Steampunk perhaps...

[cliche]

I am planning to set one of my ideas in a sort of steampunk era... the only problem is that I wish incorporate magic (namely familier magic which you can find information about the idea here. It should be noted that the other ideas of the forms of magic in that thread I am not going to use)
the problem comes when I think about why people would use magic when they could use steam-technology or vise versa. Perhaps there could be a social conflict between society, for example; some people may prefer steam-technology and some people may prefer magic. Has anyone got any ideas to what may be the reason why they may have access to both resources?

 

[Devor]

Has anyone got any ideas to what may be the reason why they may have access to both resources?

Primarily because they are both resources, with differing strengths and weaknesses. Machinery breaks down, it's loud and clunky, it's heavy and expensive. There's an exhaust valve, pollution, unsightliness, and so on. Magic has whatever boundaries and limitations and availability you want for your world.

 

[cliche]

Thanks, I never thought of what the good points and the bad points of using each resource would be... ¬.¬ now that I think about it that probably should have been the first thing that I should have looked at.

 

[Graham Irwin]

You can have a steam punk aestethic, but still use magic as technology. Maybe the trains are driven by spell, or need special crystals or something. Maybe in your world the wizards are physical alchemists, able to create their magic in forges or something. I don't think the steampunk world and the Classical Fantasy world need to be mutually exclusive.

 

[Ravana]

The question will boil down to what can be done with magic, and how difficult it is to do it compared to doing the same or comparable things without it. Set limits–whatever they may be–on your magic system at the outset, and most of the rest will answer itself.

 

[grahamguitarman]

Hmm I love the idea, but then I go to steampunk conventions so I'm kinda biased. The idea of having magic in a steampunk enviornment is not so incompatible really. If you spend even half an hour browsing steampunk forums, you will see that they have a kind of mythology of their own involving things like Air Krakens ect. Theres also a lot of interest in lovecraftian type ideas. Perhaps you could have steam devices which are powered by magic, for example magic crystals created by mages provide the means of creating the steam. Perhaps the magically generated steam is cool and therefore safer than heat generated steam. Instead of electricity there could be magical energy.

In writing terms the sort of thing you are talking about is often referred to as Gaslamp fantasy

I have a few steampunk inspired ideas in my own work, but I've gone the other way though - I have created a 'medeival' fantasy world with occasional steampunk elements such as Airships, magical pocket watches, and brass devices that are part magic part machine.

But I have been toying with the idea of going in the other direction and merging fantasy into a steampunk Setting. The concept being to create an alternative history where elves and dwarves from middle earth have survived into a victorian world. I kinda like the idea of aristocratic elves living in london while dwarves have underground dwellings in subterranean tunnels of the city ect. Perhaps even have Goblins living in the sewers LOL.

 

[Graham Irwin]

hey, that's what I said!

 

[grahamguitarman]

hey, that's what I said!

Lol I just read what you posted and realised it was indeed almost the same!
TBH I didn't want to give out too many details of whats going into my own Steam Fantasy, so I was just posting the more basic ideas I've had (I'm still at the world & history building stage)

 

[cliche]

Thank you for all of the replies! The merging of magic and the steampunk technology is a great idea though it would have to use a different form of magic since the familar magic that I am currently working requires you to either sacrifice the life force of yourself or another creature so it wouldn't exactly be ideal to power a train with magic (though there could be another magical source that could be used... which gives me an idea for one of the plots that could take place in this setting ).

 

[Graham Irwin]

Cliche, when you said powering trains with "the life force of yourself or another creature" might be a bad idea, I thought about how I read once that during the early days of the trains in India, there were so many mummies around that they would burn them as fuel for the train engines!

Ah!!!

 

[cliche]

Cliche, when you said powering trains with "the life force of yourself or another creature" might be a bad idea, I thought about how I read once that during the early days of the trains in India, there were so many mummies around that they would burn them as fuel for the train engines!

Ah!!!

I was using the train as an example though i will make sure that I will keep that in mind when building up the setting. Things like trains will more than likely be powered by another form of magic... I'm just not quite sure what yet.