Could Magic be kept secret? - Page 3

The Colonel · 08-30-2018, 11:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lameth

So next issue with this...If the world then suddenly has "supers" starting to appear over the last few years, here and there, people with natural born super abilities. More super pulp action then Magneto. More Heroes / The Gifted TV show then DC gods.

Charles Stross asks (in one of his novels at least) "is there a difference between superpowers and magic" - in the case in point the "supers" are actually manifesting inherent magical ability. There is magic (or at least really nasty mathematics) in Stross's Laundryverse ... and there are plenty of people who had been trying to keep it out of the public domain.

Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2 · 08-30-2018, 12:14 PM

A mere 150 individuals? No problem! They would have an easier time hiding if they didn't have a "magical culture", just being individuals who passed down knowledge in their families and would be surprised to discover other magical people exist.

It's the "hidden civilization" wainscotting societies that would have trouble hiding.

starslayer · 08-30-2018, 01:17 PM

RPM/path magic could POSSIBLY pull it off, but only if they were willing to be very unethical about and dedicated to it, lots of mental manipulation, employing people like James Randi who are actually aware that magic exists and their goal is to find real magic and suppress it.

Routine purging of youtube, blanking minds, destroying phones en-mass are going to be requirements for keeping the secret, and they are going to have to do a LOT of after the fact damage control.

Keeping the secret up until about 1995 would be much easier.

Kalzazz · 08-30-2018, 01:46 PM

My Tanuki City USA setting mostly just handwaves how magic stays hidden

They encourage notions like describing 'hydra loose on the interstate' as 'mutant elephant'

AlexanderHowl · 08-30-2018, 03:46 PM

Another thing to consider is the type of magic. Path/Book magic will be easier to hide than standard magic because the effects of the rituals will be more subtle than standard spells. Realm magic will be easier to hide than standard magic because the first couple of levels are usually more subtle than standard magic spells.

The type of magical energy also matters. Energy Accumulation for Path/Book Magic will be much easier to hide than standard magic because it takes a long time to gather energy. Spirit Assisted magic may be easier to hide because the magicians who survive long enough to master it will avoid being enslaved by their spiritual patrons by not being foolish enough to waste magic on unnecessary activities. Threshold-Limited magic may be easier to hide because the magicians who survive long enough to master it will avoid being destroyed by Reality by not wasting magic to do frivolous things.

Lameth · 08-30-2018, 04:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

Another thing to consider is the type of magic. Path/Book magic will be easier to hide than standard magic because the effects of the rituals will be more subtle than standard spells. Realm magic will be easier to hide than standard magic because the first couple of levels are usually more subtle than standard magic spells.

The type of magical energy also matters. Energy Accumulation for Path/Book Magic will be much easier to hide than standard magic because it takes a long time to gather energy. Spirit Assisted magic may be easier to hide because the magicians who survive long enough to master it will avoid being enslaved by their spiritual patrons by not being foolish enough to waste magic on unnecessary activities. Threshold-Limited magic may be easier to hide because the magicians who survive long enough to master it will avoid being destroyed by Reality by not wasting magic to do frivolous things.

My thought right now is..Effect Shaping, with Books and a Core skill of Ritual Magic.

AlexanderHowl · 08-30-2018, 05:53 PM

Well, Effect Shaping allows for quicker rituals (at a penalty) than Energy Accumulation, but it is much less flashy than standard magic, so I really do not see any reason why it cannot be hidden without difficulty. If you want it to go completely unnoticed, avoid any rituals that cause impossible things to happen, and the vast majority of people will just shrug off the implausible. If you want to really make sure that the magic will be completely unnoticed though, construct your Books from the rituals from the Paths of Cunning, Dreams, Health, Knowledge, Luck, Protection, and Spirits, and make sure that your custom rituals are not more powerful than those rituals.

08-30-2018, 12:14 PM	#22
Mysterious Dark Lord v3.2 Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: The deep dark haunted woods	Re: Could Magic be kept secret? A mere 150 individuals? No problem! They would have an easier time hiding if they didn't have a "magical culture", just being individuals who passed down knowledge in their families and would be surprised to discover other magical people exist. It's the "hidden civilization" wainscotting societies that would have trouble hiding. __________________ "When you talk about damage radius, even atomic weapons pale before that of an unfettered idiot in a position of power." - Sam Starfall from the webcomic Freefall

08-30-2018, 01:17 PM	#23
starslayer Join Date: Dec 2006	Re: Could Magic be kept secret? RPM/path magic could POSSIBLY pull it off, but only if they were willing to be very unethical about and dedicated to it, lots of mental manipulation, employing people like James Randi who are actually aware that magic exists and their goal is to find real magic and suppress it. Routine purging of youtube, blanking minds, destroying phones en-mass are going to be requirements for keeping the secret, and they are going to have to do a LOT of after the fact damage control. Keeping the secret up until about 1995 would be much easier.

08-30-2018, 01:46 PM	#24
Kalzazz Join Date: Feb 2009	Re: Could Magic be kept secret? My Tanuki City USA setting mostly just handwaves how magic stays hidden They encourage notions like describing 'hydra loose on the interstate' as 'mutant elephant'

08-30-2018, 03:46 PM	#25
AlexanderHowl Join Date: Feb 2016	Re: Could Magic be kept secret? Another thing to consider is the type of magic. Path/Book magic will be easier to hide than standard magic because the effects of the rituals will be more subtle than standard spells. Realm magic will be easier to hide than standard magic because the first couple of levels are usually more subtle than standard magic spells. The type of magical energy also matters. Energy Accumulation for Path/Book Magic will be much easier to hide than standard magic because it takes a long time to gather energy. Spirit Assisted magic may be easier to hide because the magicians who survive long enough to master it will avoid being enslaved by their spiritual patrons by not being foolish enough to waste magic on unnecessary activities. Threshold-Limited magic may be easier to hide because the magicians who survive long enough to master it will avoid being destroyed by Reality by not wasting magic to do frivolous things.

08-30-2018, 05:53 PM	#27
AlexanderHowl Join Date: Feb 2016	Re: Could Magic be kept secret? Well, Effect Shaping allows for quicker rituals (at a penalty) than Energy Accumulation, but it is much less flashy than standard magic, so I really do not see any reason why it cannot be hidden without difficulty. If you want it to go completely unnoticed, avoid any rituals that cause impossible things to happen, and the vast majority of people will just shrug off the implausible. If you want to really make sure that the magic will be completely unnoticed though, construct your Books from the rituals from the Paths of Cunning, Dreams, Health, Knowledge, Luck, Protection, and Spirits, and make sure that your custom rituals are not more powerful than those rituals.