The Dresden Files > DF Spoilers

Harry's Blasting Rod

<< < (4/11) > >>

Ananda:

--- Quote from: wardenferry419 on January 06, 2018, 08:10:04 PM ---My wife read it; was not impressed.

--- End quote ---
It’s funny because it’s so objectively bad, but the author made (I think) around 50million USD from the books. The series began as Twilight fan fiction and she’d never written anything beforehand. Also, all the bdsm in the series was just her fantasy, not based on any real life experience. If only I could be as terrible a writer as she!

Kindler:
I read that and the Twilight books as part of my "studies" as a college professor in an attempt to stay in touch with what the youth reads. The writing (in both, mind you) was so pathetically awful that I briefly lost all faith in the coming generation. Then my students agreed it was bad, and I felt better about the future. Also, having read Twilight, I understand the crossover between fans; they're both simply dreadful, in mechanic construction, plot, and characterization that if you're a fan of crap, you'll be a fan of both.

As far as Harry's staff, he mentions that he and Ebenezer's are from a lightning-struck oak. Eb specifically mentions giving him another "blank" from that tree, so I'm assuming all of Harry's staves are made from that same tree. It's odd, because most trees are killed when struck by lightning; they explode, or they're injured so severely that they die (but will survive for a while). If the outside of the tree is soaked from the rain, it's possible that the lightning flashes over it, which could char the outside.

Regardless, lightning-struck trees are generally regarded as weaker than ones that are not. If it is stronger than standard oak, it must be as a result of magic channeled through it. Harry's got big hands, and he mentions being able to wrap his whole hand around it. Judging from a height of 6'9" (which I've seen here) that would give it a circumference no greater than 8.91 inches. That puts its diameter somewhere around 2.8 inches or less, unless I've forgotten what math is. I'd figure it's about two and a half inches across. For reference, regulation baseball bats are no greater than 2.61 inches across at its thickest.

Anyway, that's a whole lot of wood. Wouldn't weigh much either; American Red Oak is dense, but not that dense. Probably somewhere around ten pounds if it's six feet long. But yeah, it's got heft.

Meanwhile, his blasting rod is frequently stated to be as thick as his thumb, so it's pretty narrow. I always thought of it as more of a magic wand that he called a rod because it sounded more buff.

Mr. Death:
A while ago, I made a blasting rod for a cosplay, and I think it's pretty close.



So I figure a wand is typically something thinner, like maybe the width of a pinky.

(Unfortunately, the main event I cosplay at -- Magfest -- is in Maryland and the blasting rod falls under billy club laws, so I can't carry it at the con. The nearly-six-feet length of holly I made into a staff, however, is perfectly safe, apparently)

Kindler:

--- Quote from: Mr. Death on January 08, 2018, 04:46:32 PM ---A while ago, I made a blasting rod for a cosplay, and I think it's pretty close.

So I figure a wand is typically something thinner, like maybe the width of a pinky.

(Unfortunately, the main event I cosplay at -- Magfest -- is in Maryland and the blasting rod falls under billy club laws, so I can't carry it at the con. The nearly-six-feet length of holly I made into a staff, however, is perfectly safe, apparently)

--- End quote ---

That's pretty cool. Nice carving work.

I have an old, illegal-as-anything-but-an-antique billy club cops in Brooklyn used to carry in the fifties, with a thick cylinder of freaking lead in the middle. That one I can understand, but yours doesn't look particularly dangerous. Whatever, laws, amirite?

And yeah, I'd suppose the blasting rod is thicker than a wand might be; we don't have a description of Molly's pair, at least not their dimensions (does he call one of them "anemic," or am I thinking of a different story altogether?), which, as far as I can remember, are the only ones shown on page. (For the record, I still think that the term "blasting rod" is made up by Harry because it's manlier than "wand.")

Mr. Death:

--- Quote from: Kindler on January 08, 2018, 05:01:10 PM ---That's pretty cool. Nice carving work.
--- End quote ---
Thanks! I did it with a wood burner, and the runes read (phonetically) "AIM AWAY FROM FACE."

The runes on the staff read, "Not all those who wander are lost." I figured Harry would appreciate the Tolkien.


--- Quote ---I have an old, illegal-as-anything-but-an-antique billy club cops in Brooklyn used to carry in the fifties, with a thick cylinder of freaking lead in the middle. That one I can understand, but yours doesn't look particularly dangerous. Whatever, laws, amirite?
--- End quote ---
Yeah, it was kinda silly -- the guy who told me about it said the way the law is worded, the little souvenir baseball bats you'd get at a game are illegal, but an actual bat is perfectly fine to carry around.

Sorta like how after 9/11, they banned knives on planes based on length, so a 3" razor sharp utility knife was fine, but an 8" butter knife was not.


--- Quote ---And yeah, I'd suppose the blasting rod is thicker than a wand might be; we don't have a description of Molly's pair, at least not their dimensions (does he call one of them "anemic," or am I thinking of a different story altogether?), which, as far as I can remember, are the only ones shown on page. (For the record, I still think that the term "blasting rod" is made up by Harry because it's manlier than "wand.")

--- End quote ---
I did get the sense that hers were more "traditional" wands, like the sticks with crystals you see in occult shops and such.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page