Questions tagged [medieval]
For questions about the medieval era (500-1500AD o.e.) as a whole.
3
votes
6answers
357 views
How could you make banking profitable during the middle ages?
I'm doing a medieval fantasy project and I wanted to include a banking faction. The main issues I've run into are: banks during the middle ages don't seem to be profitable.
What factors would allow ...
21
votes
17answers
9k views
How to hide rifle during medieval town entrance inspection?
Here is my fantasy medieval scenario:
There is pair of adventurers, a Supportive/Non-Offensive mage and a swordsman.
The swordsman is actually a disguised rifleman who carries a scoped rifle.
In ...
12
votes
9answers
3k views
Medieval flying castle propulsion
One day, on the faraway world of not-medieval-Europe, someone discovered that a type of stone could be made to float. A decade or two later, there are flying castles, built out of and/or on a ...
3
votes
6answers
354 views
Medieval weapons and Armor without gunpowder [Siege machines]
The firearm has thought to have been what had killed the age of knights and skilled swordsmen. While it could take years of hard work and practice for a warrior to master a blade or bow, he could pick ...
0
votes
4answers
214 views
What modern things that are cheap can be good to sell in a fantasy medieval world at high price [closed]
I have my protagonist go to a fantasy world that is locked in their medieval era like late 1300 early 1400. My protagonist need money to travel, so what kind of modern invention, a material that is ...
16
votes
10answers
7k views
Is a world with one country feeding everyone possible?
I imagine a world with the size of Europe and the Middle-East. In this world, with lands and seas that are comparable to Europe and the Middle East for its geography, farming is not developed. In fact,...
26
votes
7answers
3k views
What city and town structures are important in a low fantasy medieval world?
I've been working on a procedural map generator that draws cities and towns on continents and islands and I've gotten to the point where I'd like to add lists of structures to the settlements.
I know ...
4
votes
3answers
142 views
Usurper securing a throne while keeping allies of killed king [closed]
How to take over a throne at the same time keep the allies of the previous king despite cultural/religious differences
Like when Alexander the Great died, several regions were ruled by his generals. ...
4
votes
5answers
191 views
Living ice magic - what can I do with it?
I, the Grand Sorcerer Alazam of the Guild of Arcanists, have invented a remarkable new spell! Using unique magical artifacts, I can create what I call 'living ice' - chunks of ice that grow and ...
2
votes
3answers
520 views
Would a Glass “Rupert Drop” Weapon be Plausible?
Can a large glass Rupert Drop somehow be manufactured into a useful and effective weapon in medieval warfare, such as a club?
I've developed a society that primarily lives in the desert with sand in ...
2
votes
3answers
147 views
Fortification of an island kingdom? [closed]
In the story I'm working on, there's an island kingdom that has historically been attacked by invaders from the mainland. This island kingdom's culture is akin to that of ancient Djibouti or Eritrean ...
5
votes
4answers
615 views
Killing undead fish underwater
To kill zombies on land, you usually have to either chop their head off, burn them down or use purification magic (if it is a fantasy world).
But underwater you can't kill the zombies the same way as ...
27
votes
8answers
4k views
Any examples of headwear for races with animal ears?
So, considering the structure of the head and ears for creatures like cats, dogs, and bears, if one were to make a race with those types of ears (The stereotype cat person, essentially) I am curious ...
8
votes
5answers
2k views
Creating a chemical industry from a medieval tech level without petroleum [closed]
You've been transported into a world with a medieval tech level. This world has coal deposits, but no petroleum deposits. You have no chemistry equipment with you, but you can use glassblowing or ...
2
votes
1answer
123 views
Last name earning system [closed]
I just had an idea for a story based on Islamic Spain and Barbary pirates. But after doing some research I found some kind of chaos and randomness in last names. The people's last names are either:
...
21
votes
17answers
3k views
Weaponising the Grasp-at-a-Distance spell
Wizards have developed a Grasp-at-a Distance spell. It has numerous uses in everyday life of course but the Emperor (may he live forever) wants it to be deployed as a weapon of war.
Spell operation
...
6
votes
3answers
260 views
Most effective melee weapons for arboreal combat? (pre-gunpowder technology)
The creatures I am working with are primate-like, hexapodal aliens with a terrestrial/ arboreal lifestyle. On flat land they are able to walk bipedally, freeing up their top 4 arms for manipulating ...
26
votes
19answers
6k views
The logistics of corpse disposal
A pair of fearless killers, thousands of years old, guard a path to what is believed to be heaven. Of course, all towns in the area have different ritual and traditions where either their criminals or ...
11
votes
7answers
1k views
In What Way Would Cryomancy Affect the Food Eaten by Medieval People?
Cryomancy is magic involving the removal of heat from an object by converting thermal energy into magical energy, thereby cooling the object. The conversion to magical energy is not perfect (some ...
4
votes
10answers
420 views
How could a medieval army only use unarmed combat and still be effective?
This medieval fighting force, we'll just call them the Bruiser Army, uses only unarmed combat, but how are they still effective? They have absolutely no range compared to the spears and swords of ...
7
votes
6answers
1k views
How could sorcerers who are able to produce/manipulate almost all forms of energy communicate over large distances?
Sorcerers possess the ability to sense, generate, and manipulate energy; however, their abilities are largely limited to controlling energy that they/other sorcerers have created, and not naturally ...
8
votes
3answers
1k views
(How) Could a medieval fantasy world survive a magic-induced “nuclear winter”?
So, a council of wizards decided that all should bow to their rule. That, it turns out, is a thing wizard councils did a lot. This lead into a certain degree of disagreement, which in turn resulted in ...
5
votes
5answers
295 views
Would this system of corvee peasant labor be effective for building castles/fortifications?
Solarae is a militaristic kingdom that has long guarded the northern passes against the hordemen (think the Germanic migrations/migrants), but Solarae is also a rich kingdom due to the abundance of ...
2
votes
1answer
159 views
Post-Apocalypse Technology? [closed]
I’m currently writing a book where there is a large explosion in Mid-USA, in the year 2025. Following this, there is a world war that diminishes the US population to ~70 million people. There is a ...
12
votes
11answers
3k views
Hot air balloons as primitive bombers
Imagine a medieval-style city, besieged by enemy army. It might be big and have wide river preventing besiegers from direct attack on the walls and launching projectiles significantly far into the ...
1
vote
3answers
158 views
Could a pump jet be made in the 15th-16th century? [closed]
With the knowledge required, could the pump jet be created for use in ships in the given timeline? If not, what other forms of engines can be made in said timeline that can power ships without the use ...
6
votes
5answers
745 views
Can a medieval gyroplane be built?
A hang-glider or a gyro-glider would suffice also, with the purpose of actually working.
I was hoping it wouldn't require a motor, because I doubt a motor could be built in medieval times.
If it ...
3
votes
3answers
123 views
How can the interior of temple lit automatically during medieval time?
In the 1400AD, there was a temple built to honor a late king somewhere in the middle east. The temple can house a thousand people and have many facilities from amenities to entertainment plus an ...
14
votes
13answers
2k views
Why Choose Less Effective Armour Types?
Full steel plate armour is seen as the most effective type of armour from the Medieval period, viewed by some as the pinnacle of medieval/early-renaissance armour. It’s rounded surfaces and layers of ...
2
votes
3answers
198 views
Could someone sneak out of a medieval castle without being interrogated? [closed]
The setting takes place in medieval times (around the 10th-13th century)
Say an important person of court is visiting a king of another nation. He is there as an ally, but needs to sneak out of the ...
63
votes
16answers
10k views
Making a sword in the stone, in a medieval world without magic
This relates to a world in which there is no magic and only medieval technology. The ruling and religious classes want to convince the general populace that magic exists.
For example a sword-smith ...
10
votes
3answers
206 views
How can a religious order prepare their abbey for a siege?
A religious order has learned that the Big Bad wants their MacGuffin. They have contracted a local adventurer to prepare their defense as best he can before the enemy arrives. What is the most urgent ...
5
votes
15answers
2k views
Highly technological aliens land nuclear fusion powered ships in medieval city and slaughter everyone, using swords? [closed]
I want to create a scenario where highly technological aliens invade a medieval earth, the kind with magic and dragons and such. But I don't want the aliens to be completely overpowered. I want them ...
8
votes
6answers
3k views
How to limit sight distance to 1 km
My country is on the coast and spans deep into the continent. The technology level is before the invention of explosives. 10 years ago with naked eyes, anyone could see further than 10 kilometers away ...
6
votes
3answers
861 views
Could a medieval fantasy world sustain itself by occupying important trade hubs and taxing trade?
The civilization I'm talking about is marked in pink (cities A and B).
The trade routes are marked in yellow.
Owning the city B (the entire island) means they only need to travel across two ...
4
votes
3answers
519 views
Slaves who have slaves who have slaves
NOTE
It has been suggested that I change the word 'slave' to something
else, perhaps 'servant'? My intention is to describe a person who is
required to work for someone else with no pay. ...
6
votes
10answers
2k views
Why waste effort manifesting objects when there are already existing physical ones? [closed]
Set in the early medieval ages, you know the one, where King Arthur pulled out a sword and got famous. Magic proliferates but not everyone has affinity for it.
In this world, those who are ...
-1
votes
2answers
157 views
Medieval travel times [closed]
I read another thread Travel time in Medieval times about this, but I'm still struggling to find a more definitive answer.
I have a town suffering from scarce food, due to previous years of crops not ...
-3
votes
1answer
183 views
Steam engine in the 14-15th century
If the world then already had the knowledge required, could an earlier variation of the steam engine be made during this timeline? If it could, how effective would it be for use in early locomotive?
6
votes
8answers
1k views
Mechanized infantry of the medieval age
Using resources already available at the time, could medieval age armies form their equivalent of a mechanized infantry and perhaps implement a sort of "blitzkrieg" strategy during battles? If so, how ...
0
votes
4answers
189 views
How would an underground society have wars? [closed]
Two underground dwarven races are fighting a war. Dwarfs usually live in mines, but they can also move on surface. One army of dwarfs also control giants. The upper ground terrain is made of mountains ...
11
votes
4answers
419 views
Could dwarves do without wood?
Wood has, historically, been used, and still is, to make a great variety of things. Indeed, this material has many qualities, the most relevant being:
Commonplace: in most places in your typical ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
How to get rid of human waste without using bodies of water
A particularly religious people living in a land filled with rivers need to get rid of their excreta. They have disfavoured sewers and dumping waste on water because they venerate oceans and rivers, ...
19
votes
6answers
6k views
How could the elevator at The Wall be powered?
In the show Game of Thrones there is this thing called The Wall. It is a monstrous, 300 mile (≈ 483 km) long bulwark consisting of a fortified ice wall that is 700 feet (≈ 213 meters) high (check the ...
1
vote
3answers
160 views
Aeolipile vehicle in the 14-15th century [closed]
If this was ever invented, how effective would it be? And how can it be improved upon to perhaps be the first steam train?
-2
votes
5answers
179 views
Team of people need to destroy a highly guarded room without hurting anyone [closed]
In my fantasy novel, there is a rebellion that needs to be stopped. They have a weapon in a highly guarded room that is under ground. The team tasked with stopping the rebellion plans to drop several ...
11
votes
4answers
375 views
How might my sea dwelling civilization defend against land-dwellers?
I've searched through a lot of merpeople related questions on this site and didn't see anything that related particularly to me as most questions have to do with underwater combat or dwellings on the ...
5
votes
4answers
278 views
Could the 14-15th century world build a tank/AFV?
Using technology already available to them at the time, could the 14-15th century world create a somewhat effective tank/AFV that could either be used to move artillery quicker around the battlefield ...
1
vote
3answers
210 views
Must Make a Major Modification of Medieval Metallurgy
The scene: Earth, but with a single major modification, the addition of a HUGE quantity of a single element to the Earth's crust (bringing it up to the same abundance as Iron in the crust).
The ...
39
votes
24answers
10k views
How could intelligent animals defend against humans?
Some Context
This story is a fable set in a magic forest full of intelligent animals that live in a huge community. Maleficent depicts a forest that's very close to what I'm thinking.
The magic ...
