Most Popular
1500 questions
66
votes
27 answers
How to verify or establish identity where shapeshifters exist
No magic exists in this setting beyond what is explicitly described in this quesiton. The setting is vaguely European medieval. The question centers around a town large enough to support a nobleman complete with his keep.
The town knows that…
Ranger
- 17,489
- 5
- 66
- 110
66
votes
19 answers
Where can I transform without being noticed?
I'm just your average person. Not rich, or particularly skilled at anything. Until a few days ago, when (for a reason I can't disclose) I got some amazing superpowers: I can fly, I'm completely invulnerable to any kind of damage and lift pretty much…
George T
- 703
- 5
- 8
66
votes
11 answers
Are there any rules or guidelines about designing a flag?
I'm trying to come up with a flag for a fantasy city I'm designing, and it got me thinking about how flags are designed in general and where they draw their inspirations from.
For the most part, I believe that most flags are simply based on…
DMfiend
- 2,160
- 3
- 16
- 24
66
votes
18 answers
What would happen if an alien race gave us a computer capable of 2^256 calculations per second?
The security of public key cryptography relies on computers not being able to generate anywhere near 2256 guesses per any reasonable time length. The obvious implications of a computer this powerful would be that Bitcoin and all other…
Snowman
- 649
- 1
- 6
- 6
66
votes
30 answers
How can humans coexist with an intelligent carnivorous species?
This is about a world which is quite similar to Earth in many respects. It has continents, oceans, mountains, fjords, humans, and every other property Slartibartfast might be more or less proud of in his work.
It also has a species of…
user
- 28,950
- 16
- 108
- 217
66
votes
26 answers
Magic rules without logical loopholes
Let's start with Sanderson's-first-law. Although I like reading stories with soft magic, this is not question about them. I would like to work with hard magic - the magic bound by strict rules.
So far in either the literature or games (RPG,…
Shamis
- 929
- 1
- 7
- 10
66
votes
22 answers
How would government change if everyone died by the age of 25?
In the nation of Xenqu, a hereditary monarchy has ruled for centuries. The Xenquan society is in a medieval period, although the recent invention of paper and the increasing use of gunpowder may signal the start of a period of relative…
HDE 226868
- 101,188
- 25
- 303
- 542
66
votes
12 answers
Could a disaster kill all (human) life on Earth but leave astronauts in low orbit alive long enough to return?
There are plenty of threats out there that could terminate all life on our little planet in varying amounts of time (Solar flares, meteors and supernovas to name a few).
Are there any disasters that could kill all (intelligent) life on Earth but…
overactor
- 5,585
- 2
- 35
- 59
66
votes
16 answers
An Earth-like planet is found in another solar system. What are the top priorities after landing in order to create a self-sustaining colony?
Set in the not so distant future, we find a habitable planet very much like our own. The only downside is that it's around 500 years of travel with our current technological capabilities.
We have to assume a few things in this hypothetical…
FruityB
- 741
- 1
- 5
- 8
66
votes
14 answers
What would a medieval war against an aquatic race look like?
The setting; there’s a large population of merfolk living in the ocean, and a developing seafaring human nation on the neighbouring coastline.
These merfolk are entirely aquatic. They have gills and not lungs, they would suffocate if removed from…
user54563
66
votes
22 answers
Mosquito Armageddon
I'm going camping in two weeks and I really don't want to get bit up by mosquitoes.
So I want to figure out a way to commit total genocide of all mosquitoes in at least a 20 mile (32 KM) area around the campsite.
I also want the camping trip to be…
AndyD273
- 34,658
- 2
- 72
- 150
66
votes
27 answers
The land grows evil and corrupted ... but why?
BACKGROUND
A corruption has seized hold of the land, turning great swathes of it into a poisonous waste that humans may only enter at their peril. Perhaps all who enter the waste grow sick or go mad, perhaps terrible beasts lie in wait, all that can…
Random
- 5,996
- 3
- 28
- 51
65
votes
14 answers
Physically, how do dragons grasp and *transport* the contents of their hoards?
If we accept that dragons are big and they hoard gold and gems (and don't make or mine these baubles, themselves), how do dragons physically manipulate and transport human/elf/dwarf-sized coins and jewels back to their lairs?
Even if we assume…
Catalyst
- 7,262
- 2
- 18
- 32
65
votes
31 answers
How to solve the old 'gun on a spaceship' problem?
The problem: If somebody fires a (kinetic) gun on a spaceship, the bullet is likely to penetrate the hull and cause a host of problems.
I want to incorporate spaceships and fighting on them and in them, boarding action and all the other fun stuff in…
user6415
65
votes
9 answers
Is there a credible way a shapeshifter could gain/lose body mass when changing forms?
Shapeshifters are creatures which are able to, based on will or some sort of external stimuli, change between different forms while still remaining the same individual. Sometimes they retain the same personality, sometimes the different forms entail…
user
- 28,950
- 16
- 108
- 217