qwertyu63
2013-09-09, 09:20 AM
I am creating a ton of rules for time travel in D&D 3.5. I will be making spells (and in fact have a few done already) for traveling through time, but this first post is about the laws of time. To keep time travel straight, I have devised 7 laws of time. I would like for you all to read over them, and tell me if there are any important details I have missed. Thank you in advance. Now, for the laws:
1: The Law of Primacy
There is only one timeline. Making changes to the past changes the sole timeline, not creates a new one. When these rules refer to a new timeline, they are referring to the sole timeline after a change is made.
2: The Law of Locking
Persons, objects and locations can be "Locked", granting them immunity to being greatly affected by changes in time. "Locked" locations also grant this protection to all persons and objects within them. In addition, all "locked" persons and objects hold a special temporal frame, allowing them detect "waves" before they arrive. (That is to say "wave" detectors have to be locked.) This will be expounded on in the later Laws. Time travelers and time machines are automatically locked.
3: The Law of Waves
Changes in the past do not instantly affect the future. Changes are carried forward by a "Wave" which moves forward through time at a rate of 10 days per second (e.g. if I make a change 600 days before you, any wave detecting abilities and devices you have will detect the wave 60 seconds before it arrives). This time is in the special temporal frame of "locked" things. As a Wave moves over a certain point, that point of time changes to match what it would be with the change the wave was carrying.
[NOTE: Those persons that are locked, or who are in a location that is locked, retain any memories they may have. However they also obtain the memories they would have in the new timeline. Those in a locked location remain there, while those in unlocked area are moved to where they were in that new timeline. If a locked individual is dead or non-existent, they appear where they were in the old timeline (or in the nearest open space, if the spot is taken). All of this is relative to the planet, none of this will land you in deep space.]
[As to locked objects (Including time machines), they stay with the person that was holding or carrying them, even if that person is unlocked. If no one is carrying or holding it, it appears where it was in the other timeline.]
[Locked locations, in addition to protecting persons there from changes, also protect themselves, and all objects within. (A locked location will appear in every timeline at the same spot, overwriting what was already there.)]
4: The Law of Persistence
Minor changes do not cause large changes. Small things are smoothed over without having major effects. Killing a butterfly means there is one less butterfly, not that the world explodes.
5: The Law of Nexus
Almost all people have many different "Nexus" points, important parts of their life story. Changes made at these points can cause large changes to that persons life, as well as to all people connected to that person (whose connections are in turn affected, and so on [the effect is reduced as there are more degrees of separation]).
[NOTE: Due to laws 3-4, major changes to peoples life can be reversed, by returning the Nexus to the original state, or at least close enough for it to smooth over.]
6: The Law of Jump.
Time travel events still occur if they are erased. If things change in a way that would make you not time travel, you are unaffected.
[NOTE: This law has two very powerful effects. It stops most paradoxes for occurring (e.g. you go back and kill your grandfather, erasing you from time; but since you jumped, you remain); however, it also makes a time traveler very hard to kill. To kill a time traveler, you need to find them before their next jump (on the locked time frame that is).]
7: The Law of Prediction.
If a person possesses memories of a future event, and then a wave changes that event, the memory updates to match the new event (if the person is locked, they retain the prior memory as well).
[NOTE: Effects that predict or look at the future create memories of a future event. These memories act like any other memories of a future event, updating if the future changes.]
EDIT: So you guys know how people can move in time, here is two spells and two items for it.
Time Jump
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Personal and touch
Target: You and touched objects or other touched willing creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None and Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No and Yes (object)
This spell instantly transports you to a designated destination in time, which may be as distant as 1 year per caster level. Interplanar travel is not possible, and you do not move in space. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed your maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent (see below) per three caster levels. A Large creature counts as two Medium creatures, a Huge creature counts as two Large creatures, and so forth. All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with you. As with all spells where the range is personal and the target is you, you need not make a saving throw, nor is spell resistance applicable to you. Only objects held or in use (attended) by another person receive saving throws and spell resistance. All creatures transported by this spell are time-locked, if they weren't already.
Detect Wave
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, Special
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell notifies you if there are any time-waves currently approaching your location in time. If any exist, you are also informed how long it is until they arrive.
Special: To cast this spell, you must be time-locked.
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The Jumper-watch:
A simple watch, this item has a small dial on this side. By setting this dial and speaking a command word, the wearer can jump through time. They may go as far as 15 years in either direction. This power can be activated once every 24 hours. The watch itself is permanently "locked" as is anyone who ever uses it.
Strong conjuration CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, Time Jump; Price 43,200 gp.
The Wave-catcher:
A small panel of bronze, this item appears to do nothing. However, whenever a time wave is created in the past, it emits a loud beep. If looked at after the beep but before the wave arrives, a number displayed on the panel shows how many seconds remain until the wave hits. The panel is permanently "locked".
Faint divination CL 1st; Craft Wondrous Item, Detect Wave; Price 2,000 gp.
1: The Law of Primacy
There is only one timeline. Making changes to the past changes the sole timeline, not creates a new one. When these rules refer to a new timeline, they are referring to the sole timeline after a change is made.
2: The Law of Locking
Persons, objects and locations can be "Locked", granting them immunity to being greatly affected by changes in time. "Locked" locations also grant this protection to all persons and objects within them. In addition, all "locked" persons and objects hold a special temporal frame, allowing them detect "waves" before they arrive. (That is to say "wave" detectors have to be locked.) This will be expounded on in the later Laws. Time travelers and time machines are automatically locked.
3: The Law of Waves
Changes in the past do not instantly affect the future. Changes are carried forward by a "Wave" which moves forward through time at a rate of 10 days per second (e.g. if I make a change 600 days before you, any wave detecting abilities and devices you have will detect the wave 60 seconds before it arrives). This time is in the special temporal frame of "locked" things. As a Wave moves over a certain point, that point of time changes to match what it would be with the change the wave was carrying.
[NOTE: Those persons that are locked, or who are in a location that is locked, retain any memories they may have. However they also obtain the memories they would have in the new timeline. Those in a locked location remain there, while those in unlocked area are moved to where they were in that new timeline. If a locked individual is dead or non-existent, they appear where they were in the old timeline (or in the nearest open space, if the spot is taken). All of this is relative to the planet, none of this will land you in deep space.]
[As to locked objects (Including time machines), they stay with the person that was holding or carrying them, even if that person is unlocked. If no one is carrying or holding it, it appears where it was in the other timeline.]
[Locked locations, in addition to protecting persons there from changes, also protect themselves, and all objects within. (A locked location will appear in every timeline at the same spot, overwriting what was already there.)]
4: The Law of Persistence
Minor changes do not cause large changes. Small things are smoothed over without having major effects. Killing a butterfly means there is one less butterfly, not that the world explodes.
5: The Law of Nexus
Almost all people have many different "Nexus" points, important parts of their life story. Changes made at these points can cause large changes to that persons life, as well as to all people connected to that person (whose connections are in turn affected, and so on [the effect is reduced as there are more degrees of separation]).
[NOTE: Due to laws 3-4, major changes to peoples life can be reversed, by returning the Nexus to the original state, or at least close enough for it to smooth over.]
6: The Law of Jump.
Time travel events still occur if they are erased. If things change in a way that would make you not time travel, you are unaffected.
[NOTE: This law has two very powerful effects. It stops most paradoxes for occurring (e.g. you go back and kill your grandfather, erasing you from time; but since you jumped, you remain); however, it also makes a time traveler very hard to kill. To kill a time traveler, you need to find them before their next jump (on the locked time frame that is).]
7: The Law of Prediction.
If a person possesses memories of a future event, and then a wave changes that event, the memory updates to match the new event (if the person is locked, they retain the prior memory as well).
[NOTE: Effects that predict or look at the future create memories of a future event. These memories act like any other memories of a future event, updating if the future changes.]
EDIT: So you guys know how people can move in time, here is two spells and two items for it.
Time Jump
Conjuration (Teleportation)
Level: Sor/Wiz 8
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: Personal and touch
Target: You and touched objects or other touched willing creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None and Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: No and Yes (object)
This spell instantly transports you to a designated destination in time, which may be as distant as 1 year per caster level. Interplanar travel is not possible, and you do not move in space. You can bring along objects as long as their weight doesn't exceed your maximum load. You may also bring one additional willing Medium or smaller creature (carrying gear or objects up to its maximum load) or its equivalent (see below) per three caster levels. A Large creature counts as two Medium creatures, a Huge creature counts as two Large creatures, and so forth. All creatures to be transported must be in contact with one another, and at least one of those creatures must be in contact with you. As with all spells where the range is personal and the target is you, you need not make a saving throw, nor is spell resistance applicable to you. Only objects held or in use (attended) by another person receive saving throws and spell resistance. All creatures transported by this spell are time-locked, if they weren't already.
Detect Wave
Divination
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Components: V, Special
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell notifies you if there are any time-waves currently approaching your location in time. If any exist, you are also informed how long it is until they arrive.
Special: To cast this spell, you must be time-locked.
--------------------------------------------------
The Jumper-watch:
A simple watch, this item has a small dial on this side. By setting this dial and speaking a command word, the wearer can jump through time. They may go as far as 15 years in either direction. This power can be activated once every 24 hours. The watch itself is permanently "locked" as is anyone who ever uses it.
Strong conjuration CL 15th; Craft Wondrous Item, Time Jump; Price 43,200 gp.
The Wave-catcher:
A small panel of bronze, this item appears to do nothing. However, whenever a time wave is created in the past, it emits a loud beep. If looked at after the beep but before the wave arrives, a number displayed on the panel shows how many seconds remain until the wave hits. The panel is permanently "locked".
Faint divination CL 1st; Craft Wondrous Item, Detect Wave; Price 2,000 gp.