The Magic Versus Technology War

I'm searching for rpgs in which there is a "The Magic Versus Technology War" trope. The only thing is, I don't want the cliche where technology is bad and associated with destruction, corruption while magic/nature is associated with goodness and purity. I'm rather searching for something opposide, where the technologist could be humanists trying to server others through science while the other side could fanatical magical eco-terrorists. Or at least something among that line.

Before I broke my arm and got put on some ridiculously strong medication, I was working on a setting with some other tropers in which magic-versus-technology was portrayed as technology being the common man's way of sticking it to the mage.

I'm asking this because I'm searching inspiration for a setting based on similar principles. What I'm interested in is how not only the characters but the settings "metaphysics" works together with these principles. Let's say we have the opposite idea - "good magic" and "bad technology". Not only will this be represented by the characters (on one hand crazy scientists, greedy corporationists and the other side peacefull natives and wise mages), the more important thing is the setting itself. In Pandora we have a planets neural system, which communicates with the natives, while in final fantasy vii energy is harnessed from the "life-force", which basically means technology autamitacally means destruction (and even using the soles of the dead).

So what ideas can be used in the core of the setting to make it seem that technology is positive and magic is rather negative.

Well the obvious thing to do is look at why tech is bad in these settings. It's mainly seen this way because it's portrayed as an invasive force; an unwelcome invasion of the world. So think about how this situation could be reversed...

Well add some Cosmic Horror. Some sort of un-natural magic is bleeding into the world and spawning hell creatures and monsters from beyond mortal ken. How do people react? By improving the tech they have to fight back.

That's just an example but do you see the gist?

edited 2nd Mar '13 3:05:34 PM by SlendidSuit

So, Cthulhutech, then?

Building off what Slendid said there, perhaps magic is rather inflexible and unwilling to change; it sees the innovation of science and recoils from it, preferring the "good old ways" of magical power even though it is comparatively inefficient or encourages backwardness.

Also, magic is usually viewed as heredity/inborn, where tech can be used/developed by anyone with skill, talent, and who can do hard work. I mean, technology is the reason the feudal system went out of style.

edited 2nd Mar '13 4:18:06 PM by DrTentacles

Or perhaps the source of magic is kinda shady. Anyone can make decent tech but to sling mojo you need to take part in a sacrificial ritual of evil or something.

Or humans can't use magic and are invaded by magic aliens or something.

Or maybe magic is from the devil/satan/hell or something.

How political and how action-y is this setting supposed to be?

For a more political setting/story, use The Mageocracy in a negative light. Those who can do magic are rare, it's generally hereditary, and they oppress non-mages and use their powers to rule with an iron fist. The good-guy faction are innovative inventors/freedom fighters, who place new technologies in the hands of the common man to improve life and give the plebians a way to fight back.

For a more action-y setting, use the idea of magic spawning hellish abominations, with technology presented as a way to offer the conveniences/functions of magic with fewer psychotic things entering the world. The heroes would be gunslingers, using no magic at all against things that are near-godlike in power, and winning. They'd have to be smart, awesome, and have Loads and Loads of Firepower.

Well, up till now, the idea was for there to be five main factions: - The Empire - the main force in the world of Omuo. A dominant political power which tryes to maintain strict control over it's people. The aristocracy is supported by the magical-priest elite, with the emperor as the head of the contry and representative of the will of the people. - The Theocracy - the theocracy to the empire is like the papal state to the holy roman empire. It's rulers are the mage-priests with the incarnation of the first prophet of Omuo hiself as the leader. It is their teaching that treat the drifters as heretics and the use of advanced technology as blasphemy. Magic used be spellcasters outside the order being treated similarly. - The Kingdom - more of a militaristic faction ruled by a warrior class. Although they also recpect the teachings of Omuo, they aren't so politically dependant on the theocracy which creats some tensions between them and the empire. - The Free People - a faction of cities in the desert who don't follow any rulers. Law and security are a commodity for which you have to pay. Most of the power is in the hands of various clans or companies. In contrast to the factions mentioned above, drifters are allowed in city-centers and some clans will trade or work together with them. - The Drifters - left-overs from the ancient technological civilization. After their nation was destroyed and has become a lair for demon-spawn now they travel around the world as gypsies, where they continue to use advanced technology, often against authorities and seek lost knowledge and articafts from their past.

To clarify some things up, the idea was for the planet - Omuo to be considered a god be the religious/magical faction. There was also an apocalyptic motive, with the lands of the technocratic faction being destroyed by a demon. The demon itself was supposed to be discovered by the technocrats, but eventually awakened by the religious faction while they attacked the technologists and tried to destroy the demon.

At least all of this was the idea till now. But now I'm trying lay new foundations to the world as I described in the first post.