D&D 5E What would a 'real' D&D society look like?

[tardigrade]

Something that's bothered me for a while is that societies in most D&D settings don't really reflect the natural laws that govern their reality. I'm not entirely sure what happens in a world where people can recover from most wounds in a day and Raise Dead is a thing, but I'm pretty sure it's not Medieval World with a side order of Crazy Old Wizard In That Tower Over There. I realise that 5e tries to show that the class system is basically an abstraction of reality and only really applies to PCs, but I'm curious: what social, economic, legal and political changes do you think would be visible in a society where, say, 12% of the population have class levels (1% of each class) and all humans are vhumans who get to choose a feat? (I'm happy for this to be a conscious choice rather than random so most don't just end up with minor combat benefits). Levelled characters get the PC standard array, others get the peasant standard array (11, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10).

 

[tardigrade]

Just to get things rolling, I'd expect most butchers, fishermen and fishmongers to have (or know someone with) access to Shape Water via Magic Initiate for the refrigeration potential. And hey, add Prestidigitation and you can create 625 cubic foot of fat-free sorbet a minute!

 

[TheCosmicKid]

If 1% of the population is clerics, then there are roughly three times more clerics per capita in this society than there are medical doctors in modern first-world countries. (And that's not even counting the other healing classes.)

And if 1% of the population is paladins, then there are, again, roughly three times more paladins -- pure-hearted chosen champions of divine justice -- per capita than there are law enforcement officers of any description in the United States, which is on the high side to begin with.

1% is a lot, is what I'm saying

 

[Tony Vargas]

I'm curious: what social, economic, legal and political changes do you think would be visible in a society where, say, 12% of the population have class levels (1% of each class) and all humans are vhumans who get to choose a feat? (I'm happy for this to be a conscious choice rather than random so most don't just end up with minor combat benefits). Levelled characters get the PC standard array, others get the peasant standard array (11, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10).

Magic would be a major part of the world, driving any industries where it can be systematically applied, which'd include 'heath care.' Whether the social implications would shake out into de-facto megaocracies and/or theocracies, or whether "1%'ers" of each caster class would be all but enslaved to keep their powers in thrall to some other sort of elite or leadership (or appear to be while ruling from behind the throne) or something else (or some combination) is up to you.
For instance, divine casters might form theocracies where warlocks are an underground black-magic black-market and Druids are hunted rebels, while wizards from magocracies where sorcerers are enslaved, ATs use 'stolen secrets' and EKs are elite enforcers trained to hunt them down.

 

[Warpiglet]

It is entirely possible that magic is relatively rare (e.g. maybe only a low level druid or shaman in a rural area with small villages.

Otherwise, how would we have any sort of pseudo medieval society? Today, the only way we have "third world" countries or places that lack technology is that they do not have access to much.

In D&D terms, maybe rich cities would have magic street lights and magical food preservation not generally seen elsewhere.

I personally like a bit more rarity...if PC sorts are rare, we do not have a FR situation with heroes around every tree...

 

[tardigrade]

If 1% of the population is clerics, then there are roughly three times more clerics per capita in this society than there are medical doctors in modern first-world countries. (And that's not even counting the other healing classes.)

And if 1% of the population is paladins, then there are, again, roughly three times more paladins -- pure-hearted chosen champions of divine justice -- per capita than there are law enforcement officers of any description in the United States, which is on the high side to begin with.

1% is a lot, is what I'm saying

Very true. I am looking for a transformational level of change, though (I did wonder about asking about a world where *everyone* has levels, too). Your point reminded me of a very relevant discussion on RPG.SE: https://rpg.stackexchange.com/quest...-healing-how-can-sick-crippled-or-otherwise-u

I'm also conscious that cleric != healer, though.

 

[Oofta]

In my world, I don't know that many people have character classes, but that doesn't mean they don't use magic as part of their everyday life.

Take continual flame as an example. Yes, it's expensive, but it's also permanent. Over the centuries it only takes an occasional creation of a new continual flame for there to be continual flames everywhere.

So most households (except for extremely poor ones) have at least one permanent light source.

But there are also other applications of magic, and other types of practioners. PC magic using classes are like race cars - tuned and designed for one specific purpose. Most NPC spell casters are more akin to that rusty old Toyota. Not nearly as flashy, can't do fireballs to save it's life, but still extremely useful in it's own way.

So a baker may hum a little tune while doing his work and his cookies really are magically delicious. A smith may chant an invocation handed down through the centuries and his product resists rust, his blades are just a little sharper and so on. The local healer dramatically reduces chance of infection and his poultices really do speed healing even though he can't cast "cure light wounds" and may or may not be a priest.

In addition, there are rituals and techniques simply not available to PCs. A master mason can protect a building from tunneling monsters such as purple worms, a cultist can do a ritual that gives life to a totem of their god and so on.

I don't go as far as Eberron. There are no magical trains, although there are occasionally flying ships and gnomes occasionally try to build battle mechs (usually with disastrous results).

However ... while using a golem as a power source for a mill might sound like a great idea, the implementation tends to either be too expensive compared to the alternative or there are potential dangers. A magic threshing machine is a great idea until a virgin accidentally cuts themselves and accidentally complete part of a ritual that turns it into a demonically possessed killing machine.

So people accept magic in my world just like people accept electricity. The standard of living is just a little higher than a non-magical world.

 

[Satyrn]

gnomes occasionally try to build battle mechs (usually with disastrous results).

Well yeah, it ain't much of a battle mech if it doesn't leave a wake of disaster.

 

[Bupp]

I've never liked the pseudo-medieval type world for D&D, unless it's low magic.

As Arthur C. Clarke said, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic". You pick your level of magic available in your world and find a similar technology level you want it to simulate.

I usually go with a pre industrial type society so we're talking 18th/19th century. Sure, you have monarchies still around, but other forms of government are also taking shape. I tend to go with some more modern type of morals and sensibilities as well.

 

[discosoc]

There are really only two paths for a "real D&D society," due to the way people behave and believe. It comes down to a power struggle between practitioners of magic versus those of "the faith," and I'm inclined to believe the later would gain popular support. Still, here they are:

In a world where Wizards rule, there are certainly no castles and knights, and even armor would be unlikely to have progressed much past chain due to role arcane warriors would play on the battlefield. And if you think wizards would be relegated to some "advisory" role or sequestered scholars searching for lore in a library, then you have no clue what people really do with power. Think about it; ancient people came up with all kinds of myths and legends to explain things like what makes lightning during a storm -- myths and legends that pretty much always involved angry gods or pissing off ancestors or something. Imagine those people confronted with groups of other people who can do those very things, no myths or legends needed. Wizards would be living gods, and you'd probably have entire cultures that worshiped and fearedthem as such. If spellcasting is something that can be taught, you'd probably end up with a world that resembles Thay.

In a world where Clerics rule, things would look like a combination of the Thay and real history. Religion has been a dividing force throughout all of human history, and no matter how much the source material might talk about things like peach, harmony, and forgiveness, the actual people in charge of the religions and/or societies pretty much always used it as a giant baseball bat of fear to keep the population meek and controlled. If you look at, say, the Christianity religion in context to the afterlife, you'll see a book that often resorts to fear as a means of encouragement. Passages like "If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire" don't exactly do much more than scare this crap out of people, especially with that huge painting of naked people being clawed by demons right next to the friendly priest. That stuff must have been scary for a population that knew death could come at any minute, and without warning, without any expectation to live much beyond 30. Imagine that kind of desire to influence a population that's also backed with the actual use of divine magic. It would be like living in a massive abusive relationship, where one minute your being healed of your syphilis, and the next your watching people burn at the state for practicing "forbidden magic."

Those are basically the only two possible "real D&D" societies I can see happening, outside of the common man violently overthrowing and killing all arcane and divine spellcasters every few hundred years.