On Magical Planar Travel and No-Mana Worlds

[shkspr1048]

Does anyone have any idea on how a magic-user might observe/travel to no-mana planes, which base rules say cannot be done? And I understand that GM fiat is as valid a method as any, but I'm looking specifically for a method that already exists within GURPS (an Enhancement, optional rule, or what all else).

So, any suggestions?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by shkspr1048

Does anyone have any idea on how a magic-user might observe/travel to no-mana planes, which base rules say cannot be done? And I understand that GM fiat is as valid a method as any, but I'm looking specifically for a method that already exists within GURPS (an Enhancement, optional rule, or what all else).

So, any suggestions?

Well there are a lot of fundamentally no-mana worlds that actually have little patches of mana. This is particularly likely at "soft spots" which make it easy to travel between world since it can "leak through". Other than that, the answer is obvious. Use a non-magical method of travel.

[shkspr1048]

Well, yeah, the idea of using a non-magical method does kind of stare at you in the face, but I'm trying to use a non-technological paradigm. The idea of "soft spots" is quite sound, but suppose we have a hypothetical plane completely devoid of mana. What methods might be employed then?

[David Johnston2]

Originally Posted by shkspr1048

Well, yeah, the idea of using a non-magical method does kind of stare at you in the face, but I'm trying to use a non-technological paradigm. The idea of "soft spots" is quite sound, but suppose we have a hypothetical plane completely devoid of mana. What methods might be employed then?

Non-magical doesn't mean technological. For example you could hitch a ride on a world-hopping creature, or find an interplanar road between a low mana world and a zero mana world.

[lexington]

Originally Posted by shkspr1048

Well, yeah, the idea of using a non-magical method does kind of stare at you in the face, but I'm trying to use a non-technological paradigm. The idea of "soft spots" is quite sound, but suppose we have a hypothetical plane completely devoid of mana. What methods might be employed then?

Canonically it's impossible. This is made clear in Infinite Worlds. The Cabal (nigh infinite magical resources) wrongly believes all time lines have magic because they cannot reach no-mana worlds.

You have to alter the rules or make special exceptions to explain it. A simple method might be a portal that makes its own low mana zone in the world where it appears by sucking energy from the other side.

[Maldark]

In Infinate Worlds, they define three methods of planar travel - Tech (machines), Magic (spells) and Metahumans (superpowers).

Maybe you should summon a hero with worldjumper powers (with tunnelling advantage) to create a non-magical gateway without technology.

FYI - to create a magical gateway you have to CREATE the UNIQUE spell to travel to that specific world that you want to go to. If you can go to 20 different worlds magically, you have to have 20 different spells to get to them. Unless you have a magical backfire and travel to a random GM chosen world.

[Maldark]

Originally Posted by Maldark

FYI - to create a magical gateway you have to CREATE the UNIQUE spell to travel to that specific world that you want to go to. If you can go to 20 different worlds magically, you have to have 20 different spells to get to them. Unless you have a magical backfire and travel to a random GM chosen world.

Forgot to mention that GM can always ignore the rules and do what he wants. Remember the rule on (I beleive it is) page 192.

GM is GOD. He makes the only calls that matter.

[Fred Brackin]

Originally Posted by Maldark

In Infinate Worlds, they define three methods of planar travel - Tech (machines), Magic (spells) and Metahumans (superpowers).

Neither this nor the post about the Cabal in front of it are accurate. Not all things that travel between world are Metahumans. Some of them are subway cars and a lot of other things. Vanishing islands and mountains and so ojn.

Also of course, the currently Nazi-infeasted Chorobahn.

Then there nexus portals (see p.77). IW says that every world Infini9ty has yet found (except Coventry) has at least one and this includes the no mana worlds. There's even an entire dept of the Intervention service tasked with overseeing them (Nexus Oversight p.13).

Then you go to p.196 for the Cabalist template. This has 3 different lenses for planar travel. One uses Plane Shift (Astral Plane). Another sues a version of Jumper and the third works with nexus portals and other natural ways of planar. The Cabal knows very well about no mana worlds.

No need to invent stuff from scratch. It was all covered in IW years ago.

[Diomedes]

Originally Posted by lexington

Canonically it's impossible. This is made clear in Infinite Worlds. The Cabal (nigh infinite magical resources) wrongly believes all time lines have magic because they cannot reach no-mana worlds.

Where does it say that? If nothing else, the Cabal has psionics too, which presumably includes a few world-jumpers.

[shkspr1048]

I suppose that, GM permitting, the development of some form of non-mana dependent magic could take care of the whole issue. No penalties for low to no-mana, but no benefits for the higher levels either.