Have you ever considered tying the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale into RPG mechanics? In particular, using it to influence the strength of magic.
The Bortle Dark-Sky Scale is a 9-level scale that measures both the clarity of the night sky’s and the brightness of stars from any given location.
You see; light pollution obscures the sky, even at night, and light pollution comes from urban areas.
RPGs which suggest magic wanes as technology waxes are not uncommon. Neither are RPGs which (to an extent) use the size of the moon in their magic/spirit power systems.
I think the Bortle Dark-Sky Scale is a graceful way to do this.
Take a look at the image below – which looks more like the sky you’re familiar with and which looks like the sky from a fantasy setting?
Of course, there are some wriggles with this approach. Do cloudy nights effect the magic scale? I’d suggest it’s not actually whether the wizard can see the stars that matters, it’s whether there’s light/magic pollution present to hinder their abilities.
The second potential problem that comes to mind is that the scale seems rather arbitrary. Who decides on how clear the sky is? The GM?
One possible solution to this is that different areas in the world are clearly marked with a Bortle Dark-Sky Scale Range. The capital city might by 4d6+1 (max 9) during the summer and 3d6+1 (max) during the winter. Out in the icy wilderness the sky might be d3-1 (min 1).
Players would then have something simple but important to factor into their trekking around the world.
