Dawn of Magic

[dcarson]

I did a similar magic starts working in the modern world campaign years ago. I had things like Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs they put on barns for luck start working among other mild effects.

[Whitewings]

Originally Posted by Michael Cule

ICA if magicians can teleport across borders.

There are three ways government can react I think.

1) Decide to ban it or only allow it under government control. Which leads to something like the Mutant Registration Act or the Inquisition. One agency to control the problem.

2) To allow magic but only under liscence/supervision. Which leads to something like the Medical Profession.

3) To observe but frustrate it which means letting all the agencies who want to stick their oars in go right ahead.

And there are multiple ways the magical folk can react too from hiding to instituting an actual magiocracy.

2) seems the wisest choice. Thus, 1) and 3) will be tried first.

[Whitewings]

One big problem for researchers into sorcery is that magical rituals have both objective and subjective components. Let’s take the classic demon summoning: the mandatory elements are a protective diagram, candles, incense and appropriate ritual attire. However, which protective diagram, what sort of candles, which incense or incense blend and what specific ritual attire will vary between practitioners. Some do work objectively better than others: silver in the diagram and ammonia-scented candles help, bronze candlesticks or a golden amulet would hinder.

[Flowergarden]

Originally Posted by Whitewings

One big problem for researchers into sorcery is that magical rituals have both objective and subjective components. Let’s take the classic demon summoning: the mandatory elements are a protective diagram, candles, incense and appropriate ritual attire. However, which protective diagram, what sort of candles, which incense or incense blend and what specific ritual attire will vary between practitioners. Some do work objectively better than others: silver in the diagram and ammonia-scented candles help, bronze candlesticks or a golden amulet would hinder.

Would be interesting if, for example, in this case silver would make demon summoning safer, but gold would summon more powerful demons.
Having objectively superior options isn't that fun. But different viable options are (of course it's subjective, just my opinion)

Would lead to very interesting magic styles, I suppose. Or solid magic system.

[Whitewings]

Originally Posted by Flowergarden

Would be interesting if, for example, in this case silver would make demon summoning safer, but gold would summon more powerful demons.
Having objectively superior options isn't that fun. But different viable options are (of course it's subjective, just my opinion)

Would lead to very interesting magic styles, I suppose. Or solid magic system.

The problems with that are twofold: magic in this case is supposed to have objective elements, and purely subjective metaphysics in games lead more to arguments that enjoyment. Look at Mage: the Ascension for a perfect example.

[Ramidel]

Originally Posted by Whitewings

2) seems the wisest choice. Thus, 1) and 3) will be tried first.

3 seems most realistic...and the funniest. A chaotic response by a bunch of different agencies, while Congress holds hearings and certain groups argue that because magic is potentially a weapon, it can't be regulated at all.

[KarlKost]

Originally Posted by Whitewings

Which agencies would have the strongest claims to jurisdiction once the new phenomena are accepted as real? The CIA has little ability to operate within the US. The NSA has jurisdiction only over communications (and that remit desperately needs to be reduced). The FBI is a police force, period. And so it goes.

Each agency would quickly create a new special division to deal with the supernatural, but I believe that the government would also feel the need to create a new intelligence agency that is specifically for that. Therefore, the FBI would have the "FBI Warlock-Task", the CIA would have their "Witch Division" and so on, and then it would be created the "Department for Supernatural Research" or "DSR" or some such. Then this department could work in cooperation with all other agencies, in special with their "magic divisions".

One department of notice would be of the Secret Service, with "Warlocks" specially trained to protect presidents and former presidents and candidates and similar high profile targets

[KarlKost]

I think that what would be most interesting would be the things outside governments, both legal and illegal. The many laws regarding magic would wildly vary between borders, each nation would have their own regulations, and that would greatly change the way that businesses behave and the global geopolitics at large. Highly corrupt third world nations would become havens of illicit magic activity; I can see China and Russia being at the forefront of those, however in China it would be a lot more regulated and restricted and directed towards using against the enemies of the CCP - namely, against the US at first, then Japan, India, Taiwan, Vietnam and South Korea, in that order, while Russia would become the paradise of criminal magic in the world, including even clandestine magic schools for mobs. Criminal organizations worldwide will pay good money for experts in that area, but they may also be willing to pay the education of many students - here in Brazil were I live, we have the PCC, our biggest Mafia, and they pay for students to go to law school to become lawyers, prosecutors and even judges, so you can be sure that many Mafias would pay the education of aspiring wizards

Corporations, Universities and some non-governmental will also be interested in study, use and profit from magic, which means that governments that try to forbid or control it too tightly will incentivize many businesses to relocate for more permissive nations.

Global terrorism is yet another geopolitical factor to consider. Organizations like Al Qaeda or Isis would be very interested in harnessing this source of power, thus it would boil down to how can they achieve it. Terrorist groups are different from organized crime however, because these are ideological ones unlike the crime mafias, thus there's plenty of magic that would be a no-no if it goes against their ideology; heck, certain magic activities may even become the direct targets of terrorist groups. Anything that goes against Sharia Law would be a big no no for Isis and Al Qaeda for instance, while "Financial Magic" could become the direct targets of Marxist terrorist groups.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by Whitewings

2) seems the wisest choice. Thus, 1) and 3) will be tried first.

In the occult WWII campaign, 2) was the first choice. This decision was made by the British government in 1944, by which time many of the usual peacetime political preoccupations and interests had ceased to seem very relevant after five years of war. There's an article describing their plan, "The organisation and regulation of magic in the post-war world", in issue #1 of The Path of Cunning. See the link in my signature.

[Varyon]

Originally Posted by Ramidel

3 seems most realistic...and the funniest. A chaotic response by a bunch of different agencies, while Congress holds hearings and certain groups argue that because magic is potentially a weapon, it can't be regulated at all.

One interesting aspect of all this, at least in the United States (where whether or not magic should be covered by the Second Amendment is a concern), is that there's a bit of a switch in support. Those in favor of civilian access to firearms tend to be more socially conservative, while those opposed tend to instead be more socially liberal/progressive. However, magic is something that would likely be opposed by social conservatives (who in the US tend toward Christianity, which has a lot to say against sorcery and the like) moreso than by social liberals/progressives (who tend to be more atheist or pagan, the latter of which typically incorporate magic into their faith).

Authoritarian vs Libertarian would match up better, however - authoritarians are going to be opposed to civilian access to magic just like they are to civilian access to firearms (but will happily incorporate both for their own use), while libertarians are going to be in favor of both (or at least opposed to restrictions place on them by the government, which works out to roughly the same thing).