The Dresden Files > DF Books

Question about the first law

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Shift8:

--- Quote from: Quantus on July 12, 2017, 12:28:50 PM ---If it we were just talking about Evocation Id agree with you, killing with a grenade or a fireball doesnt seem any different.  But Thaumaturgy is a hole other story. You can kill anyone in the world from anywhere in the world with nothing more than a Name or even a good picture (I swear I recall this mentioned in an early book but Im still looking for the exact quote) though actual hair or blood obviously work better.  Thaumaturgic assassination unchecked is basically Death Note.

--- End quote ---

Surely there is some kind of relatively easy defense against this? As you say, this would be OP as hell. But it would in fact be so OP that I think the laws would almost be irrelevant. I mean, good luck enforcing that. How would you even know who the culprit was? And if the Wardens ever made a thing of this, I imagine the culprit could just off the entire WC easy as pie.

There must be some kind of counter to this that makes it less death note like. The alternative is a world of death note holders. Which it would be pretty pointless to make illegal since it would be so easy to do. 

Edit: Plus if this were that easy then the Black Staff would just death note all the WC's enemies. No need for wardens etc. Just death note Nicodemus, Ortega, etc etc. Clearly there hard limits to said magic that make it so difficult its not practical. Otherwise we would not have any of the fighting we have in the books. It would just people people racing to theumaturgy each other out of existence. 

jonas:
As Harry explains it you must have a strong enough connection or constructed spellwork to allow an enormous amount of energy to be transferred through it without burning it up first. So just having the object in question might not be enough. Then he goes of on a short tangent about how which phase of the moon it's in could effect it but he wouldn't know, he hasn't researched such magics.
But, as we know constructed spellworks are mostly just placeholders to focus ones mind on absolutes without waivering in focus. Soooo, You can Nerf the WC if you can Nerf the WC, ya know? Add in the fact they are often behind thresholds and Wards of unknown capabilities in repelling such things and you'd have to set it up pretty sly to get'er done as it were.

Shift8:

--- Quote from: jonas on July 13, 2017, 02:05:15 AM ---As Harry explains it you must have a strong enough connection or constructed spellwork to allow an enormous amount of energy to be transferred through it without burning it up first. So just having the object in question might not be enough. Then he goes of on a short tangent about how which phase of the moon it's in could effect it but he wouldn't know, he hasn't researched such magics.
But, as we know constructed spellworks are mostly just placeholders to focus ones mind on absolutes without waivering in focus. Soooo, You can Nerf the WC if you can Nerf the WC, ya know? Add in the fact they are often behind thresholds and Wards of unknown capabilities in repelling such things and you'd have to set it up pretty sly to get'er done as it were.

--- End quote ---

That somewhat helps with regard to single individuals doing that kind of stuff. Although I would still be a little stumped we dont see it more often.

What it doesn't satisfactorily explain for me is how it prevents something like the WC, or any large group of wizards for that matter, from using it all the time. You would think that a organization as powerful and resource laden as the WC could sniff from existence anyone they wanted. The senior council alone would seem sufficient to the task.

(click to show/hide)There must be other factors, such as cosmology, that are hard limits to this kind of magic. Things you could not simply get around through raw power or resources. IIRC the curse designed to wipe out Harry and his line using maggie required not only maggie, but specific cosmological timing, and tremendous know how and power. The Ramps couldnt just do something like that whenever they wanted. Otherwise they would be kidnapping people all the damn time and sacraficing them to kill off their enemies.

jonas:
There is a Woj about every few centuries the WC takes the kids gloves off? We've not seen that happen as far as the WC itself is concerned, but from the outside looking in the RC just got the smack down of the century from the most Badass Warden alive.

Shift8:

--- Quote from: jonas on July 13, 2017, 02:19:08 AM ---There is a Woj about every few centuries the WC takes the kids gloves off? We've not seen that happen as far as the WC itself is concerned, but from the outside looking in the RC just got the smack down of the century from the most Badass Warden alive.

--- End quote ---

(click to show/hide)Note however, they didnt use said method to do it. It happened more or less by accident and as last resort. There would have been no need to show up in South American if a death note was in play.

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