| The inner planes of existence
include the proper elemental planes of water, air, fire, and earth as well as the positive
material plane (the +MP) and the negative material plane (the -MP). Also included are the
para-elemental planes. These include the para-elemental planes of ice, ooze, magma, and
smoke, all of which border the proper elemental planes. Next, those planes which border
the +MP or border the -MP include the quasi-elemental planes. These include the
quasi-elemental planes of salt, dust, ash, and vacuum which border the -MP, and the
quasi-elemental planes of radiance, minerals, steam, and lightning which border the +MP. It is easiest to enter these planes from the ethereal plane by passing
through the correct color ethereal curtain. This would take you to the border ethereal
plane for that particular inner plane. From there, one can plane shift down to the
adjacent inner plane. Of course, survival within one of these inner planes may be
problematic. It is practically a death sentence to enter most of these planes without the
proper preparations. For example, entering earth would kill you if you couldn't freely
move through or breath earth; entering water would probably drown you; entering fire would
almost certainly burn you to death; entering air, on the other hand, would be reasonably
safe. Entering into the +MP or the -MP would be almost instant death. The Manual of the
Planes has done a careful and considered treatment of each of these problems. I have no
wish to repeat such a fine body of work at this time.
Where I disagreed with the Manual of the Planes, however,
invites comment. Right away I didn't see the need for time to run differently, so it
doesn't in my universe. I didn't particularly like the mode of travel in the inner planes.
They suggest one simply decides which direction gravity should be in and suddenly find
themselves at a velocity of 1,000 feet/ round or about 17 ft/sec. This is probably because
they wish to avoid even simple equations of motion involving accelerations. I don't have a
problem with such things; so my world doesn't have a problem with such things.
Since I decided mental thought was sufficient to change the
sense of gravity, and I decided to use the utility of requiring one round of thought to
change that sense, I simply had to decide upon an acceleration constant. Or better yet, an
acceleration formula as a function of one's intelligence and wisdom. Thus, without the aid
of additional magic, one's acceleration is up to one half of their combined intelligence
and wisdom in ft/sec^2. Eventually, one would reach their terminal velocity. This would be
determined by the conditions of that particular plane. Typical examples of terminal
velocities might be 100 feet/second in air, 10 feet/second in water, 1,000 feet/second in
fire, and 0 feet/second in earth. (68.2, 6.82, 682, 0 mph or 28", 3", 280",
or 0" respectively).
As a reminder for the interested reader, the following
equations are useful:
Distance Traveled = Average Velocity x Time.
Final Velocity = Starting Velocity + Acceleration x Time.
Average Velocity = one half x ( Final Velocity + Starting Velocity).
(Final Velocity)^2 - (Starting Velocity)^2 = 2 x Acceleration x Distance.
Distance = Starting Velocity x Time + one half x Acceleration x Time^2.
Here, an entity would be able to achieve terminal velocity of
the plane of elemental fire in about 66 seconds or one round, provided his acceleration
constant is 15 ft/s^2. Thus, only a very short time (2 rounds) is required to accelerate
from a stopped position to terminal velocity (1 round to change the sense of gravity, and
another round to accelerate to terminal velocity). Therefore, if you really wish, simply
use your terminal velocities as the normal traveling speeds of your PCs. If you do decide
to use some of the equations, when it becomes very important in a particular situation,
just remember to keep your units of measurement consistent throughout the equations.
Naturally, one can see why the official word from on high
might wish to avoid even these simple equations, as they wouldn't want a certain level of
physics or mathematics to be a prerequisite to playing AD&D. I'm not even sure a
simpler level of mathematics is possessed by the writers of AD&D, as indicated by
their apparent confusion and almost interchangeable use between 10 cubic feet and 10 feet
cubed. However, as I have mentioned, these first approximation equations are no problem
for me, take practically no time at all, and lend the game a sense of realism that I
enjoy, and even then I only employ them in those rare instances when a quick calculation
will show if you can stop in time or you will hit that wall, and this doesn't come up very
often to begin with. Of course, the second or third approximations, taking friction and
drag constants into consideration, would be too much for me to do simply. Maybe they're
not for you and you'd like to include them. Oh well.
|
