Comments on: Maxims of the Dresdenverse (Part 2) http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/ Bringing the World of Jim Butcher's Dresden Files to the Tabletop Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:24:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Perrin Rynning http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-3137 Perrin Rynning Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:50:58 +0000 http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/?p=526#comment-3137 <a href="#comment-3070" rel="nofollow">@ Maria </a> Aw, that's taking the easy way out. :) But you do make a very good point: Many of us posters, like Harry, are just used to doing stuff on our own. Being a tech-nerd of marginal skills, I know that the prospect of going through life without being able to use computers gives me an unpleasant shiver. Therefore, if my magic were to kick in and erase all my hard-drives ("My resume! My mp3 collection! My fan-fic! NOOOOO!!!"), my reflex response would be to come up with a new kind of computer that my magic wouldn't screw up. Eventually, of course, my long-suffering girlfriend would point out that there was still an outside chance that the data would be recoverable, but only if someone else did it. At which point, I would stop goofing around with Lego pieces (which would represent the limit of my budget)... http://acarol.woz.org/ ... and start working on getting my magic under control. Getting back to magic vs. technology, I think that it will be very interesting to watch the interactions over time. Does the actual age of the technology matter, or is it a function of the individual wizard's world-view? For example, will Molly be forced to drive a classic VW as well (or a genuine WW II-era Jeep), or will her own technological cut-off point let her drive something of slightly more recent design? Say, a black 1967 Chevy Impala? @

Maria
 Aw, that’s taking the easy way out. :) But you do make a very good point: Many of us posters, like Harry, are just used to doing stuff on our own. Being a tech-nerd of marginal skills, I know that the prospect of going through life without being able to use computers gives me an unpleasant shiver. Therefore, if my magic were to kick in and erase all my hard-drives (“My resume! My mp3 collection! My fan-fic! NOOOOO!!!”), my reflex response would be to come up with a new kind of computer that my magic wouldn’t screw up.
Eventually, of course, my long-suffering girlfriend would point out that there was still an outside chance that the data would be recoverable, but only if someone else did it.
At which point, I would stop goofing around with Lego pieces (which would represent the limit of my budget)…
http://acarol.woz.org/
… and start working on getting my magic under control.
Getting back to magic vs. technology, I think that it will be very interesting to watch the interactions over time. Does the actual age of the technology matter, or is it a function of the individual wizard’s world-view? For example, will Molly be forced to drive a classic VW as well (or a genuine WW II-era Jeep), or will her own technological cut-off point let her drive something of slightly more recent design?
Say, a black 1967 Chevy Impala?

]]> By: Samara http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-3072 Samara Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:00:06 +0000 http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/?p=526#comment-3072 The theory works in macs bar.. it is the way it is arranged that disrupts magical energies.. same concept, smaller scale The theory works in macs bar.. it is the way it is arranged that disrupts magical energies.. same concept, smaller scale

]]> By: Maria http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-3070 Maria Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:28:41 +0000 http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/?p=526#comment-3070 <a href="#comment-3030" rel="nofollow">@BarGamer</a> There is absolutely no reason to assume that in Dresdenverse the amount of difficulty or percent chance of something happening enters into spells at all. Its quite different. Besides, we know for a fact that magic is influenced by physics. For example when harry creates fire, he has to get the heat energy from his surroundings. he uses that principle to freeze lake Michigan. So magic on every level interacts with scientific principles. They are not mutually exclusive. it is only that electricity is affected by a wizards presense. Not that scienc is affected by the existence of magic! Also, why is everyone not thinking of the obvious? All a wizard would need to do is to GET A SECRETARY! Then he could say "Miss Jaones, can you get on the internet and look up this address, and send off these emails saying I will not attend that function, please. " OK? Done. @BarGamer
There is absolutely no reason to assume that in Dresdenverse the amount of difficulty or percent chance of something happening enters into spells at all. Its quite different. Besides, we know for a fact that magic is influenced by physics. For example when harry creates fire, he has to get the heat energy from his surroundings. he uses that principle to freeze lake Michigan. So magic on every level interacts with scientific principles. They are not mutually exclusive. it is only that electricity is affected by a wizards presense. Not that scienc is affected by the existence of magic!
Also, why is everyone not thinking of the obvious? All a wizard would need to do is to GET A SECRETARY! Then he could say “Miss Jaones, can you get on the internet and look up this address, and send off these emails saying I will not attend that function, please. ” OK? Done.

]]> By: Maria http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-3069 Maria Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:18:03 +0000 http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/?p=526#comment-3069 <a href="#comment-2871" rel="nofollow">@BarGamer</a> Nope. Michael said that he is constantly fixing things in his house, and doing preventative measures besides. You also have to remember Mollys powers were not present until her puberty. Thas when a wizards magical powers arive. So in the first few books, she would have been too young to be a problem. But as her powers have manifested he has had the usual amount of trouble. The only reason he keeps up so well is that he is a carpenter, not that he is a catholic. @BarGamer
Nope. Michael said that he is constantly fixing things in his house, and doing preventative measures besides. You also have to remember Mollys powers were not present until her puberty. Thas when a wizards magical powers arive. So in the first few books, she would have been too young to be a problem. But as her powers have manifested he has had the usual amount of trouble. The only reason he keeps up so well is that he is a carpenter, not that he is a catholic.

]]> By: Maria http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-3068 Maria Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:12:15 +0000 http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/?p=526#comment-3068 <a href="#comment-2894" rel="nofollow">@Steven Egan</a> Now that is an excelllent thought. if someone was in fact concentrating on, and protecting the tech it might work even with a wizard nearby. But someone would have to concentrate on the tech at all times. The way that a wizard affexts technology we have been taught is by an exaggerated Murphys' Law. So lets say if there is any moisture in the air, or any particle that can fall into a vent, or anything at all like that- it will. Harry tells us that. @Steven Egan
Now that is an excelllent thought. if someone was in fact concentrating on, and protecting the tech it might work even with a wizard nearby. But someone would have to concentrate on the tech at all times.
The way that a wizard affexts technology we have been taught is by an exaggerated Murphys’ Law. So lets say if there is any moisture in the air, or any particle that can fall into a vent, or anything at all like that- it will. Harry tells us that.

]]> By: Maria http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-3067 Maria Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:59:57 +0000 http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/?p=526#comment-3067 <a href="#comment-3042" rel="nofollow">@Samara</a> How would anyone know how to arrange chips to disrupt magic energy/ What makes one think that magic energy is even the same from one time to the next? Maybe one arrangement would work for one magic aura, but not for another? @Samara
How would anyone know how to arrange chips to disrupt magic energy/ What makes one think that magic energy is even the same from one time to the next? Maybe one arrangement would work for one magic aura, but not for another?

]]> By: Maria http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-3065 Maria Thu, 17 Sep 2009 01:55:52 +0000 http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/?p=526#comment-3065 <a href="#comment-2867" rel="nofollow">@fred</a> But Harry uses guns successfully on most all occasions. And Murphy, Marcone and Thomas shoot next to Harry and have no troubles. However, a supernatural can, and would put the kabash on any technology relatively easily. Think of how little trouble Shagnasty had disrupting the White Court sensors. And you know the White Court would use the best, most wizardproof tech out there. So, it is electricity that takes the hardest hit from wizards, and their strong aura, or electromagnetic field, makes good sense. @fred
But Harry uses guns successfully on most all occasions. And Murphy, Marcone and Thomas shoot next to Harry and have no troubles. However, a supernatural can, and would put the kabash on any technology relatively easily. Think of how little trouble Shagnasty had disrupting the White Court sensors. And you know the White Court would use the best, most wizardproof tech out there. So, it is electricity that takes the hardest hit from wizards, and their strong aura, or electromagnetic field, makes good sense.

]]> By: Samara http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-3051 Samara Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:26:00 +0000 http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/?p=526#comment-3051 If you take into consideration that jim's world is a variation on our own and it is getting to the point that almost any higher form of education requires use of conventional technology and most occupations are beganing to require at least an AA eventually younger wizards will need to figure out ways to use comps to get things done. cause I may be wrong cause I am only on the six book but from what I can tell it is hinted that harry is the only one, along with elaine now (bf told me that part) that uses their magic for an occupation. If you take into consideration that jim’s world is a variation on our own and it is getting to the point that almost any higher form of education requires use of conventional technology and most occupations are beganing to require at least an AA eventually younger wizards will need to figure out ways to use comps to get things done. cause I may be wrong cause I am only on the six book but from what I can tell it is hinted that harry is the only one, along with elaine now (bf told me that part) that uses their magic for an occupation.

]]> By: Korrozive http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-3047 Korrozive Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:01:02 +0000 http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/?p=526#comment-3047 <a href="#comment-3042" rel="nofollow">@Samara</a> As far as that goes, I've always understood any kind of magic item as just a piece of magic circuitry. Energy comes is, gets processed by whatever ways the particular method of enchantment uses, gets out as the proposed result. From this point of view, why would wizards ever need "conventional" technology? I fancy the ways that technology can be used _against_ them. In a way, magic users are hindered by lack of will to change their methods and (gasp!) ingenuity to do so, not lack of means to do so. IMHO. @Samara
As far as that goes, I’ve always understood any kind of magic item as just a piece of magic circuitry. Energy comes is, gets processed by whatever ways the particular method of enchantment uses, gets out as the proposed result. From this point of view, why would wizards ever need “conventional” technology? I fancy the ways that technology can be used _against_ them. In a way, magic users are hindered by lack of will to change their methods and (gasp!) ingenuity to do so, not lack of means to do so. IMHO.

]]> By: Samara http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/2009/09/01/maxims-of-the-dresdenverse-part-2/comment-page-1/#comment-3042 Samara Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:32:56 +0000 http://www.dresdenfilesrpg.com/?p=526#comment-3042 one of the things my boyfriend pointed out when I was thinking about how to make a comp dresden could use cause i was bored was that most of the chips in a computer have pointless designs lazered into them. What if you rearranged the chips to dispell magic energies, which hypothetically would work as long as things were still connected right and would prob cost a tad bit more on electricity bill, and lazer in protective runes and such onto the chips instead of the silly designs. Then you could keep it from frying the hard drive and such, then you put wards and such around the casing. could work for cell phones and such too. one of the things my boyfriend pointed out when I was thinking about how to make a comp dresden could use cause i was bored was that most of the chips in a computer have pointless designs lazered into them. What if you rearranged the chips to dispell magic energies, which hypothetically would work as long as things were still connected right and would prob cost a tad bit more on electricity bill, and lazer in protective runes and such onto the chips instead of the silly designs. Then you could keep it from frying the hard drive and such, then you put wards and such around the casing. could work for cell phones and such too.

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