A New World [Archive] - Wizards Community

A New World [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
RoninFrosty
02-08-06, 06:52 PM I've got to be completely honest...I dunno if I'm in the right board for this, but I have NO clue where to put this, so...

My party just teleported to another dimension, and the dimension consists of only a tiny (TINY) planet. For the sake of ease, I've left gravity and the atmosphere normal, but my question is this:

In the middle of the planet, there's an enormous tower that stretches REALLY far upward. I want the players to end up ruling this planet (this is the end of the campaign), and this tower would represent the players looking down on their kingdom.

I was trying to think of how to describe this, and I started wondering...since the planet is so small, but round, and the tower's so tall...from the top of the tower, would you be able to look across the planet and see the tower again? How about themselves? How would all of this work? I'm not sure...it's confusing the hell out of me.
revnk
02-08-06, 09:19 PM Think of it as if they were in an airplane far above the ground and you should be fine. And I'm not sure what the whole physics would be, but it's a fantasy game and you can always define the local physics as you wish. Speaking of: unless the planet is basically a black hole or there's some magic at work, light isn't going to loop back around so that they can see the back of their own heads or anything, although it's an amusing idea.

You should probably just describe it as if they were looking out of an airplane window. (Without the airplane. Or window.)

Hope that helped.
Hodo
02-08-06, 09:36 PM What you are describing is physically impossible in REALITY. The most they would ever be able to see would be 50% of the planet at one time.

Note how astronauts go into the highest reaches of the atmosphere and beyond, look down on earth, and the most they can see is half of it. Notice how no matter how far away you are from any sphere, irregardless of size, you can see no more than 50% of it at any given time.

That said: your game is a fantsy, so you can allow them to see whatever they want. Magic did it. Give them a big globe at the top of the tower that they can spin and point to any point and then WOOSH! the world wizzes by until their tower is standing over it.
kraegor
02-08-06, 11:41 PM Line of Sight (LOS) does not curve.

THe effect of the horizion on earth is you can see the rounding of the earth, but you cannot see beyond it. Even if your world was only the size of a house, you couldnt see the UNDERNEATH of the planet, because LOS is not affected by a curvature of the horizon.

Think of it as a laser. Its line of sight, thats why we have satellites. To beam signals across the other side of a globe using LOS.

So the only way you are going to get this to work is if it is a flat plane of exhistence (totally possible) or a flat world, think of a huge asteroid type.

Now, even using this thoery, you would have to find out what the distance able to see is vs height (limited to sight).

A tower 100' tall would easily be able to see miles and miles in all directions, although in the distance, smaller objects would be spectacularly tiny. On a flat plane of exhistence with height, you would be able to see everything.

So you would definately have to re-think your world and not make it a round world if you wanted this able to be possible.
trapspringer
02-08-06, 11:44 PM Unless, of course, you want them to be able to. Maybe a wizard did it. Maybe the atmospher refracts light in such a way that it is possible. Who knows?
ShadowDragon8685
02-09-06, 12:18 AM How small is small are we talking about? Preferably in meters?

And how high is high? Are we talking "Top of the Empire State" building, "Flying in a 747", "Flying in a U-2", or "Flying in an Orbiter"?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
RoninFrosty 02-08-06, 06:52 PM	I've got to be completely honest...I dunno if I'm in the right board for this, but I have NO clue where to put this, so... My party just teleported to another dimension, and the dimension consists of only a tiny (TINY) planet. For the sake of ease, I've left gravity and the atmosphere normal, but my question is this: In the middle of the planet, there's an enormous tower that stretches REALLY far upward. I want the players to end up ruling this planet (this is the end of the campaign), and this tower would represent the players looking down on their kingdom. I was trying to think of how to describe this, and I started wondering...since the planet is so small, but round, and the tower's so tall...from the top of the tower, would you be able to look across the planet and see the tower again? How about themselves? How would all of this work? I'm not sure...it's confusing the hell out of me.
revnk 02-08-06, 09:19 PM	Think of it as if they were in an airplane far above the ground and you should be fine. And I'm not sure what the whole physics would be, but it's a fantasy game and you can always define the local physics as you wish. Speaking of: unless the planet is basically a black hole or there's some magic at work, light isn't going to loop back around so that they can see the back of their own heads or anything, although it's an amusing idea. You should probably just describe it as if they were looking out of an airplane window. (Without the airplane. Or window.) Hope that helped.
Hodo 02-08-06, 09:36 PM	What you are describing is physically impossible in REALITY. The most they would ever be able to see would be 50% of the planet at one time. Note how astronauts go into the highest reaches of the atmosphere and beyond, look down on earth, and the most they can see is half of it. Notice how no matter how far away you are from any sphere, irregardless of size, you can see no more than 50% of it at any given time. That said: your game is a fantsy, so you can allow them to see whatever they want. Magic did it. Give them a big globe at the top of the tower that they can spin and point to any point and then WOOSH! the world wizzes by until their tower is standing over it.
kraegor 02-08-06, 11:41 PM	Line of Sight (LOS) does not curve. THe effect of the horizion on earth is you can see the rounding of the earth, but you cannot see beyond it. Even if your world was only the size of a house, you couldnt see the UNDERNEATH of the planet, because LOS is not affected by a curvature of the horizon. Think of it as a laser. Its line of sight, thats why we have satellites. To beam signals across the other side of a globe using LOS. So the only way you are going to get this to work is if it is a flat plane of exhistence (totally possible) or a flat world, think of a huge asteroid type. Now, even using this thoery, you would have to find out what the distance able to see is vs height (limited to sight). A tower 100' tall would easily be able to see miles and miles in all directions, although in the distance, smaller objects would be spectacularly tiny. On a flat plane of exhistence with height, you would be able to see everything. So you would definately have to re-think your world and not make it a round world if you wanted this able to be possible.
trapspringer 02-08-06, 11:44 PM	Unless, of course, you want them to be able to. Maybe a wizard did it. Maybe the atmospher refracts light in such a way that it is possible. Who knows?
ShadowDragon8685 02-09-06, 12:18 AM	How small is small are we talking about? Preferably in meters? And how high is high? Are we talking "Top of the Empire State" building, "Flying in a 747", "Flying in a U-2", or "Flying in an Orbiter"?