02-05-2014, 03:33 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Feb 2014
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Computer Compatible Magic?
I'm looking to make a modern magician using Thaumatology as a starting point, who utilized his magic through computers using them to access the astral plane similarly (or perhaps in parallel) to connecting to the internet. They would be able to astrally project, including rendering the astral plane so it could be accessed through VR or hack into reality itself, altering data and thereby gaining real world effects. Of course they would still have to overcome mystical obstacles to do this but such a practice would also allow technological obstacles to be created too. Perhaps the Akashic Records have a firewall now?
Anyway, not looking for anything exact but I was wondering which system/s would be best utilized to capture the feel of this kind of magic and if I would need to adapt it to make it only accessible through digital mediums. I'm sure I have seen magic like this in multiple places but the only one that comes to mind is in the early Hellblazer story "Ghosts in the Machine". If anyone can point me to any other sources that would be a great bonus too! |
02-05-2014, 03:46 PM | #2 | |
Join Date: Jul 2007
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Re: Computer Compatible Magic?
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02-05-2014, 04:46 PM | #3 |
Untitled
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: between keyboard and chair
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Re: Computer Compatible Magic?
GURPS Technomancer has some rules for using the standard magic system with computer assistance. It would be easy enough to put a limitation on those to make the magic work only with computers. Adapting the rules for any other GURPS magic system might be tricky, though. It's a third edition book, but the standard magic system didn't change very much between editions.
(Aside: Technomancer also points out the difference between a spell-checker and a spelling-checker.)
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Rob Kelk “Every man has a right to his own opinion, but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts.” – Bernard Baruch, Deming (New Mexico) Headlight, 6 January 1950 No longer reading these forums regularly. |
02-05-2014, 05:54 PM | #4 |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: Computer Compatible Magic?
So what are the desired effects?
The limited and concrete one seems to be 'View and interact with the astral plane via my computer'. I unfortunately don't know what would be on this particular astral plane. magical resources? information? other worlds? The other effect seems to be 'hack into reality', which could mean all sorts of things and is really a dangerous and incredibly powerful use of magic, or could be quite limited. What effects are easy that way, and what are hard?
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02-05-2014, 06:25 PM | #5 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Re: Computer Compatible Magic?
There's a novel called MagicNet which has a premise like the one you've described. It's from ca. 1990, though, so the computer tech is going to be laughably outdated.
Last edited by Dalillama; 02-05-2014 at 07:00 PM. |
02-05-2014, 06:53 PM | #6 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Computer Compatible Magic?
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02-05-2014, 06:57 PM | #7 | |
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Portsmouth, VA, USA
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Re: Computer Compatible Magic?
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02-05-2014, 07:00 PM | #8 |
Join Date: Nov 2004
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Re: Computer Compatible Magic?
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02-05-2014, 10:02 PM | #9 | |||
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Re: Computer Compatible Magic?
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Of course, the difference is closer to fluff than mechanics. You could probably tweak RPM pretty easily to replace the energy gathering rolls with hacking success rolls, and just declare that the time is actually "conducting the ritual" (writing the code) rather than "gathering energy". Tweak required units of time to suit. Casting the spell is still quick if you want to visualize that as launching the program you just wrote, or non-existant if the effect just occurs when you're done. If you want mages to be able to save programs for later execution, you've got a conditional ritual. (And possibly a charm, if they have to put it on a USB drive and get it to the Big Bad's Master Control Program in the center of the Secret Base to be able to give him the old end-of-line.) If it's the act of hacking that's actually doing the work, and not execution of a program, then no conditional rituals for hanging spells. You're either hacking or you're not. |
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02-05-2014, 10:14 PM | #10 |
Wielder of Smart Pants
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Ventura CA
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Re: Computer Compatible Magic?
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gurps 4e, techno-fantasy, thaumatology |
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