Questions tagged [medieval]
For questions about the medieval era (500-1500AD o.e.) as a whole, regardless of the location.
804
questions
5
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5answers
271 views
How effective would a scythe be in a one-on-one, sword-versus-scythe fight? [duplicate]
In one-on-one combat, with one combatant using a sword, the other the aforementioned false Death, how effective would a scythe be in combat? What tactics could be utilized with it, and what tactics ...
8
votes
2answers
641 views
Could my character dye her hair with clothing dye or other common materials? [duplicate]
The world is a sort of medieval era place with very widespread trade, so the character would have access to a range of materials from different climates
The current colour is a blue-ish hue, but that'...
9
votes
15answers
4k views
Why would a government sanction crime within a city?
Assume this city is relatively large by late medieval standards, around 200,000 people. The city is mainly a site for trade due to its geographically central position and being on a river. Also, ...
9
votes
11answers
3k views
How to balance the power of magic warriors and physics warrior in medieval [closed]
I'm creating two character classes:
Physics warrior - Just like an ordinary warrior
Magic warrior - Like a physical warrior but using magic. (not a mage or magician).They can attack by firing magic ...
6
votes
1answer
145 views
How to estimate the price of an animal in a fantasy setting, or why does a duck cost more then a chicken? [closed]
I realise now that this is not the right place to ask this question, but for anyone else who happens to stop by and is looking for a good reference to use to price their animals, I've found a resource ...
3
votes
3answers
242 views
I want to build the safest habitat(a castle) I can
So I'm in the 1700s and thinking of building a castle surrounded by a 1000 metre moat.
I am going to section off the moat into three parts so that each section contains piranha fish, crocodiles and ...
4
votes
3answers
210 views
Feasibilty of Chainmail in 12th Century Medieval Settings
This question is inspired by a comment in this video that the official war historian of the Battle of Cresson describing 140 knights attacking an army of 7,000 as "an experience that will turn ...
3
votes
4answers
162 views
Crewed polearms
In ancient and late medieval combat, the pike emerged as a supreme weapon, an evolution of the spear. The pike being longer than any other melee weapon, a phalanx of pikemen would skewer the front ...
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votes
3answers
164 views
Evolution of Monks [closed]
Wait, what? Monks...evolving? Don't worry, I don't mean biological evolution, I mean social evolution, the natural progression and alteration of a societal role, specifically the Monk Class.
...
2
votes
3answers
190 views
Ancient artillery, throwing bombs with slings [closed]
a sling can throw a projectile up to 400 meters or further, in some cultures children grow up training with slings and in adulthood it develops into an extension of their arm, developing the ability ...
16
votes
7answers
6k views
How to defend a kingdom without killing anyone [duplicate]
What resources, schemes, and strategies does a medieval king need to protect their power without killing or torturing?
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vote
3answers
166 views
How might a person summon the devil from its prison? [closed]
A society of prophets live according to middle-age superstitions. They abide by a lunar calendar, put a strong emphasis on star signs, and believe they possess psychic powers such as palm reading and ...
4
votes
7answers
392 views
Medieval rebel army, mostly peasants, led by a small number of men with considerable military experience. What is camp life like?
In continuation to this question, my small (for now) force, made mostly of peasants, is rebelling against an empire that has conquered their land. Most people of this force have no military experience,...
4
votes
1answer
108 views
Aircraft aluminum grade 7075 used for body armor in medieval setting
I've read a few discussion on the use of aluminum in medieval armor. There are a lot of people saying that aluminum is a bad choice for armor because it's too soft and brittle. There are many ...
10
votes
5answers
776 views
Inventions that could have come earlier [closed]
There are some technical ideas that could have been developed much earlier, changing the ancient or medieval world.
A sterling example is the hot-air balloon. It was actually invented at the close of ...
6
votes
6answers
1k views
Cannibal City: Part 1 - Eating your enemies
The Great City has impregnable walls. No-one has ever overwhelmed them and likely no-one ever will. The only way to defeat the inhabitants of this mighty city is to besiege them and simply starve ...
0
votes
1answer
83 views
Benefits of Boomerang Enchantment for Humans
This is the long-overdue human equivalent of Benefits of Boomerang Enchantment on Items.
On an item, the Boomerang Enchantment allows an item to fly back to their owner's hand after being thrown, ...
33
votes
7answers
11k views
Can archers on the ground shoot down a hot air balloon?
As a scenario, let's say that a group of heroes is traveling in a hot air balloon as a proof-of-concept for bandit-proof travel. Some particularly well-armed bandits naturally have taken an issue with ...
23
votes
17answers
7k views
A huge forest native almost solely to elves who are widely regarded with hatred. What's to stop an army from simply burning the entire forest? [closed]
A big army, fearful and hateful of elves, is standing in front of the forest they all (or vast majority of) reside in. Behind them is a stream, and beyond the forest is the coast. What is to stop them ...
21
votes
9answers
3k views
How long would a character stay unconscious when fainting after a combat?
I have a character who engages combat finishing with in-armour duel that pushes her to the limit. After it is over she is so exhausted (and probably dehydrated) that she faints.
Assuming:
she is not ...
4
votes
5answers
245 views
Medieval fantasy world, rebel forces against an empire, how can the rebels win? [closed]
So I found myself in this situation:
My characters are in a land composed mainly of city states with some degree of recognition of common nationality (a la greeks at the time of the persian wars), the ...
2
votes
8answers
677 views
What ingredient is required to make a salve that can rapidly heal wounds in around 5 minutes?
In medieval times, instead of using potions to heal wounds, they use a healing salve that can rapidly heal open wounds of all types in, let's say, 5 minutes. (Not really severe ones or closed wounds ...
27
votes
5answers
3k views
Bow types and their pros and cons
What bows are used for different situations and what makes them the best choice?
In my story a village is only easily accessible in one direction (Tall mountains around it and a fast river behind) ...
16
votes
17answers
3k views
Justification for each country having their own form of magic
There's three mighty countries in this part of the world. In each country, one finds magicians. They are very rare: about one in ten thousand babies is born with magic, and it doesn't matter whether ...
6
votes
2answers
148 views
What natural occurences can be blamed on Witches but also explained with medieval science [closed]
I want to write a Story about a medieval village
This Village is plagued by a lot of misfortunes and as people are they blame it on witches but i am having a hard Time finding good occurences.
The ...
4
votes
4answers
222 views
Feasibility of foot launched projectile weapons
So, one of the species in a fantasy world I'm working on is a lemur like species that stands around 3-4 feet tall, or about the size and weight of baboons.
They have very strong legs with opposable ...
17
votes
9answers
4k views
What disease could my time traveler find a definitive 'cure' for, without recognizing the specific disease
I've been toying with a story of person sent to a alternate reality that mirrors medieval Europe, but not necessarily with identical history/countries. The time traveler would earn the trust/support ...
6
votes
2answers
231 views
Insect-powered shoes
The Emperor (may he live for ever) feels that walking is too much trouble. He should be able to simply stand upright and his shoes take him where he wants them to. He also wants to impress his ...
asked Apr 17 at 19:48
chasly - supports Monica
46.3k12 gold badges138 silver badges288 bronze badges
9
votes
6answers
349 views
Advanced mechanical engineering without electricity in a traditionally medieval fantasy setting?
Could you have advanced mechanical engineering without, say, advanced electrical engineering accompanying it? Thick clockwork, clickety clackety stuff, does it need steam/electricity by default? How ...
4
votes
3answers
265 views
Can I have an otherwise High Medieval society, if they are in perpetual Bronze Age?
I may have been too ambitious with one property of my advanced Mesoamerican civilisation. The very summarised background (which you can take as given; don't frame challenge this) is that after a wise ...
0
votes
2answers
114 views
Isekaied in a late medieval world, how long before you get a flu and die? [duplicate]
You are in contact with 4 people a few minutes after your arrival and with an entire city after a day worth of traveling.
Can you reasonably expect to survive at least a month?
0
votes
1answer
137 views
Figuring Out Monster Ecology
In one of my last questions, Making a Predator For Chompers, Daron pointed out that I should really post an ecology question, so now I'm trying to figure out the ecology of my world based on my most ...
10
votes
7answers
3k views
Medieval fantasy ship carrier
I'm currently working on developing the navy for the most advanced faction in my fantasy world and I'm stuck with the design of the largest ship, a sort of a medieval carrier ship.
I'm talking about ...
3
votes
4answers
710 views
What circumstances would lead to griffins abandoning their mountainous habitats for castles?
Castles have high towers for them to roost in and scout, lots of surrounding land for food and water. Obviously the biggest problem would be getting the people living in them to either clear off, or ...
1
vote
2answers
361 views
Bringing the Bikini Into Medieval Times [closed]
Okay, so this question is a follow-up to Just How Dangerous Would a Plopup Be? and covers the simple fact that the bikini didn't exist in the medieval period.
However, the Plopup have managed to come ...
6
votes
7answers
353 views
What would be an effective land based mode of transportation for mermaids?
(this is probably going to be my last mermaid based question for while)
unlike their giant counterparts, most mermaids are more humanoid sized and have a life style similar to seals. now some of these ...
2
votes
1answer
131 views
How accurate was/ could minting be in the early middle ages regarding to the shape of the coin (circular)?
I am having trouble finding information on this and I lack the knowledge to know how feasible or not this would be.
I'd like to know how perfectly round coins could be made in the early middle ages. ...
3
votes
5answers
222 views
How would giant mermaids wage raids/warfare against ships?
Part 2 of How could medieval ships protect themselves from giant mermaids?
While hominids may rule the land, giant mermaids dominate the sea! Many nations employ these giant mermaids to wage warfare ...
6
votes
18answers
4k views
What could prevent my world from progressing past the early industrial age?
Now, my world is old. Very old. And, unfortunately, the story locked me in a paradox. Namely, the colonization of the lush caves featured in another of my questions, which also have a name now (Harat ...
28
votes
17answers
5k views
How could medieval ships protect themselves from giant mermaids?
Long ago when apes and hominids split off a third group began to live in the seas and became mermaids/seafolk. Among several species of mermaids, there is a species of "giant mermaids" who ...
3
votes
5answers
318 views
How Would Limited Space Travel Change Late Medieval/Early Renaissance-era Warfare?
In my book series, the various planets of the galaxy, give or take, generally have access to late medieval to early renaissance era technology in terms of warfare. That means full plate armor, siege ...
11
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20answers
5k views
How can a mute cast spells that require incantation during medieval times?
In order for magic to manifest in this world, one has to recite a specific incantation following a visualization of the anticipated result, and only then will the magic occur. Amazingly, many students ...
47
votes
18answers
8k views
Help! Mage stuck inside a wall!
When teleporting an aura of magic covers your body and this aura works as a coating portal.
Instead of you entering a portal, the portal eats you.
The portal is created magically and eats the user in ...
4
votes
4answers
648 views
Is my town realistic?
So, my setting is a small border town on the edge of the [x] empire- beyond the town is the Eastern Reaches and is mostly unexplored. The border has been explored up to around 60 miles by the feudal ...
11
votes
6answers
3k views
How would people in Medieval times react to the clothes worn by a time traveler coming from the present day?
My heroine (accidentally) travels through time and finds herself in a medieval setting (a forest in e.g. 1100). The only things that time traveled with her, are her clothes. At first she gets lost in ...
3
votes
6answers
796 views
How to cross a gorge with deep valley plagued by corrosive effluvium in medieval times?
There is a beautiful deep canyon called "Gorge Yor Ei Ou" by the local, it has a deep cleft filled with deadly and corrosive effluvium that doesn't seems to go away. The shortest distance ...
3
votes
1answer
129 views
Usefulness of Synergy Enchantment
I have recently conceived of a fifth member of the Little Four, the four most common monsters in my fantasy world: Bitbugs. These cute little bugs have rounded bodies (they look sort of like blimps), ...
2
votes
6answers
243 views
Medieval society with four planets and teleportation
A solar system has 4 planets very similar to Earth, all in the habitable zone. The only differences between them are slight variations in size and therefore gravity. The tectonic plates and ...
4
votes
2answers
555 views
Just How Dangerous Would a Plopup Be?
Okay, I've been making quite a few Plop questions, and this one is a real heavy hitter. (You can see one, two, and three for more on Plop.)
You see, every so often Plops form hidden hordes (like rats ...
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votes
1answer
96 views
Why would a faction betray its leader in the middle of war? [closed]
Basically my protagonist is a medieval princess who refuses to marry either warring claimants to her throne.
Eliminate one claimant, and his faction would naturally defect to the other claimant. Of ...
