Recently on tabletop.social a discussion was started by Dapper Bear about how magic would affect a society and that got me thinking about how magic is presented in various RPGs and how it sometimes doesn’t change things.
In many game worlds that use magic (especially Dungeons & Dragons and systems based on/around its versions) the powers are fairly ubiquitous and of minimal cost. Despite this most citizens and societies are still modeled after various portions of medieval and early renaissance Europe with the various clerics and sorcerers having limited effect on the populous. This is not a critique on those settings as the flavor of the game would change with changes to the civilization, but a look at how such common-place magic could be sprinkled throughout the game.
Politics & War
This is one of the more common considered repercussions of magic and normally comes in the form of a society ruled by powerful wizards and sorcerers. Even when such powers aren’t directly in control, few regions do not at least rely on mystical advice. At the very least, magic replaces surveillance technology so would be integral to maintaining or establishing power. Dangerous spells would be akin to weapons of mass destruction, with government wizards developing powerful thaumaturgy as potential deterrents or retaliations to other governments.
War with magicians would be more than fireballs bursting in air. Necromancy would allow dead soldiers to walk again and, depending on restorative spells available or the value of life by the society, could mean that a wounded soldier would be more quickly dispatched by their own people to fight again as the undead. To avoid magically scaring the land or harming lay-people, it’s possible that civilizations would work towards standards of humanitarian behavior during war—a magical Geneva Conventions—lest the world be ravaged by magic.
Religion
Gods in fantasy worlds don’t require belief as the proof of their existence is reflected in the magic they grant. (Let’s ignore avatars and other physical manifestations for this column.) For many fantasy worlds the power of a god relies on the faith of the followers, the trust and confidence that their god will put them first. In some ways the gods of these fantasy worlds echo Roman polytheism but instead of temples being built for all or many gods with small shrines for people to worship for what they currently wanted/needed the gods of fantasy worlds each have their own temples and services. This suggests that individuals either focus on a god that satisfies a key piece of their personality or that a personal form of kathenotheism exists for the populace, where each deity is treated as supreme in turn.
Clerics are typically seen as the healers of a fantasy world and the gods in these worlds are very narrowly focused. While not omnipotent or omnipresent they are written as knowing and seeing through the senses of all their priests. If clerics are the de-facto hospitals of the world, would a deity choose to funnel their power through the cleric to heal one who didn’t follow their specific world-view? How would the presence of a cleric or deity’s church affect the behavior and beliefs of the common citizens; would a monetary donation to the cleric be considered “good enough” for the god?
Scientific Development
With clerics healing and sorcerers providing powerful solutions to even simple problems there would be less of a need for medical study or scientific/technical progress. General first aid and simple technologies still exist for smaller and emergency purposes, but may remain stagnant. It’s possible that such developments and fields of study would be seen as fringe—perhaps even foolish, given how easy magic can be performed. The introduction of technology (generally with a cog-work or steampunk feel) into a fantasy world is performed by a races with no or limited access to magic. Dwarves and gnomes are the go-to standards for any form of non-magical progress.
Some fantasy worlds work around the ideas of stagnant science by making wizards need to understand the physical world in order for their spells to work better. This risks making magic feel less magical, but better allows for scientific or alchemical developments.
Scientific study requirements towards magic efficiencies or integrations with the innovations by non-magical races would result in a magi-tech society.
Commerce and Transportation
The ease in which things can be acquired affects commerce. When food and water can be purified or created with little energy the resources of an area are not as important. Even crafting/building materials could be summoned or transmuted. Trade between principalities may focus more on culture and ideas than necessities. Transportation may also be faster and safer, buffered by spells or using flying carriages and creatures—or teleportation. Magic might also supercede automation in manufacturing, using magical hands or golems to assemble devices or houses. In such heavily-magicked societies the general populous could become complacent and lazy or could put a stronger focus on philosophy and art.
Art
While standard fantasy game systems feature the bard class, magic in societies may have an even larger impact on art. Fireworks, light and smoke displays, puppet shows where the puppets are animated by magic, the possibilities are endless. When non-magical art meets magic, unique perspectives on art can be introduced (see below).
Some Ideas
When Dapper Bear first brought up the conversation on tabletop.social I started to think about how small changes could be introduced into existing worlds like Golarion (Pathfinder) or Faerûn (Dungeons & Dragons). These ideas could be introduced to give a bit of flavor to the ubiquity of magic without changing the overall civilizations used throughout the world. Some of these may also function as potential adventure seeds or could be used to provide background depth.
The Cleaning Service
A wizard employs a number of apprentices, focusing on those with only small magical talent, teaching them cantrips to tidy up an area and make it spotless. Why deal with the cost and possible insubordination of domestic help (especially live-in attendants) when Piqor’s Wizarding Washing Agents will come to your homestead weekly (or special occasion) for a fraction of the cost and time?
Alchemical Snake-Oil
A traveling salesman goes from small village to hamlet, selling a new, miracle potion. One swig and any physical ailment is cured. The clerics of the small towns, who rely on donations for their healing, are not pleased with the alchemist. And no one is happy a week later, when it’s discovered that the effects of the potion only last 7 days before symptoms return and at twice their severity.
The Teleportation Network
A group of wizards have placed themselves in key cities within a region, offering teleportation from one city to another for less than the cost of multiple days on the road. This allows fast trade and safe travel—with only minimal chance of a mishap.
Alarming Magic
After a rash of home burglaries and carriage thefts, a mage begins an alarm service, casting audible alarms on home or carriage on a nightly basis. After some success, other wizards follow suit, creating a small alarm industry. However, as more and more alarms are set the city is soon drowning in alarm noises and while no one wants to stop paying for the alarms to keep their property safe, the effectiveness of the alarms wane as more people ignore the sounds.
Alchemical Gastronomy
A magically-trained chef begins experimentations with his cooking resulting in a new art form in food preparation and consumption. Titled alchemical gastronomy, this introduction of unique cooking spells leads to new ways to consume food like a smoke that is inhaled and provides the scent and nourishment of a meal.
The Composer and His Non-Orchestra Symphony
Unable to find any instrumentalists that can perform a wizard musician’s compositions exactly as he wants them, the mage turns to enchanting instruments to play on their own. This leads to new chords and tones that hands alone could not create. This new musical art form begins to rise in popularity but has one drawback to the mind of the composer—when the musical spell is cast by another wizard it still takes on that wizard’s style, meaning the “true form” of the composition will still die with the original wizard.
The One-Wizard Town
Small communities with limited magical resources are often contemptuously referred to as “one-wizard towns.” Unable to meet the mystical needs of even the small population, these towns are forced to do things in unfashionable methods. Some innovation may be present, but limited.
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