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@kingu@dice.campHow do you deal with anachronisms in your #ttrpg games?
Say a character would like to invent a bicycle in a medieval setting. Do you let him?
@kingu I can't imagine a bicycle would drastically unbalance a game. Players would need to develop the skill to ride and it would be a fun story later.
It's fantasy. Players are telling a story and solving problems. They already can teleport and throw fireballs and make reality changing wishes. Settings like Ebberon are already incorporating more earthly tech.
@kingu It would have to make sense, since extraordinary stuff requires extraordinary evidence.
Going with your bike example. The player character have to come up with this machine somehow (maybe they were inspired by some other invention). Then they would need to have great knowledge of the engineering necessary to make the bike. Also, they would need the proper equipment and materials to make such a thing. I would probably stretch it over a few games in order for the person to get the item.
@slott56 @hypolite @kingu Tools to make the tools to make the tools to make the tools to make the thing.
Now – some games have the mechanical architecture to make long-term projects a viable thing to pursue. For instance, Ironsworn. But it's explicitly a multistage, multi-challenge, frequently interrupted process.
Short version: If it's going to be interesting you can do anything.
@kingu Depends on the tone of the game, why they want it, and whether or not it derails the story for the other players. If it felt reasonable, I might allow an early historical design, like a wooden velocipede for the bicycle example.
@kingu Would he have skills to build one? Trying to make modern bicycle would require lots of fine mechanics or very weird requests to local jeweller or goldsmith (they did deal with small craftsmanship) to make the chain. Where would he get the rubber for tiers? (not available in medieval times in our world). Enough bauxite to make aluminium for the structure (it was rarer than gold at that time). Kind of difficult.
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@kingu why not, but without precision machining, the chain will not stay put very long, and without ball bearing, the wheel will fail in 50 meters, and without at least paved roads, the buttocks will fail in 5 minutes… without speaking of the terrorized reactions of people accusing the rider of witchcraft.
@kingu Do wheels exist to the character's knowledge? Clockwork? Could they create the chain? What kind of understanding of how balance works does the character have?
If all the pieces exist in-world, I wouldn't be inclined to stop someone, especially if they've specifically made an inventor character.
Also, what counts as an "anachronism" can be fuzzy in actual practice. One society's novelty toy can be another's practical breakthrough.