Swift

Idea; Magic; OOC
See also: Curb; Paradigm; Sphere Net; Swift Hold

The Swift is a special layer of reality where many unseen events happen. It's the border between planes. (The Swift is inspired by the multiverse model described in the D&D 5E Player's Handbook, p. 300.)

What's in the Swift?

The Swift is different depending on your current plane. If you're on the Material Plane, the Swift includes:

• The Weave, where it intersects the Material Plane
• The border of the Feywild
• The border of the Shadowfell
• The border of the Positive Plane
• The border of the Negative Plane
• The Border Ethereal
• Mindspace (aka the Border Astral), which is shaped by minds, especially those with psychic power
• Dataspace (or the Cloud), which is shaped by information technology and magitec
• Sphere Net
• Swift Holds

Various beings and other things enter, travel, stay, or leave the Swift all the time. This especially includes spells, spirits, telepathic messages, and wireless network packets. The mental ping of an Alarm spell travels through the Swift. A magitec teleporter might convert matter to data, move the data through the Swift, and convert the data back to matter. Spirits who are being summoned or banished move through the Swift.

Brother Iron: The Swift and the Fey partly self-define each other. A fundamental part of being Fey is a more dynamic relationship with the Swift, relative to most "benighted mortals."

What's the Swift Like?

Different paradigms have different mindsets about the Swift. A being's mindset partly defines their beliefs about the Swift, how they enter it, and what they can perceive and do in the Swift. There is one exception: in a Swift Hold, the appearance and nature of the Swift is defined uniformly for all beings.

Mindspace and Dataspace are always part of the Swift, although they may be barren if there are few or no minds or sources of technology or magitec. Dataspace is closely related to the electromagnetic spectrum (e.g., radio waves, microwaves). In some paradigms, the Swift is the medium through which electromagnetic waves travel. In some paradigms, the Swift is light and its absence.

Most paradigms distinguish the Swift from the Grid. The Grid is the reality where most beings remain in most of the time. If you're on the Material Plane right now, that's the Grid for you right now.

Most things in the Swift can't directly affect things on the Grid, and vice versa. Most actions, spells, and class features function in a comparable way in the Swift. This includes choices like Hide, cast Invisibility, and cast Fireball. Some things may have different functions or effects in the Swift, including unpredictable effects (GM's choice).

The local environment of Swift is often similar to the Grid. For example, if there's a blizzard on the Grid, then the Swift is likely windy and cold. It may even be more stormy. Thus, the Swift may not offer respite from hazards on the Grid.

Your Abilities Can Change

The GM will create an effect for your PC called "Swift Form." Whenever you're in the Swift, you can turn this form on or off. You can do this at will, but only once per turn. The effect will cause your physical abilities to become equal to your mental abilities, as shown below. These can increase or decrease your pseudo-physical abilities in the Swift.

• Strength = Smarts or Spirit (PC's choice)
• Agility = Smarts
• Vigor = Spirit

The GM will create a power that looks like: Swift Form [Strength +1d, Agility +1d, Vigor +1d]

If your base abilities change, work with the GM to update your Swift Form effect.

Entering the Swift

Different paradigms have different means for entering the Swift. Most means are some form of shifting or projecting. You can shift yourself into the Swift, leaving nothing behind on the Grid. Alternatively, you can create a projection of yourself in the Swift, leaving your physical body behind on the Grid. There are pros and cons to each means of entering. Your paradigm and/or your means of entering the Swift may dictate whether you can shift, project, or either (GM's choice).

In combat, entering or leaving the Swift requires an action. Where you arrive is partly a matter of your will (GM's choice).

If you project into the Swift, ensure that the GM creates a token for your unconscious body on the Grid. Your Swift form must return to the same place as your Grid form before you can safely stop projecting.

You always have just one set of Wounds, whether you're on the Grid, projecting, or shifted. If you project, any effects that target your body will affect you.

If you shift and die in the Swift, you actually die. If you project and die in the Swift, you don't die. Instead, you return to your body. Your body now has 3 Wounds and you gain Exhausted. (If you were already Exhausted, you're now Incapacitated.) If you project and your body dies on the Grid, then you may actually die, or become a spirit or have a different experience (GM's choice).

Your Gear in the Swift

Your gear generally functions the same in the Swift, through your force of will.

Once per turn, as a free action, you can do any of the following:

• Create a basic Swift melee weapon. You're automatically skilled in this weapon. It uses Fighting and does 2d6 damage.
• Create a basic Swift ranged weapon. You're automatically skilled in this weapon. It uses Shooting and does 2d6 damage.
• Create a suit of basic Swift armor. It adds Armor +4.
• Create a basic Swift shield. It adds Parry +2.

Movement in the Swift

Your Pace is doubled in the Swift.

Fast Travel

Most beings can "fast travel" in the Swift once per turn. It must be your only action.

• Fast travel uses all your movement.
• You choose a point of arrival. You must have a clear anchor at the point. This anchor can be line of sight, a memory of being there, a psychic connection to someone there, a live camera feed, or something else. The GM decides if your anchor is sufficient for fast travel.
• If there are no barriers in the Swift between your points of departure and arrival, then the trip is nearly instantaneous.
• If there is a barrier, then your fast travel ends at the barrier.
• Although you cross the distance between the points, you cannot perceive anything during the trip. Thus, you cannot scout a dangerous location by fast traveling through it.

Fast travel is how a spirit quickly appears when summoned. A barrier that stops fast travel will also stop a summoning.

Actions in the Swift

The Swift is a liminal space: it's between places. It's the border between planes. It's closer to the Grid than it is to other planes.

Here's are some things you can do to the Grid from the Swift:

• Check a door for traps (e.g., based on its magical aura, wi-fi link, lingering malicious emotion, etc.)
• Unlock a lock that has Swift component (e.g., magical enchantment, digital technology)
• Hack a computer

Here are some things you can't do to the Grid from the Swift:

• Touch anything
• Attack anything
• Target a non-ally with a spell, with a few exceptions (especially mind magic) (GM's choice)

Remaining in the Swift

Most beings from the Grid can only remain in the Swift for a limited time. In some cases, the magic that brought you there expires. In most cases, your mind and body need to return to their natural environment. If you stay too long in the Swift, then you may experience negative effects (GM's choice). It's especially dangerous to sleep in the Swift: between the liminal nature and the kinds of beings that roam the Swift, a sleeping mind can be very vulnerable.