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1500 questions
59
votes
14 answers
Explaining where energy comes from to power magic
I'm trying to create a realistic magic system, this may be a lost cause.
Imagine in our story we have a wizard who wants to cast a spell to start a fire.
In some magic systems there are magic words, in others the wizard waves a wand but these are…
Liath
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59
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9 answers
What software is available for keeping and organising notes about your world?
I'm currently writing a story based in another world. I try to keep the story outline and the world in fairly separate notes obviously dipping into the world notes when I need to remember names, locations, descriptions etc.
Currently I'm using…
Liath
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59
votes
20 answers
How would someone hide an asteroid in the void of space so only they could find it?
My story opens with an old man who arrives at his "personal" asteroid somewhere out in space. When he arrives, everything is powered down and he has to bring systems online before he can take his suit off. He has left galactic society (perhaps there…
dolst
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59
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23 answers
Killing off Indiana Jones
Watching Indiana Jones movies for some time got me wondering how you can effectively kill the explorers to your temple after a long time.
How can I prevent explorers from stealing my artifacts for at least 500 years?
Setup: I have about one billion…
Pavel Janicek
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59
votes
27 answers
What job could someone do better with super-strength, but without actually revealing that they have it?
Being a superhero without being state-sponsored or independently wealthy is kind of a massive pain. You're essentially working two jobs, one of which is highly dangerous and doesn't even pay. So naturally, a lot of them would have a great deal of…
Cyrus Drake
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59
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20 answers
Why Do My Super-Soldiers Constantly Mutter Their Thoughts Out Loud?
I am creating a race (either near-alien or a human sub-species) in a science fiction setting that have an unfortunate "tell." While they can stay silent in non-social (stealth-requiring) situations, they are unable to stop themselves in social…
DWKraus
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59
votes
26 answers
FTL travel is impossible. How is interstellar trade possible?
Assume a universe depressingly like ours, in which special relativity holds. No hyperspace, no warp drive, no wormholes, and even the limited get-out clauses offered by real world physics either don't exist at all or are not practical. [Added later…
Lostinfrance
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59
votes
28 answers
Why would a civilization develop a taboo against a highly nutritious food that grows well in its climate?
A human civilization, civilization X, decides that food Y is not fit for consumption. Food Y grows well in its climate, is highly nutritious and tasty, and is not harmful to its inhabitants. Food Y could easily become a staple of civilization X, but…
Galactic
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59
votes
9 answers
What impact would a dragon the size of Asia have on the environment?
Without going into unnecessary detail, one of the races of my world believe that the land itself is a dead god, and that by resurrecting it, it will ascend to the cosmos and carry the faithful upon its back. The form they choose to represent this…
Vigilant
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59
votes
9 answers
Could underwater living organism create technology?
Could underwater creatures with the intelligence of human cave men or possibly the intelligence of apes create technology (that is, more complex technology comparable to what we have now rather than simple stone age equivalents)?
If so, what energy…
user93
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59
votes
19 answers
How do spaceships determine each other's mass in space?
Set in the distant future, space travel becomes prominent and cheap. I can imagine each spaceship would have a multitude array of sensors to track distance and relative position in space. Is there a good way to determine another spaceship's mass…
user6760
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59
votes
15 answers
Quenching swords in dragon blood; why?
Imagine a typical fantasy world. Elves, goblins, dragons, magic. If you were to equate it to a D&D campaign, you would be close enough for proverbial government work. That said, thanks to time and magic, their knowledge of science is more…
Xavon_Wrentaile
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59
votes
3 answers
Creating a realistic world map - Currents, Precipitation and Climate
This Query is part of the Worldbuilding Resources Article.
Once geological processes and erosion have created a landscape this landscape will in turn alter the planet. Ocean currents and trade winds will tend to form and certain weather patterns…
Tim B
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59
votes
4 answers
Anatomically correct metalhead, part 1 - headbanging
In the Land of Metal, there exists a tribe that has upheld the gospel of Manowar with such zeal that it modified their bodies.
Metalheads descend from humans, and may look human at a glance. A more careful examination, however, will reveal the…
The Square-Cube Law
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59
votes
16 answers
How can a group of immortals hide in a modern society with extensive record-keeping?
The immortals are among us. And they have been for a long time. All of them were born in the 7th to 4th century B.C. in the area of what today is the regions of Macedonia and Thessaly in Greece. Whatever caused their immortality is no longer…
Tonny
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