When I say that my RPGC has not had to deal with a disaster, I don’t mean the causes of it, I mean the long-range effects. I’m pretty sure we can beat anybody, even gods, if we put our minds to it. But things like plagues, hunger, economic collapse, etc. aren’t things you can just beat to death. We HAVE averted some of them from happening by a small margin, though.
You know planning out the events for what happens in New York and Japan would intself fill out a timeline.
True, but I’m not going to include EVERY little detail; I only want the timeline to be a point of reference, so you can tell where and when each game happened in relation to the rest.
Btw, I’ve decided to delay the timeline for now. It’s halfway done, but I’ve found out that Earth gets referenced in more RPGs than I expected, so I still need to do some extra research. But it’s coming, don’t worry.
So instead, today I bring you:
THE GUIDE TO INTERDIMENSIONAL TRAVEL
An Interdimensional Traveler -or dimensional, for short- is anybody who finds himself traveling across universes (not always of his own volition.) The majority are adventurers who are looking for fun, power or riches. Not all are heroic, of course. Let’s look at the things such people must take in consideration.
There are many ways you can travel across dimensions, of course. But (at least in the RPG Multiverse) the most common is the dimension known as the Crossroads.
The Crossroads is a world that is… pretty much empty. The only things you’ll find there are portals. There are portals to EVERY world in the multiverse there. You just have to find the one you want. Which, unless you happen to KNOW where it is, can take years of searching.
Actually that’s not enough. First of all, the portal has to be “open”. The ability to USE a portal and the ability to OPEN it are NOT the same thing. In fact, you can have one but not the other! Portals tend to open and close randomly on their own. Most portals you find open in the Crossroads have actually been opened by someone in the other side- often without even realizing what they have done! Each world tends to have dozens of portals, and they can lead ANYWHERE, from a back alley in a little nowhere town to the treasure vaults of really short-tempered dragons. Fortunately, most portals are INVISIBLE, unless (again) you have the ability to see them. (This is why dimensional travel is not more common.)
Note: in my stories, the portals are the games’ SAVING POINTS! That’s right, I actually found a use for them in-story! Mwahahahaa!!)
So how can you tell where a portal leads to? If you can see the portal, you can see THROUGH it (it’s a hole, after all) and take a good look at where it leads. Of course, appearances are deceiving. Maybe the portal you are looking through leads to a very rich Manhattan apartment… in a world undergoing a Zombie Apocalypse. You pay your money and you take your chances. Warning: some portals actually cross TIME, leading you into the past or future. There is usually no way to tell a time portal from the rest, but fortunately they’re very rare.
-The first thing any Dimensional should do, as soon as he arrives in another universe, is to find out how the local physical and magical rules affect his abilities. Test them right away! In most cases, magic will work OK unless it uses elements not found in that world. Summons, in particular, tend not to work on other planes. (In game terms: your abilities will work as long as a similar spell or ability exists in that game.) If you are a spellcaster who finds himself short-shrifted on another world, it is recommended that you learn the local sorceries as soon as possible.
Physical abilities tend not to be affected much. No, you won’t start over as a 1st Level character! However, some worlds have some really odd physics. In particular, gravity tends to act in crazy ways in some worlds- thus the many floating continents adventurers run into. The Mushroom World (setting for the Super Mario RPGs) is a particularly odd example…
-The next thing a Dimensional needs to do is BLEND IN. Fortunately, humans and humanoids are pretty common all over. But if you have differences in looks or mode of dress from the locals, it’s best to disguise yourself ASAP. Remember: most civilizations DO NOT KNOW about the Multiverse (much less the Omniverse) and going around talking about it is a sure way to get into trouble. Be sure to make up a story about your origins as soon as you can. “Me? Uh, I come from the Outer Colonies…”
-Strangely enough, language doesn’t seem to be much of a barrier. English (and a few other Earth languages) seems to have spread across many worlds! But you’ll occasionally still come across alien languages. Looking for a good translator can sometimes be a vital mission. (Hymmnos, a language invented for AR Tonelico, is a good example.)
-Any smart dimensional will also inquire -as quietly as possible- what kind of troubles are going on in that particular area. Even if you are no hero, it pays to know if a war, a monster invasion, or some other situation that you might be caught in is taking place or may happen soon.
-Note that money is WORTHLESS across worlds. With a few exceptions, most coinage is just not accepted on other planets. So in almost all cases, you’ll have to start making your fortune all over again on each world you visit. Most dimensionals offer their services as mercenaries, slaying monsters, or sell off items they carry. Or just go into dungeons to find treasure. Of course safer employment is often available as well, if you’d rather just settle down.
-Finally, keep in mind that, if you are in the wrong world, you don’t legally exist there. If the local civilization keeps public records, and you attract any attention to yourself, somebody is going to wonder why you are not listed, and that almost always leads to trouble. This is usually only a problem in modern civilizations, most medieval worlds don’t present this problem. Note also that, if you have a counterpart on that world (which usually only applies to Parallel Earths) you WILL get mistaken for someone else if you aren’t careful enough. This can actually be useful if you don’t care what happens to your lookalike, but if he happens to be more powerful or influential than you are, or is a wanted criminal…
More Later
