Hexing and EMP Hardening

[Jaxom Faux]

according to the rulebook it's dependent on the age of the tech vs the age of the wizard. so if you have a 600 yr old wizard vacuum tubes WILL explode frequently.

[theDwarf]

Butter's theory doesn't really explain why internal combustion engines can be hexed. There's no way an emp could take out something like the beetle, but magic can.

   If I recall correctly the Blue Beetle has lots of problems with misfiring, etc, and Harry speculates it only keeps running because his mechanic is a genius IIRC.  If hexing creates electronic sparking it could cause cylinders to fire at inappropriate times causing a LOT of extra wear & tear on the engine.

As for vehicles & EMPs, as I recall they are as vulnerable as other electronic devices as a strong enough EMP can melt the wires, etc.  Just like solid state tube computers were less "vulnerable" because they could stand higher surge levels than transistors, and transistors can handle more current than integrated circuits, older vehicles can stand more current than newer ones, but can be affected to some degree. 

[theDwarf]

True, but realistically if someone was busy firing a gun at Harry, would he be trying to hex it or shield from it and run away from the shooter?

I will throw this in the mix ... do you really want to be downrange of a gun that is misfiring or, worse yet, downrange of a gun that has all the ammo go off at once?

  A gun the fires too early would be at least as serious (if not more so) than a jam, but does not entirely explain Harry's preference for revolvers (chain fire of revolvers was not that rare during the days of cap & ball revolvers, thus the use of gun grease to minimize the chance).

[Bruce Coulson]

Revolver 'technology' is MUCH older than automatics for guns.  Pre-Civil War.  So, from a hex pov, more reliable.  (This does conjure up the image of a cunning hitman using a civil-war replica Gatling Gun with .22 ammo to gun down wizards...but I digress.)

Also, revolvers are easier to maintain.  Going with my 'micro-threshold' idea, it takes less time to keep them functioning around a wizard.  (They also don't leave shell casings around for pesky police forensics.)

re hexxing armed opponents; it's rare that we see ONE gunman sent after Harry, or anyone else.  So, while you're hexxing a gun, the other people are shooting at you...or you could run, get behind cover, throw up a shield, etc. and protect yourself from ALL the shooters.

'micro-thresholds' also explain why Michael has ANY spare time, given that Molly is living at home...

[Tzarii]

Aloha, and hello.  Back from my sabatical. As a person who knows a metric ton about EMPs and EMP (due to personal interest and study) as well as some working knowledge of fire arms I would like to add some points to go along with Bruce's. I promise I will not be too wordy.

1.  Reasons a Glock would work under magical stress or why Kincaid uses it.  Glocks are mechanically designed to not fail under circumstances that would prove otherwise and are probably the closest thing to artisan guns these days (Yes desert eagles are prettier but there is a good reason why a glock won't jam, and if maintained properly can be fired after situations that are normally reserved for showing off the reliability of an AK-47, it's how they are designed.)  Another issue is the people who work for Glock have pride in their work, and make great strives in innovation.  Much the same ways that several revolver manufactures did back in the day.  Sounds like a bunch of mortals putting a loving threshold onto a gun to me. However a weakness Glocks would have is most models are made out of plastic.  So if a hex doesn't work some spells at the gun would easily end it due to the nature of the material. Then again when someone is shooting at you I am pretty sure the last thought in going through your mind would be "Wait a second that is a glock!  If I freeze it the gun will break into a million tiny peices when the guy drops it!"  This makes me ask Bruce about other reliable guns like the AK47 or the thompson Sub-machine gun which use low tech and are highly reliable (one of my squad leaders found a Tommy gun from WWII that was still friring and got to use because he was the only one who knew how to.)

2.  On actual EMPs.  The most common thing that causes an EMP is explosions-- well besides angy hexing wizards.  That being said there is lots of actual technology for making EMP Generation that could theoretically be toted by a wizard due to it's nature.  That being said most devices would not be easy to hand carry.  Most of this goes along with Bruce's previous statement (IE weapon was designed to CREATE AN EMP for one use or multi use therefore it should be able to at least withstand some minor hexing etc.) Additionally some EMP technology that was non nuclear explosion type was made in 1951, while after WWII most of it was indeed WWII tech. Hilariously though, an EMP works in real life how Jim portrays the wizards magic field.  You have unaimed dome/explosion/Radial EMP (Via Nuke or Wizards Field) Or an Aimed EMP (Via EMP Bomb or http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_pumped_flux_compression_generator or Hex Spell.)  An Aimed EMP works like this you have the Power source which is conditioned via modulation, which goes through an electron source, which is then accelerated through a microwave source and then aimed using something.  Which is basically how Harry aims his Hex spell. A wizard could likely use the second method I suggested earlier make some huge explody spell on the EPFCG and basically do a conical hex on an area.  That being said most EMP's require explosion, the portable that doesn't a Wizard maybe could use, but I wouldn't be surprised if it went off early. 

I hope I have not infuriated anyone.

[Bruce Coulson]

Low-tech guns (i.e revolvers) are more resistant due to low tech.  (We've never seen someone go after a wizard with black-powder weaponry, but there's no reason to assume it wouldn't work.  Of course, the huge clouds of blue smoke and the big noises might attract more mortal (police) attention...)

Military-grade weaponry is designed to work despite being used by the lowest common denominator (infantry soldier) under harsh conditions without regular maintenence, often in ways never intended by the designer.  I think "shooting at wizards with hexxing fields" qualifies.  Thompsons are pre-WW II.  AK-47s are more modern, but also have a certain mystique among people that might also protect them...briefly.

I wasn't aware of the intricacies of Glock manufacture.  That certainly does sound like mortal craftsmen making a product that will work at all times, and thus a 'micro-threshold'.  Or maybe Kincaid just appreciates good quality work in instruments of death.

I only have a basic knowledge of EMPs, so I will accept your obviously superior expertise there.

[Tzarii]

Having friends who work for Glock and actually seeing them work helps with the knowledge.  By the way, my friend who works there read the books too and suprisingly enough, is a fan of Kincaid. That being said Glocks are not cheap. I can tell you one military gun that would fail the second a wizard looked at it though, M-16 A1-4 or an M4.  Just trust me on this. 

As for no black powder yet, well Black Powder Rifle hunting is a popular sport in the Midwest and the Rifles do have slugs that are 50 cal.  Actually they are the easiest guns to purchase legally due some being also considered collectors items.

Oh and another note on EMP's hexing an actual item can cause one to occur!  An  example would be like a microwave or a vacum as both produce minor emps already.  If a wizard strayed near a transformer and needed to kill all electronics within a certain radius he could cause one there as well, though most people forget EMP = Permanent Death of electronics. Also EMPs while most people don't think they cause any pain or do anything within a short enough radius and a well aimed shot can actually cause serious pain and even lead to cancer down the road if it is high powered enough.  But if your using such an EMP I am sure that is the last thing on your mind. If you wanted to just get redonkulous with EMP fun you could somehow manage to get a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davy_Crockett_(nuclear_device).  Which would be also probably the best way to take down some eldritch horror.

[toturi]

With respect to wizards and technology, I realised something else while taking my kid cousin to school this morning. She had to bring a lot of electronics for school. Everyone in her class had a tablet PC, they do their homework on the PCs and email their teachers when they have finished. She MSNs her teachers if she doesn't understand any of the subjects. She had a watch and a handphone as well. So are young Harriet Potters unable to go to normal schools?

I think there's a new project coming up so that students can take the national exams electronically too. I am not sure how Molly's going to pass math. Slide rules and tables are a lot slower than an electronic calculator and exams have a time factor too.

[mime64]

Mac's Pub is designed to diffuse magical energies from large groups of grumpy wizards. One would assume, something could be done, faroday style, to allow a wizard to use advanced technology. Maybe, create a device that discharges magic pulses the way a computer technician can wear a static wire?

[mime64]

Dupe

[GruffAndTumble]

The design of McAnally's has very little to do with Faraday Cages other than intent, and certainly it has absolutely no commonality with a technologically created one. The "grounding" effect is derived entirely through mystic symbolism and correspondences. Furthermore, it is not a purely "anti-hex" utility. During the pre-Darkhallow events, the pub was mostly clear of the bad vibes that blanketed the city.

Mechanically, I'd represent this by a specialized Threshold effect, that insulates rather than suppressing.

EDIT: It's worth noting, that no one has ever been explicitly invited inside. If there is a threshold or threshold-like effect capable of attaching to a place of business (which, considering the homey atmosphere, does not seem unlikely), it seems like that would be a useful way to play it.

[Midget Ninja]

Is there anything stopping a wizard from just putting down a circle around some tech? It seems very possible to put a circle around a water heater at least...(Cold showers are AWFUL)

[Bruce Coulson]

The implication is that eventually, technology WILL fail around a wizard if the item rmeains in his/her vicinity long enough.  All you can do slow the process down a little bit.

But fear not!  There are a LOT of 'modern' conveniences available through low-tech.  Check out your local camping stores.  I've been told that even hot showers are possible thanks to solar-powered (as in letting sunlight in and storing heat) devices; they're used at Pennsic and other SCA events all the time.

Also, if the wizard is far enough away from the technology, it will hold up.  With enough money, you could store 'off-site' certain items (e.g. water heaters) since all you need is the hot water from them.

There's also boiling the water, putting it in a gravity-feed basin, and showering that way.

[Slife]

Or just use those environ-friendly solar water heaters.  Get a tax break, even.