There are five basic kinds of science found throughout the Worlds. Each has a nearly infinite variety of forms, but these are mostly cosmetic differences. Each World can support different levels of each type of science. Low ratings support only simple applications, while higher ratings support complex, powerful techniques. Some technologies work off of two or more sciences, making them even less reliable. To tell if your device, spell, power, or whatever will work in a given World, just make sure its "pillar ratings" are lower than those of the World. (The Pillar Ratings of a World are always noted on the sides of Gates leading to it.)

Physics (P) Laws of Motion

Physical sciences are characterized by a focus on the inanimate universe and a dedication to strict research methodology. They study the laws of action and reaction that govern the interactions of material objects, from the largest stars to the tiniest quantum particles. In application, the laws of motion are used to create machines and devices of many levels of complexity. The sentients of high-physics Worlds make extensive use of tools for just about everything and tend to think of themselves as separate from, or elevated above, the rest of the natural order.

P1 - At their weakest, the laws of motion cannot overcome chaos enough for even the least complex machines to function. Only the material properties of objects can be used: weight, sharpness, hardness, etc. Metals can be smelted into alloys and forged into solid weapons like swords, hammers, and spears. Simple machines like pulleys and levers work, but the more you put together into one machine, the higher the chance that something will go wrong.

P2 - At level two, chaos infringes only on the microscopic scale, leaving macro-scale machines to their work. Steam power is common on P2 Worlds, as is clockwork machinery. Small, moving parts allow modern firearms to function, and such weapons are common all across the Worlds. Simple manipulation of magnetism and static electricity is possible at this level, but not nearly as useful as those of level three.

P3 - The laws of motion are now strong enough to be applied against microscopic particles,too, but only so long as they remain contained within macroscopic objects. Electronics, electromagnetic forces pulled through wires or circuits, is the most common technology on P3 Worlds. Lasers, holograms, other photonics are the closest P3 Worlds can get to the free energy technologies of the higher physics levels.

P4 - This is the last level at which material objects are important to physical sciences. However, it is also the level at which nanites become fully functional, leading to astounding industrial advancements. Given enough raw materials, nanotech is capable of building objects at the particle level... and tearing them apart in the same manner. The first true free energy technology occurs at this level as well: gravitics. Gravity manipulation does for travel and communication what nanites do for material science.

P5 - At their strongest, the laws of motion can be applied to all things regardless of scale or complexity. Teleportation, matter creation/destruction, self-contained energy fields, and other technological wonders become commonplace. Devices can be constructed purely out of energy, seeming to most observers like spirits or magic spells.

Physics & Other Pillars

Techniques from the other Pillars are often combined with physics to create machines that exhibit magical or psychic powers. Another common practice is cybernetics: the incorporation of devices into the body. In gated Worlds, this is usually done via nanotechnology to avoid invasive surgery and other complications. In most cases, additional capabilities are added to the body without impairing normal, pre-existing bodily functions.

Biotics (B) Laws of Combination

All inhabited Worlds have a Biotics rating of at least 2. Any lower, and only single-celled organisms could survive. Biotic science governs organic matter from the simplest bacteria to the most complex shapeshifters. Biotic technologies usually involve combining characteristics from different creatures into new life forms. Body modification is a very common practice in high Biotic Worlds not controlled by the Church of the Living Worlds. Any kind of matter that grows and reproduces is a manifestation of Biotics.

B1 - Only the simplest chemical reactions occur reliably at this level: combustion, oxidation, corrosion, etc. Some single-celled organisms may evolve, but few things beyond a virus or ameba can survive. That is why there are virtually no gated Worlds with Biotics One ratings.

B2 - Only different degrees of a trait can be combined at this level. However, this is enough for natural evolution to do its work, resulting in countless forms of life. Organic drugs and medications can be harvested and, to a certain extent, manufactured. Selective breeding is the only way to create new forms of life by design. Multicellular creatures are composed of systems so complex that they require at least a B2 to continue functioning.

B3 - Genetic engineering becomes possible at this level, allowing humans to create creatures with combinations of similar traits. In other words, any trait or ability possessed by a natural creature can be grafted into any other creature. The applications for medicine, body modification, and biological warfare are astounding.

B4 - At this level, even dissimilar traits (like those of inanimate objects) can be combined with life. Cells can be made to flow like water and change their appearance at will, which makes fully functional shapeshifters possible. So-called "living metal" can be grown instead of mined, integrated with other organic systems (like limbs that shapeshift into blades), and it even repairs itself when damaged. Many sentients, especially immortals, use B4 technology to make their bodies regenerate almost instantly.

B5 - Life at this level can possess abstract or even contradictory traits; they can pass through matter, exist in multiple locations at once, and otherwise defy rational explanation. In fact, some of these beings are worshipped as gods by less powerful creatures... including humans.

Biotics & Other Pillars

At levels 3-5, biological sciences are often used to incorporate machines and objects into the body. Making something a part of your being is the ultimate in convenience, the end result of the process of miniaturization. Magic can be combined with Biotics to produce creatures with magical abilities and/or spells that create complex, biological effects.

Psionics (Y) Laws of Unity

In Worlds with psychic phenomena, all things are connected to each other, they are part of a greater Unity. Each object or creature is to the Unity as a single drop of water is to the ocean. Those who can let go of their individual existence, their Self, can reach out to and manipulate the Unity... and, therefore, anything else in the World. The application of Psionics usually takes the form of "powers" or "supernatural" abilities gained through intense meditation and self-exploration.

Y1 - (The last three Pillars follow very similar patterns.) Even the most powerful psychic can get little more than vague premonitions and intuitive senses from the Unity of Psionics One Worlds. Before opening a gate, most Y1 civilizations regard psychic phenomenon as little more than superstition, though many build elaborate belief systems around these subtle effects.

Y2 - The sensory-expansions of level one become far clearer and more reliable at level two. Clairvoyants can "see" into the past and across incredible distances. Prophesies and visions of the future, though more dependable than at Y1, are still merely projections of things that could be. Minor influence can also be exerted over the minds and senses of others; enhanced suggestion, hypnosis, and "dream-walking" are common examples.

Y3 - This level is the home of the telepath. Minds can be read, memories altered, thoughts broadcast, senses fooled, and much more. Privacy is a sensitive issue on Y3+ Worlds, where most sentient beings are at least familiar with mental defense techniques. Subtle telekinetic effects are also possible, but mostly limited to boosting or suppressing preexisting forces.

Y4 - Full manipulation of physical objects becomes possible at this level. Levitation, telekinesis, shapeshifting, pyrokinesis, and similar arts are all widely used in warfare, industry, and daily life. Astral project allows psychics to combine telekinesis and clairvoyance to seemingly separate their minds from their bodies, though this is a matter of semantics.

Y5 - Psychics at this level can mold the Unity like clay. Skilled sentients can conjure objects out of nothing, step from one place to another without crossing the intervening space, alter the flow of time, and perform other "impossible" feats.

Psionics & Other Pillars

Due to its focus on the innate, psychic abilities of sentients, Psionics are not easily combined with other Pillars. Psi-tech, electronic devices that exhibit psychic abilities, is the only wide-spread example.

Hermetics (H) Laws of Sacrifice

The sciences of this Pillar follow the Law of Sacrifice: to get one thing, you must give up something else. Hermetic Worlds possess a kind of inherent balance; magi learn to generate specific effects by upsetting that balance in specific ways. Memory loss, chronic illness, self-mutilation, compulsive behavior, and blood sacrifice are all possible prices for hermetic magic. The law of conservation (which states that matter and energy can be neither created nor destroyed, only exchanged) is the most basic manifestation of Hermetics.

H1 - So much chaos is involved in Hermetic exchanges at this level that even the simplest spells fail almost immediately. Vague premonitions and subconscious telepathy are the only possible effects, and these are far from reliable. Luck charms are sometimes made on H1 Worlds, but their effectiveness is questionable. Even a truly significant, personal sacrifice will yield unpredictable results.

H2 - Divinations are far clearer and more reliable at level two. Seeing stones, magic mirrors, and other such devices are commonly used for communication and surveillance. Hermetics can also influence the minds of sentients and animals; commands can be given supernatural authority, dreams can be shared and manipulated, and full sensory hallucination can be induced. By the same token, neurological effects like blindness, paralysis, and sleep can be caused in the body.

H3 - Total domination of the mind becomes possible at this level. Illusions can now be projected into space, affecting anyone who observes them. Magic can also create subtle effects in physical objects, from guiding an arrow to its target accelerating the healing process. Some control over weather and the elements is also possible.

H4 - Hermetic spells can now directly and dramatically affect the material world. Magical healing can cure mundane afflictions in minutes. Telekinesis and shapeshifting also become practical. Fire and lightning can be produced from the air. Magic is commonly used for transportation, manufacturing, and warfare.

H5 - At this level, the only limit to the power of a ritual is the value of what can be sacrificed. Objects can be transmuted at will. Space and time can be permanently altered to create places that exist in two places at once, twist and turn against the laws of physics and geometry, and otherwise defy comprehension. If you can give up something as valuable as the spell's effect, it can be done.

Hermetics & Other Pillars

A simple sacrifice can be used to boost the power of any other science or technology, or help circumvent engineering problems in physical and biological systems. The most well-known example is Wyrd Tech, a system of sacrificing repeatability for power when building P2 devices. Due to the sacrifice, no two Wyrd Tech machines are ever made the same way.

Sympathetics (S) Laws of Similarity

This final science can be summed up in three worlds: Like Produces Like. Without any direct causal connections, any object or event in the World can affect any similar object or event. Totems, artwork, runes, and other mimicry become the tools of the trade. Sympathetic spells last as long as the painting, clay model, rune structure, or whatever remains intact. The intuitive mature of these techniques, combined with the lack of personal sacrifice, makes them more appealing than Hermetics to many would-be magi.

S1 - Complex fortune-telling systems, like numerology and astrology, can yield valid predictions, but only in vague terms that require extensive interpretation. Historical figures are sometimes used in art and jewelry as luck charms of various kinds. Sympathy still affects the behavior of sub-atomic particles, but such phenomenon are useless to sentients without P4 or higher technology.

S2 - This this level, the Laws of Sympathy begin to take shape in ways sentients can easily perceive: omens, signs, and other symbols. By carefully observing and recording these symbols, magi can construct systems of divination to recall the past, see distant places, and predict the future. The complex systems mentioned above can still be used, but are often supplanted by simpler techniques like tarot cards, rune stones, and even tea leaves. Finally, some complex sympathetic spells can even create minor effects in the minds of others: hallucinations, thought disorders, strengthen/weaken emotions, etc.

S3 - Sympathetic magic at this level can control the minds of others directly, editing their thoughts and memories, dictating their actions, and altering their emotions. It can also create illusions in real space by simply drawing a representation of the illusion on a medium similar to the target area (a stone slab for a stone wall, watercolors for the open ocean, etc). Finally, subtle changes can be made to the material World; so-called "rain dances" can influence the weather, wards can bend the paths of bullets, walls and other structures can be made more resilient, and much more.

S4 - The power of imitation is now so strong that images, sculptures, runes, and other sympathetic techniques can produce overt, direct changes in the physical world. Walls of force, fiery explosions, instantaneous healing, shapeshifting, and similar feats can be accomplished by simply drawing them, imitating them, etc. Rune Magic really comes into its own at this level due to its advanced ability to represent complex interactions and associations.

S5 - At their peak, the Laws of Sympathy can alter reality itself through symbols and abstract meaning. Often, (semi)intelligent beings manifest as embodiments of places, times, or ideals. These naturally-occuring constructs are called "archetypes" or "avatars" by most, and "gods" by some others. Sentient beings can also alter reality. For example, many S5 Worlds achieve teleportation by constructing identical rooms in distant places. If they are similar enough, they become effectively the same room.

Sympathetics & Other Pillars

Building a device that resembles something else can grant it special characteristics. For example, Mechanae are P2 mechanical sculptures of animals. On S3+ Worlds, the resemblance allows them to move on their own, use the animal's typical senses, and even learn simple behaviors. Atavists use biogenic and cybernetic body modification to achieve similar results, sculpting their bodies to resemble a totem animal they worship.

Other Notes

Every World has a 1-5 rating in each of the Pillars. Ratings below the minimums mentioned above result in Worlds too inhospitable for habitation by most life forms. Radically different Worlds, those which defy classification, are only useful if they shed energy of some kind. Gates to such Worlds are used to generate clean, cheap power in many civilizations.

The only pattern to Pillar ratings seems to be that few Worlds have ratings whose total is greater than 15. It is theorized that, when too many opposing Laws of Nature try to coexist, they either tear the reality apart or equalize down to an average of three.

A Note on Notation: Pillar ratings are given on every Gate and commercial object in the Worlds, noted as a paired letter (P,B,Y,H, or S, as noted above) and a number (1-5). If more than one alpha-numeric pair appear together on an object (ie, P3Y4), it means that both requirements must be met for it to work. Redundant systems are noted by pairs separated by a comma (ie, P3,Y4) and mean that the device works if either requirement is met. Finally, some devices (particularly magical ones) operate at different levels at each Pillar rating; these are denoted by a letter without a number and indicate that the devices will produce the most powerful version of its effect its location will allow.