9-Dimensional Reality

[Umbran]

Without at least a potential for change, dimensionality is meaningless. I could say that I have a 4th dimension to my physical existance called "feidth", and maybe even come up with decent math for it , but unless something actually moves along a change scale of feidth like they do width, it is complete bullpocky.

I think what we have here is a failure of terminology. Is your depth dimension "change in length"? If not, then the 5th is not "change in time".

I didn't say that things cannot move in the 5th. Quite the opposite, in fact. I was saying that if the 4th and 5th are not completely independant, they aren't really separate dimensions.

Time is a dimension that already exists. If one then says that the 5th is "change in time", that means that what happens in the 4th depends upon the 5th. These two are thus linked, and dependant upon one another. Movement in one is restricted by the other, and the two cannot really be considered separate.

 

[Torm]

If one then says that the 5th is "change in time", that means that what happens in the 4th depends upon the 5th. These two are thus linked, and dependant upon one another. Movement in one is restricted by the other, and the two cannot really be considered separate.

Well, they ARE linked, but that's fine. The reason they are still separate dimensions is because that, while linked, they don't express the SAME transformation: It is entirely possible for a 3D object to progress through time without transforming in the 3 spacial dimensions - it simply doesn't move or change shape while time passes. The other way around isn't true (as far as I know) in the real universe - objects do require passage of time to transform in the spacial dimensions - but the fact that it is true one way is enough to differentiate them. And in an RPG universe, with spells or superscience effects that CAN cause physical transformation in 0 time, it is even more so.

But never mind all that. The point of kolikeos' original post seemed to be to establish 9 dimensions for use in gaming. What didya think of my list?

 

[Saeviomagy]

It does matter for my campaign, since the scope of said campaign is mapped out roughly from 1st to upwards of 60th levels... and will involve wars and dealings with multiple dimensions.

Which, unless your entire party are majoring in grand unified theory or something, will be totally meaningless to them. And even if they are, then unless you have enough understanding of it, it will still be meaningless.

And even then, you'd save yourself an awful lot of time if you just said "There are other dimensions. You use magic to get to them".

In short, for most games, what matters is not the why, but the how.