Gary Gygax’s Living Fantasy
tric castle. Even though magic works in many ways as
explosives might and similar to other modern technolo-
gies, they are enabled through the use of fantastic crea-
tures and spells. So too are counter-magics able to answer
such threats. High walls of stone are still an effective means
of protection when they are properly guarded by warriors
and war machines, wizards and wondrous devices.
In such a world, who can really say what other technologi-
cal experiments are taking place? While there are unlikely
to be many, there could be someone working to create a
hot-air balloon, a steam engine, a semaphore system for
communication, and like innovation.
In all though, the milieu is medieval in many important
features while ancient or even savage in others. As is of-
ten the case, this world subsumes that language is not a
barrier, that most, if not all, places speak a tongue that is
understandable to one another. Why? The environment is
one to accommodate the adventures of bands of heroes
and heroines, of course! To balance the ease of communi-
cation, and the ease of role-playing, it is a place of diverse
religions. While a party of wandering adventurers might
travel to any distant continent, see strange and marvelous
things, explore terra incognito, all the while being able to
speak with most of the folk met, the “gods” are foreign.
There is an assumption that many pantheons of deities ex-
ist, demand loyalty from their followers, and have differ-
ing aims and who keeps sufficient distance between cul-
tures without need of any language barriers.
This brings up the matter of unseen forces, good and evil,
active in the milieu. With active magic this is likely a given,
so this is assumed herein. The pantheons of deities and
associated entities are indeed active. Thus, there is every-
where evidence of the various “gods” and “goddesses” in
religious structures, their clergy, and the works of the lat-
ter. As was true in medieval Europe, the clergy is vastly
important. Furthermore, as they manage health and wel-
fare of both spiritual and mundane sort, the populace de-
pends on them for much more than was ever the case in
this world.
Also of considerable import in the fantasy world environ-
ment are different races of humanoid sorts and strange
creatures. The former add to the cultural and social differ-
ences that make such a milieu interesting and surprising
and provide challenges and threats. Naturally, the strange,
awful, and bizarre creatures do likewise. Such monsters
assure unexplored wildernesses remain, serve as perils of
deadly danger, aid in all manner of similar capacities and
even furnish pathos.
To summarize, the fantasy world subsumed herein is an
amalgam of the English and Western European models,
these being historically familiar, with what might logically
stem from such an environment of limited but working
magic overseen by numerous, and competing pantheons
of “gods” and their religious organizations. Into such bases
are stirred familiar and strange human-like races and fan-
tastic beasts. There are powerful monarchs and penniless
beggars and all that comes between those two extremes,
which brings us back nicely to power and wealth, the socio-
economic classes mainly determined by those two factors.
Power is paramount. It is inherited, gained by force, granted
by office or even acquired through personal exploit. In a
fantasy world the imperial, royal, noble, and high priest-
hood are paramount. Such persons make the laws, com-
mand fealty and obedience, pronounce exile or anathema,
defend the state, own vast lands, decree taxes and tariffs,
direct public works, appoint officials, mint coinage, regu-
late commerce, set monopolies, make treaties, declare war
and peace, and send forth minions to do their bidding. Some
are paragons of virtue and valor, others infamous villains.
Most are somewhere in between in ethics, morals, and
mind….including intellect. Those in power rule, be it a
vast state or a small domain of but a few square miles.
They direct affairs, sway thinking, and have force to see
that their will is carried out.
Wealth enables power, of course. There are other reasons,
though, for its great consequence. It is important not merely
to the “background” of the environment, for it is a motiva-
tor of the adventurers to engage in activity in the milieu, to
start and maintain their interaction with the fantasy envi-
ronment. Idealism, honor, justice, revenge, even so little
as a desire to see the unknown, are fine, but in all, wealth
is key, for it conveys much status and leads to power and at
least makes it possible to keep on adventuring in the fan-
tastic milieu offered. It is the primary tool used by the
master of the imaginary world to direct all the major activ-
ity therein not bidden by conquest and power.
Power and wealth thus combine to create the socio-eco-
nomic class structure. The more of each, the higher the
status of the individual. In order to convey to others the
relative standing in this hierarchy, each individual must
display in evident form the extent possessed of each cat-
egory. Thus there are writs, bulls, and commands. So too,
pomp, circumstance, and ceremony. Emblems of power
range from the crown and scepter to the lowly whip. Wealth
is displayed in the place of residence, servants in atten-
dance, the means of conveyance used, dress and adorn-
ment, spending and gifts, leisure and generally profitless
activities and even charitable work.
All of this will be dealt with, mainly in precise form, in the
main body of the work. To assist the reader in comprehen-
sion and modeling of such information for the develop-
ment of a world environment, I offer the following: the
socio-economic class structure used herein follows the
triple-tiered system, adding below the “accepted” classes