Short answer (TLDR): my brainchild, a flavorful mix of D&D tropes, Final Fantasy-inspired setting, Planescape Torment-ish background elements and Eberron magitek.
Long answer: I've long wanted to develop a unique D&D setting, something that hasn't been done before. And then somewhere during the fall of 2019, WOTC announced it was bringing Eberron to 5E. I like Eberron. Haven't gamed in it, but I like its shiny bits - warforged, dragonshards, skyships, lightning rail - and its deep lore as well. I've been using warforged, kalashtar and something like the quori in various campaigns over the years (none of which were set in Eberron). But then I thought: what would Eberron look like 100 years after the Last War?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not about to advance Khorvaire's timeline and wreck the setting. Instead, I started creating the answer to that question by imagining a new setting. A world akin to our own, modern Earth. But where the modern way of living was achieved not by scientific inquiry into technology, but into magic. A world where Hogwarts is the model for all high schools and every professional knows a cantrip or two and even 1st or 2nd level spells as rituals. A world where mankind struggled with other humanoid races and mythic monsters for ascendance.
What would a fantasy world like Faerun, Oerth or Krynn need to enable such staggering progress and advancement? In our world, coal was the substance that fueld the industrial revolution, followed by oil which propelled us to the current level of technological development. What if, in a fantasy world, there existed a magical mineral that would enable the masses of humanoids to procure cheap (magical) energy, subjecting the world to population growth and mass urbanization and magical development?
It was then that I invented dragonstone, a magical substance, widely available (if tightly controlled by economic interests) on which a fantast world would sail into a magical revolution, giving rise to corporations, modern comforts, new weapons and powerful states.
Dragonstone: Skyscrapers & Sorcery is a fantasy world in which I very much explore contemporary issues: control of resources, the economic power of corporations vs. state power, ecological impact of technology and societal issues. It is a setting much like our own, but with a different energy source providing the power. In the world of Skyscrapers & Sorcery, oil is unknown, but dragonstone is in high demand.
The current state of world affairs has allowed me to develop and explore this world beyond a seed in my mind. Due to the current pandemic, much of us are staying home in social distancing. An online tool and weekly schedule was quickly agreed upon by three friends and myself. Get ready to explore a world of Skyscrapers & Sorcery!
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