Author Topic: Time Magic  (Read 1601 times)

Offline Dwaleberry

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Time Magic
« on: May 23, 2011, 10:55:24 PM »
Hi!

How would you model Time Magic? Since one of the Laws of Magic states that you must not go against its currents, I guess it's possible background-wise, but what would its mechanics be? I have a character who has Channeling and Ritual (Chronomancy), but no real idea what to do with it.

What would your suggestions be for

1.) Slowing time around someone so he cannot move well or not at all? A simple Block?

2.) Speeding oneself up?

3.) Going back in time?

I'd welcome any input. Thanks!


P.S.: The Laws of Magic apply to wizards and the White Council claims authority as well as judgment over wizards. What about supernatural beings who break the Laws of Magic, as, for example, Time Magic? Does the White Council rule over them as well, only step in once things get out of hand or ignore them entirely?
How would the White Council know of disturbances in the timeline? Could one evade their notice by being exceedingly careful about not causing paradoxes? How would you model temporal paradoxes and their repercussions?

Offline InFerrumVeritas

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Re: Time Magic
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2011, 12:52:45 AM »
Hi!

How would you model Time Magic? Since one of the Laws of Magic states that you must not go against its currents, I guess it's possible background-wise, but what would its mechanics be? I have a character who has Channeling and Ritual (Chronomancy), but no real idea what to do with it.

What would your suggestions be for

1.) Slowing time around someone so he cannot move well or not at all? A simple Block?

2.) Speeding oneself up?

3.) Going back in time?

I'd welcome any input. Thanks!


P.S.: The Laws of Magic apply to wizards and the White Council claims authority as well as judgment over wizards. What about supernatural beings who break the Laws of Magic, as, for example, Time Magic? Does the White Council rule over them as well, only step in once things get out of hand or ignore them entirely?
How would the White Council know of disturbances in the timeline? Could one evade their notice by being exceedingly careful about not causing paradoxes? How would you model temporal paradoxes and their repercussions?

I prefer one of two approaches:
1. Fixed time line.  No paradoxes.  What happens happens.  You can't change the past.  If you do, you already have.  For a story perspective, what happens is written stone.  I like the idea of having a character who doesn't break the Law but knows he will because he has come back from the future to teach himself how to.

2. Timey-wimey ball.  The Dr. Who approach.  That is, it's complicated but virtually anything is possible.  I would probably say that one cannot go back within one's own timeline (or else get stuck in a perpetual loop). 

Now, manipulating time isn't against the Law.  Just swimming against the currents.  So slowing one's passage through time (speeding oneself up), increasing its flow (slowing oneself down), are probably all legal (just highly questionable).

Offline SunlessNick

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Re: Time Magic
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2011, 03:03:33 AM »
As InFerrumVeritas said, slowing time down for yourself would just mean that you are faster relative to the rest of the world, although unlike regular speed powers, it will affect everything you do:  you'll move faster, react faster, heal faster, learn faster (you'll also starve faster, so remember to put the next dinner in the oven as soon as you've finished the last one, because it'll take much longer to cook from your perspective).

I'd model it by calculating shifts for all these effects, whichever one it is that you actually want to do, and requiring the ritual to meet that.


Speeding time up is mostly going to be a way of getting around really boring waits (or not suffocating if you're stuck in a safe for 48 hours before someone comes and gets you out).  In terms of the reasons that costs and shifts are usually measured, the good you'll get out of this manipulation doesn't amount to much; I'd measure it equivalent to a ritual allowing you to go without food and air for longer.  Again, amass the shifts for both, even if one is only an issue.


Wouldn't it be funny if travelling back in time was actually impossible, and the White Council only banned it because it meant that warlocks would think it was, and a certain proportion of them would be stuck researching this dead end instead of doing any damage?