Scriptoria & Scribes

Creating game materials? Monsters, spells, classes, adventures? This is the place!
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Hywaywolf
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Re: Scriptoria & Scribes

Post by Hywaywolf »

Perhaps dwarves wouldn't even have movable documents. They live in the same caverns for centuries. I see them carving their history and important knowledge into the very stone of the caverns. Pillars intricately carved with flowing words and surrounded by artistically carved renderings of dwarven life. Walls carved with designs of weapons, digging tools, bridging structures, smithing methods etc. Simple documents meant for simple one-time use such as messages might be on clay tablets and documents of increasing value and use go up to copper, bronze, steel, gold, etc
Sir Bedivere
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Re: Scriptoria & Scribes

Post by Sir Bedivere »

MedievalMan wrote:I wonder what the long term health effects would be of using lead for books? :lol:
And we all thought it was gold-lust that drove them mad! Hm, this might be a good topic for a future BF History Channel episode.

Thinking about gold a bit more, it might be that only the dwarves most valuable texts were printed with gold plates.

Also, the idea that they don't have portable texts is interesting, but then what would happen if they moved? Or, as their society expanded. Would they make copies on their new walls? How? Intriguing idea, though.
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MedievalMan
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Re: Scriptoria & Scribes

Post by MedievalMan »

Yeah I think they would save gold for important documents.
Also, the idea that they don't have portable texts is interesting, but then what would happen if they moved? Or, as their society expanded. Would they make copies on their new walls? How? Intriguing idea, though.
I guess they would just have to make new engravings on the walls. It could also explain why they are so stoic in defending their mountain homes, they don't want to have to relocate and redo all the work their ancestors did.
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Hywaywolf
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Re: Scriptoria & Scribes

Post by Hywaywolf »

I was thinking about what they would do if they moved and my answer is that they don't move. Thats why dwarven clans that flee from their mountain strongholds end up as lesser tribes than they were before.
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Joe the Rat
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Re: Scriptoria & Scribes

Post by Joe the Rat »

Think about all those boxes of books you have when you move. Now multiply that weight a few thousand times... Yeah, that's why the elves don't come over to help pack.

On metals: Bronze is fair, but the right mix (the Brassier alloys) will resist corrosion better. Silver and copper both weigh about half as much as gold - silver would be a fair choice, as the tarnish won't harm the metal past a certain point, giving you the Black Books. When their metallurgy advances enough, they'd love things like titanium or aluminum. Or Adamantium, but that is a pain to engrave.
MedievalMan wrote:Currently I am rereading MERP Moria The Dwarven City for inspirations. Its cool all the pseudo-tech that the dwarves created. Stuff like massive mining drills powered by water wheels, counter-weight elevators, and hand powered mining carts. All very cool and dwarvish.
...death Shews... Eru that "module" was awesome.
Go with a smile!
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MedievalMan
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Re: Scriptoria & Scribes

Post by MedievalMan »

MedievalMan wrote:Currently I am rereading MERP Moria The Dwarven City for inspirations. Its cool all the pseudo-tech that the dwarves created. Stuff like massive mining drills powered by water wheels, counter-weight elevators, and hand powered mining carts. All very cool and dwarvish.
...death Shews... Eru that "module" was awesome.
:lol: Oh sweet goodness the shrews...

I'm really liking it, but its kind of daunting in a way. I would like to write a megadungeon (or at least something close) someday, and Moria would be my primary inspiration (with Dwarf Fortress also worming its way in there "this engraving is an homage to an engraving off cheese") but looking at the sheer size and scale of the place is making me nervous. Mapping is not my strongest suit, and the idea of mapping 6+ levels is an intimidating prospect.
On metals: Bronze is fair, but the right mix (the Brassier alloys) will resist corrosion better. Silver and copper both weigh about half as much as gold - silver would be a fair choice, as the tarnish won't harm the metal past a certain point, giving you the Black Books. When their metallurgy advances enough, they'd love things like titanium or aluminum. Or Adamantium, but that is a pain to engrave.
Silver seems like it would be a good candidate for book material. Combine that with wall engravings in important locations, printed parchment books for mercantile stuff, and gold books for special texts and you have a pretty decent selecton for dwarvish literature.
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Hywaywolf
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Re: Scriptoria & Scribes

Post by Hywaywolf »

Sir Bedivere wrote:On the MU weapons discussion, I'd be more than happy to have this conversation over on the MU Options thread.

Here's the latest post over there.

And while you're there, check out my draft for the 3rd release. It needs comments.

EDIT: It has 7 different combat options for MUs, if that's any incentive.
I don't think my ideas on MUs would get much traction on a thread full of people who like to play MUs. No one wants to picture themselves as an Urkel with a cape, which is what a 1st level MU who has spent their youth in libraries and studying tomes would be.
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LibraryLass
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Re: Scriptoria & Scribes

Post by LibraryLass »

Hywaywolf wrote:
Sir Bedivere wrote:On the MU weapons discussion, I'd be more than happy to have this conversation over on the MU Options thread.

Here's the latest post over there.

And while you're there, check out my draft for the 3rd release. It needs comments.

EDIT: It has 7 different combat options for MUs, if that's any incentive.
I don't think my ideas on MUs would get much traction on a thread full of people who like to play MUs. No one wants to picture themselves as an Urkel with a cape, which is what a 1st level MU who has spent their youth in libraries and studying tomes would be.
Hell, I'm a fighter girl myself. Don't like magic users, never have, never will.
But I assume that except in extraordinary circumstances, most adventurers are at least remotely competent at the skills required for adventuring.
Sir Bedivere
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Re: Scriptoria & Scribes

Post by Sir Bedivere »

Hywaywolf wrote:I don't think my ideas on MUs would get much traction on a thread full of people who like to play MUs. No one wants to picture themselves as an Urkel with a cape, which is what a 1st level MU who has spent their youth in libraries and studying tomes would be.
Alas, you sensed my evil trap :evil:
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