ParanetOnline
The Dresden Files => DF Spoilers => Topic started by: groinkick on February 25, 2018, 07:53:09 PM
-
In the early books Harry had his lab, potions, magical gear.... Then after Changes where he lost everything. Ghost Story he was a ghost, Cold Days he was living with Mab, and in Skin Game he'd been on the Island. Now he will be back in Chicago, have a home, and money. So do you think he will get back to the basics? Maybe a shield bracelet, blasting rod, some kinetic rings? Some other cool toys? I freaking hope so! What say you? Do you think he will? If he does what do you hope to see him running around with?
-
IIRC PT takes place only about 6 weeks after SG. I don't think he'll have had time to make much. Especially when he didn't have a lab and his priorities may have shifted to being a dad. Also, I know that Bob helped him with his potions, but I don't know how much input Bob had in his other devices and he's now with Butters.
-
I believe that Harry will get back to basics because that is who he is, a wizard... Wouldn't be surprised if there isn't already a lab set up in Molly's old apartment that he now lives in.. Wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't one on Demonreach as well. He already has made himself a new staff, I am sure the rest will follow with new updates as soon as possible...
-
IIRC PT takes place only about 6 weeks after SG. I don't think he'll have had time to make much. Especially when he didn't have a lab and his priorities may have shifted to being a dad. Also, I know that Bob helped him with his potions, but I don't know how much input Bob had in his other devices and he's now with Butters.
6 weeks? Is this confirmed?
-
He at least needs a shield bracelet. As Jim has said this is going to be the most magically violent book to date. Find it hard to believe Harry can survive without some magical goodies, and the ability to block some stuff.
-
In the early books Harry had his lab, potions, magical gear.... Then after Changes where he lost everything. Ghost Story he was a ghost, Cold Days he was living with Mab, and in Skin Game he'd been on the Island. Now he will be back in Chicago, have a home, and money. So do you think he will get back to the basics? Maybe a shield bracelet, blasting rod, some kinetic rings? Some other cool toys? I freaking hope so! What say you? Do you think he will? If he does what do you hope to see him running around with?
Depends on what you mean by 'basics'.
Will some versions of his old favorite tools (probably upgraded ones) reappear? I wouldn't be surprised.
Will things ever be the way they were before? No, I don't think so. That was the whole point of the book Changes. I don't think the Harry we knew in the old days will be back, it wouldn't make any sense.
Harry is entering bigger leagues now. He may well have a lab again someday, but probably not like the old one. He might make a potion now and again, but more likely we'll just see the potions already made and ready to go...when he's not using something heavier duty.
-
Depends on what you mean by 'basics'.
Will some versions of his old favorite tools (probably upgraded ones) reappear? I wouldn't be surprised.
Will things ever be the way they were before? No, I don't think so. That was the whole point of the book Changes. I don't think the Harry we knew in the old days will be back, it wouldn't make any sense.
Harry is entering bigger leagues now. He may well have a lab again someday, but probably not like the old one. He might make a potion now and again, but more likely we'll just see the potions already made and ready to go...when he's not using something heavier duty.
or he might build paranet papers R&D division and get toys from there
-
In the early books Harry had his lab, potions, magical gear.... Then after Changes where he lost everything. Ghost Story he was a ghost, Cold Days he was living with Mab, and in Skin Game he'd been on the Island. Now he will be back in Chicago, have a home, and money. So do you think he will get back to the basics? Maybe a shield bracelet, blasting rod, some kinetic rings? Some other cool toys? I freaking hope so! What say you? Do you think he will? If he does what do you hope to see him running around with?
I doubt we'll see the rings, because of what he did with his staff. I don't see Jim adding rings to that. I've always wondered what would happen if Harry hooked those kinetic energy rings to a bigger reservoir, and re-purposed it for something else, like his shield bracelet. Or hell, figured out some way to convert the energy stopped by his shield bracelet to charge something else. Stopping a hail of gunfire is pretty cool on its own, but imagine if Harry then fired back all that energy in one shot.
I don't think it's possible with his old bracelet, because of the way it worked; he met energy with energy, and it would have to be a net loss. But if he has a new bracelet that functions differently, it might be possible.
I've also frequently wondered why he doesn't enchant his shoes in a way similar to the rings. All of his (considerable) weight is brought down on a relatively small area, way more than swinging his hands, so he could potentially fill some kind of kinetic reservoir much faster, and with the added real estate of his shoes versus the rings, that reservoir could be significantly larger. Not sure what he'd do with it, though. Maybe he'd be able to double-jump :). Or maybe he could convert that kinetic energy into something else, like maybe that bear belt buckle he used way back when.
Since his ear is pierced, how about an earring of some kind? Or maybe enchanting his Winchester? I've always wanted to see guns get some magic love.
As far as old stuff, he needs a blasting rod again, and definitely a shield bracelet, no question.
-
back to my original reply, do I think he'll rebuild a lab and his toys, yes, but I don't think he's going to have much by the time PT starts. His staff and bonnie's skull are wood, that he could do with out much in the way of tools on the island, he had lots and lots of time for those. But rebuilding a lab anywhere and the tools he'll need to make a new ring or bracelet is going to take time. He has the money, but I don't know if he'll have enough time to pump those out. Now if he buys something to work with from the svartelves... all bets are off.
-
I doubt we'll see the rings, because of what he did with his staff.
What does the staff have anything to do with rings? The rings were easily concealed, surprise weapons. The staff is the equivalent of a rocket launcher that everyone will notice.
I don't think it's possible with his old bracelet, because of the way it worked; he met energy with energy, and it would have to be a net loss. But if he has a new bracelet that functions differently, it might be possible.
I have no idea what you're talking about. What has changed that would make his old shield bracelet useless? It can block all kinds of things like spells, bullets, fire.... Sounds like a pretty handy device when facing danger if you ask me. Harry has had at least 2 in the story. The first prove to be useless against extreme heat, which cost him severely. He learned from it an made an even superior bracelet. If he created a new one it would be built with an even greater appreciation for the dangers out there.
-
What does the staff have anything to do with rings? The rings were easily concealed, surprise weapons. The staff is the equivalent of a rocket launcher that everyone will notice.
Yeah, they have different uses, but I think that Jim will want to keep the energy he uses more diversified. He has a kinetic energy tool already, so if he does rings again, I'd expect them to be something other than the ones he used to have. Maybe as foci for something else.
I have no idea what you're talking about. What has changed that would make his old shield bracelet useless? It can block all kinds of things like spells, bullets, fire.... Sounds like a pretty handy device when facing danger if you ask me. Harry has had at least 2 in the story. The first prove to be useless against extreme heat, which cost him severely. He learned from it an made an even superior bracelet. If he created a new one it would be built with an even greater appreciation for the dangers out there.
I didn't say that at all. I was talking about using the energy his shield absorbs to charge something. If a bullet hits his shield, direct that kinetic energy to a reservoir he can use later. I was saying that the way his old shield worked means that isn't possible, because he expends force to halt bullets and such. I was further speculating that when he makes a new one, he might use a different method that would make a transfer of energy possible, so that when, for example, he stops a bullet, instead of simply canceling out the forward momentum, he stores it somewhere else.
Sort of like how his old rings worked, but instead of collecting energy when his arms swing, he collects energy from things colliding with his shield. If nothing else, it might make it possible for him to hold a shield up for longer.
-
Snip:
Sort of like how his old rings worked, but instead of collecting energy when his arms swing, he collects energy from things colliding with his shield. If nothing else, it might make it possible for him to hold a shield up for longer.
Have you seen how many things hit his shield? He could level a building with a snap within an average week.
Not saying that's a bad idea. That's like the opposite of a bad idea.
-
Stopping a hail of gunfire is pretty cool on its own, but imagine if Harry then fired back all that energy in one shot.
He's probably kind of limited in terms of making force foci not too powerful lest he accidentally violate the first law. Fomor servitors are the most likely gun-wielding enemies he'd be facing in the near future, and I'm not sure Jim has confirmed whether they're so far modified that they don't count as people any more.
-
Snip:
Have you seen how many things hit his shield? He could level a building with a snap within an average week.
Not saying that's a bad idea. That's like the opposite of a bad idea.
Yeah, if the reservoir was big enough. I was thinking more along the lines of a belt buckle, or a glove or something. Probably wouldn't be large enough to store that much energy, but enough to release a pretty big shockwave of kinetic force. I was thinking something widespread, rather than the tight, focused release from his rings, wide enough to give him breathing room, but only with enough force to knock someone down or crack a few ribs.
I have absolutely no idea if it's even possible. Harry's kinetic reservoirs for his staff and rings were the result of physically interacting with forces—the motion of his hands let them store energy—so having a shield that is useful, meaning one that extends beyond Harry's skin, that can do this is very hard. Technically, Harry's shield bracelet doesn't interact with anything, it just focuses his energy.
Then I'm reminded that Harry's bracelet heats up when it stops too many bullets, so there has to be some kind of interaction going on. I think it might be possible to pull something pretty cool off if he does it right.
-
Maybe if he added a gem or something to the bracelet that could act as a reservoir, even if he couldn't re-direct it, using it to power the shield beyond his own strength would still be pretty cool.
-
Maybe if he added a gem or something to the bracelet that could act as a reservoir, even if he couldn't re-direct it, using it to power the shield beyond his own strength would still be pretty cool.
He's certainly got plenty of diamonds now. I've been thinking about all that potential diamond dust, and how it'd be just like Harry to grind up something that valuable to make some magic doodad.
-
My guess is that Jim will continue to make Harry's shield something that is always subject to failing, otherwise it would make him too safe and Jim doesn't like a 'safe' Harry.
-
My guess is that Jim will continue to make Harry's shield something that is always subject to failing, otherwise it would make him too safe and Jim doesn't like a 'safe' Harry.
The bracelets have two major weaknesses. The first is they are like a car engine. Pushed too hard they overheat and break apart. The second is Harry's focus which can be weakened by any number of things. The shield bracelet is a really cool tool that can save your life, but by no means some over powered thing that makes the wizard immune to all attacks.
-
The bracelets have two major weaknesses. The first is they are like a car engine. Pushed too hard they overheat and break apart. The second is Harry's focus which can be weakened by any number of things. The shield bracelet is a really cool tool that can save your life, but by no means some over powered thing that makes the wizard immune to all attacks.
that's what I was saying, I think that something like a kinetic reservoir for his shield will not be in the works, because it would make his shield too powerful.
-
a spell to siphon excess energy off the shield into a ring or other object would probably make the shield charms more complex and probably need more energy.
Ive wondered about a 2 stage shield charm.
1st stage only for bullets and weaker physical objects and takes very little energy.
2nd stage protects from absolutely everything and takes huge energy.
about the rings, they were insanely useful i doubt Jim will do it but honestly Dresden should sew 30 of the triple rings onto his duster somewhere. no reason to have just the staff spell
harry can take out only so many guys in a given time period with his own magic before he passes out, stuff like the rings that lets him take out extra guys is always great. on that note he needs some guns, Dresden could handle the recoil on and conceal some huge guns. id say conceal one powerful revolver for beasts and something like a glock 19 for people maybe some grenades and larger guns for battles
Ive always hated how much of a glass cannon Dresden is, if he goes about openly it would be very easy for him to die in a surprise attack from a few guys with scoped rifles.
to make him tougher id say he needs enchanted boots and shin protection, enchanted vest, hardened vampbraces (he always blocks blows with his forearms).some type of head protection for battles at least
-
some type of head protection for battles at least
You mean... a hat? Finally.
-
I think the two different Shield Bracelets is a good Idea and have been wondering why he hasn't done that yet, My guess is just time.
Ive always hated how much of a glass cannon Dresden is, if he goes about openly it would be very easy for him to die in a surprise attack from a few guys with scoped rifles.
to make him tougher id say he needs enchanted boots and shin protection, enchanted vest, hardened vampbraces (he always blocks blows with his forearms).some type of head protection for battles at least
I think you are asking too much to make Harry OP. I think part of what Jim has been preaching about Wizards during the whole book is that they are glass cannons.
-
I think you are asking too much to make Harry OP.
I would absolutely love it if one story, long story or novella-length (I'd at least like 30 pages), dealt with Harry combating a threat that was so far beneath him on the Scale of Things to Be Afraid Of that every fight was a total curbstomp. Waves and waves of faceless mooks that pose zero threat to Harry whatsoever, and an extended action sequence in which Harry annihilates thousands of them. And the whole time Harry is just complaining. "I'm not even supposed to be here today."
Basically imagine a horde of Darth Wannabes getting their butts kicked by a souped-up, completely overpowered Dresden, a totally mindless story that amounts to us reading about Harry playing Life on God Mode.
Obviously not much fun for a novel, but it'd be a blast to see Harry be John Wick with Magic for a little while.
-
I would absolutely love it if one story, long story or novella-length (I'd at least like 30 pages), dealt with Harry combating a threat that was so far beneath him on the Scale of Things to Be Afraid Of that every fight was a total curbstomp. Waves and waves of faceless mooks that pose zero threat to Harry whatsoever, and an extended action sequence in which Harry annihilates thousands of them. And the whole time Harry is just complaining. "I'm not even supposed to be here today."
Basically imagine a horde of Darth Wannabes getting their butts kicked by a souped-up, completely overpowered Dresden, a totally mindless story that amounts to us reading about Harry playing Life on God Mode.
Obviously not much fun for a novel, but it'd be a blast to see Harry be John Wick with Magic for a little while.
Short Story that sounds worth reading. Like you said put in to perspective how much power creep has gone on with Harry from Storm Front. Show us the growth while showing that Harry is strong when facing 'normal' threats.
-
The problem being that even 'normal' threats are a big danger to Dresden, even with his big "Power Boost" from being the Winter Knight.
Like how in CD he needed to be rescued from a couple of pixies.
Or how in SG he needed to be saved from Formor Red Shirts.
Harry just... isn't really all that. Don't let his in-universe rep fool you.
-
The problem being that even 'normal' threats are a big danger to Dresden, even with his big "Power Boost" from being the Winter Knight.
Like how in CD he needed to be rescued from a couple of pixies.
Or how in SG he needed to be saved from Formor Red Shirts.
Harry just... isn't really all that. Don't let his in-universe rep fool you.
I'm talking about a geared-up, ready-for-a-fight Dresden, the one who killed several thousand low-level Red Court Vampires with a single shot at Chichen Itza (though admittedly he had help, and a full minute or two to pull it off). His (arguably) biggest weakness right now is that he has neither shield bracelet nor blasting rod, just a staff (and against the Fomor Red Shirts, he didn't even have that). That's been partly necessary to rebalance the conflicts since he became the Winter Knight, since he can now reliably deck most people across a room. But if he had his whole arsenal back, I think he'd be pretty OP. You'd have to catch him unaware (or pull a Kincaid and nail him from a mile away), or there's a better-than-even chance you get your butt booted.
-
I suppose. Which brings us back to the thread topic- Harry probably won't be getting much of his stuff back for at least another book, because otherwise Jim will have a hard time making Harry lose to Mooks 4 chapters in so that he's half dead for the finale.
-
I suppose. Which brings us back to the thread topic- Harry probably won't be getting much of his stuff back for at least another book, because otherwise Jim will have a hard time making Harry lose to Mooks 4 chapters in so that he's half dead for the finale.
True enough. It depends on the scale of the conflict, I suppose. Can't remember where I read it, but someone mentioned a Word of Jim that Peace Talks would be the most "magically violent" book so far, though, so I'd imagine Harry'd have to have something beyond his staff.
-
I thought that many of his magical items were crutches that enabled him to control what he couldn't control.
-
I thought that many of his magical items were crutches that enabled him to control what he couldn't control.
Not crutches so much as tools. Is a hammer a crutch because it let's you drive a nail into material you couldn't with bare hands? The energy for driving the nail still comes from your muscles, but the hammer makes that energy more efficient and makes it do something you can't do unaided. Is a crowbar a crutch because it lets you pry open something you couldn't do without it? After all, it's still you providing the energy, surely you could learn to do without the crowbar...well, no, a lot of times you can't.
Yeah, probably there's somebody somewhere that could drive that nail in with bare hands...at least into some materials, sometimes, if the nail is the right kind. But in general, the hammer amplifies your powers.
-
Ive always hated how much of a glass cannon Dresden is, if he goes about openly it would be very easy for him to die in a surprise attack from a few guys with scoped rifles.
to make him tougher id say he needs enchanted boots and shin protection, enchanted vest, hardened vampbraces (he always blocks blows with his forearms).some type of head protection for battles at least
The problem being that even 'normal' threats are a big danger to Dresden, even with his big "Power Boost" from being the Winter Knight.
Like how in CD he needed to be rescued from a couple of pixies.
Or how in SG he needed to be saved from Formor Red Shirts.
Harry just... isn't really all that. Don't let his in-universe rep fool you.
That comes with being a human being. Humans beings are glass cannons. A man with a machine gun could wipe out a herd of elephants or a horde of angry grizzly bears, but any one of those creatures can smash him or rip him to pieces if it gets within contact range. It's just the way of things.
Harry is a glass cannon, because Harry is a human being.
-
I did not read the entire thread, but ...
I think he'll get back to basics from the perspective of his Staff and Blasting rod.
Other than that ... no idea.
Personally, I can't wait to see his new lab.
-
I think a blasting rod is a given considering his demonstrated skill with wood. I cannot wait to see some more arctic fire balls. I think a shield bracelet would be a top priority for Dresden because I do not think his staff is a good focus for that. Plus freeing up his staff for other purposes makes sense. However, somewhere Harry mentioned that he needs access to metal working tools to make his bracelet (SG maybe?). I doubt that a bracelet will be ready to go. I full anticipate his Duster to be back up to snuff on all the protective enchantments. Finally, I would love to see Harry take a page out of the carpenter handbook and invest in a little armor for when he knows he is going to throw down (ex during the raid on Hades vault). As someone mentioned above, forearm guards would be an excellent idea considering all the hand to hand combat he engages in. I think this actually has a chance given Harry just had his forearm broken from a staff blow.
-
I think a blasting rod is a given considering his demonstrated skill with wood. I cannot wait to see some more arctic fire balls. I think a shield bracelet would be a top priority for Dresden because I do not think his staff is a good focus for that. Plus freeing up his staff for other purposes makes sense. However, somewhere Harry mentioned that he needs access to metal working tools to make his bracelet (SG maybe?). I doubt that a bracelet will be ready to go. I full anticipate his Duster to be back up to snuff on all the protective enchantments. Finally, I would love to see Harry take a page out of the carpenter handbook and invest in a little armor for when he knows he is going to throw down (ex during the raid on Hades vault). As someone mentioned above, forearm guards would be an excellent idea considering all the hand to hand combat he engages in. I think this actually has a chance given Harry just had his forearm broken from a staff blow.
harry has access to metal working tools of highest quality due being mabs personal hitman so shield bracelet is piece of cake for him as long as he has time to visit atctis tor for couple of days. And i bet that mab orders the smith helping him to use best quality ingredient and enchant the better then harry capable of. on rpg terms harry building shield bracelets with what resource 1 or 2 with mabs help he can make resource 4 or 5 gear with no more problem as one quick enchant from her god mother made that duster minigun prof for whole night.
-
What happened to Harry's shield bracelet and his force rings? I don't remember the bracelet getting used up (burned up) in Changes. I don't remember him losing his force rings either. At the end of Changes Harry takes a shower, gets dressed and then has a conversation with Murphy. He then goes back inside the boat, gets tired of waiting inside for Murphy, and goes back outside and gets shot. We don't know if he put the rings or bracelet back on. If Harry didn't put them back on then Murphy or perhaps Thomas has them. Harry had his amulet returned to him in Cold Days, so Mab should have returned the other items too. The only explanation for not returning them is if there is some iron in either the bracelet or rings. Perhaps that might interfere with the Winter Knights mantel or Mab considered anything with iron in it too risky for the Winter Knight to ware.
Another alternative; though not very likely, is that Thomas has Harry's rings and bracelet and he didn't have time to retrieve them in Cold Days. If these items are ever returned perhaps Harry will find his old tools just aren't powerful enough to deal with the new threats he will face. That would be a good reason for Harry to build another lab. Plus, he has to find a way to use Bonnie's knowledge and teach her at the same time. That should be interesting for us and frustrating for Harry. I believe Jim has said that Bonnie has all of Harry and Lash's knowledge but no context to understand it.
-
as one quick enchant from her god mother made that duster minigun prof for whole night.
I think Harry explained that it wasn't that easy and was impressed by how strong Lea's workings were. Harry's spells were put on the coat to last for Months. Lea's spell lasted a day. I think there is a difference in what you can do in terms of power like that. The stronger the spell the shorter the duration.
Also, Harry doesn't have time or energy to waste during the books to put that kind of spell on his duster even though it maybe super useful.
-
What happened to Harry's shield bracelet and his force rings? I don't remember the bracelet getting used up (burned up) in Changes. I don't remember him losing his force rings either. At the end of Changes Harry takes a shower, gets dressed and then has a conversation with Murphy. He then goes back inside the boat, gets tired of waiting inside for Murphy, and goes back outside and gets shot. We don't know if he put the rings or bracelet back on. If Harry didn't put them back on then Murphy or perhaps Thomas has them. Harry had his amulet returned to him in Cold Days, so Mab should have returned the other items too. The only explanation for not returning them is if there is some iron in either the bracelet or rings. Perhaps that might interfere with the Winter Knights mantel or Mab considered anything with iron in it too risky for the Winter Knight to ware.
Another alternative; though not very likely, is that Thomas has Harry's rings and bracelet and he didn't have time to retrieve them in Cold Days. If these items are ever returned perhaps Harry will find his old tools just aren't powerful enough to deal with the new threats he will face. That would be a good reason for Harry to build another lab. Plus, he has to find a way to use Bonnie's knowledge and teach her at the same time. That should be interesting for us and frustrating for Harry. I believe Jim has said that Bonnie has all of Harry and Lash's knowledge but no context to understand it.
The most likely scenario I remember is that the bracelet could have been lost to lake Michigan, but even if someone held them for safe keeping, Harry's toys like the bracelet and rings need periodic maintenance which didn't take place while he was doing his time in the trench and rehabbing. Most opinions I've heard were that even if he'd had the physical pieces again, he may have had to start from scratch anyway. Which he hasn't had the tools/material to do. The current question is whether or not he will have had time to replace them in the roughly 6 weeks that take place between SG & PT.
-
I think Harry explained that it wasn't that easy and was impressed by how strong Lea's workings were. Harry's spells were put on the coat to last for Months. Lea's spell lasted a day. I think there is a difference in what you can do in terms of power like that. The stronger the spell the shorter the duration.
Also, Harry doesn't have time or energy to waste during the books to put that kind of spell on his duster even though it maybe super useful.
Yup. Also worth noting that for all the instant Awesome of Lea's enchantment it would still be no match for a cheap Walmart box-cutter.
-
I wonder to what extent? Since she took the duster and transmographied (sp?) it in to the battle armor when the duster already had some inlayed protection against blades.
-
I wonder to what extent? Since she took the duster and transmographied (sp?) it in to the battle armor when the duster already had some inlayed protection against blades.
Interesting idea. It likely wouldnt be able to /increase/ it's capabilities, but I am curious if her changes would preserve the underlying enchantments or just over-right them. Susan's would be pure Fae magic so she'd be screwed.
-
Didn't Harry mention that he thought he'd figured out how to make the enchantments on his duster last a year?
-
I think I remember a year as well. But I think that was just the etching or tattooing or what ever it was that laid the initial working. I still think that he had to do upkeep on them as well.
-
I think I remember a year as well. But I think that was just the etching or tattooing or what ever it was that laid the initial working. I still think that he had to do upkeep on them as well.
The way he said it, I don't have the quote, it seemed like it was that the enchantment would last the whole year, not needing upkeep for a year. But you might be right.
-
The way he said it, I don't have the quote, it seemed like it was that the enchantment would last the whole year, not needing upkeep for a year. But you might be right.
He said he had to do regular upkeep (by reapplying the enchantments with a tattoo needle), but he is continuously improving that process such that each time he does it the enchantment lasts longer before needing reapplication. As of Changes he said the next time might last a little over a year. Not sure if that still holds after he lost his lab and tools though.
I shook my head, stunned. It had taken me years to design, create, and improve my leather duster’s defensive spells, and even then, the protection extended only as far as the actual leather. Lea had whipped up a whole-body protective enchantment in minutes.
I suddenly felt a bit more humble. It was probably good for me.
But then I tilted my head, frowning. The power involved in my godmother’s gifts was incredible—but the universe just doesn’t seem to be willing to give you something for nothing. That was as true in magic as it was in physics. I could, with years of effort, probably duplicate what Lea’s gifts could do. The Sidhe worked with the same magic I did, though admittedly they seemed to have a very different sort of relationship. Still, that much power all in one spot meant that the energy cost for it was being paid elsewhere.
Like maybe in longevity.
“Godmother,” I asked, “how long will these gifts endure?”
Her smile turned a little sad. “Ah, child. I am a faerie godmother, am I not? Such things are not meant to last.”
“Don’t tell me midnight,” I said.
“Of course not. I am not part of Summer.” She sniffed, rather scornfully. “Noon.”
And that made more sense. My duster’s spells lasted for months, and I thought I’d worked out how to make them run for more than a year the next time I laid them down. Lea’s gifts involved the same kind of power output, created seemingly without toil—but they wouldn’t last like the things I created would. My self-image recovered a little.
-
I don't know that its the tools that make the enchantments better. I think its the actual magical formula that he is able to improve. Better tools may just mean faster results.
-
Thanks Q. That's what I thought.
-
I'd imagine that Harry was able to tweak things to increase their efficiency; that seems to be the main utility of his bag o' tricks (his blasting rod and shield bracelets are foci that let him efficiently use his magic with less waste and greater precision, for example). I wouldn't be surprised if Harry was figuring out ways for the glyphs (or whatever they are) to better store and release the energy he invests in them.
What I always wanted to know was...how on earth did Harry keep track of when the spellwork ran out? Did the enchantment gradually weaken, or did it suddenly just stop working? Because if it just stops working, that's pretty bad if it crashes at a critical moment.
Man, I'd be the worst at maintaining this stuff. It's one thing if it's a weekly task, because that can become routine, but how often do I remember to change my smoke/CO2 detector batteries? (The answer is: I don't. I always forget.)
-
I imagine that he can feel the effect weakening like he could feel his emergency wards coming down in DM.
-
I imagine that he can feel the effect weakening like he could feel his emergency wards coming down in DM.
I agree. He can probably feel when his gear starts to become less effective. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a schedule of maintenance set-up of renewing his enchantments to prevent them getting to that point.
-
I agree. He can probably feel when his gear starts to become less effective. I wouldn't be surprised if he has a schedule of maintenance set-up of renewing his enchantments to prevent them getting to that point.
I guess he used to have Bob around to remind him. Kinda more useful than a calendar.
I'm just thinking about how awful it is (for me) to schedule maintenance six months out. There's just no way I'm ever going to remember that. I can write it down... but I'll forget to check that I wrote it down. I might remember eventually, but probably not.
-
I mean there's also this:
In Blood Rites, Harry uses this bear shaped belt buckle, and it just gives him an instant recharge; it never came back!
He used it, and then it left him semi-comatose, so it’s not the kind of thing you want to rely on in a life and death situation. All of the stuff he has like that takes him months of work to upkeep, he spends two days a week – his weekends are just staying at home and making sure his magic items still work. He’s such a nerd; he’s a magic nerd. So he doesn’t get out a lot
So yeah, Dres is a loser that spends a bunch of his time just fiddling with his trinkets in his basement.
-
I mean there's also this:
So yeah, Dres is a loser that spends a bunch of his time just fiddling with his trinkets in his basement.
LOL ... Yeah ... like many of us ...
-
My logic is as follows. Harry has the staff which is a general purpose foci for manipulating elements. It also has "ok but not great' shield and force ring capability. Harry is a bit paranoid right now, so he is going to build some additional foci pretty quick. The key question is "what do I build first?"
1) Does he build "better" versions of what is just ok in the staff -- ie force rings/shield bracelet.
2) Does he instead build new capabilities.
Harry has had loads of time to think through this, so we can safely assume that he has a well though out plan. My guess is that he will do the following (in priority order)
1) New "spelled" leather coat to protect him against bullets and blades. Basic always on protection is essential and saved his life many times.
2) A blasting rod that can handle either fire or ice type attacks. He needs a good focused attack foci for ranged combat.
3) he will create a custom shield bracelet, simply because that capability gets heavily used and his staff is clearly inferior to his old shield bracelet.
After these three items, the possibilities really expand and become almost impossible to predict.
-
Maybe, but I'm not really hoping for it. He's a young wizard(relatively) with a ton of horsepower, and not a lot of finesse. Looking forward to seeing him just get better and more refined as time goes on.
-
Maybe he'll take a clue from Butters and make some of those mind fog grenades?
-
I wonder if the Winter Knight Mantle will influence him in such a way that any magical gear he makes will aid in ice magic or something like that?
-
The ideas of what kind of magical foci might come up with for Peace Talks or down the line is a worthy discussion, but I really hope the basic thing Harry is forced to do in Peace Talks is be a detective again. Aside from political maneuvering and fighting people and things that want to take him out, I'm hoping something happens that creates mystery and Harry has to sleuth it out, or else.
I don't think we've had a good mystery for Harry to unravel since Turn Coat. Changes had some detective work in it, but the focus of the story was Harry putting a team together to go kick some Red Court vampire ass and get his daughter back. In Ghost Story Harry didn't really solve the mystery of how he died, he sort of backed into the answer. In Cold Days there was the mystery of why Mab wanted Harry to kill Maeve, but it was secondary to Harry keeping Demonreach from going boom. Also, for me, and I bet for most other readers, why Mab wanted Harry to kill Maeve was less important than seeing Harry reconnect with friends and family. Finally, in Skin Game there were the mysteries of what Nicodemus wanted and how Nicodemus would try to double-cross Harry, but in the end we found out Harry had his own ringer in Nic's crew, so Harry didn't have to solve anything, he had his own countermeasure already in place. I think the Dresden Files as a whole needs a good mystery to revitalize it; to get the main character doing the thing he does best, and reenergize the fans too.
-
The ideas of what kind of magical foci might come up with for Peace Talks or down the line is a worthy discussion, but I really hope the basic thing Harry is forced to do in Peace Talks is be a detective again. Aside from political maneuvering and fighting people and things that want to take him out, I'm hoping something happens that creates mystery and Harry has to sleuth it out, or else.
I don't think we've had a good mystery for Harry to unravel since Turn Coat. Changes had some detective work in it, but the focus of the story was Harry putting a team together to go kick some Red Court vampire ass and get his daughter back. In Ghost Story Harry didn't really solve the mystery of how he died, he sort of backed into the answer. In Cold Days there was the mystery of why Mab wanted Harry to kill Maeve, but it was secondary to Harry keeping Demonreach from going boom. Also, for me, and I bet for most other readers, why Mab wanted Harry to kill Maeve was less important than seeing Harry reconnect with friends and family. Finally, in Skin Game there were the mysteries of what Nicodemus wanted and how Nicodemus would try to double-cross Harry, but in the end we found out Harry had his own ringer in Nic's crew, so Harry didn't have to solve anything, he had his own countermeasure already in place. I think the Dresden Files as a whole needs a good mystery to revitalize it; to get the main character doing the thing he does best, and reenergize the fans too.
While I have thoroughly enjoyed the non-mystery genre stories, especially the Heist tale of Skin Game, I do agree that this para-political pressure cooker would be a great opportunity for a High-stakes Who-Dunnit, which is my current theory-hope for it. Either that or a full-on prison break of the Well. Maybe...both?
-
I agree, I think it's going to be a Who-Done-it, murder mystery.
-
While I have thoroughly enjoyed the non-mystery genre stories, especially the Heist tale of Skin Game, I do agree that this para-political pressure cooker would be a great opportunity for a High-stakes Who-Dunnit, which is my current theory-hope for it. Either that or a full-on prison break of the Well. Maybe...both?
I didn't mean to imply that Skin Game was a bad story because I think it had some really fun moments in it. Perhaps the only thing I really, really disliked; and this has nothing to do with the storytelling itself, is it was the third novel in a row where Harry is performing or trying to perform a very specific mission that feels like a stand alone story. I know there were some important elements in Skin Game that add to the greater story arc and character arcs for both Harry and Nicodemus, but Harry feels somewhat isolated from the rest of world as he did in both Cold Days and Ghost Story.
Consider that from Summer Knight right through to Changes, Harry was aware that whatever task or tasks he was engaged in, there was a larger struggle going on that often intruded into his world while he was trying to deal with more immediate local issues. I think that is why I am looking forward to Peace Talks so much, and why I'm a little more impatient waiting for this book than in the past; aside from the extra long wait we had this time around. Let's say that Peace Talks involves some kind of murder mystery that Harry will have to solve. He will also have to deal with the White Council, balance relationships with friends and frenemies, while dealing with outside threats from; well, who knows. It could be the Fomer, Cowl or Mavra or someone we haven't met before like Drakul, but whoever or whatever the big bad is, the overall story should have a much more open ended feel to it.
-
I didn't mean to imply that Skin Game was a bad story because I think it had some really fun moments in it. Perhaps the only thing I really, really disliked; and this has nothing to do with the storytelling itself, is it was the third novel in a row where Harry is performing or trying to perform a very specific mission that feels like a stand alone story. I know there were some important elements in Skin Game that add to the greater story arc and character arcs for both Harry and Nicodemus, but Harry feels somewhat isolated from the rest of world as he did in both Cold Days and Ghost Story.
Consider that from Summer Knight right through to Changes, Harry was aware that whatever task or tasks he was engaged in, there was a larger struggle going on that often intruded into his world while he was trying to deal with more immediate local issues. I think that is why I am looking forward to Peace Talks so much, and why I'm a little more impatient waiting for this book than in the past; aside from the extra long wait we had this time around. Let's say that Peace Talks involves some kind of murder mystery that Harry will have to solve. He will also have to deal with the White Council, balance relationships with friends and frenemies, while dealing with outside threats from; well, who knows. It could be the Fomer, Cowl or Mavra or someone we haven't met before like Drakul, but whoever or whatever the big bad is, the overall story should have a much more open ended feel to it.
That's my feeling as well; Peace Talks should give us a wider look at what's going on in the world, and we can reconnect with a lot of the elements (mostly the White Council) that we've missed since really Turn Coat—we saw the Council for about five minutes in Changes, then a bit of Ebenezer. Don't get me wrong, I liked that we saw a lot more of Vaderrung in the last few books, but Marcone has been conspicuously absent, the White Court has basically been entirely gone, and we've seen virtually nothing from Summer (yes, we got Lily and a Titania scene for the first time, but I want to know what they're doing and check in with Sarissa)—three factions that will certainly have a significant presence in Peace Talks.
I'm going to be a happy lad when I get to dive in to political maneuvering, underhanded backroom deals, bluffing, posturing, and cat's-paws. Along with all of the characters we've been missing, of course.
None of this is to say that I disliked anything about the previous books; I don't think Jim's ever written a bad one (that he's published, anyway; I have a bunch of garbage novels that will never see the light of day, which I occasionally print and ritually burn to cleanse myself, and I assume Jim wrote some stinkers when he was learning), I just missed the connections with the larger narrative, as KurtinStGeorge seems to.
-
That's my feeling as well; Peace Talks should give us a wider look at what's going on in the world, and we can reconnect with a lot of the elements (mostly the White Council) that we've missed since really Turn Coat—we saw the Council for about five minutes in Changes, then a bit of Ebenezer. Don't get me wrong, I liked that we saw a lot more of Vaderrung in the last few books, but Marcone has been conspicuously absent, the White Court has basically been entirely gone, and we've seen virtually nothing from Summer (yes, we got Lily and a Titania scene for the first time, but I want to know what they're doing and check in with Sarissa)—three factions that will certainly have a significant presence in Peace Talks.
I'm going to be a happy lad when I get to dive in to political maneuvering, underhanded backroom deals, bluffing, posturing, and cat's-paws. Along with all of the characters we've been missing, of course.
None of this is to say that I disliked anything about the previous books; I don't think Jim's ever written a bad one (that he's published, anyway; I have a bunch of garbage novels that will never see the light of day, which I occasionally print and ritually burn to cleanse myself, and I assume Jim wrote some stinkers when he was learning), I just missed the connections with the larger narrative, as KurtinStGeorge seems to.
I can go along with that. It's been too long since we saw what was going on in the larger world, and esp. the 'real world', of the Dresdenfiles, as opposed to Faerie.
One thing I always liked about the DF is that Harry, his magic, and the supernatural elements were seamlessly woven into a very gritty, very 'real' background world. This was true all the way from Storm Front up to Turn Coat, though I noticed in TC that we seemed to be getting kind of detached, and in Changes and since that gritty side of the story has been deemphasized. I recall things like Harry meeting up with Karrin in the café in a Wal-Mart for a late night conference, or when he lost his temper and blew up the garbage dumpster, and Karrin reminded him of the consequences for various people. Little things, but effective.
There were moments of it, for ex when Harry materializes out of Faerie in the middle of a Bass Pro shop, but it such moments were exceptional.
I'm hoping we get some more of the grittiness.
-
Yeah, I was thinking about post Changes ... Ghost story, we understand why not a bunch of other stuff.
Cold days, it was Butters' place, Molly's, DR, Molly's, Mac's, DR, and Molly's.
Skin Games it seemed like they just ran between Murphy's, Michaels, and the warehouse, with off-shoots to a couple of other spots.
I can see what you mean.
-
I can go along with that. It's been too long since we saw what was going on in the larger world, and esp. the 'real world', of the Dresdenfiles, as opposed to Faerie.
One thing I always liked about the DF is that Harry, his magic, and the supernatural elements were seamlessly woven into a very gritty, very 'real' background world. This was true all the way from Storm Front up to Turn Coat, though I noticed in TC that we seemed to be getting kind of detached, and in Changes and since that gritty side of the story has been deemphasized. I recall things like Harry meeting up with Karrin in the café in a Wal-Mart for a late night conference, or when he lost his temper and blew up the garbage dumpster, and Karrin reminded him of the consequences for various people. Little things, but effective.
There were moments of it, for ex when Harry materializes out of Faerie in the middle of a Bass Pro shop, but it such moments were exceptional.
I'm hoping we get some more of the grittiness.
Ghost Story felt pretty gritty and real world to me, especially since Harry was restricted to observe much of the grittiness without being able to interact.
-
Ghost Story felt pretty gritty and real world to me, especially since Harry was restricted to observe much of the grittiness without being able to interact.
That's gratifying to hear. Most people I hear talk about GS tended to think the opposite, since he was forced to be so much more passive the whole book. It definitely brought the story back to the gritty street level, but at the same time Harry himself was rather removed from the majority of the actual danger.
-
I'm just glad we got to meet Nick Angel.
I'm still confused about the wall with the pictures of the kids. Are those the ones he found alive, or didn't find/found dead?
-
I'm just glad we got to meet Nick Angel.
I'm still confused about the wall with the pictures of the kids. Are those the ones he found alive, or didn't find/found dead?
My assumption was alive, though I suppose they could just have been solved cases. Pretty sure those were not unsolved.
-
I'm just glad we got to meet Nick Angel.
I'm still confused about the wall with the pictures of the kids. Are those the ones he found alive, or didn't find/found dead?
Those are the ones he found alive, of all those he went looking for those were the ones he managed to actually save.
“What do you do here?”
“As a private cop?” Nick asked. “Take some cruddy work to keep the lights on—divorces and so on. But mostly I look for lost kids.”
“Doing it a while?” Fitz asked. “Thirty years.”
“Find any?”
“Plenty.”
“Find any in one piece?” Nick stared hard at Fitz for a long time. Then he pointed a finger up and behind him, to the row of portraits on the wall. “Seven?” Fitz asked. “Seven,” Nick said. “In thirty years? You live like this and . . . Seven? That’s it? That’s all?” Nick leaned back in his chair and gave Fitz a small smile. “That’s enough.”
-
Thanks. I don't know why, but every time I read that, I was confused.