The Continuum General Info FAQ

The Continuum roleplaying game has been in existence for about five years now officially, and there are many elements of the game system that have aspects to them that make the players, and GMs, think a little bit. This Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) page is designed to answer some of the commonly asked questions about the game in general, some of the basic information that players and potential GMs might wish to know, and other basics about the mechanics of the game.

General Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Continuum?

The Continuum is the society of time travellers to which the player characters belong. The basic premise of the Continuum is that the first time traveller will find that the method of time travel that she used is going to become relatively commonplace, and will be improved upon. Thus, when the first time traveller went out into the timestream or timeline, she encountered a time travelling society that was already out there. This is the Continuum. This is different than the Societies and Fraternities (see FAQ Answers below).

What is Spanning, and how does one Span?

Spanning is the ability to travel in time. The character is able to will herself to a given point in space and time, but must know the exact time and destination to which she wishes to travel. This can be accomplished by research, talking to other spanners about a given place and location, or having already been there before. Spanning is a skill that all characters who become spanners must learn, and must be raised in level. There are various pre-requisites to increasing one's level in Span ability. Those who are unable to Span are called levellers, that is, they are normal humans who cannot travel in time.

How does a player character become part of the Continuum?

A player character becomes a member of the Continuum by being invited to join the Continuum of time travellers. This invitation is called the Invitation to the Dance, and is best left to the player and GM to arrive at together (or it can be played out, if so desired). See the Continuum rulebook for more information on the Invitation to the Dance.

Who are the Narcissists?

The Narcissists, who call themselves Crashers, are the opposing faction to the Continuum. While Continuum Spanners believe that there is one universe and that you cannot change the past, the Narcissists (the name that the Spanners have given them) believe in many parallel universe (paraverses), and believe that history can be changed, and thus parallel universe are created. The Narcissists refer to the Continuum Spanners as the Swarm.

What are the Maxims of the Continuum?

The Maxims are the rules of conduct that spanners of the Continuum memorize and live by. They keep spanners clear of the dangers of fragmentation, or frag (see below), and emphasise that each spanner is responsible for her actions. For more information on the Maxims of the Continuum, see the first interior page of the Continuum rulebook.

What is Frag?

Fragmentation, commonly called frag, is caused by a blatant violation of causality which creates paradox. Both Spanners and Crashers can suffer the effects of frag. For more information on frag, see the Frag FAQ.

What is a Locality?

A Locality is a spanner's original birthplace, especially that where she was raised as a leveller. The locality is the spacetime that is most familiar to the spanner due to experience and association.

What is a Corner?

A corner is a homestead or equivalent establishment where spanners of a particular locality (see FAQ Answer above) can be themselves without leveller scrutiny. In essence, it's a local safe house or home base for spanners.

What are the Societies?

The Societies are the civilizations that exist in spacetime between Antedesertium and the Inheritors. They are made up of hundreds of individual cultures/nations which provide the society with its name. Trade and competitions among the societies make up much of the political machinations of the civilization.

What is a Fraternity?

A Fraternity is a group of spanners of like mind, usually performing a unique service to other spanners and/or the Continuum. Like a mediaeval guild, a fraternity is the profession of a spanner, when among spanners. Members of any given fraternity can be found throughout the time of the Societies, and often beyond.

What is Antedesertium?

Further information is not available here.

What are the Inheritors?

Further information is not available here.

Special thanks to Chris Adams, Dave Fooden, Barbara Manui, David Trimboli, and the folks on the Continuum Mailing List for their help in the compiling of this FAQ information.

Continuum: Roleplaying in The Yet is a trademark and copyright of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher. The Continuum Logo and other graphics are copyright of Aetherco/Dreamcatcher, and are used with their permission. All distinctive Continuum logos and terms are trademarks of Aetherco/ Dreamcatcher. No attempt is being made here to supercede any of the copyrights and trademarks mentioned above.