D&D spellcasters in the modern world

[LostSoul]

Think about the parties! I'm sure Hypnotism provides a wicked buzz. But then again, you'd have Dateline: NBC reports about the dangers of Charm Person.

 

[Olive]

I strongly disagree with this one. Just for starters, if you had clear proof of the existence of the divine, and could actually watch a real ressurection on live television, society would be utterly changed.

well i don't know about ressurection,but there a whole lot of people who believe that they've seen remove disease live on tv...

 

[mythusmage]

What about a True Resurrection cast on the moldering remains of Elvis Presley?

For that matter, how would people react when they see a gaping wound close up in a few seconds, live on TV.

 

[Mistwell]

First, d20 Modern will speak directly to the issue of magic in modern day society, and will provide some rules guidelines (in the least) for making it work.

Second, there is no need to make magic known, and accepted, by the general public (meaning you don't need to change the economic system to accomodate it). I think it would work best as it is right now - tales of the supernatural are lumped in with UFO's, secret government conspiracies, psychokenetic powers, underground experiments, crop circles, bigfoot, and anything else you might hear on Art Bell's radio show (See: http://www.artbell.com ) or the x-files (or, lately, Alias). Some people believe in it, others are skeptical, and most people just don't buy it.

Then just make most of it real, and have your PC's be some of the few people who know some of the truth.

To take your example, assume the PCs are investigating the claim that someone was recently ressurected by a Priest of a particular church. Most people simply won't believe it (and even if they saw it on TV, they would just assume it is a trick right up there with all other magic tricks on TV). Others, however, would oppose the PCs in their attempts to discover the truth. Perhaps the Vatican sends a special cadre of Priests, along with some of their special Swiss Guard, to make sure the whole thing is discredited. The national inquirerer might send a reporter to investigate, who might be none-to-happy that the PCs are getting information before the reporter is. Maybe even the government would send some black-ops military group to cover up the whole thing, for fear that it will get out that some elites in society are ressurected, while ressurection is not available to the general public. And then of course there are those very elites themselves, worried that their precious secret to long life will be ruined if it becomes general knowledge.

There are all kinds of possibilities with Magic in a d20 Modern setting, that do not require a change in the economics of society. You just need to make sure magic remains special, and not just another mundane element in the mix of the rest of lifes experiences. And I think the best way to do that is to not let most of the public believe in real Magic.

 

[Jürgen Hubert]

There are all kinds of possibilities with Magic in a d20 Modern setting, that do not require a change in the economics of society. You just need to make sure magic remains special, and not just another mundane element in the mix of the rest of lifes experiences. And I think the best way to do that is to not let most of the public believe in real Magic.

Then you need at least a rough understanding of the group(s) that keeps magic suppressed. (Incidentally, I strongly recommend GURPS Cabal for a good set-up and for a brilliant use of "fantasy magic" in a modern setting...)

 

[Umbran]

What about a True Resurrection cast on the moldering remains of Elvis Presley?

For that matter, how would people react when they see a gaping wound close up in a few seconds, live on TV.

Modern citizens fo first-world nations? Not much reaction. Special effects. If it can be done in the movies,they won't necessarily believe it on TV.

Oh, something to consider is population density. If there's proportionately the same number of spellcasters in your modern setting as in a medieval one, that means a great many more spellcasters in absolute numbers.

Then we run into the ecological issues involved - how many spellcasters flinging about how much energy? Where does that energy come from? Is it, like gasoline, going to run out? Are tehse spellcasters pumping energy into the planet from an outside source, and thus contributing to global warming?

 

[RangerWickett]

Nifty idea. Magic disappeared because of population growth. There are too many people all sharing the same magical power, so no one can get quite enough oomph to cast anything substantial.

Which is why Nostradamus did so well with his divining. Thousands were dying off from the black plague, meaning there was more magic to go around.

Interesting.

 

[mythusmage]

Modern citizens fo first-world nations? Not much reaction. Special effects. If it can be done in the movies,they won't necessarily believe it on TV.

Oh, something to consider is population density. If there's proportionately the same number of spellcasters in your modern setting as in a medieval one, that means a great many more spellcasters in absolute numbers.

Then we run into the ecological issues involved - how many spellcasters flinging about how much energy? Where does that energy come from? Is it, like gasoline, going to run out? Are tehse spellcasters pumping energy into the planet from an outside source, and thus contributing to global warming?

Try a live news shot of a paramedic waggling his fingers above an accident victims gaping chest, and having said chest close up, leaving a faint scar. Then it happens again and again. It happens in front of all sorts of people. It happens under controlled conditions. Some may claim special effects, but they'd soon be labeled kooks and loons.

Whereto the ecological considerations.

I've been thinking about that. How are spells cast? Is there leftover magical energy? Does the "shaped" magical energy revert back to its "usual" form over the course of time, or does it stay "changed"? What is the effect when this changed magical energy "piles up" in a location. To put it another way, what about dweomer pollution?

What if a psychiatric hospital has to ban the use of Sleepbecause overuse resulted in an area of the wards making people agitated? The disenchanting of said area costing the hospital many thousands of dollars.

Or the combination of enchanted tire rubber and rain leading to the breakdown of asphalt paving and the subsequent spread of the tar into the soil? Making the enchantment of neoprene rubber for any reason a felony offence.

A few ideas.

 

[Jeremy Ackerman-Yost]

Nifty idea. Magic disappeared because of population growth. There are too many people all sharing the same magical power, so no one can get quite enough oomph to cast anything substantial.

Which is why Nostradamus did so well with his divining. Thousands were dying off from the black plague, meaning there was more magic to go around.

Interesting.

Ooh. That IS a Nifty Idea.

Did you need to do that to me this late at night? I don't sleep well when my brain is churning and bubbling with a new idea...

 

[Umbran]

Try a live news shot of a paramedic waggling his fingers above an accident victims gaping chest...

Prove it is actually live. Prove that it's an actual gaping chest wound, and not latex and ketchup. If it isn't live and in person, it's deniable. It can even be denied if it is in person. You'd be surprised at what people can deny and rationalize whent hey want to...

I've been thinking about that. How are spells cast?

This is dependant on the mataphysic of the world in question, and will vary enormously from campaign to campaign. You can play it virutally any way you want to...