure someone has).

Thanks and for right now that is the plan.

BTW, that last bit is another area ripe for exploration - what if the dark things wizards were holding back were, in fact, far worse than the Wizards themselves, and technology is now the only way to keep humanity/humanoidanity from falling to the danger they present?

*I'm completely in love with Apocalypses. Something's wrong with me.

This is very much the way I am going.

[Xathan]

Magic is still around, just people who know how to use it are gone. Well for the most part. I can se a handful of mages escaping the purge. There will definitely be at least one group trying to revive the old ways.

Awesome - such a group would be a great starting point for an adventure. Something to consider: are they public or hidden?

Magic on that scale requires dozens of mages to perform and maintain. I only really see there being like 100 mages at most during that time.

A single mage, while still being very dangerous, can be overwhelmed if enough people attack him at once. I see magic requiring a lot of personal energy and concentration to perform. After while a mage just gets tapped out.   

Ahh, that makes more sense...though if only a hundred of them was able to reshape the globe, it's still hard to imagine them falling to anything but hundreds of thousands of normal's lives. Then again, that's just my opinion, not an actual critique. :P

You are right; it is really difficult to make it truly unique without going way out there. That is something I really don't want to do. I am hoping that the backstory and the fluff is good enough to keep people interested.

See my comment below in response to this:

This is very much the way I am going.

That, right there, is where your setting gets the most of it's uniqueness in my opinion. If gameplay/story is focused around holding back the dark creatures once contained by mages, you've got an angle on steampunk I've not heard before and not entirely sure anyone's done before. It's a great way to handle things, and I'm really looking forward to seeing this particular element develop above all others.