Magic as Forgotten Science
Premise
Magic is science, but its operating principles have been forgotten.
Design Implications
- Spell effects can be framed as legacy tech interactions.
- Arcane orders become maintenance traditions rather than purely mystical schools.
- Relics and rituals can be treated as half-understood protocols.
- Discovery play emphasizes recovery of method, not just acquisition of power.
Use in Campaign Design
This premise supports science-fantasy settings where ruins, interfaces, and "occult" procedures share one ontology.
See Also
- The Dying Earth Series by Jack Vance - Far-future decay model compatible with this premise
- Prophet Volumes One & Two: Campaign Inspiration - Biology and technology collapse into one material logic