I've had an idea recently of a post apocalyptic, post modern, D&D world...

I know that it has been done before but I'm still working on own

And I would like to get your opinion on the news stories I've developed to into this Brave New World.
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The Globe and Mail
Dungeons & Dragons; ALL TRUE!

Magical Radiation Well, outside Toronto Ontario Canada.
The table top roll playing game that first debuted in 1974, and captivated the war gaming world early on is true. Myths and Magic have returned to the world! Over the past year and a half more and more reports have been pouring in about unexplained creatures being seen and phenomenon happening from all over the world. And in the last six months confirmation has been made about these claims. Creatures have been caught, people are manifesting powers, and religious leaders have been physically contacted by their deities granting them powers.

Scientists have detected a new form of (previously) unknown radiation flowing out of “wells.” These “Wells” are all near the locations where creatures were spotted, and where people have manifested magical powers.

Scientists can only theorise about this increasing phenomenon occurring throughout the world. The leading theory (drawing heavily from the Dungeons & Dragons game) is that the planes of existence shift in and out of phase. When all the planes are in phase then magic (the unknown radiation) flows though weeks spots in the planar fabric. Creatures also are able to push through these weeks spots.
Scientists believe this is just the beginning, and that the planes are not yet completely in phase. The more in phase the planes become the more phenomenon are going to be seen.

Another disturbing phenomenon has been attributed to the magical radiation. Electronic devices (reportedly even hardened military electronics) stop working the closer in proximity to the magic well they come. Government Officials fear the collapse of society with the loss of electricity. However scientists are working endlessly to circumvent the negative effect of the magic on electronics.
Continues on pg. 7
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The Globe and Mail
Is this the End? The war still rages!

Magical Combat Team
Orcs, Goblins, and other mythological creatures and monsters continue to pour through the planar rifts scattered around the world. The world’s militaries are hard pressed to force them back. Resupply being the biggest issue. To help fight back many people who have manifested magical powers have joined the military in repelling the threats.

Even with the help of the Elves, Dwarves, and other races who have allied themselves with us, scientists have still not been able to find a way to bring our electronic devices back online. Due to the modern world’s dependence on electronics, this is causing major problems.

With not having working electronics, the vehicles that would normally be used to drive supplies and ammunition to the front, the soldiers are unable to fight effectively. They are often forced into hand to hand combat with a numerically superior force. And due to the number of planar rifts spread across the world (many more than originally thought and defended) many creatures are gaining entry to our plane unopposed.

Those in the major cities (and elsewhere) are also dealing with the problems of starvation, lack of water/dehydration, disease, and sanitation. Without electrical power to run the pumps the cities are unable to supply water to the population, and remove sewage which is causing disease to spread like wild fire.

Also without electricity the pharmaceutical companies are unable to produce the needed medications for all kinds of diseases, and pre existing conditions.

Because of the planes coming back into phase we have been brought back to the dark ages. People are dying in the thousands daily, whether from the war, famine, disease, or any number of things.

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The Globe and Mail
Pray for Stabilisation!

The hostile races have carved their way through the militaries round the world. Most posts ran out of much needed ammunition then were overwhelmed. Reports that are still coming in from hostile territory, say though that the enemy paid dearly for the land they took though.
Surviving high ranking military officials, say that most of the ammunition that was made and stock piled before the return was used up in the defence against the monsters that were pouring through the rifts.

It is also estimated that there have been more than 3 billion people that have died or were killed in the past 3 years since the Return. However a like number (or possibly even greater number) of monsters and other races (coined “demihuman”) have replaced those who have died.

Things will never be the same as the world settling into its new order proves.

I like a lot of this! However, I think that eliminating all electric power may be a little too extreme- perhaps just an end to the Internet, since the radiation is interfering with the various electromagnetic waves needed for internet connectivity?

Also, you'd do good to remember that guns in general don't really need electricity to work, so soldiers wouldn't necessarily be "forced" into hand-to-hand combat, unless if the bullets somehow can't penetrate what a melee weapon could.

Next, our plane of existence is more than just Earth, it's our entire universe. Why is magic happening here? Is it just happening here? If not, then okay, but the why for just Earth would need to be explained.

Lastly, if the D&D-logic-based theory is true, then that means that the unhostile races would have access to the biggest database for how to defeat these hostile creatures and what their fighting tactics are- the Monster Manual (or some other thing that would accomplish the same purpose).

Due to the integration of fantasy literature into scientific text/theory, then we would be a lot more prepared for such an event if needed. Remember, for those diseases, that there are tons of compounds in the antarctic/arctic regions that house tiny samples of just about every disease in case they pop up again. If they do, then we'd use those, and we still do know about a lot of the "old ways" to cure diseases that actually worked- for example, there are tons of wacky treatments from the civil war era that were surprisingly effective and still are accepted to this day that involved things as bizarre as wrapping bacon around your throat.

About the internet/electricity thing, it could still technically cause a lot of the military equipment to fritz up when near it, even though it could work elsewhere (if it doesn't need internet). You see, I don't see anything here that explains how or why electric-powered appliances worldwide just stop working when the sources are the magic wells that are said to do such when technology is near them. I don't understand that.

Otherwise, this is really interesting! I like it!

Magic would be returning to the entire universe, but as humans are only on earth, that is the only place where we would know that it is...

And all electricity stops working because of the magic radiation flooding into our realm. At first it was only near the magic wells but as time went on and the entire plane was saturated all electronics wouldn't work.

The reason the militaries were forced to hand to hand were a lack of supplies. If you don't have bullets your guns don't go bang
The reason I had that was for the D&D lack of guns. This way guns, or more specifically the ammo could be given as a "magic "item.

Well, at first, when the hubble would still be working, I'm sure that we'd be able to pick up that it would be happening elsewhere as well.

You know, I really can't comment on this. I'm sure it's great and all, but I just hate this idea in general of a post-apocalyptic future where humans fail because of some ignorance we have or how we rely too much on our technology. It died for me after I read 1984.


Anyways, I'm the premise is still cool to the less-biased individual, so you can go somewhere with this.

I'd still like to know more specifically why electronics don't work, but on the technical side and not the magical side. For example, is electricity in general no longer possible (i.e. storms never have thunder anymore in addition to no electronic technology) or is the magic radiation doing something else to make it not work? If it's going to be modern day, it's got to have that part of the explanation included. I mean, electricity is my favorite energy type. I don't want to be banned from it in your campaign setting, and I'd feel guilty for creating a story hole by having electric spells.

What in those three years have scientists been able to concur about magic and how it works? If we know it's a radiation, that means it's an energy, right? Has anyone looked into using it as a power source to replace our electricity that we took for granted for all those years like the ignorant and arrogant humans we are?

I hadn't thought about it too much. I just wanted to take the modern world into a D&D world in a reasonable way.
So there certainly is going to be electrical magic spells, and lightning works the same as always... But electronic devices don't work...

I would think that any mage that were to try could find a way to get electronics working, using magical electricity could find a way. But scientists don't have that knowledge available to them.

As for find a way to harness magic as a power source... Casting spells is using magic as a power source So once that has been determined I'm sure many of inventive mage's would make use of harnessing magic.

If just some 17-year-old kid sitting at his computer could determine that already, then I'm sure the bulk of humanity+elves and dwarves would be able to do that in 3 years' time.

What's the difference between magic electricity and mundane electricity?

Magic, like physics, has laws. However the laws of magic supercede the laws of physics, hence people can fly and shoot fire, lightning and many other things that aren't normally possible without magic.

So mundane electrical devices don't work, because of magic (and it's laws) taking precedence over physics.

And as for figuring out more than that... How? Modern science is based on electronic devices. most geiger counters use electricity to work... and the ones that don't are chemical based. So even the ability to detect magic is extremely limited. And once it has flooded the world, then detecting it becomes moot. Only those who already have knowledge of magic (elves, gnomes, etc.) who are willing to teach it would be able to help. And even then the likelihood of them sharing openly with a 'new' race are unlikely. They may share with a select few, but that is not everyone.

So how do you study/detect a radiation that has no noticeable effect other than electronics don't work? In three years time it is unlikely that much of anything was determined.

Something that might be worth looking at in that case is Shadowrun, which sounds somewhat like where you're going? Kinda? Maybe?

Though I'm not that familiar with shadowrun... I was under the impression that It was a modern D&D, but modern technology works...

You are...very right.

I will curl into my beard and roll off in shame.