Very quick question before I get started: I really want to play a particular type of character, one who innovates and is constantly curious for ways to increase the accuracy of his knowledge of the world. HOWEVER, the avenues to do that appear to me as being either be magical, or be a more mundane variety of "scientist", if people can even be described as such yet.

I want to avoid magic if there is sufficient technology to be interesting, but to dedcide that I need to know at what level the current technology of the world is at. Do we understand Newtonian mechanics, conservation of energy et al.? What chemical or biological knowledge is understood, for example is there gunpowder or fertilizer? Do people understand the way the body works, or are we still in the realm of Humors and medieval dogma?

A basic corresponding year would work wonders for me, but the more detailed you are willing to be with some randy who showed up late to the party, the better.