Magic and Democracy

[Shades of Green]

If you really want to keep magic in check, you could always have something similar to Babylon 5's Psi-Corps, with mandatory membership for mages and a strong regulatory branch; clerics would be kept in line by the church hierarchy. Ofcourse, from here arises the question of "who watches the watchmen?"... An alternative would have a Lawful Good regulatory force of mages/clerics along the lines of the Star Wars Jedi Knights, sworn to protect democracy against rogue mages and equipped with the spells, skills and magic items to deal with them. But given the Depression Era feel of the game world, I'd choose the former over the latter...

 

[Kax Tuglebend]

So, if anyone in the crowd dodges the effect, they know something magic was just attempted. Eventually, folks will figure it out, and become very, very irate with the politician...

Of course eventually someone will figure out that a good way to smear a politician will be to send a dozen apprentice wizards down to try and charm the crowd the other way, as even if people resist they'll come away suspecting the politician.. and eventually someone will get caught doing it, and from then on the politicians will be free to try it again because they can just blame any ill-feeling from failed spells on magical underhand tricks by their opponents and/or their chosen undesireables.

 

[STARP_Social_Officer]

If you really want to keep magic in check, you could always have something similar to Babylon 5's Psi-Corps, with mandatory membership for mages and a strong regulatory branch; clerics would be kept in line by the church hierarchy. Ofcourse, from here arises the question of "who watches the watchmen?"... An alternative would have a Lawful Good regulatory force of mages/clerics along the lines of the Star Wars Jedi Knights, sworn to protect democracy against rogue mages and equipped with the spells, skills and magic items to deal with them. But given the Depression Era feel of the game world, I'd choose the former over the latter...

I have already established that membership in the Mages Guild is mantatory for spellcasters, and if you're expelled from the Guild you're not allowed to continue practicing magic (unless you want large men to get you). That's a pretty powerful deterrent. But it leaves aside the tantalising prospect that the Guild themselves could interfere when they chose to...

 

[pallandrome]

Know how you have to sign in to vote? Have the old lady who signs you in looks at you with a Detect Magic At Will item. If you detect as having a magical effect active on you, you are not allowed to vote.

Special dispensation would of course be allowed for outsiders and the like, the same way that our military gets to vote in abstentia.