Superscience

Superscience is a special TL that is outside the normal GURPS TL scale.

What is Superscience in GURPS 4e?

“Superscience” technologies violate currently understood physical laws – relativity, conservation of energy, etc. For this reason is impossible to set a firm TL for superscience making any number assigned to the "^" arbitrary and limited to a particular game world ie what maybe TL5^ is one setting could be TL (4+3)^ in other.

It is this that makes Ultra-Tech assigning "a default TL" so GMs have a ready-to-use catalog handy guidelines for gadgeteering somewhat nonsensical (it even admits that superscience can appear earlier)

This is why broadcast power has two totally different TLs: TL6^ (Infinite Worlds, Gernsback) and TL10^ (Ultra-Tech).

It is also why you would call Columbia from Bioshock Infinite a Sky City (TL (5+1)^) rather then a Castle in the Air (TL10^) - the TL connected with the "^" is game world specific.

The Main Problem

The superscience category didn't exist in Classic and so books like Classic: Steampunk and Steamtech used TL(x+y) to denote both divergent TL (vanilla TL(x+y) and superscience TL (TLx^ or TL(x+y)^). If that wasn't enough actual TL6 inventions were listed as TL(5+1). So Aspirin and a superscience drug like Atavismine were both listed as TL(5+1) in GURPS Classic edition.

Unfortunately superscience was associated with the specific TL it appears even if the overall TL has moved on. Things are complicated by the fact the dates given for when TLs begin should be viewed as rough approximations not hard and fast dates. This makes it difficult to figure out just where some of the borderline cases reside.

For example, the Nautilus of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (advanced submarine) uses cinematic sodium/mercury batteries which it must return to base to recharge. In GURPS Classic advanced submarine was listed TL(5+1) which was still true in GURPS Adaptations (2016) but changed to TL(5+1)^ in Vehicles: Steampunk Conveyances (2017) which was the year Adaptations got an update. This is clouded a bit by unofficial takes that make Verne’s Nautilus nuclear powered (TL7).

Steampunk 2: Steam and Shellfire has formalized the TL(x+y)^ format for Divergent Technology that requires superscience to function. Spaceships 7: Divergent and Paranormal Tech uses a slightly different TL(x+y^) but the basic concept remains the same.

GURPS Realm Management formally established that enough "various large-scale magics" is a form of superscience.

Determining Related TLs

Since superscience in a way is a form of magic GURPS Fantasy' When Magic Becomes Technology guidelines can be tweeked and combined with GURPS Adaptations' guidelines to produce these rules of thumb:

• Look at a number of commonly used non-superscience technological items and plot them using the relevant tech book (GURPS Low-Tech, GURPS High-Tech, and/or GURPS Ultra-Tech) using the lowest Tech Level possible. Ideally, there should be a cluster around one or two TLs for each of the technological categories (Transportation; Weapons and Armor; Power; Biotechnology/Medicine).
• If the setting is largely Divergent Technology use the closest "regular" equivalent.

Examples

General

"Establishing a guild implies that mages are in business largely to earn money. This is most likely in a world where magic is a regular part of daily life (see Magical Reliability, p. 30). Such a world may look medieval, but its effective TL is likely to be TL(3+1) or TL(3+2); see p. B513."

Worlds

Alfheim: TL3^ because no "technology" (presumably including alternate TLs) above TL3 works or quickly falls apart.

Azoth-4: China is at TL2^ with everybody else at the TLs they were in 1010.

Azoth-7: TL(4+2) (TL4^ space and weapons). This demonstrates how taking the TL associated with superscience literally produces really silly results. If taken as actually presented, Astronomy on the ground is TL(4+2) in Azoth-7 but TL4^ on a space ship which incurs penalties when going from one to the other.

Britannica-5 has antimatter bombs but is put at TL5^ rather then the TL10 that the Basic set says such technology is "normally" developed at.

In fact, Britannica-5 shows another aspect of superscience: much earlier development of technology that would "normally" happen far latter. So a TL7 computer that is somehow invented at TL4 would a TL4^ device not TL7. More over its Infinite Worlds description is totally useless at figuring what the TL is: "Britannica-5 is a steampunk reality absorbed into Zone Green a decade ago." (that's it) Per Classic: Steampunk Britannica-5 would likely be called TL(5+1) rather then the TL5^ it properly got.

Cyrano: TL(5+4) (space travel, TL4^); effectively same situation as Azoth-7.

Etheria: TL(5+1) (etheric spacecraft, TL5^) - updated version of Classic: Steampunk world which was originally simply TL(5+1). It is stated that it has "subtly askew physical laws" (Venus and Mars are habitual without spacesuits).

Falkenstein: a strange blend of sorcery and TL(5+1) technologies has raised Bavaria to near-great power status; elves, dragons, and other nonhuman races abound. See Classic: Castle Falkenstein for further details.". Magic has existed here and has effected technology for a long time.

Futura: TL(5+1)^

Jotunheim: cosmic energy effectively replaces atomic power and it is called TL7^.

Muspellheim is a mixture of TL(6+3) and TL7^ thanks to reverse-engineering of UFO technology.

Merlin-1: TL(7+1) magitech. Likely has a mixture of TL7^ and TL(7+1)^ due to the magic.

Roma Arcana (Rome-6): TL2 with mythic and magical elements.

Thaumata: TL(2+7)

Yrth: 3-5 (gunpowder suppressed; some TL3/6+ elements from newcomers) However even with gunpowder suppressed magic allows the production of TL5-6 equivalents.

For example, Shape Metal combined with coal and water could easily produce steam power which would totally change the balance of power. Many other spells could be used in this manner to produce TL5-6 items, and you really can't hand wave that with the idea that the mages wouldn't allow such tech because it would threaten their power.

Anyone who has looked at the Gilded Age can see how rubbish that idea is as the Robber Barons had great amounts of political power with no magic. Yrth mages would gain even more power so unless they are idiots something else (or someone else) is slowing technological development on Yrth.

Equipment

GURPS Ultra-Tech lists a lot of Superscience tech. Remember that even though there is a number with the "^" that really doesn't mean anything.

Dead End Divergent TL devices

Then there is the technology that didn't go anywhere but worked. For example the heavier than air steam powered flying machine of 1848...though flying would be generous. Hopping might be a better term. A better version appeared in 1874 but that was more a powered glider then what we would consider an aircraft. In 1890 there was another short flight by a steam powered aircraft, the 1894 flight of another steam powered aircraft had a trip of several hundred feet. It would be 1933 before Besler made a steam powered plane that actually flew. So depending on how it was achieved a heavier than air steam powered flying machine could be TL5^ or a TL(5+1) invention.

Examples on Using Superscience

It existed...but didn't actually work

These are all real world discoveries, inventions, or methods that didn't work because (unknown to the people at the time) they violated physical laws or were based on flawed understanding. In a superscience world these could have actually existed or worked as presented.

Electropathic Belt (TL6): In the real world this didn't do anything. In a superscience setting "it increases the wearer's HT to 10, if it was below that level".

N-Rays ("discovered" in 1895): they were actually the result of experimenter bias. In a superscience world they could actually exist.

Phrenology (lampooned in Bowery Bugs; TL5): the shape of, size of, and bumps on the skull denotes intelligence and certain personality traits.

The Tempest Prognosticator (TL5): appeared in the Crystal Palace exhibition of 1851. It was supposed to predict the weather. In the real world it, at best, amounted to little more then a very crude barometer but in a superscience setting it can give a +2 to Meteorology. If the GM wants to whole hog with the superscience it can predict earthquakes as well.

Lord Kelvin's Water-Drop Electrostatic Generator (TL5): In the real world it has been relegated to the demonstrate the principles of electrostatics in physics education. In a superscience world it could be more useful then Volta's Pile.

Cheirometer (TL(5+1)): A limited version of the Bertillon System of Criminal Identification system, which served the same function as fingerprints by "the meticulous measurement and recording of different parts and components of the human body" and still survives in the form of mug shots. This focuses on the measurements of only the hands.

Nearly all pre 1940s science fiction

Around TL(6+x)^ with the occasional higher "realistic" TL appearing.

Star Trek Original Series (TOS)

TL(6+3)^ (transtator; TL6^; Medicine; TL7^)...maybe. See Star Fleet Universe Tech Levels (GURPS Prime Directive) for details.

EU Star Wars

As with Star Trek much of Star Wars tech is superscience. Since it is based off of 1930s-1940s serials TL(6+x)^ is a reasonable baseline with the cluster at TL(6+3)^ to TL(6+4)^. See GURPS Star Wars for details.

Space 1889

A Victorian-era space-faring setting similar to Etheria with a similar mixture of technology much of which is in the TL(5+1)^ to TL(6+1)^ range.

D&D

The AD&D supplement Ravenloft: Domains of Dread introduced the concept of Cultural Levels which roughly equate to GURPS TLs.

The presence of magic does mess up the TL scale a bit as if it is common enough then by Niven's Law ("Any sufficiently advanced magic is indistinguishable from technology.") the Equivalent TL can appear to be much higher then the "actual" TL. For instance, Spelljammer's magical based interplanetary travel would give ETL9 for transportation but thanks to the Gnomish Sidewheeler and Gallon it is clearly a divergent superscience of TL4.Therefore Starjammer is TL4^ to TL(4+x)^

Azeroth (World of Warcraft)

Mixture of TL3^ through TL6-7^.

Castles are TL3 in design, TL4-5 gunpowder weapons are all over the place, Dwarves can build TL5-6 tanks, and there the Gnomes and Goblins whose TL6-7 superscience inventions are just as likely to blow up in your face as work as intended. In some cases magic powers these machines and devices or they violate physical laws hence the "^".

See Also

• Equivalent TL
• TL^ (Superscience Tech)
• Clarktech series - part of Isaac Arthur's excellent series on Space Exploration and Space technology