[Torg] World Law (Genre and Being Real, 6 of 6)

[Jones Jasyn]

What I’ve just presented is a different view of Torg (though one not alien to most players), a view I think is compelling. It makes other realities real, explains why Core Earth fiction is what it is, and also gives some concrete examples of the consequences of this view, positive and negative. I think this view makes Torg more perfectly Torgian, it strengthens the truths behind the setting.

The only thing I haven’t explored is what consequences this has for players. “I mean, really,” players will say, “all this metaphysical blathering is nice and all, but quite beside the point. I want to kill techno-demons and take their stuff, not read interminable posts about fiction and genre.” In this, they have a point, so let’s bring this down to a personal level.

What I’m going to propose isn’t new, virtually every single rewrite of Core Earth has featured something like this, but that’s only because it’s so obviously true. Part of what makes Core Earth what it is, is this adaptability to other realities. In fact, it’s part of our reality.

That is to say, it’s a world law. A world law that allows Core Earth characters to more easily adapt to, and use the tools of, an alien reality.

Here’s how it works:

Core Earth characters can choose one alien reality to become attuned to. By investing the possibilities to learn a skill otherwise alien to Earth, they gain the benefit of one of the axioms of the alien reality, the axiom corresponding to that new skill.

(Also, the world law explains the nexus effects, creating stormers in other realities, modified transformation numbers, mostly dominant reality, etc.)

So, an Earther who learned Conjuration Magic in Aysle, could become attuned to Ayslish reality and gain the benefits of their Magic axiom. An Earther who learned Faith (Keta Kalles) could become attuned to the reality of the Living Land and gain the benefits of their Spirit axiom. Learn Cyberdeck Ops in the Cyberpapacy, gain their Tech axiom.

This is a parenthetical axiom, so it would be Spirit: 9 (24), Tech: 23 (26), Magic: 7 (18).

“Gasp!” the gamemasters say. “That’s unbalancing! It wrecks the game! Why it makes some 1-case contradictions to 0-case (in the reality they’re attuned to) and makes some 4-case contradictions into 1-case (everywhere else). Well, that’s not so bad. Not game-breaking, anyway.”

It’s cool, unique, colorful and perfectly in tune with what Core Earth is. It gives the players options, ways to customize their character.

“What,” players say, “about World Laws?”

Can’t we just leave an elegant mechanic alone? I mean, parenthetical world laws? Isn’t that a bit messy? Isn’t that a metaphysical knot that gamemasters won’t want to mess with?

“If we can learn a skill and become attuned to an axiom, why can’t we learn a skill and become attuned to a world law? Honor, say, or, well… nothing else is coming to mind, but what about Honor?”

Fine. *IF* your gamemaster allows- and this is absolutely totally optional and totally his call- you can learn or earn a skill powered by a world law, and gain access to that world law, but you have to obey it all the time, not just when it’s convenient. Good luck, by the way, with True Sight and the Occult. Really. Good luck.

That bit of (optional) metaphysical gnarliness aside, I’m having a hard time seeing why this answer and rule might be a bad thing. I may find a better mechanic for this, but the concept is sound and inevitable.

That is, not only does it make sense, it makes a sort of inevitable sense. That’s why, as I noted before, so many people have proposed variations of this rule. We all kind of understand that this must be the case. Once you look at the problem directly, something like this has to be the truth, else we’re back to “don’t think about it” and the other, less satisfactory answers.

I like it, I’m going to implement it, but I would also love it if anyone could point out any glaring omissions, gross errors in logic, or a better mechanic.

Voluminously yours,
--
Jasyn Jones
jasynj (at) gmail (dot) com

"To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
Ulysses, Alfred Lord Tennyson

Check out my Torg webpage, Storm Knights:
web.me.com/stormknights/