An issue in my current game.

[tetsuoh]

Okay so in my current game - my players are trapped on an underdeveloped world. The planet is basically stuck in the middle ages.

Now the empire is here and my players want to help these people who have become their friends.

One of my players wants to teach the local smiths how to make alloys stronger than steel.

I agree - but how? would these people have the technology to be able to do it?

I have learned that they have numerous high value metals and minerals on this planet - which is one of the reasons the empire has seized control of an area on its surface in an agreement with another nation - and has given that nation access to modern weaponry.

Our guys are trying to help these people prepare for war.

What do guys suggest?

[CRMcNeill]

Don't forget that, in many cases, making alloys of that type require both the know-how and the facilities. Your characters may have the know-how, but do they have the machinery required to turn that knowledge into finished product? Depending on how advanced the materials in question are, they might end up having to build a factory from the ground up, not to mention the difficulty of training a middle ages populace up to the technological standards required for said factory's operation.
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[garhkal]

Combine that with also needing the know how AND tools to mine the ore and smelt it better.
Then you get into the whole "Chemical waste' issues.
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[tetsuoh]

Yes but basically hes just talking about steps he CAN give them - not ones that could require a leap they cannot make in limited time.

Basically just going from old age steel to galvanized steel etc etc.

but since the difference in tech so high hes wondering if he can teach them about an alloy they are unaware of, or better the ones they are aware of.

In truth I don't see why not since many alloys have changed drastically in even our modern times from those used during the middles ages.

Yes I am aware many require modern technical facilities to achieve them but not all.

[garhkal]

I could see him potentially improving them one or two epoc levels (say medieval to Renaissance.. or bronze to dark.. But not more than that.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Naaman]

And of course there is aleways the option to steal some imperial mining equipment and use that. If its going to be a war, you could give the PCs the pre-clash mission (like an advanced spec ops team or something) to capture some imperial equipment and bring it back and train the indiginous folk to use it. Then during the war the smiths in the rear can make weapons to supply those fighting up front.

There could even be schematics that come with theequipment that provide steps to build a weapon that will turn the tide in their favor. As for the k ow how the PCs could kidnap a droid and reprogram it to serve their friends and guid them through the process of manufacturing the weapons/gear.

[Pel]

You can always take a page out of Ash's book and teach the medievals about steam power and gunpowder, along with some more advanced alloys than what they have at their current technology level. Some lessons on guerilla warfare would probably be in order too, since that's really the only way the locals might have a shot at resisting Imperial power. Think Ewoks with swords and armor, then get creative.
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Aha!

[CRMcNeill]

[tetsuoh]

truth is - the natives are teaching the npcs about cavalry warfare and guerrilla tactics -The natives are catfolk so their stealth and ambush tactics are hitting the empire hard. However they are still hopelessly outnumbered.

I got my story - a mining facility was dug out in the south by the imperials after a bombing run cleared the area - the facility overseer discovered ores not before discovered - and a new alloy of phobium with higher than average energy resistance. The facility director nicknamed it Havantium after himself "Charles Havantus" - a moderate supply of it will be available in sheet form nearby awaiting transport to a droid manufactory in north country. Three of the new armored walker scale droids will be present at the mining complex as guards and were presented to Havantus as examples of how well the new alloy performs. The recipe for the production of the alloy will be present in the facilities databanks but the facilities fabricators and its smelters will be damaged by a set of explosives used to destroy its power supply.

[garhkal]

So perhaps the pcs could be recruited to either take out one of those droids, so they get a hold of the tech/plates, or the factory to steal the designs before it gets blown up.
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Confucious sayeth, don't wash cat while drunk!

[Teazia]

Even though we like to pat ourselves on the back alot, much of the current technology is still based on simple machines such as levers, ropes and pulleys plus casting. Miniaturization and electronics are the big difference, but zap enough old timers and the ones smart enough will catch on pretty quickly ;p

Tech jumps are not unheard of here either, look at cell phones in the remote third world, and how the poorest areas of the world kept the solar industry afloat in the 90's and into the 2000's.

[TauntaunScout]

Well, typically in a society with a medieval level of technology, smiths don't make alloys, they craft stuff out of metal. Miners mine ore. Smelters turn into a metal that is useable. That metal is then crafted into a specialized object by a smith. There were three different industries at work to make that sword or helmet.

So, yes, they could teach smelters to make brass or bronze out of copper and zinc/tin, if they don't know how already, but it would be really hard to teach them to make "modern" alloys as those require modern abilities, such as the ability to very precisely measure heat and time. If the PC's can provide that, great. The PC's could easily enough teach them to make case-hardened maille and spears, or something like that. Remember too that medieval societies did not have the ability to melt iron and turn it into modern steel. Melting it was often avoided because they couldn't control the amount of carbon that got into that way, but that's a whole other thing. New alloys? Probably not, I mean, sure they could teach them the theory but the society won't be able to apply that theory in a useful way. New tactics? Maybe, but armies are products of demographics and economics, so they can't necessarily adopt a new tactic even if they want to, and it sounds like your medievals already have tactics well suited to their problems. The best thing they can teach a low grade medieval society to help them militarily is ball milled gunpowder, if they can find the sulfur. Then they can make grenades out of just about anything.

Also, the germ theory of disease. That the catpeople could use effectively on their own. It could drastically increase the number who survive to fight the imperials.