The Dresden Files > DFRPG
Law Talk
Tedronai:
IF there were active entities involved in 'enforcing' the 'cosmic truth' portion of the Laws, it would NOT be the entities that OPPOSE those actions.
Breaking a Law once makes the individual MORE likely to do so again. The Council wants people to NOT kill, forcibly transform, time-travel, etc. That's why they decapitate Lawbreakers. Making people more likely to do those things would be imbecilic.
solbergb:
The lawbreaking feats leave a mark that can be detected via Sight and Soulgaze, which shows who can be decapitated and who can not. The use of magic to break the laws actually turns on the person doing it, reducing their free will until eventually they're raving lunatics that are unable to do anything but behave that way. The aspects they create are double-edged, as are all aspects. Getting lawbreaker 1 makes you better at killing, and worse at any other option.
In the case of Killing, physical and mental transformation, and outsiders, it's pretty obvious who would provide the "you're better at it" part and who would provide the "and you become incapable of keeping it subtle, so you get caught/executed/self-destruct" part. The time travel and invading minds part is more problematic, but both are impossible to prove without leaving some traces and for all we know there are adversaries trying to spin off alternate realities and I'd say the Oblivion wars provide enough on both sides to result in the mind-reading lawbreaking. The unknowns are why I find it interesting as a plot point. If you assume, say, Denarians are working to encourage more killing with magic and Knights of the Cross & their boss are trying to reduce killing with magic, and the extension works pretty well with known groups for several laws, then you get interested in the remaining laws and discovering the truth behind it is a whole campaign worth of story.
jstomel:
I agree that you can seek knowledge about the outer gates so long as it doesn't come from beyond the outer gates. So using a library that has information about how to fight outsiders is fine, so long as the book isn't from outside.
As for the lawbreaking feats leaving a mark that can be detected by the sight and soulgaze, my understanding is that such things are indicators but may not be completely reliable. Otherwise the wardens would have a much easier job. The Korean warlock that they mentioned confirming guilt by soulgaze in PG was so far over the bend that it was probably fairly easy to see, especially for someone of the Merlin's skill. It is also my understanding that such things are easier to detect the more recently they have been used. In Backup, (click to show/hide)Thomas notes that the reason the Stygian sister didn't just off him with magic is because that would have left a black magic mark that Harry might have sensed. Since it is unlikely that she had never done any black magic, it is implied that the recent proximity of the event would result in a greater likelihood of it's detection.
blackstaff67:
Lawbreaker the 1st question: Wizard A (A PC) tries to fight Outsiders by getting blood samples from the to use in a Thaumaturgic Ritual to destroy it, ignorant of the fact the blood he is using in fact belongs to a fellow wizard B (another PC). Ritual goes off, but winds up killing Wizard B. Lawbreaker or not?
Sanctaphrax:
I'd say yes. Morally I wouldn't condemn the wizard, but the Laws don't have a whole lot to do with morals.
I hope that didn't actually happen in-game.
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