Technology Levels

The Aeldrum cosmos spans many thousands of years, and as a result, the type and quality of equipment available to characters changes based on the technology of their society. Note that while the greater part of the cosmos generally has a uniform tech level owing to the vast amount of inter-dimensional trade, it is entirely possible for remote or newly discovered pockets to have a technology level far lower than the general level of the time.
This tech level chart primarly contains information about the Modern Era, as most campaigns have focused on that time period.
== Tech Level 0 (Pre-Metallurgy) ==
Level 0 is reserved for primitive societies who have not yet discovered large scale metallurgy. Armor and weapons which contain metal are rare, as they must be scavenged / gifted / specially crafted. Draft animals, possibly drawing simple carts, are the only method of transportation outside of walking. Complex mechanical devices (like crossbows) may or may not exist.
== Tech Level 1 (Pre-Industrial) ==
Level 1 is the tech level of familiar medieval fantasy settings and the base state of vanilla D&D.
This was the tech level of most of the Pantheon War and the Interregnum.
== Tech Level 2 (Early Industrial) ==
Level 2 sees the beginnings of gunpowder and industrial technology; the steam engine, early airships, and early gunpowder are added to the basic assortment of high fantasy weapons. Firearms are considered exotic at this level. Most firearms are simple single shot muzzle loaders, although flintlock revolving pistols do exist.
This was the tech level of the late Interregnum and early Modern Era, such as during The Aeldrum Campaign.
== Tech Level 3 (Flintlock Industrial) ==
Level 3 is the point at which the gains of the original industrial revolution have solidified and become ingrained in the cultures which have arrived at it. Early steam carriages and trains have started to appear. Standard gunpowder weapons have become common. Flintlock revolving pistols and rifles are joined by multi-barrel firearms, the earliest multi-shot weapons; Hydrogen weapons are in early development, and are highly unstable single shot weapons. 
This was the tech level of The Skinchanger Campaign, The Shambler Campaign and (partially) The Celestial Corsairs Campaign. 
=== Tech Level 3.5 (Transitional) ===
Level 3.5 is a strange interim level in which many of the theoretical underpinnings of TL4 have been discovered, but not yet put to great practical use. This is a time of immense technological change, with many new inventions first coming to light. Electricity is first developed here and prototype applications are under development. Owing to the events of The Shambler Campaign, the secrets of the automaton have been unlocked and automatons are available to those who know who to ask. Carousel strip feeding rifles have been developed by this time as well, allowing for a fairly continuous rate of fire for most small encounters. Manufacturing has become advanced enough that masterworking the primary weapon for most professionals is relatively inexpensive. 
The Abortive Expedition Campaign, The Expedition Campaign and The Russian Campaign occur in TL3.5.
== Tech Level 4 (Early Automation) ==
Level 4 is characterized by a dramatic increase in precision manufacturing enabled by electricity. It is also characterized by increasing automation in both weaponry and vehicles. With the development of the Schulz repeating rifle in TL3.5 (and the Schulz autopistol shortly thereafter), rapid fire weaponry is available for the first time on a wide scale. Hydrogen weaponry is now relatively reliable, and has been adapted as a fuel source for large vehicles. Further, improvements in the manufacture of melee weapons have made specialized weapons far cheaper. Armor, too, has benefited, mostly in the area of making heavier armors lighter and more maneuverable.
This was the tech level of The Heist Campaign and The Aztlan Campaign. 
== Tech Level 5 (Industrial Automation) ==
Level 5 sees the solidification and spread of the gains of TL4. Automatic weapons are the norm, with autopistols, autorifles, and machine guns mostly replacing their older counterparts among the most technologically advanced societies (though there are still some faithful holdouts for the old Schulz rifles who find their harder punch and greater accuracy worthwhile). Airships and trains are now both very reliable and cars are increasingly common, with heavier than air flight and primitive power armor an experimental reality. Hydrogen weapons now have slightly less powerful revolver variants. Radio communication is developed.
This was the tech level of The Mafia Campaign, The Fialta-Shantine One-Shot Series, The Black Pyramid Campaign and The Irish Rebellion Campaign.
== Tech Level 6 (Early Computer) ==
Level 6 sees hydrogen weapons become the norm for warfare, with power armor coming into limited use among specialized infantry units. Early biomancy sees application in the first attempts at biomantically-engineered super-soldiers. Null bombs, first developed during the First Coalition War, have given rise to a devastating new level of destructive power. Hovercraft vehicles are developed, while Translane Navigation, Etheric Conduits, and Stealth Technology change the nature of interplanetary travel and naval combat. Television, electronic computers, and Ethernet technology bring about a digital information age.
This was the tech level of Grand Strategy 1 and other campaigns during the 5th century A.U.
== Tech Level 7 (Late Computer) ==
Level 7 sees technology that was new and experimental during TL6 undergo widespread adoption, while many of the new developments take the form of combining advanced scientific or computer technology with occult phenomena. Etherrail allows for high-speed mass transit through the ether. Virtual reality, soul computers, artificial intelligences, and even artificial gods drastically change the nature of digital technology and its applications. Artificial pocket dimensions become possible.
This was the tech level of Grand Strategy 2 and other campaigns during the 6th century A.U.
== Tech Level M (Mage Imperium) ==
The Mage Imperium left all sorts of nifty things lying around after their decline and fall; Caches of weaponry, armor, and stranger things have been discovered across the cosmos. Surviving Mage Imperium technology, including all forms of adamantine, "magical" weapons, advanced types of weaponry and armor, original automatons, and so on, can occasionally be present during the Interregnum and Modern Era.
This tech level is represented by a variety of artifacts across campaigns, but it was the technological baseline for the three Mage Imperium Campaigns.
Category:Game Mechanics
Category:History
Category:Technologies