Ok, we know that wizards have a constitution that, while not decidedly human, outstrips mundane mortals.  We know that that includes very long life, and the ability to eventually recover from (almost?) any wound.  I condition the almost, because while DFRPG limits the 'healing factor' to non-extreme conditions, .

That aside, I've been wondering just how far wizard's constitution goes?

* Does it grant immunity, resistance, or rapid recovery from many common diseases?  (Has Dresden or any other wizard been sick with any non-supernatural diseases?)  This seems implied by the long life, as otherwise it seems likely that older wizards would tend to die from, for example, cancer.

* Given that evidence suggests it is genetic in nature, are wizards born with it?  Or is it something that 'develops' due to extended exposure to magical energy?

* If they are born with it, does it impact the baby wizard's likelihood of suffering from genetic defects?  Or due to their 'wizard genes' are wizards all born defect-free?

* As the flip side to the above, if they are not born with it, will their wizard's constitution allow them to 'recover' from genetic defects?

I was toying with a concept for a midget wizard (High Concept: World's GreatestSmallest Wizard!  Trouble: Judge me by my size, do you?), and I wondered about this.  Is it even possible to have a midget wizard (question 3)?  Or (question 4) would the development of wizard's constitution bring with it an eventual reversal of his stunted growth?

Any thoughts?

I'd say that although some of the pictures might be, for example, hexed to the point of uselessness, many others will be clear enough to see what is going on.  However, there will always be just enough static and/or interference to lend credence to the skeptics who claim it's just a hoax.  I.e., the argument would be that:

1) Obviously supernatural stuff doesn't exist, so it clearly must be a hoax. 
2) See that static over here?  Wait a moment.  Right ... THERE!  See?  That's caused by the editing software...

Thanks! That's the sort of thing I was looking for when I searched for "buying holy water".

I'd say any priest that performed that service would make holy water, regardless of whether the priest had any Faith powers.

Richard

I'd take a bit of a different approach.  Any priest (or, for that matter anyone at all) can make holy water.  Just mix salt and fresh water, say some mystic mumbo-jumbo, and presto!  You now have some holy water.  But if, on the other hand, you are loking for Holy Water ... well, for that you need someone with some True Faith backing them up.  For purposes of The Catch, holy water is just a mixture of salt and water; it takes Holy Water to mess with a supernature creature!

Another way to approach this might be to say (as you did) that any annointed priest could make holy water that was good enough to satisfy a Catch, but that Holy Water made by a priest with True Faith is extra-potent.  Perhaps it gains Holy Touch-like abilities, granting an extra stress point or a free compel in addition to satisfying The Catch.

While I agree that transforming a willing target should be easier than an unwilling one, I completely disagree with you on how it should be done.  For the purposes of a spell, the caster would have to meet a complexity equal to all his possible consequences plus 1, but doesn’t need to overcome his Stress Track, and his defense rating is locked at Mediocre (+0) (because he’s not trying to resist the spell or defend against it in any way).

That would set the base complexity for the spell at 21: 2 for his minor consequence, 4 for his moderate consequence, 6 for his severe consequence, 8 for his extreme consequence, and 1 to take him out.

Just for the record, I wasn't suggesting that transformations should be based on taking someone out.  I was actually pointing out how *easy* self transformations would be if that was how it was defined.  Offensive transformations use that format because really the purpose of the spell is to 'take someone out' and the fact that it's a transformation is really special effects more than anything else.  A spell to destroy someone's mind would follow exactly the same format, but the FX would be different.  Or ... perhaps a spell to rip someone's heart out?  Same thing, different FX.

The spell we're talking about here has similar FX as the offensive transformation, but my take is that it's a totally different spell that merely looks the same.  So the complexity should be based on the benefits granted by the benevolent transformation, because the spell is about granting benefits, not taking someone out.

I found an older thread in which this question was raised, and it pointed to the section in the rulebook that sort of handles this.  See YS92, the "Temporary Powers" sidebar.  Basically, thaumaturgy would become an excuse to make use of the rules in the sidebar to give you powers temporarily.  If, for example, you wanted to turn into a normal animal, it would cost you 1 Fate to gain Beast Change [-1] for a scene, and you'd use thaumaturgy to enact that change.  If you wanted Mythic Strength [-6], it would cost 6 Fate points.  A player can 'owe' the GM some compels in place of some of the Fate points.

At first I wasn't happy with this, but I think it's starting to win me over.  It doesn't give a "complete" system for using it as a system for Biomancy, though, so here's my attempt to round out the edges (borrowing from the post linked above) for using the sidebar in conjunction with Biomancy:

If you wish to grant temporary powers via Biomancy, begin by listing the powers you wish to grant.  Sum up their refresh cost.  The base complexity for the spell is two shifts per refresh (for a transformation that lasts one scene).  The duration of the spell can be increased by a level on the time chart per shift added to the complexity.  Once the complexity is known, the spell is cast as usual for Thaumaturgy.

In addition, the target (either you or a *willing* subject) gains a point of 'Biomantic Debt' for every two points of complexity.  Biomantic Debt represents the physical (or even non-physical) wear and tear on your body (or mind) by pushing it further than it was meant to go.  Each point of Debt gives the GM a free compel, which can be used any time after the spell duration ends.  The target does not get a Fate point for these compels, but may buy out of a compel by paying a Fate point.  Some example compels might involve strained muscles from improved strength, or animal-like behaviors left over from shapechanging into an animal.

Some examples:

Giant's Strength
Need to lift a car, but don't have a forklift handy?  Know of a monster that *really* deserves a major smackdown?  Well, now you can do these things and more with better living through Biomancy!
Type: Thaumaturgy, biomancy
Complexity: 8 shifts (more for longer duration)
Duration: One scene
Effect: Willing target gains 4 point of Biomantic Debt, and also gains the effects of Supernatural Strength for the duration of the spell.  Note that this particular version of the spell does not increase the target's size.

Thaumaturgical Werewolf
The Alphas have all the fun, but that need not be the case!  No wolf pelts or demonic assistance required, though it might make the spell easier...
Type: Thaumaturgy, biomancy
Complexity: 16 shifts
Duration: Until sunrise or sunset
Effect: Willing target gains 8 Biomantic Debt, as well as the abilities of a werewolf (Beast Change [-1], Inhuman Strength [-2], Inhuman Speed [-2], Claws [-1]) and can change back and forth into werebeast form for the duration of the spell.  While not in werebeast form, the target loses access to the other werebeast powers.  Note that this spell does not include the senses or instincts of a true werewolf, which require considerable time and practice to learn to interpret.

Thoughts?

In one of the books, I forget which one exactly, but Harry uses his force rings on some pure mortals, and he is extremely careful to make sure that he uses them non-lethally, to avoid breaking the 1st law.  This clearly indicates that using enchantments is still a violation potential.  Activating an enchantment on an item brings just as much responsibility as casting the magic directly.

Well, my theory could still hold if in your example, Harry was actually casting the spell (complete with Discipline roll to affect the target) but that the power for the spell was being supplied by the rings rather than his own reserves.  Could a non-spellcaster have activated the rings?  I'm not sure, but I don't think so.  (As opposed to the more passive impact of his duster's enchantment or of a magic sword.)

I'm considering an alternate take on the first law.  To whit: I'm thinking that for it to count as a First Law violation, there may have to be a direct cause-effect relationship between the spell in question and the death.  Predictable results from elements outside your control should be assumed as given, but your own choices seperate from the act of casting the spell do not.  Put in other words, is it possible to action of casting the spell from the action of causing the victim to die?  Put yet another way, if some other benevolently-inclined wizard had recreated your spell exactly, and with all relevant factors the same, would the victim have died as a result?  (I apologize, I'm having trouble putting this into words that convey what I'm thinking.)

So, for example holding someone in place while you shoot/stab/bludgeon/etc or allow your allies to it for you doesn't count.  Your spell may have abetted your killing, but casting the spell -- taken as an action on its own -- did nothing to directly lead to the death.  If you'd held the victim immobile until your mental stress boxes couldn't handle any more, they would have lived.  (If Mr. GoodWizard had cast this spell, the 'victim' would have been fine, because the wizard would have made a different choice involving the subsequent killing.)

This is different from the ol' "Teleporting Your Foe Over An Active Volcano" spell, because the results of the spell directly led to the death without any other action being taken.  (If Mr. GoodWizard had cast the same spell, teleporting the victim over the same volcano, the resulting death would have been the same.)

And taking the example of Warden's swords (or other enchanted items) being used to kill, nobody would be violating the Laws, as the person wielding the blade did not cast any spell in taking the life, and the creator of the blade did so completely independently of the taking of the life.

Does any of this make any sense?

I’ve decided to make the players determine how the thresholds work for Scions.   As each Scion can be unique there can be different affect for different characters.  If I can get the Scion characters to come to a common decision that would be great.  Not expected, but it would be great.  I see three basic levels of affect.  1) no affect at all and no potential of extra Fate Points.  2) Suffer suppression inside the threshold and a potential of a few FP.  3) The threshold acts to block as if the scion is a pure supernatural creature, such as a vampire or demon, providing even greater potential of Fate Points.

Finally, if any player ends up with a Changeling, then they get to decide how it works for all changelings in my game. 

Generally, a threshold should apply option 3 only to purely supernatural characters -- those whose 'body' is entirely magical in nature, and who wouldn't exist without magic.  Scions and pre-Choice Changelings are party human, and should be suppressed, instead (being cut off from magic simply makes them revert to their human capabilities).

But ... your game, your rules!

Hey, even if a particular Biomantic ritual required a wizard to 'take themselves out', that ritual would need only 5 shifts, tops, for most wizards.  Such a ritual cast on an unwilling target needs to take into account their best possible defense roll, all the consequences they could use to mitigate stress, and number of stress boxes.  Taking consequences is optional, though, and defending yourself against the spell is, too.  So in a case like this, you'd only need to have one more shift than you have stress boxes.  I think most wizards would find generating that level of power fairly simple, even on the fly.