Questions tagged [low-fantasy]
For questions focused on worlds where magic exists, but is rare, in a world otherwise abiding to natural laws.
54
questions
0
votes
0answers
71 views
How Large could this Optimized Preindustrial Population Get?
There are a lot of questions on this site about historical population levels and densities, and they have good answers about taking into how hard it was to survive in the past, and how inefficient ...
3
votes
2answers
110 views
How would historic military tactics change with the addition of a single invincible champion in every nation's army?
The setting is low fantasy medieval. Magic (and other supernatural things) belong exclusively to the realms of the gods, and are not for mortal beings to wield. However, there is one major exception.
...
23
votes
10answers
8k views
What early middle ages weapons would suit an extremely strong child?
I'm worldbuilding low fantasy with technology level of the early middle ages. Very few of the people could tap into psionic power, which makes them faster and stronger than common people. Average ...
4
votes
0answers
50 views
How would a Jupiter sized planet impact humanity? [closed]
So while worldbuilding I was pondering the effects of such a large planet on humans and their development alongside magic, technology, society, etc. So the planet is like Earth in water/land ratio, ...
50
votes
14answers
10k views
Why do goblins never form societies bigger than about 500 members?
The goblins in my world are classical fantasy goblins. They aren't too smart, have primitive technology, live in tribes, and use tamed boars, wolves, and other wild animals. They usually have a boss, ...
60
votes
22answers
11k views
Why would people bury their dead in tombs when they might become zombies?
This is partly a Skyrim-inspired question, but also relevant to a story I'm trying to flesh out.
In this world, magic and necromancy are perhaps not commonplace, but certainly not unheard of. Walking ...
3
votes
1answer
111 views
Anatomical Feasibility of a Humanoid Derived from Orangutans?
Of the living great apes, humans are most closely related to the chimpanzees and bonobos. We retain quite a few features from that side of the simian family, and it got me thinking about what a ...
22
votes
16answers
4k views
Modern military equipment in a fantasy world
So we've (re)discovered a portal to a magical realm akin to 12th century Europe but with magic. We have giants, trolls, dwarves, wizards, etc. One faction calls upon our aid. Invoking a supposed ...
3
votes
2answers
109 views
How does this dragon's self-defense mechanism not burn the user?
A type of dragon in my world, simply named the Thick-horn, has a well-known mechanism to use to defend itself despite its clumsiness.
They are freakishly large, tend to be slow, and find it hard to ...
12
votes
8answers
5k views
Could accuracy compensate for lack of strength in archery?
Setting:
I'm worldbuilding a medieval fantasy which I try to keep as realistic as
possible. In my world, fantasy races are subspecies of the humans, which I define as compared to humans:
Humans (...
5
votes
6answers
207 views
How would the dwarven Stone Sense work?
Dwarves have been a popular character race for fantasy stories since at least J.R.R. Tolkien.
Common lore bestows upon dwarves a unique and all-encompassing relationship to the stone that composes ...
28
votes
14answers
7k views
In a world without stars, how would travelers navigate at night?
On Earth, sailors would navigate the oceans at night by using the stars as guides; since there are no landmarks in the ocean like there are on land (save for the occasional island), that's pretty much ...
15
votes
10answers
3k views
Justifications for Axe Bayonets
A rather simple question in my opinion compared to my typical: Why would a nation with Napoleonic age technology and weapons use axe bayonets over the more standard 'spear-like' bayonets? They were ...
2
votes
1answer
116 views
The daily life of a dream eater
The dream eater is a supernatural creature that looks like a young woman, except for white hair and pale blue skin. They must eat the dreams of others to sustain themselves, and are a rare sight ...
5
votes
6answers
280 views
Why would two completely different species, who are newly adjacent to each other, not go to war?
Say portals randomly opened up on Earth that lead to an occupied alien planet, the denizens from one planet can survive on the other, and it's confirmed for both sides that the portals were not ...
27
votes
15answers
9k views
How does an immortal vampire king hide his vampirism and immortality?
I am aware of this question, but I think my situation is somewhat different. In the low-fantasy setting I'm working on, the king is a vampire in a world in which vampirism is punished by death. But ...
11
votes
5answers
337 views
Traveling in a world with ever-changing landscapes
I am trying to build a fantasy world which is not made of matter, but of raw imaginative power. This world has an overall fixed shape, bound to the memories of a sleeping godlike being, but everything ...
4
votes
6answers
175 views
Would separate species of sentient dinosaur cooperate?
I’m planning on writing another story as well, but I’m further into the concept of this one.
It takes place in a fictional prehistoric age that combines elements from the Jurassic, Cretaceous, ...
6
votes
5answers
255 views
What would be the most practical way to use a dragon's scales as armor?
I'm working on a roleplaying game in a medieval fantasy setting with a focus on crafting and I am having trouble visualizing how armor made from scales of creatures would be assembled; both for art ...
31
votes
18answers
11k views
How does an all-female medieval country maintain itself?
Here's a question that came up while I was tinkering with a setting I'm working on.
How would a small city-state, with a population in the tens of thousands, where all children were girls, sustain ...
17
votes
8answers
2k views
what would allow for the use of cannons but not handheld guns
I'm looking to create a low fantasy world set in roughly the equivalent of the dark ages such that cities are defended with castle walls and armies are equipped with swords, axes, spears, bows, ...
-1
votes
1answer
102 views
why can't vampires and werewolves be together [closed]
People are always writing stories about how werewolves and vampires can't be together, but why though? they may not like each other, but what if a wolf and a vampire were to find love one day. wouldn'...
4
votes
4answers
294 views
Fantasy Air-Ship Design
I am a little obsessed with the 'Planetary Romance' genre - Edgar Rice Burroughs etc - and especially the idea of a setting in which interplanetary travel is in craft that resemble ocean going vessels....
3
votes
3answers
218 views
How long will modern society remain in the archaeological record?
I have an extreme far future setting (we're talking hundreds of thousands, if not millions of years) wherein humanity has speciated and reverted to a cultural and technological level very similar to ...
22
votes
13answers
5k views
Fantasy Military Arms and Armor: the Dwarven Grand Armory
I'm having some trouble coming up with arms and armament for my fantasy world's dwarven race. I have a few ideas for what they could wield but I'd like a few more to really make this army feel Alive. ...
0
votes
2answers
160 views
Major empires have been destroyed. Results in numerous independent cities [closed]
I'm in the process of building a world for a D&D 5th ed campaign which is due to kick off in the new year and I'm looking for some feedback on a time line, political climate, etc. for the world ...
14
votes
10answers
4k views
How to design an effective polearm-bow hybrid?
Full disclaimer : I acknowledge full well that in real life hybrid weapons are completely silly and impractical but I'm currently writing a fantastic-ish story where power fantasy is a key element. ...
2
votes
2answers
285 views
In a stable medieval fantasy population, what should be the yearly birth rate per 1,000 people? [closed]
For a human or human-like stable, small settlement population, living in medieval fantasy, how many yearly births per 1,000 inhabitants are expected?
Assuming:
There is no major epidemic.
There are ...
28
votes
15answers
7k views
Would dual wielding daggers be a viable choice for a covert bodyguard?
In the setting of a royal court in a stereotypical 'medieval' low-fantasy world, the royal princess must obviously be guarded. Assuming this society sees it as 'unbecoming' for a woman to be armed, ...
20
votes
11answers
7k views
How to not get blinded by an attack at dawn
I'm imagining a low-tech medieval fantasy world where an attack at dawn such that the defenders are forced to look into the rising sun conveys a huge advantage. The effect on my fantasy humanoids ...
33
votes
9answers
5k views
Antler Helmet: Can it work?
Lord Woodesy wants to have a glorious antlered helm! But he has heard that having antlers, horns, or other projections on a helmet can be severely detrimental in conflict since they can be grabbed or ...
5
votes
0answers
319 views
The effects of a lifetime wearing an Iron mask [closed]
Man with the Iron mask
In my story I have a character who is of high nobility who is forced to wear an iron mask covering his whole head to hide (unspecified) birth deformities. Other than eyeholes ...
9
votes
9answers
1k views
Best mythical creature to use as livestock? [closed]
Imagine a world where all the magical and fantastical creatures that exist in mythology or folklore actually exist. Everything from dragons, griffins, goblins, harpies, trolls, etc. - they can taken ...
3
votes
3answers
198 views
Geological Explanation for an Unusually Temperate Northern Mountain Valley
So I'm working on a home-brew D&D setting and I have this idea for the my campaign to take place in a large isolated Valley completely surrounded by mountains. I also had the idea to have these ...
5
votes
14answers
608 views
How can the remains of a god's corpse be kept off the black market and out of the hands of mortals?
A demigod is a mortal being infused with divine energy. This essence comes from a divine spark in their soul that activates due to some external traumatic event. This spark is very rare, and most ...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
What would define kingdoms in a fantasy setting? [closed]
Preface: This is a very abstract question since it really would depend on the worldbuilder, and the type of setting they are trying to build.
In Established Works
In works such as Lord of the Rings, ...
5
votes
2answers
2k views
What are the best weapons and armour for fighting underground? [closed]
Assuming a human society possessing technology on par with the High Medieval Age, circa 1100 AD.
The humans have adapted to living underground after ~3000 yrs. Their skin has less melanin, making ...
21
votes
11answers
4k views
Where to employ domesticated goblins in a fantasy world?
Goblins are small, diminutive humanoid creatures. They are approximately the size of a small child, they are short-lived, and they have very low intelligence.
In my fantasy world, goblins have been ...
6
votes
4answers
248 views
How can I conceal the presence of magical beasts from humans for a few weeks?
I am in the process of fleshing out an alternate world where, following an unnatural super-storm (think cold snaps down to -30°C and heavy snowfall in the 4ft range [1.2 m] inside of 8 hours) in the ...
10
votes
5answers
2k views
Challenges for using a bull as a character's mount
I'm writing a character for a fantasy setting, and I wanted him to be a gruff half-orc war master whose mount is a bull. I wanted to know if there has ever been an actual historical use of bulls or ...
5
votes
5answers
333 views
How can a devil reincarnate himself on earth without being noticed?
The devil is alive, and he walks among you.
Eons ago, there was a battle between a powerful deity and a devil from the nine realms of hell. The losing devil, to avoid being killed, broke himself ...
10
votes
3answers
388 views
How could these giant animals travel oversea?
I've got these 2 giant apes like creatures who are too heavy to go on the ship to be taken to another continent. What are some ways that they could possibly get across the sea? This is a medieval epic ...
39
votes
13answers
10k views
How advantageous is an invisible sword?
An adventurer has come into possession of an invisible sword. How advantageous in a duel or skirmish would this be? Good for a one-time trick, a significant advantage throughout a fight, or even a ...
-1
votes
5answers
931 views
How can medieval-like coalition defeat or force a modern army into submission? [closed]
In my story, there would eventually be a final battle between a modern/high tech army from Earth and a coalition from another world. What are ways that the coalition can gain victory? Given that they ...
38
votes
31answers
10k views
What kind of a unit/army would prefer fighting from a low ground position?
It's a well-known fact that attacking or defending from a high ground gives a wide range of advantages over an opponent occupying a lower position.
I'm DM-ing a campaign where PCs are about to defend ...
5
votes
4answers
129 views
A deadly decadent court of seers. Any ideas on how court intrigue would be altered if every noble and government official could see into the future? [closed]
The fortune tellers take over...
I'm supposing an ancient world in which a specific class of magic users, called Gazers, were able to use their powers to massively increase their own wealth (...
13
votes
12answers
3k views
How to realistically implement magic-users in medieval warfare?
So, I’ve seen other settings before where magic-users – mages, sorcerers, wizards and similar – are basically gods. There have been fantasy stories where a mage can singlehandedly wipe out an army, ...
4
votes
5answers
1k views
Medieval gem values
I'm working on developing a realistic economy for my setting, but one thing my research has failed at is finding numbers that I can use to create a gem system that can be used to price gems of various ...
7
votes
4answers
137 views
How would you realistically set up bat racing on an island?
One of my main characters lives on an island where people bet on bat races. My story is set up so that bats are domesticated and race one another in dark caves. The bats would use echo location to ...
16
votes
3answers
1k views
Realistic fantasy Orcs [closed]
I want to figure out what kind of effects following physical attributes and in-universe conditions would have on Orc populations, society and warfare in a realistic low-fantasy setting:
Physical ...
