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Time Gates

Following are my ideas on Time Gates, the main time travel system in Chrono Trigger. I've included solutions for every problem I can think of, which mainly goes to show just how limited my imagination is. smile Shred, edit, and comment as desired.

What are Time Gates?

Time Gates are simple ways of traveling in time. Each gate is effectively a 'hole' in the timestream, existing in the same place but in two different times. A person with the proper equipment and mindset can locate and enter Time Gates, moving no distance in space but hundreds or thousands of years in time.

How Do Time Gates Work?

Fortunately, not everyone can use Time Gates. If they could, history would be replete with instances of strange appearances, disappearances, paradoxical occurrences, and general trouble. Time Gates only work for people who possess special objects, such as Gate Keys. For a person who lacks a Gate Key, a Time Gate is nothing more than a strange, multicolored sphere.

When people enter a Time Gate, they enter a state of 'Null Time'. A person in Null Time is effectively outside reality, and cannot touch or be touched by anything. Null Time appears to be a strange landscape of undulating wave energy, speeding by a time traveler at an incredibly fast rate. Although no actual time passes in Null Time, a person who has entered this state will always have a few seconds of memories of the event.

How Are Time Gates Created?

All Time Gates are centered around a Nexus - a being or group with an exceptionally strong will, capable of piercing time. When a Nexus creates a Time Gate, he or she remembers a pivotal event in his or her life, with an intensity that creates a Time Gate back to that era. The Nexus for almost all the Gates in the Chrono Trigger e-game was the Lavos Entity; its memories created Gates that allowed Crono and his companions to transcend time. After the death of the Lavos Entity, Crono and his companions jointly assumed the position of Nexus for the Lavos Gates, keeping them functioning.

For a brief time, Lucca became the Nexus for a single Gate, one leading back to a pivotal time in her own life. Using this Gate, Lucca had the opportinity to go back in time and change history.

What About Paradox?

The very concept of time travel allows for apparent paradox - a person goes back in time and prevents a disaster that would otherwise cause major destruction. Time has now been changed and the disaster never happened, so how would anybody know about the disaster in order to change it? However, the nature of Nexuses and Time Gates provides a solution. Each Nexus has an exceptionally strong mind and will - the requirement to be a Nexus - and is capable of comprehending *both* possible outcomes of a pivotal event. Because of this, a Nexus *is* capable of understanding a disaster that might have occurred, and influencing others to prevent it.

Time Machines

Time machines, like Epoch in Chrono Trigger, can be constructed. These machines are capable of forming Time Gates at any place, and travveling to other times. However, no machine can be a nexus on its own. Each machine must be attuned to an existing Nexus - as Epoch was to the Lavos Entity - and the machine can only form Time Gates to eras that the Nexus has existing Time Gates to. This is why Epoch could travel in time to 600 AD and 1000 AD, but not to 800 AD. Since Epoch was attuned to the Lavos Entity, and not Lucca, it could not travel to 990 AD, either.

Appearance of Time Gates

All Time Gates look alike when not in use - a black sphere, about a foot across, floating in thin air. However, activated Time Gates are different colors, according to the personality and nature of the Nexus. The standard Time Gate in Chrono Trigger was blue and purple when activated, its colors were blue and purple - the colors of teh Lavos Entity. When Lucca entered her Time Gate, its colors were gold and red.

Creating Time Gates - A Practical Example

Rob decides to start a Chrono Trigger campaign. (Hey, rob, if you *do* do this, can I play?) He decides taht the campaign will start at the End of Time - the players have been brought there by Gaspar, the Guru of Time, who needs champions to face off against an Ultimate Evil. Rob doesn't want to use the existing Chrono Trigger eras, so he decides that something has destroyed the existing Gates. In order to travel in time, the players will have to seek out and find other Nexuses. The first - Gaspar.

Rob's 'Gaspar' series of Gates will span three eras. The first age is the End of Time, an obvious starting point, and convenient for the characters too. Rob decides that tbe second age is sometime around 12000 BC - not contiguous with the 12000 BC Gate in the e-game (that could get the characters into fights with Lavos, or worse, Crono and his friends), but close. For the third age, Rob makes up some background for the Chrono Trigger. This item, Gaspar's masterwork, required many items, including one provided by a time traveler from 4500 AD - the third age

Rob sits down and does some writing on the eras covered by the Gaspar Gates. This includes not only basic worldbook information, but also connections to other ages and information on other Nexuses available in those ages. For example, both Melchior and Balthasar, the other two Gurus, can both be found in 12000 BC. Either of those could serve as Nexuses for other Time Gates.

Shadow Mage

Example: Magus (CT)
Commonly Found on: Chrono Trigger world (unnamed so far)

The Shadow Mage is a master of the elemental magic found in the world of Chrono Trigger. Magic, in the Chrono Trigger world, draws upon the power and nature of the user's own spirit, and reflects that spirit. Some characters have strong, confrontational natures, and draw upon those traits to cast Fire or Lightning magics, while other characters are guardians or healers at heart, and use Earth or Water spells. Each, however, is limited to a single type of magic, the one that best suits their personality - all save the Shadow Mage. This wizard has truly mastered himself, and has learned to draw upon not only the guiding force of his spirit but also the secondary ones. This gives a Shadow Mage great power and versatility at magic.

Base Class: Red Mage. Uses Red Mage stat requirements and XP tables.

Benefits: +2 Mag, +2 Wil, access to Magic Suites.
Hindrances: -1 Str, -1 Agi, -1 Vit, -1 Spd, no standard magic ability.

Skills

* Magic Lore at 80%
* One Weapon Skill at 40%
* History at 30%
* 160 Points for others

Shadow Magic
Shadow Magic allows the Shadow Mage to access spells from up to four different Magic Suites. At first level, the Shadow Mage selects one primary magic suite, the core of his or her personality, and three other secondary suites, ones that mirror other facets of his or her nature. Spells are then selected from these suites, and these suites only, as the character gains levels.

Primary Suite
New 1st Order Spell: Level 1
New 2nd Order Spell: Level 5, 11, 21
New 3rd Order Spell: Level 9, 19, 25
New 4th Order Spell: Level 15, 31, 41
New 5th Order Spell: Level 29, 37
New 6th Order Spell: Level 42

Secondary Suites
New 1st Order Spell: Level 3, 13
New 2nd Order Spell: Level 7, 17, 27, 35
New 3rd Order Spell: Level 23, 33, 45, 54
New 4th Order Spell: Level 40, 51, 60
New 5th Order Spell: Level 48, 57

Starting HP: 10 Starting MP: 10
Level up: +1d6 HP, +1d8 MP

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Cursed

The cursed are not actually a race per se, they are people who have had their form altered by magic. They have been cursed with animalistic forms, and had everything about their past appearance taken from them. They do not use their base races stats for they have been altered with their new appearance. (Note: if you want we can discuss stats, I'm fairly lenient when it comes to cursed, just make sure it adds up to 60 total.)

Feline
These are people who have taken on feline appearances to at least a minor degree. They are extremely fast and agile, being able to strike out with power. They are not very strong with magic however.

STR VIT AGI SPD MAG SPR
12/8/12/12/6/10

VITAL DATA

Representatives:
Typical Height: about the same as the race they came from, will vary with the species of feline though, ie. housecats would be smaller and tigers would be bigger
Typical Weight: about the same as the race they came from, will vary with the species of feline though, ie. housecats would be smaller and tigers would be bigger
Hair Colors: varies from the species of cat
Eye Colors: varies witht he species of cat
Habitats: Any, generally woodlands or towns, depending on species
Lifespan: lifespan of the original race
Typical Jobs: Mostly warriors, there are a few that are specialized or wizards but they are weak in magic for the most part.

Small Mammals

Small mammals - dogs, rabbits, and minks have been seen so far. They tend to use projectile weapons since they have a small stature, but some enjoy the thrill of close combat.

STR VIT AGI SPD MAG SPR
9/10/12/10/10/9

VITAL DATA

Representatives:
Typical Height: generally the same as original race, though it will depend on species ie. a pug would be smaller, while a rotweiller would be bigger, or a rabbit or mink would be smaller
Typical Weight: generally the same as original race, though it will depend on species ie. a pug would be smaller, while a rotweiller would be bigger, or a rabbit or mink would be smaller
Hair Colors: Varies with species
Eye Colors: Varies with species
Habitats: Any
Lifespan: lifespan of the original race
Typical Jobs: they tend to like being archers, but they can be any class

Wolves

Wolves are large creatures with massive jaws. They appear to be vicious and scary but for the most part they are peaceful creatures.

STR VIT AGI SPD MAG SPR
10/11/11/11/8/9

VITAL DATA

Representatives:
Typical Height: generally a bit larger than the original race, though size increase will vary from species of wolf
Typical Weight: generally a bit larger than the original race, though size increase will vary from species of wolf
Hair Colors: varies with species
Eye Colors: varies with species
Habitats: Any
Lifespan: lifespan of the original race
Typical Jobs: They favor archery since they are hunters, but they can be of any class.

Moles


Moles are very strong and hardy species, they can dig through anything.

STR VIT AGI SPD MAG SPR
11/11/8/9/9/12

VITAL DATA

Representatives:
Typical Height: generally shorter than the original race
Typical Weight: generally heavier and more broad than the original race
Hair Colors: generally gray or dark colours, though others are acceptable
Eye Colors: generally red, or brown but others are acceptable.
Habitats: Any
Lifespan: lifespan of the original race
Typical Jobs: generally engineers or constructive people, though they can be anything

Armidillos

A race of very, very large armadillo people who, surprisingly, have some degree of magical talent

STR VIT AGI SPD MAG SPR
13/15/8/8/9/7

VITAL DATA

Representatives:
Typical Height: much taller than the original species, they average about two and half meters tall
Typical Weight: much heavier than the original species, they average over 150 kg
Hair Colors: generally non existant, but they can have hair at the top of their head, colour can be any
Eye Colors: any
Habitats: Any
Lifespan: the same as the original race
Typical Jobs: they tend to be white mages and healers, dispite their impressive size and power, though they can be any class.

Oxen

Like the character's name suggests, this is a race of large ox-men and considerably smaller ox-women. Come to think of it, I believe that the women were also smarter than the men, so maybe I should come up with a second set of stats for female Oxen.

Male
STR VIT AGI SPD MAG SPR
14/13/8/7/7/11

Female
STR VIT AGI SPD MAG SPR
9/9/10/10/11/11

VITAL DATA

Representatives:
Typical Height: over two and half meters average for a male /same as original race(Female)
Typical Weight: at least 150 kg (Male) / same as original race(Female)
Hair Colors: generally tan fur, but can come in many colors
Eye Colors:generally brown but can be any
Habitats: Any
Lifespan: same as original race
Typical Jobs: Male's tend to be engineers, or something more hands on while females are more inclined towards magical or other mentally challenging jobs.

Fish

The fish people, tend to be business inclined and can travel on land or underwater. They tend to make a lot of money and are good business people.

STR VIT AGI SPD MAG SPR
11/12/9/8/11/9

VITAL DATA

Representatives:
Typical Height: same as original species for the normal
Typical Weight: same as original species for the normal
Hair Colors: no hair, but scales tend to be like a goldfish though there are abberations, ie. sharks etc.
Eye Colors: any
Habitats: Any
Lifespan: same as original species
Typical Jobs: they tend to be chemists though they love owning buisnesses and haggling with people

Frogs

A race of frog people who, while not physically strong, possess many other talents. They are very agile for their size..

STR VIT AGI SPD MAG SPR
7/12/13/8/11/9

VITAL DATA

Representatives: Frog, Glenn
Typical Height: generally the same as the original race
Typical Weight: slightly heavier than the original race
Hair Colors: no hair, but tends to have green skin
Eye Colors: any
Habitats: Any
Lifespan: same as original race
Typical Jobs: lean towards fencer, though can be any job

Monkey's

The Monkey's tend to be very agile and quick, odds are they would make good ninja's.
STR VIT AGI SPD MAG SPR
8/7/13/11/10/11

VITAL DATA

Representatives:
Typical Height: same as original race
Typical Weight: same as original race
Hair Colors: mostly brown fur but can be any
Eye Colors: any
Habitats: Any
Lifespan: same as original race
Typical Jobs: they make good thieves and ninja's anything that requires sneaking.

Society

they do not have a society per se, but rather they try to fit in with others of their own kind, and if that fails they tend to wander aimlessly through life.

Roleplaying

They haven't changed much from their basic race other than their apperance which might affect their personality or not depends on the player.