Changing History (CB)

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Some of the biggest DM headaches from time traveling are the problems a change in history brings. What happens to the memories? How quickly do the changes proceed forward? What is the effect on Temporal Prime? Most of these questions are left to the judgment of the Dungeon Master, since it is hard to place set rules on all possible tamperings with time. By following the basic guidelines of the momentum of time, however, much of this chore is covered.
==Mechanics of a Paradox==
Any change to the natural order of events produces turbulence on Temporal Prime. This turbulence usually begins at the point of the event and spreads downstream in a coneshaped field of mist-smoke disruption as the change's area of effect spreads to include more creatures. Limited patches of upstream turbulence are common, since changing the natural order of events is one of the most severe disruptions to the momentum of time. The subjective dimensions of the affected area and the length of subjective time for which the turbulence exists depend on the magnitude of the change. A sleeper change, in which a piece of information or an action is inserted into the natural order with no effect until a later date, is slightly different. The turbulence pattern here is a long, thin ribbon that blossoms into a major disruption at the activation point.
The momentum of time resists any radical change and attempts to smooth out the trouble as soon as possible. It rearranges the lives of certain individuals to account for the change without major restructuring. Lifelines, which are usually set in place, writhe and shift slowly as the creatures they represent are molded into the new history. The overall effect is usually a drastic change to short-term history but little change, if any, to long-term history. It's a gradual process, but eventually everything works out.
By appearing in the past or future, a character automatically causes a slight turbulence that lasts for as long as he remains. The traveler's potential to change events puts this time period into a state of flux, and the longer the traveler remains, the more likely he is to cause a dramatic change. The turbulence pattern is widespread until the chronomancer applies his influence.
If the chronomancer performs a minor change in this time period (say, preventing the robbery of the town treasury), the turbulence might extend for a few months' worth of distance on Temporal Prime. The area surrounding the lifelines of all affected people would be in a state of readjustment. Slowly, starting at the event point and moving downstream, the turbulence would clear, and the timestream would appear normal.
For a minor change, the time it takes for turbulence to clear is roughly one fourth the objective distance affected. If two months of actual time (the downstream objective distance) were affected, two weeks would pass on Temporal Prime before the turbulence clears. If the event was much more prominent (say, preventing the assassination of a great ruler), it would set up a chain of events that would rearrange lifelines and create turbulence for years. This is more than an extended version of the above scenario, since such activity is not always advantageous for the chronomancer.
==Dealing with the Paradox==
A chronomancer can change history with ease, but the effect of the change is doubtful. The chronomancer cannot always predict the exact nature of the changes, since the wizard and the momentum of time are probably working toward two separate ends.
Buying up the land where Imperial City should someday stand could create turbulence, especially where the chronomancer's personal fortune is concerned. However, the momentum could easily rearrange lifelines so that the Empire chose the lands next to those belonging to the chronomancer or, worse, merely confiscated the lands instead of paying for them. The problem is solved, and the chronomancer is also out a fair bit of pocket money.
Here's a more difficult problem. A chronomancer appears at a battle 200 years in the past and assassinates a great general. The event causes such a large upheaval that turbulence upstream of the event rearranges the chronomancer's lifeline and causes the arrow of slaying to miss. Any determined character should be able to accomplish this task, though, so eventually the general dies. The turbulence is incredible, so much so that lifelines are affected far upstream of the incident. After rearrangement, it is discovered that the general wasn't so great after all. It was his lieutenant that made up most of the battle plans, and this lieutenant was able to take over the job easily. The history books are written differently, but the overall effects are the same (the battles were still won, and the country had its hero).
All chronomancers who have an interest in the event are likely present at the same time. The decisive battle of a war might be lousy with Historians, Guides, and Travelers. Chances are there are some who would oppose any changes. Sideline fights often develop, taking precious time away, so few if any changes are actually made. So why doesn't the chronomancer go back and do it again? Remember the rule about doubling your lifeline? It is not possible. The chronomancer could go back further and try to set up more favorable conditions, but it's a DM's judgment call as to whether the changes progress in the chronomancer's favor.
What if a chronomancer travels back to a time he didn't exist in and remains there long enough to overlap with a point where he did? In a timeline from A to Z, lets say the wizard is born at D and becomes a chronomancer at G. The wizard then skips ahead to P, hangs around until R, and then goes back to H. There is no problem yet, but let's say the wizard forgets where he came in before and tries to stay until Q. From time P to Q, the chronomancer has already existed on this plane. Attempting to double lifelines is the main ingredient for a timestorm, as detailed on pages 36–37.
A sleeper change requires some extra care. Sleepers are things like the chronomancer traveling to the past and leaving a message that will later be given to him. This message could warn of an event or give investment advice. The turbulence is slight, since there is no interaction until a certain point. The problem is that the sleeper directly confronts the momentum of time and is generally shifted severely before it reaches its goal. Perhaps the message is lost, or an enemy of the character gets it first. Perhaps it is received, but the momentum of time has already shifted so that the new knowledge is useless. How much the chronomancer can get away with is up to the DM, but a sleeper should never end up working smoothly.
==A Lasting Impression==
While the momentum of time is working to smooth the temporal flow, affected portions of the timestream are kept in a state of flux, making them more susceptible than normal to manipulation. As a result, any change made by outside influence has a greater chance of remaining as an important event in the time-space continuum, but it's most likely mutated from its original intent. This involves some thought on the Dungeon Master's part, but nothing too difficult.
Take the earlier example of the chronomancer slaying an important general. There is intense turbulence on Temporal Prime over a period of several years while the momentum of time works to smooth matters out. During this time, another chronomancer (or the same one-perhaps the initial act was to set up these chaotic circumstances) slips into reality two days after the general's death, posing as the replacement. The momentum of time latches onto this action as a solid core on which to rebuild a workable short-term history. The chronomancer is accepted as the replacement and might even go on to win a major battle or two (or he may wish to sabotage the war effort, in which case the battles are lost). Now the momentum of time reworks short-term history in a way the chronomancer did not foresee.
Assume that the chronomancer was a saboteur and a few major battles were lost. The momentum of time has built for this army to win the war, so pressure is put on a minor commander. He wins battles he would have lost, and he eventually wrenches the reins of control from the chronomancer and wins the war. Victory is still gained, and the commander fills the vacancy left by the general.
But, what if the chronomancer was trying to help? He wanted to gain the glory or to do the job with less bloodshed-whatever. The momentum of time still latches onto the wizard as a focal point for the short-term history, but as a sacrificial being. Once the chronomancer assumes command, reality is warped such that he is the target of multiple assassination attempts until one succeeds. A second martyr (the wizard) inspires three military commanders to their peak ability. They mop up the opposition and form a police state that lasts the duration of the turbulence. This police state keeps everything under tight co trol while the natural order is in flux, and the last event before the turbulence dies away is the shifting back to the way things were supposed to be after the war. Second-guessing temporal momentum is a risky thing. A chronomancer should remain on the sidelines or get in and out fast.
Category:Chronomancer Book