Greetings!

To what extent do you embrace these kinds of elements in your campaigns? Ancient super science, advanced technology, the secrets of alchemy, and advanced forms of engineering can all gave an enormous impact on the campaign world.

In my Thandor world, I have different status tiers of advancement for science, technology, alchemy, and engineering. In our own real world history, there is evidence and implications from around the world that suggests that in a distant age in the past, our ancestors knew and practiced skills and techniques more advanced than whatever we are doing in the current day. We can see evidence and suggestions like these everywhere from Britain, to Rome, Egypt, Persia, China, and India. Even in Central America and South America--there too, is evidence and implications of more advanced societies from the distant past.

Rediscovering lost, ancient secrets of technology, super science, alchemy, and engineering, can be deeply interesting and fun! I use various random tables, and there is always a chance of something weird being discovered. Of course, entirely new discoveries can also be made, though it is powerful that past, ancient civilizations can teach current generations a great deal.

I generally include several societies, whether they are advanced and powerful empires, or strong kingdoms, as possessing top-tier technology and knowledge of alchemy, engineering, and super science. Lesser nations and peoples must make do with knowledge and equipment that is simply lesser in degree and capability.

Such dynamics also bring into play distinctive elements, with some kinds of specialists being from "A" while different specialists are from "B" and so on. That kind of dynamic can influence Class distribution, schools and academies, as well as market influences, pricing, and availability of many different kinds of goods and equipment. As well as certain kinds of specialized professions and skills, being available in some areas and regions, but not available in other regions, for example.

These kinds of elements also can heavily influence the design, layouts, and inhbitants of popular subterranean dungeons! *Laughing* So much fun stuff there, for sure!

Semper Fidelis,

SHARK

Wilderlands has a ton of this, much of it lost in the ancient War of the Pious & Philosophers, so it features a lot in my Wilderlands games, often as lost Philosopher technology, mind-bending secrets written in Logii, the mathematical language of the Philosophers (E=MC2 and other things Man Was Not Meant To Know). Other Swords & Sorcery settings I run like Xoth & Primeval Thule also have it baked in. It seems conspicuously absent in Forgotten Realms, I think TSR scrubbed all S&S elements from that setting.

Yes, I do think Ancient Super Science, Advanced Technology, Alchemy, and Engineering has a place within a campaign world. IMO, it determines what kind of game world it is. Specifically what is known as "gonzo". Again, this is strictly my opinion.

A Gonzo game world (a term that has got some traction in the past few years) seems to be one where you have a "everything but the kitchen sick" sort of feel to it. You have magic, Ancient Super Science, Advanced Technology, Alchemy, and Engineering all tied into one type of game world where anything and everything can happen. You have quite a few examples of this:

*AD&D 1st ed/Gamma World mash up: almost right from the beginning of the hobby you have right out of the DMG pgs 113-114 you have conversion rules to port Gamma World into AD&D 1st ed and vice-versa. Personally at the time, I thought this was kinda weird. But as I've learned from Appendix N, authors Vance and Lanier were influences. Lanier was listed as a major influence on Gamma World. Having read both authors, I now get the connection.

*Dungeon Crawl Classics: Goodman Games has said DCC is not just inspired by Appendix N of the DMG, but it factored into the game design and it shows. Along with that, you have quite a few campaign settings for DCC that are definitely gonzo. Here are just a few:
-Hubris
-Completely Unfathomable
-Umerican Survival Guide and supplements
Plus if you combine DCC with Mutant Crawl Classics (Which can be done: same game mechanic) you've got yourself a massive gonzo game.

*Anomalous Subsurface Environment: or ASE for short, is a little gem of a mini campaign setting I stumbled upon about 10 years ago. Written for Labyrinth Lord, ASE is gonzo all the way: dinosaurs, lasers, city states run by evil wizards, etc. Patrick Wetmore has the mini campaign and the first three levels of the megadungeon in two books...and then stopped. Patrick did a superb job of adding hi-tech elements into a simple game mechanic and it works  I HIGHLY encourage you to pick up both ASE books and give them a try. I cannot recommend it enough. Maybe, just MAYBE Patrick will be inspired to complete what I'd call his magnum opus.

more later....

I like my lost tech to be more Dying Earth, fairy tale, or mythical rather than gonzo.  I don't necessarily object to some object that shoots out a beam that disintegrates, but I want it flavored as a magic wand, not a ray gun, however disguised.  And yeah, I know, at some point it crosses over so much, it doesn't much matter.  Still, I'll keep it on one side of the line as long as possible. Vance could straddle that line in a set of stories and keep it under control, but in a game you need more leeway.

They way I normally handle that is to make sure that I don't do straight analogs for everything.  Especially, don't make all the magic an analog for real physics or even pulp physics.  For a mythic game, magic pulp blimp analogs are almost as bad as magic spitfire analogs. 

I have over the past several years been piecing together a gonzo campaign world. As of right now, it's a mix of various ideas, influences, and concepts I've wanted to do, but never though how I can bring it all together.

One of the things I've discovered is when it comes to details of the game world, for example, I've tried very hard to go with the "World of Greyhawk" as inspiration. Meaning, just like the 1980 folio and the '83 boxed set, just have as much detail as you need, and nothing more. Everything else will come naturally from game play.

Along with this, I want the game world to be different enough to have a sense of mystery. People only know what they know about the world from their immediate surroundings or from travelers from abroad. In other words, when it comes to the PCs, they're quite in the dark about the world. They've heard rumors, myths legends, and knowledge of their homeland. That's it.

So you know virtually nothing when you start.

The world is also post-apocalyptic. How far into the future? Is it hundreds? Thousands? More? Who knows. That's part of the discovery and mystery. I've created a chronology for myself for certain elements I've put in so they fit. Is it important to the players? Maybe, maybe not.

The basis for this campaign is the Land of a Thousand Towers and described in the ASE material (Anomalous Subsurface Environment). In addition, I've added the Odious Uplands and the Operation Unfathomable material, which I've made as expanding the Land of a Thousand Towers even more. So that's the basis.

There are modules/adventures I've incorporated. Expedition to the Barrier Peaks and the Bottomless Pit of Zorth are some examples. But I run these differently: I pay no attention to PC level ranges. The game world is a hex crawl, but with these modules/adventures sprinkled throughout the world. So if you end up in Barrier Peaks at 1st level, good luck.

As far as game mechanics, I'm probably going to use Adv LL or OSE with elements of Pundit's Gonzo Fantasy Companion, and some other bits a pieces from Mutant Crawl Classics.

So, the overall feel of the world is the best of Heavy Metal magazine and movie, Richard Corbin's Den, Dying Earth, Heiro's Journey, the Primal animated series, real world cryptids (Bigfoot, Mothman, etc.), and Thundar the Barbarian.

It's crazy, It's insane...and I can't wait for my group to play in it.