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1500 questions
56
votes
18 answers
What happens if money vanishes if not spent?
It's a few years in the future and society in general is fed up with hoarders; people who have a lot of money lying around that they don't use. Motivated by the rule that money should roll, they overhaul the (by now fully digital) money-system and…
Erik
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56
votes
14 answers
Realistic economic impact of a Hero
You've probably played this game before — the hero goes out into the wilderness, slaughters hordes of beasts and bandits, then returns to the town and promptly sells all his loot to the nearest shopkeeper. This is fun for a game, but it's far from…
Rob Watts
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56
votes
30 answers
How to subtly identify a weapon as powerfully magical?
I don't want to outright go out and say it: "Billy found the +5 magical staff Rynn's Lament," since a) that would be a n00b mistake and b) my character is not called Billy.
In my worlds, magic is subtle and not flashy at all, so how can I introduce…
Serban Tanasa
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56
votes
12 answers
How to politely coexist with a vampire?
Inspired by a comical misreading of the title to this question, how would you politely coexist with a vampire? Vampires want blood. You have blood. You'd prefer to keep your blood in your veins and not be converted to a vampire through an unwanted…
bob
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56
votes
14 answers
How would you make money by "worldbuilding"?
This is a bit of a meta question, but not the sort I can see in https://worldbuilding.meta.stackexchange.com/ so I'll leave it here.
I love my job, but I still love worldbuilding more. Can I monetize this somehow? What options are there to become…
Dario
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56
votes
23 answers
What could prevent players from leaving an island?
I am currently building a campaign for DnD.
The main plot plays out on an island the heroes are stranded on after their ship goes off track and sinks.
They discover that this island is ruled by monsters that serve a mighty demon.
The only humans…
Rylie
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56
votes
25 answers
Would a non-lethal military be effective?
An empire spanning the globe has a military force trained and equipped for the temporary impairment of combat forces, such as sleeping gas, shields and nets.
The empire is by far the most technologically advanced on the planet, with late-Victorian…
A Lambent Eye
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56
votes
37 answers
Shapes for an infinite animal?
This creature exists in an infinite world, a flat landscape that extends ad infinitum, where light rains from the sky from infinity during recurrent day-night cycles, and, similarly, the ground goes down continuously.
All kinds of critters populate…
SilverCookies
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56
votes
31 answers
Why would a race with high longevity but low numbers be aggressive and warlike?
Context
Members of my race can live virtually infinite lives (they still have to drink, eat, and can be killed, but don't age and are immune/really resistant to disease) but are unable to reproduce.
They used to be "manually" created by a god, who…
Hankrecords
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56
votes
6 answers
What skills would an early-1500s era ship captain need to learn to become a modern-day sailor (and eventually a captain again)?
Let us take a reasonably skilled (i.e. someone who knew their way around the boat as well as how to navigate) ship's captain from around the beginning of the Age of Sail (late 1400s to early 1500s), and teleport him into the modern world.
What…
Shalvenay
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56
votes
10 answers
What could cause sugary rain?
In a world very similar to ours, rain has a high concentration of simple carbohydrates in it, enough to sustain life on the surface. After some rainfall, this sugary rainwater is left behind and some organisms consume it while it's still dissolved.…
Dubukay
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55
votes
30 answers
Reasons why healthy people would intentionally want to get infected?
What would be a situation in modern times where normal, healthy people would want to get infected by a non-curable, but non-lethal, virus?
A virus that would have pretty nasty symptoms.
There is no compensation for getting infected.
The…
R. Smyth
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55
votes
16 answers
How would an independent, illegal and secret group of assassins accept assignments?
In my story I would have a completely independent and elusive group of assassins. They would not be sanctioned by either a king, wealthy merchant, nobleman or by the church. Because of that, if it turns out that the group actually exists, members…
user37130
55
votes
13 answers
In a society of flying beings, would the wheel ever be invented?
The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.
-- Douglas Adams.
Humans can't fly. Not themselves. Sure, we can climb aboard a plane, a hot air balloon, or a rocket ship. But we can't flap our arms and soar.
Since we…
SQB
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55
votes
37 answers
Create a world where Necromancy isn't considered as an "evil" type of magic
In most stories regarding movies, games or books, the art of necromancy is often seen as a "dark" and/or "evil" type of magic. I've not really come across any characters using this type of magic for the greater good, instead villains/antagonists are…
MvW
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