Son of the Serpent
Pupil
The witch of endor comes to mind. I doubt king saul saw her as anything but.
D&D General What Is Magic, Even?
- Thread starter doctorbadwolf
- Start date
It is perhaps worthy of note that certain actions traditionally considered "magical" are possible in the real world.
The transmutation of lead into gold could be achieved by multiple stages of electron capture, first converting lead into thallium, yhen thallium into mercury, and finally mercury into gold
Low energy lightning bolts can be created with a tesla coil.
When in contact with a van-de-graff generator one can exercise a limited form of telekinesis over certain types of objects via the electric force, such as causing packing peanuts to fly towards your hand from a couple inches away.
The transmutation of lead into gold could be achieved by multiple stages of electron capture, first converting lead into thallium, yhen thallium into mercury, and finally mercury into gold
Low energy lightning bolts can be created with a tesla coil.
When in contact with a van-de-graff generator one can exercise a limited form of telekinesis over certain types of objects via the electric force, such as causing packing peanuts to fly towards your hand from a couple inches away.
Has anyone tried turning lead to gold yet via electron capture?
I think I read a secondhand account of them finding some in lead reactor shielding or something like that but I don't remember any of the details.
The final step of mercury into gold has definitely been done though.
In any case it's so slow and expensive that you'd lose money on it
EDIT:
found the article.
1.) Apparently traces were found in the shielding of a russian nuclear
2.) There was also an experiment by Glenn Seaborg that involved reducing the atomic number of bismuth, which presumably would have went much as I described with the addition of a step of bismuth into lead. In any case it apparently would have worked with lead as well
article
another article
another article
The final step of mercury into gold has definitely been done though.
In any case it's so slow and expensive that you'd lose money on it
EDIT:
found the article.
1.) Apparently traces were found in the shielding of a russian nuclear
2.) There was also an experiment by Glenn Seaborg that involved reducing the atomic number of bismuth, which presumably would have went much as I described with the addition of a step of bismuth into lead. In any case it apparently would have worked with lead as well
article
another article
another article
Last edited:
GMMichael
Guide of Modos
Well if you're going to go there: Magic is attributing value to your, ahem, feudal currency that has nothing to do with your gold reserves. 
In my games, magic is more or less defined by the player using it. The product of magic, however, is often a game-rule definition that the player magically weaves into a story element.
In my games, magic is more or less defined by the player using it. The product of magic, however, is often a game-rule definition that the player magically weaves into a story element.
TheCosmicKid
Hero
Magic is its own thing. Attempts to describe it in terms of real-world rational concepts, like "a fifth physical force" or "hacking the source code of the universe" or whatever, are grasping metaphors at best and rapidly become dated as intellectual trends march on. (The universe is not a computer. The universe is the ultimate analog device.) And like anything that's its own thing, the inability to explain magic except through inapt analogies renders its true nature mysterious -- ineffable in the proper sense. Not even wizards truly understand what it is. If they did, they would hardly need to memorize formulaic spells, after all. But it's the mystery that draws them to it, just as it's the mystery that draws us to it.
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Strongly disagree with the bold section. I don’t think that actually follows.
TheCosmicKid
Hero
Ancient Egyptian engineers constructed buildings through techniques learned by rote and tested through trial and error. This is not to say that they weren't clever techniques, but it is why they favored certain shapes like the pyramid. Modern engineers have a much deeper understanding of the physics that govern buildings and therefore can build almost anything they can imagine. The D&D wizard, with a spellbook containing maybe a dozen magical tricks, resembles to me an ancient engineer much more than a modern one.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there really are only a few dozen different things you can do with magic and the wizard is achieving true mastery of the craft. But in my eyes that's a pretty lackluster vision of magic.
Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe there really are only a few dozen different things you can do with magic and the wizard is achieving true mastery of the craft. But in my eyes that's a pretty lackluster vision of magic.
Arnwolf666
Adventurer
For me magic is psychic energy used to manipulate the world or something. Most humans don’t have enough psychic energy to do that so they use verbal, somatic, and material components to augment their ability. Spell books tell them how to prepare those components.
and I get a little bit more complex such as the verbal and somatic components are slightly different each day because of the position of the stars or planesor what not.
and I get a little bit more complex such as the verbal and somatic components are slightly different each day because of the position of the stars or planesor what not.
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