World Rules
From Gotham: Year One Wiki
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Prime World
The Prime World of the game is the DC Comics Universe. Even though Gotham is separated from its home universe, Gotham is still of the DCU. Despite the merger of some universes with the DCU prior to the cataclysm, the DCU controls.
Merged Canons
The following canons were merged to the DCU before the multiverse cataclysm: Supernatural, Stargate, NCIS, Forever Knight. The Dresdenverse was de-merged from the DCU in an early retcon. Vertigo is assumed to be DCU.
Dresdenverse De-Merger
Originally, this universe had been merged with Thomas Raith arriving in Gotham on a minor scouting mission. Later arrivals revealed complications in merging the free-floating magical precepts of the DCU with Dresdenverse and Supernatural magics. In order to avoid gamewide complications, the canons were de-merged, and Thomas Raith is said to have arrived accidentally by operation of the same device that eventually caused the cataclysm in the same manner as the Runaways who are no longer in game.
Forever Knight
This merger is of a very limited nature. The events of Forever Knight are assumed to have taken place within the DCU but no real knowledge has passed from one universe to the other.
Currently, the only PC in game from the FK universe is Javier Vachon, who is played by Mere. If you have questions about anything already established for application or plotting purposes, please include Mere in any communication with the mods.
NCIS
This merger is somewhat more expansive than the FK merger. Tony DiNozzo and Dick Grayson first met on a case in Bludhaven. Thus, NCIS takes place within the DCU.
Specific details of this merger are:
- 1) Superheroes exist for NCIS pups. They may or may not believe they're real.
- 2) Gotham existed in the world NCIS pups were in, as did Bludhaven.
- 3) NCIS pups would have general knowledge of the destruction of Bludhaven, previous cataclysms in Gotham, and the cutting off of Star City.
- 4) But NCIS does not know the civilian identity of the A-list superheroes.
- 5) Nor do they know anything about the SGC (see below).
- 6) Their knowledge of the existence of magic and the supernatural is specific to individual PCs.
As there are several NCIS PCs presently in game, if you have questions about the merger for any purpose, contact the mods. They'll direct you to the appropriate parties.
Stargate
Like the NCIS merger, this one is expansive. It is the most complete of all mergers. Timothy Drake and Samantha Carter worked together outside the multiverse barrier and came in together through the Brown Bridge rift. In addition, Cassandra Fraiser was living in Gotham at the time of the cataclysm. The merger point is "Season 12" of Stargate (the movies and SGU) with the pre-Battle for the Cowl DCU.
Specific details of this merger are:
- 1) SG personnel are aware of the NCIS as an actual department of the Navy. They do not know individual NCIS members.
- 2) NCIS personnel do not know the existence of the SGC.
- 3) The SGC is aware of the superheroes. Col. Samantha Carter was befriended by Diana of Themyscira on the outside. (However, if someone apped Diana, unless she came from post-cataclysm, Diana wouldn't know Sam).
- 4) The SGC does not know the identity of individual superheroes prior to gameplay. (Col. Carter knows that Tim Drake is Robin).
- 5) The JLA as an organization knows of the SGC and vice versa because both occasionally deal with aliens. There is an official protocol buried in the archives of the JLA and the SGC dealing with any interactions and primacy in various fields. Essentially, each is left to their own spheres as seen in their respective media. Ie, the Lantern Corps has no experience with the Goa'uld and the SGC has no experience with Tamaran.
- 6) SGC knowledge of magic and the supernatural is the same as for any member of the population.
For questions about this merger and the world of the DCU/SGC outside of Gotham in current continuity, please contact the mods.
Supernatural
Like the SG and NCIS merger, this one is pretty expansive. Dean Winchester came to Gotham pre-cataclysm on a case. His departure point controls the alignment of the DCU and Supernatural timelines.
Specific details of this merger are:
- 1) Superheroes were real for the Winchesters and co., but they don't necessarily know it.
- 2) The SGC and NCIS were real for the Winchesters and co., but they don't know anything about either.
- 3) Heaven and Hell in the DCU and Supernaturalverse are merged to a very limited degree. Namely, Jason Todd knew Dean Winchester in Hell and was something of an operative for Heaven, including Castiel. However, Castiel does not know any of the DCverse angels as established in a conversation with Dick Grayson.
For questions about this merger, please contact Allie specifically or the mods.
Other Canons
Mythology and religion
Mythology and religion are assumed to be merged to the DCU as they would exist in the DCU. Non DCU versions are not merged, although Hermes is recognizable as Hermes, for example to people within the merged universes who would have knowledge of him. But Cassie, Sam, Janet and Daniel's Goa'uld god impostors or the Asgard are not overwritten.
The same would be true of any legendary figure. Hela, for example, who Danielle Moonstar has worked for, would be recognizable as Hela if she appeared. However, DCU-merged verse pups might not recognize her as their Hela.
Heaven and Hell
Except in the very specific instance of the Supernaturalverse merger to the DCU, these are not merged between universes. Good Omens angels and demons do not a priori know angels and demons from Supernaturalverse or DCverse, nor would any of them know those from other universes.
For questions about mythology (and where it merges with religion or history) please contact the mods.
Operation of the Multiverse
The prime principle comes from the DCU before the last Infinite Crisis. The multiverse (guardians of) sealed several key persons into a multiverse bubble to keep them from affecting events in other worlds. The barrier was impermeable to the outside. In addition, the timestream and multiverse in DCU canon act to protect themselves. Knowledge is not preserved from one reality to another unless a pup is specifically multiverse immune within their own canon.
Knowledge
The multiverse acts to protect the Prime Universe. So, when a PC arrives in Gotham, any awareness they had of the fictionality of the DCU or any other universe is perception-filtered. What does this mean?
Say your PC is a canon Star Trek fan. They will still be a Star Trek fan. However, if they're talking to Kathryn Janeway they won't know she's THAT Kathryn Janeway. They may get a twinge of something like deja vu, but they're simply not the same people.
This does not apply to historical figures or mythological ones. PCs can come to accept that Hermes is in fact THAT Hermes. Note, he may NOT be THAT Hermes as he's not from their canon, but they can and probably will accept him as such unless they've met the Hermes in their canon and he's different.
This means, also, that you could watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Buffy Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Tara Maclay and Lindsey McDonald without recognizing them and they won't recognize themselves. They and you may have slightly stronger twinges of deja vu. Obviously to avoid player cognitive dissonance, it's easier not to do that.
Barrier
The multiverse barrier is self-healing. The guardians established it to protect the multiverse itself from unraveling. It only allows travel in, like osmosis across a membrane where the pressure is higher outside than in.
Occasional breaches in the barrier do occur - Knocking on Heaven's Door - but these are by mod permission only and only when there's a significant reason to do so.
Limitations on Powers
As above, the multiverse acts to protect itself. In order to do this, it automatically limits and modifies the powers of entering beings to be consistent with the stability of Gotham as a multiverse bubble. So that, for example:
- Gods - still retain some of their godlike powers, but they cannot affect the structure of reality. Magic and transformation have a cost, and they are limited in what they can do or build by the available molecules within Gotham. They cannot create something out of nothing.
- Angels & Demons - still retain many of their powers, but they cannot appear and disappear at random. They must remain physically present in Gotham, except to the extent that their canon allows them to become discorporeal. They cannot travel through 'the ether' or through Heaven or Hell because these do not exist within Gotham.
- Meta-humans - super-powered beings retain their powers, except insofar as their powers allow the manipulation of reality or exit from Gotham. Thus, Bart Allen cannot enter the Speedforce. Kurt Wagner can teleport but can't stop outside of real space. There is no hell dimension. Kon-El cannot punch a hole in the multiverse bubble, even though Superboy Prime did (the Guardians learn from their mistakes!).
- Mages - retain the power to do their magic, but the effectiveness of it may be limited by the presence or absence of the source of their magic within Gotham. There are ley lines, so ley line witches can do their magic. Supernaturalverse is merged, so Supernaturalverse magic works. Dresdenverse magic works. But if a mage draws their power from the life force of a specific planet or it emanates from some device, their magic's impact would be limited. While they would retain the ability to perform magic and could learn magic of other worlds if the player desired, the effects and scope of their abilities would be dampened.
The rule of thumb is that they don't lose ability but they may lose juice or the means may be adapted by the multiverse. So, if your character is a teleporter, they'll still be able to teleporter. How they teleport may change. In most cases, this isn't going to effect how you play them, or even what they think of as happening, but it may effect what they're capable of for plot purposes.
Issues of powers will be resolved before a pup debuts so that there's minimal confusion and no need for retcons.
