I would say that using modern physics in fantasy is not always a good idea. Depends on the setting I suppose.
In DnD there are a lot of concepts taken from premodern physics like the four elements, flogiston(even though it is completely different from what it was in the real world), alchemy is present too I suppose. So why would you insist on mkdern physics?
DMs are always “insisting” on physics working when it should, because that’s part of the DM’s job. Player carrying a dead dwarf and a chest full of gold says they’re going to jump across a 20-ft wide chasm, because that’s their max jump distance with a running start. A mean, heartless DM might say, “You can’t make it carrying all that stuff so you fall to your death.” I would tell them they have serious doubts about making it and give them the option to roll maybe 25% or change their mind.
But what does that have to do with physics? I know some people that know next to nothing about physics, and yet they would not expect anyone to make such a jump. Hell, before modern physics, and even before aristotle and the pre-socratics people had some clue about what is and is not possible to do.
I am talking about physics as a science, and honestly, the theories we are currently employing are not really compatible stylistically and thematically with DnD. Even Newtonian mechanics isn’t, the world(s) of DnD have wizards who do science and I would say they are mostly inspired by the pre-modern physics and philosophy than anything, so why ruin the atmosphere with modern physics?
I would say that using modern physics in fantasy is not always a good idea. Depends on the setting I suppose.
In DnD there are a lot of concepts taken from premodern physics like the four elements, flogiston(even though it is completely different from what it was in the real world), alchemy is present too I suppose. So why would you insist on mkdern physics?
DMs are always “insisting” on physics working when it should, because that’s part of the DM’s job. Player carrying a dead dwarf and a chest full of gold says they’re going to jump across a 20-ft wide chasm, because that’s their max jump distance with a running start. A mean, heartless DM might say, “You can’t make it carrying all that stuff so you fall to your death.” I would tell them they have serious doubts about making it and give them the option to roll maybe 25% or change their mind.
But what does that have to do with physics? I know some people that know next to nothing about physics, and yet they would not expect anyone to make such a jump. Hell, before modern physics, and even before aristotle and the pre-socratics people had some clue about what is and is not possible to do.
I am talking about physics as a science, and honestly, the theories we are currently employing are not really compatible stylistically and thematically with DnD. Even Newtonian mechanics isn’t, the world(s) of DnD have wizards who do science and I would say they are mostly inspired by the pre-modern physics and philosophy than anything, so why ruin the atmosphere with modern physics?