Suggested Dualistic Elements For Cosmology

[ArlEammon]

Order,Chaos,Evil and Good are done constantly in settings. I was wondering if adding Nature, Mind, Spirit, Magic, dualisms would work for a campaign idea.

Like, for "Magic" v.s "Mind" Mind could represent technology, while Magic could represent the irrational coming into reality.

Does anyone think that too much "Order" v.s "Chaos" things are going around as campaign settings?

[Flickerdart]

What about dichotomous elements instead? Say, for example, Nature VS Nurture. Both sides are pretty Lawful, but they're quite opposing. Same goes for, say, Magic VS Technology, or, say, "Greater Good" VS a lesser evil. Shake things up a bit.

[ArlEammon]

Also, Magic v.s Nature..
Magic could be the "unnatural" while Nature could incorporate technology. Instead of having to rely on creepy elves all the time.

[Valentyne]

One campaign I ran in was based on the idea of a invading foreign force (from the Far Realms)...forced good and evil to work together. The native evil didnt want the Far Realms taking over their "turf" and were a far greater evil than the native evil...

Another added facet to the magic vs technology would be adding the Old vs New....tradition vs progress.

[Darth Stabber]

Ninja vs. Pirate

[Satyr]

Traditional ones were Earth vs. Sky, male vs. female (if you have 'personalised' dualistic elements, e.g. gods, gender is a good indicator), physical vs. spiritual (see Gnostics), monotheism vs. polytheism, and old vs, new pantheon (which is a conflict often included in many mythologies, like the Aesir/Vanir conflict in Norse mythology or the revolution of the gods vs. the Titans in Greek mythology).

[jcsw]

Sense//Thought

[charl]

Also, Magic v.s Nature..
Magic could be the "unnatural" while Nature could incorporate technology. Instead of having to rely on creepy elves all the time.

Extrapolating on this one, it could be pretty well used in a renaissance setting, or an 18th century enlightenment setting. The four poles could be Nature (meaning science and the natural world) vs. Spirit (meaning everything supernatural, including the divine), and Reason (everything can be studied and understood) vs. Superstition (some things we will never understand, and that must be accepted). The middle position could be called something like Unconcerned.

That means you have a philosophical system based more on new vs. old ideas than of morality. A Reasonable Naturalist is a scientific thinking, atheistic person, an intellectual radical. Superstitious Naturalist is someone who takes a pragmatic view of the world, without necessarily caring about how or why it is like it is. An old-school midwife or herbalist who knows what herbs help what ailments, without giving much thought about why that is. A Superstitious Spiritualist is a person who probably is deeply religious and deeply knows that the world is controlled by sentient forces with a plan. A Reasonable Spiritualist is your classic wizard sitting in his tower studying the arcane, trying to learn its secrets.

Would work best for Arcanum-like magic vs. technology settings I suppose, or a mage-like paradox-style magic.

[charl]

Also, Magic v.s Nature..
Magic could be the "unnatural" while Nature could incorporate technology. Instead of having to rely on creepy elves all the time.

Extrapolating on this one, it could be pretty well used in a renaissance setting, or an 18th century enlightenment setting. The four poles could be Nature (meaning science and the natural world) vs. Spirit (meaning everything supernatural, including the divine), and Reason (everything can be studied and understood) vs. Superstition (some things we will never understand, and that must be accepted). The middle position could be called something like Unconcerned.

That means you have a philosophical system based more on new vs. old ideas than of morality. A Reasonable Naturalist is a scientific thinking, atheistic person, an intellectual radical. Superstitious Naturalist is someone who takes a pragmatic view of the world, without necessarily caring about how or why it is like it is. An old-school midwife or herbalist who knows what herbs help what ailments, without giving much thought about why that is. A Superstitious Spiritualist is a person who probably is religious and deeply knows that the world is controlled by sentient forces with a plan. A Reasonable Spiritualist is your classic wizard sitting in his tower studying the arcane, trying to learn its secrets.

Would work best for Arcanum-like magic vs. technology settings I suppose, or a mage-like paradox-style magic.

I would love to play a devout cleric who smites reason.

[bosssmiley]

Apollonian vs. Dionysian perhaps?

[Leon]

Foil vs Epee

[Swooper]

Foil vs Epee

No sabre?

[Pie Guy]

No sabre?

You can slash with a sabre, but you can only stab with a foil or epee, for all you non-fencing geeks.

[Fishy]

The thing that everybody forgets is that asymmetry is much more interesting that symmetry. Whatever you pick, don't reduce it to just Paladins of [Blue] have Smite [Red]. (Unless the meaninglessness of warfare is the theme of your campaign, who knows. Call of Kafka?)

Primal vs. Created: What kinds of things were here before 'us', and what kinds of things only make sense in the context of a civilization? What happens when the gods of Earth, Fire and Thunder meet the gods of Honor, Reason and Tyrrany?

Devotion vs. Domination: Assuming we have supernatural spirit things, what sort of powers do you get from worshiping them, carrying out their will, and entreating them for help? What sorts of powers do you get from ordering them around? What are the costs?

Light/Certainty/Knowledge vs. Darkness/Potential/Ineffability: The Paladin of Light believes in the righteousness of his cause, he has faith that everything happens for a reason, and he knows he can not be defeated in battle. The Shadowmage lives in a universe that is too majestic to ever be fully understood by anyone, where every being has infinite potential, and he could have literally anything hidden up his sleeve.

[Leon]

No sabre?

Sabre fights the winner

[Ascension]

Rural vs. Urban. A high magic setting should allow for a level of urbanization equivalent to that of a technological society, which will naturally lead to a cultural split between city dwellers and the rural population. Players could be farmers out to undermine a local temple handing out free food in order to preserve their old way of life, sheriffs appointed by the cityfolk to keep the peasantry in line... it opens up any number of adventuring possibilities.