# Using steampunk in a fantasy RPG / Story?



## Max Roe (Jun 19, 2011)

I really like the idea behind steampunk and what it is. For those of you who don't know what the term steampunk means, here's a quote from a blog I was reading.



> It’s sort of like the future as a person from the 1800′s might have imagined it would be. For example– instead of airplanes– they’d have steam powered flying machines. In fact, most everything is steam powered, hence the “steam” in Steampunk.



Try some of these images for a general idea as well.
Google Image Search

What do you think on the use of steampunk or a similar style of technology being used in a fantasy setting? Society in that world would be a bit more advanced than, say, that of the LOTR series. Although there would still be sword fighting and other hand-to-hand combat, and even still the element of magic, technology would just be a little more advanced. How would you work that into your worlds?


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## BeigePalladin (Jun 19, 2011)

It's been done a few times, and it generally effective.

think about it, you'd probably have steam powered carriages (or carts, for th farmers) and probably mechanical horses, because they're just cool. I'd also see zepplins being a staple here (you need to master hot air before steam), and maybe steam powered muskets as well.

slightly odd examle, but if you look into one of the Warmachine wargame forces, i believe this is their theme (or the whole ranges, Im forget )

link here


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## SlimShady (Jun 19, 2011)

Personally I'm not a fan of steampunk.  But, it can work if done right.  Although, I don't know if steampunk has a very large fan-base.  And I don't know about including both magic and high levels of science.  I don't see how magic would be very relevant when you've got flying machines and stuff.  

  But, I guess you could use it for healing and maybe even have a conflict between engineers and wizards.  Maybe take a look at the Engineer Trilogy.  Haven't read it myself, but it might be similar to what your looking for.


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## sashamerideth (Jun 19, 2011)

I think steampunk is a niche of a niche market, and you can get a lot of readers if you hit comic con. Lady that does cakewrecks.com is big into steampunk and I plan on getting some of the books she likes. 

Finding a publisher will be hard.

My book may have steampunk elements, I am using an industrial revolution age society, so alternative technology progression is in the cards.


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## Behelit (Jun 20, 2011)

Its definitely a niche market. Steampunk is not really so much the storyline as it is the aesthetics of the world in which the story takes place, so trying to sell a book on that characteristic is tough.

I love the idea of makeshift, inventive machines (even if they tend to be clunky and excessive) and their behemoth, steam-powered brethren such as airships(zeppelins are agonizingly boring)


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## Artless (Jun 20, 2011)

Steampunk is a derivative of Fantasy in and of itself, so I fail to see how it would NOT work. Obviously if your writing a 'Steampunk' novel, then yes, you will be chasing a Niche market. If your simply including elements, then theres no reason why it shouldn't succeed. A couple of examples spring to mind.
Arcanum: Of steamworks and Magic Obscura - An old steampunk RPG, that combines elves, magic, firearms, zeppelins, ogres, and all that sort of jazz. Actually has a good storyline, and is a fairly solid RPG
Warhammer Fantasy - The Empire, with its engineers building organ guns, and long range sniper muskets are probably what you would get when combining steampunk with Fantasy, given there is also the prevalence of magic weapons, monsters, gods, etc.
Fable 3 would also fall into this sort of category as well.


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## Behelit (Jun 21, 2011)

Its not that it absolutely wouldn't work. It just comes down to how you capture it and how you are trying to sell it. 

Its steampunk, so what? How relevant is it and what makes it central to the story besides the concept being 'cool'? To me it comes across as pretentious to try to sell something as steampunk. I've never been wow'ed with a truly unique concept, it just seems to be a modern gadget accessorized and glamorized into excessive complication. Reminds me of how shooting games work across different eras, futuristic, modern military, historical fiction; They have varying appearances to a weapon, some fancier and more complicated than others. Yet at the end of the day, when each of them fires a burst or in fully automatic, they are all assault rifles.

Make it relevant, current or even prophetic, and it will be respected.


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## Artless (Jun 22, 2011)

Ahhh. The old 'original idea' conundrum. 
With the wealth of writing out there, it does seem to become more and more difficult to come up with a truly 'unique' idea, doesn't it? 
Your point about an assault rifle by any other name is solid, and I completely agree.


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## Ophiucha (Jun 23, 2011)

Sure, it's been done before. His Dark Materials has a fair bit of steampunk technology in it (though the world itself I would hesitate to call very steampunk), and authors like China Mieville have consciously included bits of it in their works. Steampunk has a very, very large fan base right now, who is willing to buy up any book that so much as mentions an airship, so it is decent in terms of marketability as long as you are aware of what the fans are getting sick of. And if you just want to sell it as a general fantasy book, it's got a lot of background to help inspire some little quirks for the world. Plus you'll still get tons of steampunk fans who want to read it. ;p Seriously, steampunk is huge right now, get writing before it goes downhill.


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## CicadaGrrl (Jul 5, 2011)

Hmm.  Familiar with Steampunk, but I wasn't picturing this like everyone else.  I was thinking urban with some steampunk influences and characters when the narr. discovers the underground culture that is the REAL steampunk.  I guess I just tried to write your book for you there.


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## Whytemanga (Jul 29, 2011)

Mechanical horses would probably be very inefficient in comparison to the original living, breathing thing. Sure, you have to feed the horse...sort of. Though hay does tend to grow by itself, with a bit of tend_ing_. Watering the horse, for sure, but... With the mechanical horse, you'd need it to be constantly greased, and not just the outsides, but all the gears inside as well -- and just how are ya gonna accomplish that, eh? I'd think they'd break down way too much in the initial designs (in comparison to real horses, which don't typically fall apart so sporadically on a dime) for the inventors to ever really consider pursuing such an aesthetically appealing design.

Yes, one of my major turn-offs with steampunk is how ridiculous the aesthetics get for no reason other then "hey, this looks cool". _Sure_ it does, and I love Anime, so why wouldn't I love goggles? But, uhm… why exactly do you need goggles to play mechano-chess again? Ah, the pieces blow hot steam in the eyes of the losing side, I see... Say, how exactly do you get such a small portable piece to blow that kind of pressurized water-turned-air-thru-fire anyway?

See what I mean? Much of the scene is dominated by the aesthetics rather than the practicality of it -- and many-a-nerd are more in favour of the practicality over the coolness factor, I'm guessing, because many-a-nerd are more left-brainers than the visual-spacial right -- my needless judgements therein withheld.

And can someone try to first hint at, a few times, the reason why technology decided to go with steam over the more efficient/less costly means we humans of Earth went with instead? After hinting (you don't want to seem desperate to get the info out there, do you?) I'd reveal it later on, and offhandedly -- don't make it any sort of focus of the story. That'd be… ehhnn… cheesy? Over-prominent.

Lastly, don't let a single spice take too much away from the overall taste of your dish. "Hey guys! I'd like you to meet my buddy, Steampunk! Steampunk makes great nachos, I tell ya! Steampunk's also good at baking poffins, but don't tell her I said that. By the way, there's some plot happening over there, or something -- OH, but…what's that, Steampunk? Your pants are filled with copper-pipe-eating piranhas!? Egads!! We better--"

*:C*

I like the spice, just not a nonsensical, bowl-full on my tongue or in my teeth.

Harry Potter's written very simply in terms of word complexity and plot (at least in the beginning books) but check them out for how the author wields magic. It gets nonsensical at times, yeah, but for some reason most of us overlook that in favour of the sheer wonder of the magic she spices. And she spices some scenes quite a LOT. So why, then, is the spice so effective? Ah, some may not think so...but those people are WONG, and I'm sure why they dislike the HP series has more to do with something ELSE they find distasteful. Switch magic for steampunk there, and see what works and what doesn't. How does she generate that childish wonder at things we've probably seen done before a few million times over in other works of fiction? I don't know myself, so that's really why I took such a long paragraph to describe my feelings, hmm. Well, there you have it anyway.* : >*


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## JCFarnham (Jan 29, 2012)

I'm curious. Who's passing round this frankly bizarre idea that Steampunk is too niche to sell anything into? Weeell, I mean Ophiucha has it right. Read that post and you see why I'm so confused.

Steampunk AND Fantasy isn't original as such, that's more or less the whole point after all  Steampunk IS fantasy. 

Anyway, go for it. I always seem to say this but: Write what ever you like, so what if it doesn't sell RIGHT now, because when someone finally DOES realise it can be sold for a tidy sum you'll have gotten there first. You really shouldn't worry about originality.


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## grahamguitarman (Jan 30, 2012)

There is an author caller Robert Rankin (not to be confused with Ian Rankin) who has written one or two Steampunk novels.  I met him last year, lovely guy got him to sign his latest stempunk novel, and he spent ten minutes creating a beautifully illustrated inscription for me (he does his own illustrations).  

But I digress, the thing is his books are on the shelves of W.H.Smith (british bookstore/newsagent) in the fantasy section, niche market books don't make onto their shelves - they are too mainstream for that.  So yes there is a market for Steampunk.


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## JCFarnham (Jan 30, 2012)

If Mr Smith says so, it must be true


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## Anders Ã„mting (Jan 30, 2012)

I'm running a fantasy RPG that has some steampunk, only it's mostly restricted to a certain city state. (Which is technologically superior for plot related reasons.) Not sure I'd write a while story with consistent steampunk elements, though.

That said, Girl Genius is awesome.


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