Fantasy world physics question? (Anyone can comment)

[naosu]

So I had a thought about fantasy world physics to pick your brains about and see what you thought. Anyone can answer, doesn't have to be only writers.

So... in the physics of a world, let's say its an Isekai world with ability users. They can be from more than 1 system. Lets say some are supers, some are mages, some might be cultivators or others. Now let's say one of them loses an arm, and gets a prosthetic. Or maybe some other body part. It doesn't have to be an arm. Maybe its a stomach or part of their back.

This made me wonder, OK if you make a character like that, and if their ability set or power generates power from their body then wouldn't that mean they might have a drop in power? Like a percentage?

Curious what you think about this.

OH! And also ... is it a downer or deal breaker for a character to have prosthetic limbs if its not the Main Character but maybe part of his party or team up? (Maybe a sidekick)

 

[RivCA]

I wouldn’t say this is a “physics” question, but more of a metaphysics question. As an oiled hat D&D player, when a character of mine got amputated somewhere, if keeping the character around is more important, then you don’t just find a way to adapt. As such, I take inspiration from other franchisees to come up with ideas that allow the character to not only adapt, but to have some kind of attribute that helps them to be set apart.

Lost your arm on a battlefield? How about a piece of automail (Fullmetal Alchemist) to restore its original role? Just remember, it’s going to hurt like hell getting fitted up. No advanced metallurgy? It’s amazing what a woodcarver can turn out.

Still have the original hand? Soul-tie that limb to continue acting on your behalf. Just don’t lose it or get schnockered.

Even living armor, a method to bind a soul to such, can make for interesting parallels, but one such option to explore would be the biological need of their former body and what the mind would do without such interactions.

Perhaps the most important thing to consider is the cost, via energy. Energy is the ultimate currency of any world. As a writer, you need to consider certain parallels, such as the ATP (adenosine triphospate, cost your body expends to think, move your hands, or walk. How does it relate to the metaphysical aspects of your world? If they need to operate something that normally would have used ATP for the same function, you should consider what that is.

 

[Empress_Omnii]

This made me wonder, OK if you make a character like that, and if their ability set or power generates power from their body then wouldn't that mean they might have a drop in power?

Is would mean a drop in power, normally I would think it better not to quantify that lose. But as you say there are systems, then yes it would make sense to drop it by a percentage either based on mass of flesh lost or the relevance (like less lost if the character doesn't normally use their toes and one gets chopped)

Having an option like this to show consequences for things happening should be very useful.

And also ... is it a downer or deal breaker for a character to have prosthetic limbs if its not the Main Character but maybe part of his party or team up?

I have no idea how it could be.

 

[Deleted member 206441]

OH! And also ... is it a downer or deal breaker

Nope

 

[Arkus86]

Generally, I would say yes, it would likely mean a drop in power. But...

You could say their [insert energy of choice] is stored in their body mass. More body mass means more energy being stored, and if they lose part of their body, their body mass and storage nturally decrese.
Their energy could also be generated and stored in a specific part of the body. Losing that would mean a partial or complete loss of their ability to harness and use their energy, while losing any other part of their body would have no effect.
And finally, you could figure something entirelly different and counterintuitive - the ammount of their energy is not tied to their body mass or any body part, but separate. The energy has to be circulated through the entire body. This would mean it's more dispersed and slower to draw on. But when they lose a part of their body, they don't have to disperse their energy as much. It becomes more concentrated, more effective and faster to use, making them stronger instead.

 

[LilRora]

Generally speaking, if we're introducing magic systems on top of physics, the only thing that really matters is how they interact with each other, and there's virtually infinite ways to go about it. If the magic is stored in some separate metaphysical or supernatural part of their being, the loss of a limb can, but does not have to affect their strength, depending how that part works. If the magic is somehow an integral part of their physical body, it's very likely they'll lose strength, but they don't have to either, depending on the way their body and their magic interacts with the prosthetic, and what kind of prosthetic it is.