Planeswalking?
Lore forum
Posted on Jan. 25, 2016, 5:59 p.m. by Izzet_Planeswalker
So I've always wondered about this, how do planeswalkers actually planeswalk? Like is it something they do instantly? Can they just think where they want to go and just go there, or do they have to focus and concentrate? Does it require mana to do or can they do it without making any connections with the land? Do they have to be fully healed and in good condition or can they do it while they are half dead? Maybe they've explained it somewhere but I've never read it anywhere and was wondering if anyone else knew?
Gidgetimer says... #3
Multiple Planeswalkers have planeswalked away from fights after being severely injured. It seems to be that it requires concentration and mana more than anything else. I know that this isn't entirely accurate but I have always kinda pictured it like shadow walking in the Amber books by Roger Zelazny.
January 25, 2016 6:38 p.m.
shinobigarth says... #4
It's what we today would probably describe scientifically as 6th dimensional translation. Or stepping between different timelines within temporal 3 space.
Maybe even 7-9 dimensional, but that would imply that the planes are in completely different universes.
January 25, 2016 7:17 p.m.
Gidgetimer says... #5
This smells of pseudo-science, but I'll bite. Could you link me to a scholarly article on 6th dimensional transitions I have not heard of them before and that seems like a few dimensions too many for my understanding of any current scientific models. Granted the last model I kept up with was the P-brane theory and that was years ago but this seems interesting.
Also you didn't answer any of the posed questions. I definitely would have heard about it if it were possible so saying it is like something doesn't help understand how much concentration, magical energy or physical health must be present for the phenomena.
January 25, 2016 7:54 p.m.
shinobigarth says... #6
its very much fringe science yes.
I've taken the brain exercise by Rob Bryanton known as Imagining the 10th Dimension and formulated my own hypotheses. dimensions 1-3 are of matter, and 4 is linear time (past/future), so i then drew the connection with that and the 1st dimension (a length of a line with no width), and imagined the 5th dimension as correlating to the 2nd dimension and 6th to the 3rd.
traveling through the 4th dimension is obvious: time travel as most people understand it. but if you were to travel through the 5th dimension, you could access the past or future of an alternate timeline. or you might say it would be like traveling 2 dimensionally within the construct of time. so traveling through the 6th dimension would be like traveling 3 dimensionally within the construct of time, which might be like experiencing an entirely different plane of existence where practically nothing is similar to the one you just left.
but thats all just a huge theory and there may only actually be 5 dimensions. that seems to be what those such as Stephen Hawking and Kip Thorne are saying now. but who's to say theyre right or wrong.
anyway though lol, as far as how they do it in Magic, yeah they probably just need a lot of mana to do it. scientifically, they very well could be creating tiny wormholes.
January 25, 2016 10:17 p.m.
RussischerZar says... #7
Many stories also describe spontaneous planeswalking as much more dangerous than prepared PWing, as you might get lost in the blind eternities or arrive on a plane that you didn't want to go to in the first place.
E.g. in the book The Purifying Fire, Chandra and Gideon are stuck on a plane with only black mana after Chandra PWs with pretty much 0 preparation and Gideon follows her. Therefore I conclude that appropriate mana is necessary to planeswalk.
January 27, 2016 10:43 a.m.
Postmortal_Pop says... #8
RussischerZar any theories on effect this would have on colorless planeswalkers like ugin or Karn?
lemmingllama says... #2
Planeswalking is moving into the Blind Eternities, then traveling though them to "adjacent" planes. They need to focus to planeswalk, although it doesn't take a long time to do the move.
Also I do believe that it requires mana. If I recall, the book "Shattered Chains" left Greensleeves stranded on Phyrexia due to it's lack of mana. However, that was before they retconned everything, so I'm unsure.
As for being alive or dead, I don't think that injuries would be an issue so long as you have the power and focus to planeswalk.
Most of this is just remembering lore, so not sure if it's accurate.
January 25, 2016 6:34 p.m.