Do "they" exist in your world?

[the Jester]

Maybe. I have established that there are creatures too small to be seen (euglenae, amoebae, etc)- pcs have used a high-level spell called enter microverse to shrink down to extremely small size and interact on this scale, when the amoebae and euglenae were dangerous monsters. I also have established that the universe is fundamentally different than ours (the campaign takes place on the inside surface of a gargantuan air bubble in an infinite ocean; islands and continents are held to the surface of the bubble by surface tension, which replaces gravity).

A lot of the campaign physics is worked out in the abstract in my head, actually, and basic structure is elemental in nature (earth, air, fire, water; positive and negative energy) but composed of 'atoms.' What atoms might subdivide into, I don't know; it's never proved relevent, even for backstory.

 

[Gez]

(the campaign takes place on the inside surface of a gargantuan air bubble in an infinite ocean; islands and continents are held to the surface of the bubble by surface tension, which replaces gravity)

A kinda fun idea, but what about jumping? I don't think that surface tension works when you're not touching the surface...

 

[Karanov]

It doesn't really matter whether or not these things exist. The question will probably never come up, since these things are of no importance to the characters. What matters is how the people in my world believe the world works. If they believe the world works the way it does because it is the mandate of God... then this might very well be true. If they believe in a more animistic world view then that might be true. Or not.

It's Fantasy, not science. A Fantasy setting needs it's own laws of nature (and magic) but these don't need to be the ones of this world. One of the greatest things of the fantasy genres is that you are completely free to create your own world, without any scientific or historical considerations (most fantasy does use historical and mythological elements, of course, but it isn't a prerequisite). Why, then, would I limit myself by adhering to science in creating my world?

 

[glass]

That's very cool, although I'm leaning towards giving magic it's own elementary particle, the way gravitons create gravity and photons are light (yes - gross oversimplification and may not even be true. IANAP*). But what to call them? Arcanaons? Manaons? Mageons?

GURPS Technomancer calls them oz particles (and dispel magic etc uses antioz particles). If you like scientific rationalisations, Technomancer is full of great ones, especially the biggie of how magic got into the world in the first place.


glass.

 

[glass]

I also have established that the universe is fundamentally different than ours (the campaign takes place on the inside surface of a gargantuan air bubble in an infinite ocean; islands and continents are held to the surface of the bubble by surface tension, which replaces gravity).

A kinda fun idea, but what about jumping? I don't think that surface tension works when you're not touching the surface...

Of course, an infinite ocean would have rather a lot of mass, and therefore gravity of its own (except in the dead centre of the bubble).


glass.

 

[glass]

Ok, third post and I just might answer the question.

Do atoms, protons, neutrons, gravitons, quarks, and strings exist IMC?Probably.

Technology has advanced (very slowly) to a roughly late medieval level, and will probably continue to advance at a similarly slow rate (a few hundred times slower than the real world). It would be quicker, but almost all the really smart people become wizards!

Of course, it will take several extended campaigns before this becomes important!


glass.

 

[Gez]

Of course, an infinite ocean would have rather a lot of mass, and therefore gravity of its own (except in the dead centre of the bubble).

What's the mass of an infinity? It depends on what it is made of. If you go too scientifically correct there, I think that the mass of an infinite ocean (assuming it's primarily made of salt waters) would be so great the universe would collapse on itself in a Big Crunch scenario, and end up as a giant Black Hole.

 

[Whisper72]

Hmm.... maybe they do exist in some form, but it hardly matters. I use as basics the following 8 elements: air, fire, earth, water, time, space, positive material, negative material.

The first four are the 'material elements' the others are the 'spiritual elements'. These also make up magic. All matter is constructed in some form by the material elements. The positive and negative elements are essentially life and death, pushing and pulling, creation and destruction if you will. The space element is a bit tricky in all this, it is the 'place' in which things take place but can be seperately manipulated (i.e. teleport and dimension door etc.) and time speaks for itself. All have their elemental planes. Per the old (ADnD cosmology) the Inner Planes. The elemental planes form a spinning wheel, powered by the positive and negative material (pushing and pulling) placed within the etherial (the 'elemental plane of space') on the axis of time (the astral). Essentially the outer planes are difficult to reach as they are somehow removed from the prime in both the time and space elements.

Central to everything it the prime material where all elements meld together at the centre.

All things and all magic is made up of some form or combination of these elements. In this manner some minerals may be 'fire aspected' and can thus be used as material components for fire spells, using their stored fire energy. Others may be time aspected, used for hast type magics etc.

 

[Zappo]

What's the mass of an infinity? It depends on what it is made of. If you go too scientifically correct there, I think that the mass of an infinite ocean (assuming it's primarily made of salt waters) would be so great the universe would collapse on itself in a Big Crunch scenario, and end up as a giant Black Hole.

Not really... think at the gravitational field in any given point. Since the ocean extends equally (and infinitely) in all directions, the sum of forces acting on something in that point would be zero. Basically, such a scenario would have no gravity, not from water anyway.

Interestingly enough, a gravitational force would exist on the surface of the "bubble". I think it would be roughly equal and contrary to what you would have if you were standing on a water ball of the same size, floating in space. Jester needs surface tension to explain why islands don't sink, but not for gravity.

IANAP (you can guess what that means)

 

[Bauglir]

"I am not a physicist"?