Editing Dungeonpunk

'''Dungeonpunk''' is a form of [[Setting Aesthetics]] popularized on /tg/ by [[Dungeons & Dragons]], and is essentially a melding of [[Heroic Fantasy]] with [[Steampunk]], [[Dieselpunk]], [[Noir]] or even [[Cyberpunk]] by way of [[Magitek]]. Our frenemies over on [[TVTropes]] argue that a proper Dungeonpunk setting also includes the gritty, cynical tone of Punk/Noir to your standard Heroic Fantasy trappings, but this isn't necessarily true; Post-Punk is a thing, after all.

What really defines this as a setting ideal as opposed to just being a Fantasy Kitchen Sink is that, in addition to the arguable cynical tone, the magitek used is always based on the Industrialized Magic approach; all "technological" devices ultimately owe their power and nature to magic. Be it [[Eberron|an aircraft granted levitation & motivation by a bound elemental]], [[Deadlands|a steam engine fueled by super-coal compressed from damned souls]] or [[Warpstone|a nuclear reactor powered by crystallized evil]], feats we achieve through technology are instead achieved through the meticulous application of magic, which has taken on technological trappings due to being understood so well.

==Examples==
* [[Eberron]], with its entire setting built around [[magitek]] of the Industrialized Magic variety, its magical trains/planes/speedboats fueled by bound elementals, and its [[Warforged|artificial soldiers]], is a iconic example of Dungeonpunk. Hell, it '''named''' Dungeonpunk as a thing.
* [[Planescape]] actually originated certain elements of dungeonpunk, especially in term of visuals and cynicism.
* The distinctive artstyle invented for [[Dungeons & Dragons 3rd Edition]] is often considered to be "dungeonpunk based".
* [[Iron Kingdoms]], and its predecessors [[Warmachine]] and [[Hordes]], is a perfect example of Dungeonpunk with added war themes; the setting revolves around using steam-powered clockwork-based [[golem]]s under the charge of [[wizard]]-[[artificer]]s to do battle, after all. It has a more optimistic Post-Punk attitude, however, leading to its designers referring to its style as "Full Metal Fantasy".
* [[Spelljammer]] is a wacky [[Space Opera]] setting on the surface, but it has a Dungeonpunk heart, what with how the setting revolves around enchanted ships crafted to fly between different planets.
* [[Ravnica]], the City-Plane of [[Magic: The Gathering]] fits this, being a world-spanning city-complex that relies on magic to make its infrastructure work.
* [[Earthdawn]]
* [[Shadowrun]] has traits of this, but is thought of as more of a [[cyberpunk]] setting with added magic & fantasy than a fantasy world built up into cyberpunkish magical levels.
* [[Exalted]] has some aspects of this.
* The [[Eldar]] of [[Warhammer 40,000]] are [[Dark Fantasy]] [[Space Opera]] [[Cyberpunk]] take on this, with hyper-advanced technology that ultimately depends on their race's natural affinity for [[psionics]].
* The [[Skaven]] of [[Warhammer Fantasy]] have advanced technological gear, including wide-spread electricity, that ultimately stems from their using [[warpstone|crystallized chunks of pure madness & corruption]] as everything from fuel to ammunition to [[fleshcrafting|medicine]].
* The "superscience" in [[Deadlands]] is all powered by Ghost Rock, a greenish-black coal-like substance full of white streaks that screams horrifically when burned. Because it's actually the souls of the damned compressed into a physical material, and when the stuff is burned, the spirits are released back to Hell - quite painfully.

[[Category: Gamer Slang]] [[Category: Setting Aesthetics]]