Lawnmower Boy

Something weird is going on in American politics:
 
i) That's not chaos-seeking. That's suicidal ideation. It's an issue with aging in general, and also substance abuse. 
 
ii) Given that Trump's decline has been obvious and well-documented, with plenty of live demonstrations, you think it wouldn't be  news, much less provoke contrarian responses. We all age out and it's hard to find anyone who seriously thinks Trump was ever a competent administrator, as opposed to redirecting their suicidal ideation. Really the only question is the specific parameters of his ineffectuality as head of the Administration if re-elected this year, and this has an upside as well as a downside for everyone. In other words, his lack of grip may enable the worst elements in his following, or render them ineffectual.  Either way, it's going to be a Presidency only a person with suicidal tendencies could love.
 
iii) Trump is a historically weak candidate. The strong tendency for the last century has been for the incumbent party to lose re-election to a third term, with 7 elections going that way to 4 going the other way, a count even more lopsided when you exclude the New Deal years as anomalous. Trump's election in 2016 is in line with the trend; losing the popular vote was not in line with expectations. There is an even stronger tendency for incumbent presidents to win re-election, so Trump's defeat in 2020 is even more anomalous, though in line with his demonstrated level of voter appeal. 
 
iv) The rest of the Republican Party has been electorally underwhelming  going back to 2018. Without going into the nitty gritty, he doesn't show many signs of having coat-tails; and as a separate but not unrelated issue, while you can't call electoral polling wrong overall in the last seven years, it has been consistently skewed to the right end of margins of error, with the effect of overstating GOP chances in many local elections and provoking numerous panics about predicted Democratic underperformance. (And much cathartic relief; either way, it has been pretty good for media clickthroughs.)
 
v) Trump has entered the primary races in the odd position of being the effective incumbent. No-one has a clue what this means, but, overall, the scrutiny has been on what the size of his margins say about his popularity in the party. (And, also, while anyone cared, about that of Ron DeSantis.) Thus, as strong as 51% in Iowa or  54.3% was in New Hampshire by historic standards in multi-candidate primaries and caucuses, there was a hot take that it wasn't enough. 
 
vi) Given said hot take, one was obviously wondering what the margin would be in South Carolina. So when I flicked on the CBC news to listen while I did my knee bends this morning, my curiosity was piqued. Unfortunately, CBC did not have the numbers. Neither, when I turned on my devices, did the CBC website or AOL News. (Don't judge me!) 
 
I finally found the numbers with an online search at the AP (admittedly an update an hour after I tuned in to the news (I'm an early riser. Don't judge me even more!):  59.8% Trump; 39.5% Haley. Ten hours ago, the headline on Reuters was "Lopsided Trump win," and the body of the article talked about Trump's "expected victory," before an update noted that Haley "outperformed expectations based on opinion polls." 
 
In the most obvious and telegraphed conclusion imaginable, I believe that the media finds Trump very good for view counts from assorted doomscrollers, and so pumps up his candidacy. It correctly believes that evidence that Trump is a historically bad candidate is irrelevant to his supporters and obviously doesn't move the needle with people who wouldn't vote for him, anyway. 
 
I'm not going to say that he won't be the candidate in 2024, because I thought he was too lazy and defensive to push through in 2020, and look how wrong I was then. But he was being promised an autogolpe, which is a much bigger lift this time around. It sure seems like Trump will bow out before November.

An extremely old color photo ->
 

 
Some things never change.

He's so CUTE!!!
 

I ran a Multiform character for about a year. When I created it, it seemed overpowered, but it was the only way to realize the character concept. It worked wonderfully. Each form had a distinct personality and motivations (with a specific common goal). But …
 
It was greatly overpowered. One form was a smooth-talking conman, another was a tracker, then a martial artist, and lastly a killing tank. Being able to switch forms, even requiring a full turn, made it much too easy to fine tune the character to most situations.
 
I thoroughly enjoyed the role-playing. But the power imbalance became a real problem. 

For some reason, I'm fascinated by the inland Sea of Mhorec, from Hero Games' Turakian Age setting. It's a freshwater "lake" which by my calculations is at least half the surface area of the Mediterranean Sea, somewhere in size between Hudson Bay in northern Canada, and the Gulf of Mexico. The idea of a freshwater lake as big as a major sea is just compelling to me.
 
That prompted me to research the largest lakes in real-world history, with the record going to the Paratethys Sea, which formed about 12 million years ago. Covering much of what's now Europe and the Near East, this mega-lake was a little larger than the Mediterranean. It was generally shallow, although with much deeper basins within it; but it still held ten times the fresh water of all today's lakes combined. It also supported a thriving ecosystem with unique species of life.
 
Here's a map of the Paratethys, with an outline of the region's modern geography superimposed:
 

 
This shows that there's ample precedent for a more diverse and distinctive hydrology in a fantasy world than most of us tend to think of. And it proves you don't need some cataclysmic global geologic upheaval to produce drowned or desertified kingdoms, or unusual sea creatures. Merely enough of a change in climate to raise or lower water levels, or a shift in local geography, for a sea to be cut off from direct access to the world ocean, as with the Paratethys.

I think its best to just ignore the implications and consequences of high tech and superheroes on economics unless its for a specific one-shot scenario.  Why?  Because if you make the world so different and so alien to what we have now, it damages immersion and ease of understanding the world.  The main purpose of superheroes is to engage in power fantasy: here's what I'd do if I had x power/someone ought to do something about this problem.
 
See, Superman's very existence would change society, culture, and science.  He would transform the world.  But the comic books about Superman were about him beating up evil landlords and dictators, stopping mobsters, etc.  Why?  Because nobody put a cape on and jumped from things pretending to fly because they wanted to play out the socioeconomic impact of superbeings.  They wanted to be the guy that beat up the villains, bullies, and criminals.  They wanted to play out what it would be like if someone actually was powerful enough to stop the mafia or corrupt politicians.
 
If you make the world too different from what we now understand and live in, you lose that entire feel.
 
Its fine if you want to do a future-tech, sci fi Champions game, and everyone knows that going in.  But you can't have it both ways.

Two unwritten rules for life:
1.  
2.  

Honestly, I had that concern myself. More dialogue can and should be had, and I'd love to read it. I'd hate to think someone wouldn't present their own ideas just because I transcribed all this stuff.
 
But I also didn't want to avoid highlighting how much the Champions setting explores the implications of super-technology and super powers on society, particularly economics, as your topic requested. It covers the subject more thoroughly and logically than I've seen anywhere else, and offers much for supers GMs to consider.
 
This is another example of material I had collated for the benefit of the Champions Online community, and having it all handy I couldn't justify to myself not sharing it. Believe it or not, I actually left some less relevant things out.

There are quite a few superhumans who are employed full-time by national governments or UNTIL, and are therefore paid a regular salary and other benefits. Others supers with a history of working with such groups, like the Champions, may receive some degree of financial and material support. It's not uncommon for well-known heroes or teams to receive grants or donations from national or more local governments, or from private individuals and corporations, as a reward for their continued service to the public. Of course any hero who belongs to a team with a solid financial base will likely be supported by that team.

It's not unknown for superheroes to use their abilities and public profiles to obtain private sponsorship. The Binary Corporation employs a superhero "mascot," Binary Man, for public relations purposes. Cavalier of Millennium City regularly endorses various companies and products for pay.

Outside of those avenues, full-time heroes either have to be independently financially secure, or else spend some time working at a more mundane job to make ends meet. That last is most common for heroes with a secret identity, but sometimes superhumans will openly use their powers to make jobs for themselves. For example, the founder of Trans-City Construction, Jeff Baker, gets much use out of his powers of matter transmutation to speed up construction projects, which is a selling point with clients. Champions Universe p. 60 mentions a speedster named Roberta Yelnofsky who founded "Yesterday Delivery" in New York City. Her corporate motto is, "When you need it there yesterday!"
 
The majority of paranormals on Champions Earth either don't have the type or magnitude of powers to compete in the Superhuman World subculture, or just want to live normal lives. People with minor powers, such as enhanced reflexes, unusual durability, or precognitive flashes, may not even realize they have them. However, some of those people can still have a significant impact. For example, the relatively minor healing powers of the famous Dr. Jeremiah Mugembe have done more to alleviate AIDS in Africa than all the pharmaceutical companies in the world combined. Workers with Habitat for Humanity in the city of Atlanta have frequently been helped by an anonymous benefactor who can construct entire houses overnight.

Bastion Alpha Security, a high-profile private security company (fully written up in Cops, Crews, And Cabals), includes one of the more intriguing paranormals in that category. Founded by Anderson Powell, the retired superhero Titan, the company's greatest selling point is its secret Bastion Process, which physically augments BAS field agents. The most powerful, and therefore expensive, agents count as low-level superhumans. The Bastion Process was developed by Powell's secret partner, Dr. Ivan Fortus. Unknown even to Powell, Dr. Fortus did not invent or discover the Process. Fortus is a mutant who can covertly extract DNA by touch from one person, and insert it into the cells of another, passing on some qualities of the donor. Dr. Fortus uses Powell's own DNA to give BAS agents some of the former Titan's power.  

According to Champions Beyond various groups, notably the United States government, have salvaged and studied examples of alien technology from the several invasions and known spaceship crashes, with mixed results. They've had the most success understanding and adapting the tech from the Sirians, i.e. the "War of the Worlds" aliens. The highly biological nature of Qularr technology, including the tendency of the bio-components to decay or become dormant over time, has made it difficult to analyze and mostly incompatible with human tech. Gadroon gravity-manipulating devices appear to utilize principles that humans, even super-scientists, have never imagined, so have eluded deciphering. While trying to comprehend the nonfunctional wreckage of the Malvan ships that Ironclad and Herculan arrived in, has been likened to Neanderthals trying to reverse-engineer a supercollider.

OTOH the Warlord (Champions Villains Vol. 1: Master Villains) has had considerable success with technology salvaged from a downed "blueboy" (Hzeel) scout ship, even combining it with human technology to exceed the capabilities of the Hzeel themselves. Hzeel tech is also partly biological, but to a lesser degree, and is less advanced, than Qularr devices. (The Hzeel, Gadroon, and Qularr all have full chapters devoted to them in Champions Beyond.)

There are several (apparently) legitimate tech companies in the official setting which are at the forefront of research and development, and would make good places for scientist PCs to work, make discoveries or breakthroughs, interact with NPCs of similar background, or maybe have an empowering lab accident. All of these are either headquartered in or have major branch offices at Millennium City, since it's a center for cutting-edge research. Aside from additional books which are cited in individual entries below, most of the information about these companies appears in the Millennium City source book.

Advanced Concepts Industries (ACI): One of the world's largest and most diverse corporations, ACI has fingers in almost every endeavor where there's money to be made. High-tech and chemical manufacturing are high on its list of priorities. While most of its employees are normal people with normal motivations, ACI's founder, president, CEO and majority owner is Franklin Stone (Champions Villains Vol. 1: Master Villains), who has no scruples in bypassing law or ethics in the pursuit of wealth and power; so there are certainly covert nefarious activities that could be investigated or stumbled upon, including scientific projects.

Angelstone Laboratories: Angelstone initially made its name as an innovative defense contractor, and that remains one of its major focuses, although it's expanded its research over a broad range of applied and theoretical sciences: everything from physics and genetics, to criminology and economics. But it's become best known for its "Superhuman Studies Division" researching super powers and super technology, and activities and behavior of supervillains. It frequently gives presentations and reports to governments and law enforcement on these subjects, and sometimes assists superheroes directly. In this it competes with the Goodman Institute in America, and the Swiss-based l'Institut Thoth (both described in Champions Universe). Angelstone Laboratories is a for-profit company, but will sometimes offer reduced rates to clients in a good cause. Angelstone Laboratories is thoroughly described in Cops, Crews, And Cabals.

Binary Corporation: This major Millennium City-based company is best known for computer hardware and software, but also researches medical technology, genetics, and is a leader in plasma-based weapon design. It sponsors its own superhero spokesperson, the duplicating Binary Man. BC suffered a major scandal in 2001 when one of its top executives, Monica Knowlton, was revealed to be a Morbane of DEMON, but has since recovered.

Cambridge Biotechnology: Based in London, Cambridge focuses on medicine, pharmaceuticals, and genetics, with many profitable patents. It was the first company to research the biochemical functions of psionic powers, and has developed tests for detecting and cataloguing such powers, licensing their use by court systems around the world. But Cambridge may be best known for employing the simian super-scientist, Dr. Silverback, at its Millennium City facilities. (Dr. Silverback's write-up is in Champions Universe.)

Dew Chemical: One of the largest chemical companies in the United States, Dew is also one of the few major corporations which has been based in Detroit/Millennium City since before Dr. Destroyer leveled it. Dew's programs include development of plastics, adhesives and sealants, herbicides and pesticides, and synthetic biochemical compounds.

Drake-Victoria Inc. (DVI): One of the largest American defense contractors, Drake-Victoria designs military vehicles and weapons, particularly tanks, trucks, rockets and missiles. It continues to research ways to economically manufacture light, reliable powered armor for soldiers. It's also at the forefront of force-field generation technology. In recent years its facilities have been attacked by the supervillain team called the Ultimates (Champions Villains Vol. 2: Villain Teams). Unknown outside of the Ultimates, one of their members, Cyclone, used to work for DVI and has a grudge against them.

Duchess Industries: A huge multinational corporation based in Bonn, Germany, Duchess Industries has holdings in many fields, including aerospace, nuclear energy, biotechnology, computers and robotics, chemistry and mining. DI is privately owned by the mysterious Duchess Henrietta von Drotte. Von Drotte is secretly one of the highest leaders of VIPER (where she's known simply as "the Duchess") and DI conducts several clandestine research projects for VIPER. VIPER's assistance with industrial espionage, sabotage, and assassination has helped Duchess Industries reach its current stature. (The Duchess and DI receive considerable attention in VIPER: Coils Of The Serpent.)

Fordham Chemtech: Fordham dominates several niche markets, including manufacturing microchips and other silicoids, and medical films and other related materials. It has several subsidiaries competing in other fields, such as Regor in memory plastics.

Genex Labs: A relatively small company founded at the start of recombinant DNA engineering, Genex patents include treatments for a range of diseases. However, its profile and profit were greatly raised when it invented the Cyberline treatment which PRIMUS uses to create its cadre of superhuman Avengers.

Harmon Industries: Almost wholly owned by James Harmon III, HI is a general-purpose defense contractor, with specialties in rocketry and missiles, aerospace and satellites, and infantry weapons. The Harmon family is unaware of James IV's identity as Defender, and considers him a disappointment for not devoting more time and energy to the company.

Ironwood Industrial Technologies (IIT): One of HI's chief competitors for American space-based defense contracts, Ironwood has its headquarters in MC and major manufacturing facilities in North Detroit. It co-designed UNTIL's GATEWAY space station and contributed to the Champions' V-Jet.

Kendrick and Company: Professor Daryl Kendrick founded this company after his discovery of his superstrong "kendrium" steel alloy. He's received several government contracts to manufacture armor for tanks and other vehicles. UNTIL's nuclear submarine, the Aegir, has a hull made of kendrium. (The Aegir is written up in UNTIL: Defenders Of Freedom.) Kendrick is believed to have found a loophole in patent laws allowing him to patent his formula while keeping it secret; in fact he bribed some corrupt officials at the Patent Office.

Pharos Industries: Perhaps the only corporation rivaling the size and diversity of ACI, Pharos has subsidiaries specializing in electronics (particularly supercomputers), biotechnology (notably medical cybernetics), and transportation infrastructure (it designed and built the Millennium City "smart roadway" system).

Regent Energy: One of the world's largest oil companies, Regent is also a leader in development of alternative energy sources: solar power, geothermal energy, and synthetic gasoline replacements. Its Millennium City offices house some of the top researchers in that field.

From everything I've read and heard, I can quite confidently state that Champions Earth is for the most part the same as real Earth, only intensified. Social, political, and economic structures and interactions are essentially the same. Modern history and geopolitics are largely unchanged, i.e. the same major events occurred in both worlds, and the familiar players are in place. Even most of the current and historical influential people are shared by both.

All this super-science has made Champions Earth a better place in a number of ways, as I highlighted earlier on this thread. Some of the things of pressing concern to us real folks are much less of an issue for them. Global warming is less critical. Environmental pollution and degradation are more controlled. Fewer people have to suffer due to disease or injury. The benefits of advanced technology are more accessible and affordable to people around the world.

I should also point out that what most of society considers the scientific "fringe" is hella smaller on Champions Earth than it is in the real world. With all these radical scientific inventions, not to mention superhuman genetic mutations, multiple alien invasions, rampaging giant monsters, whole cities being shrunken and stolen, and other mind-boggling phenomena they've experienced for generations, humanity seems to have learned to take a lot of weirdness in stride. The majority appear to be inured to the impact of revelations that would spark profound upheaval in our world if they occurred here, like the incontestable existence of non-human intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, often more advanced than humans; or the return of self-professed mythological gods with miraculous powers. I get the impression most people have developed an attitude of, "Been there, done that, and I still have to pay taxes."

Individuals on Champions Earth have often made their fortunes from particularly innovative discoveries or designs, but that's hardly without real-world precedent. Super-powering mutagens like cyberline, or superstrong metals such as kendrium, aren't fundamentally different from microchips or velcro. However, in keeping with the conventions of comics I spelled out in my first post, various factors restrict really widespread commercialization of developments that are very dangerous, or which would change the world's recognizable familiarity too much.

But those factors don't eliminate the elevated potential this technology has for destabilizing world security, which gives many people in governments and law-enforcement sleepless nights. In fact that potential is one defining characteristic of the superhero genre. There are many examples in the comics and the Champions Universe of a common thug turning into a supervillain just by getting his hands on a piece of bleeding-edge tech. Actually inventing something radically advanced can significantly alter the balance of power. To use recent fictional examples, various Marvel superhero movies have raised the tremendous risk of unscrupulous parties getting their hands on the plans for arc reactors, or the formula for Pym particles, or vibranium and devices based on it. VIPER's relatively small paramilitary force can compete with much larger armies because it arms all its agents with advanced equipment; while the single greatest factor making Dr. Destroyer the magnitude of menace he is, is his capacity for extraordinary scientific breakthroughs almost on demand.

It's not at all uncommon for those in possession of dangerous advanced technology to sell products based on it (although rarely the secrets behind it) to evil but otherwise mundane people who wouldn't otherwise have access to them: organized criminals, terrorists or subversives, petty dictators, or aspiring supervillains. While to date none of those developments have turned a relative nobody into an instant global threat, they can become much more of a local danger. I get the impression most of the ultratech sellers are wary of too much destabilizing activity making stopping them a top priority for the whole global community. As one example, VIPER: Coils Of The Serpent p. 132 notes that while VIPER is well able to build nuclear weapons, it eschews doing so for fear that if world governments found out, they would double down on efforts to destroy VIPER before VIPER is ready for world domination.

Perhaps the most dangerous area of scientific research on Champs Earth is the long-standing and ongoing effort to discover a safe, reliable, economical method to create superhumans. Many parties have engaged in projects with that goal. The Soviet Union had its Directorate Black-12. The US military runs Department 17, only the latest in a long line of American "superhuman soldier" projects. Smaller "rogue states" like Awad and Chiquador actively pursue that line of research, as do supercriminal groups such as VIPER and ARGENT. Any party that succeeds would gain a game changing tactical advantage. Smaller players won't need the facilities and infrastructure for a modern mechanized military to threaten their neighbors, if they can field an army whose soldiers can fly, shoot lightning, and/or throw tanks.

(Of course Teleios already has that capacity. He hasn't tried to exercise it to date because ruling the world isn't important to him. OTOH the world first learned of Teleios in 1993, when he sold an army of cloned soldiers to Eurostar so they could invade and try to conquer Poland.)
 

Like the mainstream comics companies' universes, Champions Earth features its share of scientific super-geniuses who have invented near-miraculous technologies, and more advanced alien societies who have left samples of their tech behind on Earth. Many comics fans have difficulty accepting that in those universes these inventions and discoveries seem to have had little or no impact on the average person. Technology in the wider world seems stuck on the same level as the real Earth. Many rationalizations have been offered for why that should be, and the Champions setting shares them to a degree: heroes guard the best tech as too dangerous to release; governments classify inventions with military or security applications or risks; many devices aren't cost-effective to mass produce; most people can't grasp the principles discovered by true geniuses or older civilizations; some inventions are irreproduceable accidents, or actually channeling the "inventor's" innate powers.

However, some of the PnP source books -- notably Champions Universe, Champions Beyond, and Millennium City -- illustrate that new technologies have filtered out to the general public to some extent, and have made qualitative differences in people's lives. Let me run down some of the more significant, obvious, or pervasive differences.

Advances in medicine and genetics have eliminated, or diminished the impact of, many diseases. Scientists have adapted cybernetic technology first developed for powered armor and similar super-technology to devices that allow people with spinal injuries to walk again, and people with neurological disorders to function without significant impairment.

Communications has advanced significantly. Throughout the United States, Europe, and many other developed or wealthy countries, virtually everyone has access to computers, smartphones, and similar devices that are easily carried, lightweight, fast, high-memory, extremely user friendly, and have extraordinarily long battery lives. Even in Third World countries, ownership of cellular phones and computers may exceed 50% of the population, thanks to advanced manufacturing processes and materials. Holography has improved to the point where Millennium City features animated three-dimensional advertising billboards.

High-tech fibers and materials discovered by superhumans, and scientists working with their data, beginning in the Sixties have led to stronger and more comfortable bulletproof vests, lightweight armored panels for military vehicles, more crash-proof civilian cars, and many similar advances.

Internal combustion vehicles and manufacturing are much cleaner and more environmentally friendly than the machines of old, and major strides have been made in the field of alternative energy. Significant efforts have been made to clean up and repair damage to the environment, and to prevent further damage going forward.

Travel, whether by air, water, or land, is quicker and safer than ever before. Flights from the East Coast of the United States to the West Coast can be comfortably completed in just two hours in some cases. The "Smart Roadway" system in Millennium City interacts with Vehicle Control Chips in all cars within city limits, allowing traffic authorities to automatically track them, and if necessary shut a car down remotely. When driving on the Millennium City Highway surrounding the city, the VCC lets a central computer take direct control of the cars, practically eliminating accidents.

While humanity is not yet colonizing other worlds in the solar system, near-space exploration is advancing rapidly. Since 1996 UNTIL has had a fully-functioning space station, GATEWAY, orbiting Earth, with up to 200 inhabitants. The United States launched its own orbital facility, the United States Space Station, in 2006. UNTIL also has the distinction of being the first entity to establish a permanently-manned base on the Moon, Moonbase Serenity, in 2000. It now has over 40 personnel. In late 2004 the United States completed work on the Venus Scientific Outpost, an orbital station designed to study the hothouse planet in detail. It has a crew of eight, six unmanned sensor drones, and three one-man vehicles capable of descending to the middle ranges of the atmosphere. The United States established Ares I, also known simply as the Mars Research Base (or “Marsbase”) in 2008. Marsbase currently houses a dozen scientists, though plans call for expanding it to almost four times that size over the next twenty years.
 
(More to follow.)

Enough to make anyone a super villain. Go Blues!

CEO pay has skyrocketed 1,460% since 1978

This is just typical ensh*ttification, it has nothing to do with any minimum wage increases.
 
 
 
I get that it seems like this all would happen, but in practice, it doesn't.
 
 
 
Having paid taxes for decades I do understand progressive tax brackets, but I appreciate the refresher.  So tripling my income increases my effective tax rate by 10%, and that's... bad?  My take home pay only actually increases from $27K to $81.6K so I should... give it back, or something?
 
 
 
Historically, minimum wage increases don't cause inflation.  I get why people might think they do, but they just... don't.  Almost tripling the minimum wage in one go might, I suppose, as I don't think anyone's ever tried it.

The Champions Universe has quite a few of them: the whole teams of the Cirque Sinister and GRAB (in it for the money, try not to hurt anyone); likewise Arachne, Cateran, Cybermind, Lady Blue (who actually does the Robin Hood thing), Lash, Lodestone, Signal Ghost, Vixen; zany goofs like Bulldozer, Foxbat, El Salto, or Zigzag. (You'll find the first two in Champions Villains Vol. Two, and the rest in Vol. 3.)

Gnap.

New one UP~!
https://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots1298.html

AIUI if Sony doesn't use the IP they lose the license.  That's why we get new Spider-Man reboots every ninety days.  Doesn't explain why they don't bother to get a real screenwriter, I assume they figure people will mistake these for MCU movies and the dollars will roll in.
 
edit: Madame Web cost "only" $80M to make, so it could conceivably make a little money in the long run.

Those interested in a medieval England campaign set during the reigns of Kings Richard and John might be interested to know I'm working on a setting book for Chivalry & Sorcery entitled Sherwood. As well as C&S rules it will have an inbuilt system based on Colin Speirs' rules-light Essence Core and stats for HârnMaster. We've no plans to include Hero stats in the book, but as an old Hero fan I'd like to do a free PDF appendix with Hero stats (note that 'like' is not the same as 'definitely will'). Either way, setting information will far outweigh rules information.

You can see much of the raw research for the project on my World Anvil site, Fabula Mundi.

The baseline setting is built as far as possible on detailed historical and archaeological research. The setting covers everywhere from York and Skipton to the north and Lichfield and Grantham in the south, including the whole of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, and parts of Lincolnshire (including Lincoln), Staffordshire and Leicestershire. The area is chosen such that the published map will print on A0 paper (c. 33 inches by 48 inches) at a scale of 2 miles to the inch.

The setting is being written with three primary modes in mind:

Historical - the baseline for the setting. As much historical and archaeological detail as I can squeeze in and make interesting. I'm knowingly allowing only three anachronisms, which I'll explain below.
Medieval Fantasy - the historical setting with the prodigies and wonders written about by chroniclers of the day: devils, revenants, sorcerers (low and high magic), saints' miracles, werewolves, and things 'neither of heaven nor of hell' (the fey, but of the medieval variety not the early modern variety).
Romance - modern ideas overlaid on the historical setting, such as the modern versions of Robin Hood, Saxon rebels versus Norman masters, powers of light and darkness, pagan survivals and so on. Think Ivanhoe, any Robin Hood film or book, and Graham Staplehurst's Robin Hood (ICE), or the Robin of Sherwood TV show that inspired it.
 
Within that there's guidance for several themes: the nobles campaign, the urban/merchant campaign, the outlaw campaign, the agent campaign (PCs working as troubleshooters for the crown, church or a great noble), and a little guidance on specialised campaigns (the monastic and the village life campaigns). 

Known anachronisms: The Trip to Jerusalem pub in Nottingham claims to date from 1189 and to have been a meeting place for crusaders heading out on Richard's Crusade. The first recorded pub on the site was in the 17th century, when it was known as The Pilgrim. Nottingham's two other pubs that claim to be medieval, The Bell and the Salutation. are in buildings dendro-dated to the 1440s. The Salutation claims to date from 1240, but its first recorded mention is in 1414, when it was known as The Archangel Gabriel Salutes the Virgin Mary. And that is a pub name I definitely want in the setting. Since I'll be including the Sal, it seems churlish to exclude the Trip and the Bell.

The attached map is a reduced-scale work in progress. It's built in QGIS. I haven't included the villages in this version as they clutter too much at this resolution. I've a lot more information than I can put on to the printed map, so things like feudal holdings, parish boundaries, rural deaneries and peculiars and so on, will likely be done as individual maps in relevant chapters. I plan to release the map alongside the book as a layered PDF, allowing people to turn the various details on and off.