The Dresden Files > DFRPG
Comments thread for "The Laws of Magic: Part 6 of 8"
DrygonDM:
And now, to play GM’s Devil’s Advocate:
Now, a lot of the Grey Areas that have been pointed out here by the other Members are very good Plot-Lines for the GM to use.
Solid foundations as to how – and why – a current VPC is the way that they are.
Remember that even The Shadowman, Victor Sells, started out with the “good purpose” of making life better for his wife and kids, and then just got pulled deeper, and deeper, into the path where the magic (or, more accurately, the Powers behind where he got/learned the magic) controlled him, instead of the other way around.
Shadowman’s feeling of needing to succeed was a huge indication to me for the existence of an “outside control” – almost like he was back at “work”, trying to get that Huge Promotion, fast. Sure, Vic had a “pet demon”, but how much of his own Soul did he lose to get it?
A huge flaw of the Magical Dark Side is this overwhelming Flaw of:
“I’m right, and I’ll destroy anyone who stands in my way, with my favorite trick or spell.”
Wiser VPCs have different tactics – Like in Cowl’s case: ‘Any means available.”
The GM needs to balance the Challenge that the Party’s Characters face with the Experience of the Players, in addition to each PC’s personal skills and powers.
Some questions that each GM needs to ask themselves are:
Would it be better to give more clues that there is something bad brewing?
If so, how do I give these Clues, and not give the answer to the Plot away?
In the Shadowman case, Harry might have been able to get all the answers right away if he had broken into the house and went inside.
He didn't, because it was too close to breaking a Law. "It's bad Mojo to go stomping into another person's place uninvited. Besides, it's impolite."
There are several things that the GM can do to "punish" someone that wants to just storm in and kick ass.
(1) Right house, Wrong time. There is nothing here to use as evidence, and no one to question.
(2) Right house, but only for meeting. Place where ritual is happening is at another, still unknown place.
(3) Totally wrong house - oh, boy! Now you have to deal with the Mortal cops as well as maybe the Wardens.
How does the NPC learn where the PC(s) are?
After all, not every Player is going to want an office, like Harry.
And why did the NPC(s) choose to contact them at this time?
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As for letting the PCs break the Laws?
Yeah, sure – let them. I’m just telling the GM to enforce the consequences on them for doing it. As per the examples given above.
Yes, it may seem harsh and unforgiving to the Players, but keep in mind that this is exactly the way that the Council, and the Wardens, come across as to the rest of the Lesser Magical World. The Wardens can’t allow anyone to cross the line: Vampire, Demon, Fey, Outsider, and especially not any Mortal Magus. And the price for being lenient may well cause the whole world to pay the cost of that mistake.
Can the Perp escape the Long Arm of the Magical Law? Yes, it's possible.
But just because the perp(s) got away with it, does not mean that the problems that stem from it go away.
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I like being here, and the things that are shared on here is great.
I just hope that others kinda like having me here, as well.
Well, until next time.
Happy Trails.
Gallowglass:
--- Quote from: hollow49 on August 01, 2007, 09:05:59 PM ---That particular scene has caused some debate on the boards before. The concensus seemed, IIRC, to be that real distinction is that when Harry did his trick, he was simply giving power to what was already present (thanks to the Nightmare) with his own energies, whereas necromancers bring raise ghosts from slumber, and empower them with the energies drawn from death. The drawing on death, not life, seemed to give a very different feel to the magic in Dead Beat. Perhaps Harry managed to do his bit only because the bit that really required necromantic energies had already been done for him. Even then, not that the GP ghosts had to make bodies for themselves in order to harm the living whereas the spectres raised by Cowl could do so while remaining incorporeal.
--- End quote ---
I thought that the ruling was that Ghosts are not the actual dead but rather reflections of them. This of course gives a differentiation between Ghost and spirit in that one is simply a less powerful reflection of the other. This also allows ectomancers like Morty to deal with Ghosts and not break the Necromancy laws.
harleshade:
Necromancy, Now the rule in it's fullest makes a difference between willing and unwilling spirits. That's how morty gets away with what he does. And it's an interesting read on hos Harry got away with what he did. He used a wording loop-hole that allowed him to summon a spirit back as long as it was non-human. Long live Tyrannosaurus-Bob!
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