The Dresden Files > DFRPG
Magic and Technology
johntfs:
--- Quote ---Wizards have been around a lot longer than technology, and certain technologies were new at one point or another.
--- End quote ---
I'd take a certain amount of issue with that statement. Ultimately technology is simply the controlled application of the observed nature of the universe. At some point. The wheel is technology. Rubbing two sticks together to produce fire is technology. The construction of shelters is technology.
At its most basic level, wizardry seems to be the application of quantum probability wave collapse brought to the conscious, classical level. For example, it's extremely unlikely that the air in front of a person would suddenly form into a hard shield against bullets. However, it's not impossible, just very, very improbable.
Wizardry seems to be the process of imagining a result, however improbable that result would naturally be and then using one's will to "adjust" factors to cause that result to occur. Rings, gestures, even words are not necessary to do this. All that's ultimately needed by the wizard is his imagination and will.
So, its very probable that wizardry and technology have been around for the same length of time. Advances in technology, science and the process of thinking have informed wizardry as time has passed. Quite possibly the reverse has also been true. A wizard who causes something to be accomplished by his imagination and will might well have induced an ancient scientist to pursue that result in the natural world.
Indeed, in some ancient cultures, notably Egypt, magic and science were considered to be of a piece and reserved for the priesthood.
GraevD:
To throw out a bit of my Theory of Magic here -
Science is the objective study of the forces around us. Magic is the subjective manipulation of the forces around us.
Science is our attempt to describe, quantify, and catalog the forces acting around us. Its completely objective, as the root of science is the repeatable experiment.
Magic is an individual's way of interacting with and altering the forces around him/her. Its completely subjective, as each individual is unique.
Since electromagnetic theory and tech seems to dominate current theory, let me use electricity as a base example.
Electricity is charged particles in motion. Science as studied the generation of these particles and how they move, and we build items based on these observations. Magic, however, doesn't concern itself with the conductivity of various metals, or what materials make the best insulators. The magic user doesn't concern himself/herself with "how" a cloud forms a lightning bolt. The magic user *is* the cloud per se, and produces the charge without needing to understand the process.
My idea on older technology is The Law of Magical Inertia which states the amount of magical force an object can withstand without being altered is directly proportional to the amount of time an object has been exposed to magical forces and remained unchanged. This theory assumes magical energy exists constantly and consistantly at a low low level at all times around us. Its low enough to not affect the natural laws of science as they are. (after all, if the background magic changed natual law, then they'd be different than they are) The longer an object exists inside that background magic, the more of a resistance to magical energy it builds up. The effect magic has is to alter the inherent natural working of an object, and the long that item/object has worked that way, the more magic is needed to make that alteration. Also, an interesting side note to this in terms of tech is the alteration itself. Objects which are more basic tend to be able to withstand alteration and still function within reasonably normal parameters.
Kalium:
What I see is that it seems to be based on how the wizard regards technology. I suspect that if a wizard was your typical computer geek, then we'd see them having trouble with basically no electronics.
TMW:
I can just imagine, at some siege in the 14th century, where a wizard is standing next to a trebuchet and he mucks it up cause his personal concept of whats "new" doesn't include it.
But he's just fine with the older, more reliable catapult.
--- Quote from: Kalium on June 18, 2006, 06:36:18 PM ---What I see is that it seems to be based on how the wizard regards technology. I suspect that if a wizard was your typical computer geek, then we'd see them having trouble with basically no electronics.
--- End quote ---
This brings up an interesting question...what about the concept of "technomages", or wizards whose main medium is technology...or, more specifically, the mass movement of electrons within a electronic device.
Would there be rules for that sort of thing?
Kalium:
That makes me think of the old World of Darkness and the Sons of Ether/Virtual Adepts.
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