[Torg] Design Notes & Conversions (Tech Axiom, 3 of 4)

[Jones Jasyn]

Design Notes

This chart is an adaptation of my 0-30 chart, which was an adaptation of the Tech chart in the R&E. For the most part, the content of the historical (15 and below) axiom levels have remained the same. There were small additions in various places (such as Kevlar vests and suits) and two or three entries were moved up or down a point, but the entries are essentially the same. The extreme science fiction entries (18+) have been reshuffled quite a bit, but Nippon Tech (16) and the Cyberpapacy (17) are almost exactly the same.

This axiom chart features more entries than the original Torg Tech axiom. The R&E expanded the number of entries greatly, but still left many unfilled. An 18, for example, was empty (in both the original Torg and the R&E version) and very little occurs there, historically. It is wedged in between 17 and 19, and there are almost no tools that fit there, chronologically speaking. Eliminating meaningless (and blank) entries is a positive step.

In both charts, there were 5 distinct axiom levels of Stone Age tech (0-4). This is overkill, as they will almost never be used. An axiom level that will never be used is useless, and can be pared.

When comparing utility between this chart and the official charts, this chart includes the Stone Age, the Neolithic Revolution, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age. It includes all historical periods present on the official chart, plus 6 levels of superscience (nearly a third of the chart).

Every official cosm with a unique Tech rating under the old system, still has its own unique Tech rating. For all official cosms (save the Space Gods), the charts are nearly identical, so much so that no conversion notes are needed. Converting cosms from the old Tech axiom to the new is, in most cases, effortless. In implementing 21 levels, there was nothing essential lost, and a lot of clarity gained.

Conversion

The Cosms

Aysle
Torg: 15
Straight Conversion: 8
Suggested: 8

Core Earth
Torg: 23
Straight Conversion: 15
Suggested: 15

Cyberpapacy
Torg: 26
Straight Conversion: 17
Suggested: 17

Notes: The original reality of the Cyberpapacy (pre-Surge) had a Tech 15, which equates to an 8 (the same Tech as Aysle). However, Tech 6 would be more appropriate for Magna Verita, as this predates the printing press but includes the medieval technology originally described for the cosm.

If the gamemaster allows Magna Veritan characters, their Tech axiom should be a 6.

Land Below
Torg: 10
Straight Conversion: 4
Suggested: 4

Living Land
Torg: 7
Straight Conversion: 3
Suggested: 0

Notes: A Tech of 3 is far too high for the Living Land. A “3” is glass, cloth, wine, metal smelting, oil lamps, and the like. The Living Land has none of that. All other things being equal, the axiom level of a cosm almost always corresponds to the highest axiom in general use. In this case, that is a 0.

The obsidian daggers of the gotaks are Tech 1, and that could argue for Tech 1, but they're the only tools of the cosm higher than Tech 0 and they're only used by a small minority of inhabitants. More, a Tech of 0 doesn't preclude the gotak's use of their daggers.

At a 0, the gotaks could still use their Tech 1 obsidian daggers. This would be an example of "cutting edge" tool use, so (according to the Delphi Council Worldbook, pg. 113) the Gotaks could disconnect while using the daggers and would naturally reconnect 24 hours later (even ords).  In the interim, they're unable to use the daggers and can't perform their miracles. This places a penalty on the Gotaks, who are violating the religion of Lanala. In a cosm where no other religions have power (due to the Spirit axiom), it is perfectly acceptable for those who violate that religion to have a penalty.

Nile Empire
Torg: 21
Straight Conversion: 13
Suggested: 13

Nippon Tech
Torg: 24
Straight Conversion: 16
Suggested: 16

Orrorsh
Torg: 19
Straight Conversion: 11
Suggested: 11

Space Gods
Torg: 30
Straight Conversion: 19
Suggested: 19

Notes: The Space Gods Tech rating is a close, though not definitive value. The higher Tech levels have been shuffled and heavily rewritten. However, nothing at this level or beneath is inappropriate for the reality, and the tools of a 20 or 21 would be.

Tharkold
Torg: 26
Straight Conversion: 17
Suggested: 17

Tz’Ravok
Torg: 12
Straight Conversion: 6
Suggested: 6

Complete Conversion Chart 

Because Tech is so central to most cosms, I have provided a full conversion chart. This chart is close, but not perfect. Owing to the rearranging of high Tech concepts and the shuffling of certain entries, the two charts will never perfectly match. For all official cosms (save the Space Gods), the charts are near to identical, so much so that no conversion notes are needed.

Torg Axiom [Revised Axiom]
0,1    [0]
2,3    [1]
5      [2]
7      [3]
8-10    [4]
11    [5]
12    [6]
13    [7]
15    [8]
16    [9]
17    [10]
19    [11]
20    [12]
21    [13]
22    [14]
23    [15]
24    [16]
26    [17]
28    [18]
29-30*    [19]
31*    [20]
33*    [21]

*No exact conversion possible.
--
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/