Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="mythusmage" data-source="post: 406969" data-attributes="member: 571">A lot of folks letting their imaginations wander here. Many of them victims of the U.S. educational system.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> A few corrections.1. The magic shows up in modern times. I.E., 2001 or so.2. The atomic bomb was not available in 1939. The date was 1944.Now that that's dealt with, let's get down to the metaphysics.The sudden appearance of magic in our world would not be a matter of adding something new to the mix, but a fundamental change in the universe itself. A change in the very nature of the universe, and how it works. It would also mean a change in how we interact with the world, and the impact we have upon it. Would every person of above average intelligence become a wizard? No. Becoming a wizard takes discipline and drive. Not everybody has what it takes. The same for all of above average sagacity. To become a spellcaster takes dedication, hard work, and a tolerance for pain that is remarkable. (Try dropping a Fireballat your feet and see how it feels.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />)It is true criminals would pick up nifty new tricks, but so would the cops. After a period of adjustment, it would all end up pretty much as it is now. Crooks coming up with ways to get loot. Cops coming up with ways to get the crooks.As to the divine. let us remember that the divine seldom, if ever, makes an appearance in our lives. With a few, very rare, exceptions, none of us has dealt with a god. Much less God himself. Angels and saints a tad more often, but not by much.In other words, we have no real experience in the matter. We don't know what to expect. So some hold that it can be denied, and shall be. (Hi, Canis, I am talking about you.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" />)No, bunky, the divine is not something you can so cavalierly dismiss. Ineffable is an inadequate word to describe it. Meeting divinity face to face is not something you can pass off as a bad hot dog with chili flash back. It's not something you can deny. You know, we have become so used to concocted "wonders" we have become jaded and cynical. We're not really ready for the real thing, should it show up. So we get those who declare that folks would take the new way of things in stride. When, really, there is nothing in our experience that would prepare us for what would come should magic appear in our midst.To put it another way, the reality is not the description. The words, "You heal up 12 points of damage on Sir Hektoh." is not the same as watching a broken leg knit up right before your eyes. The words, "You take 22 points from the Fireball." does not have the same impact as watching your skin redden and bubble as your flesh cooks and your clothes burst into flame.No, suddenly having D&D style magic in the real world would not be what many of us apparently expect. It would be different, and how we react to it, adjust to it, would differ from what we say would happen.A reality check for you all. Remember, more real world wizards would be like Artax than Elminster.<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

Verification