Author Topic: The First Law of Magic In-Play: Semi-Official Advice  (Read 91189 times)

Offline Mrmdubois

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Re: The First Law of Magic In-Play: Semi-Official Advice
« Reply #60 on: May 17, 2013, 01:55:11 AM »
It seems obvious to me, but I should probably note that the "corruption" works in reverse too.  Do good things with your magic and you will be more likely to do more good things.

You seem to be coming at this with the idea that humans are stagnant and change only when they break one of the Council's Laws, while I'd argue people are changing all the time but it's the changes wrought by breaking the Council's Laws that the Council pays attention to, and even then only to maintain the political status quo.

Offline Tedronai

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Re: The First Law of Magic In-Play: Semi-Official Advice
« Reply #61 on: May 17, 2013, 02:25:09 AM »
So, in answer to the question of 'Do you have any source that supports your position of other activities being as 'corrupting' as those that violate the Laws?', your answer would be 'no'?
Even Chaotic Neutral individuals have to apologize sometimes. But at least we don't have to mean it.
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Offline Mrmdubois

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Re: The First Law of Magic In-Play: Semi-Official Advice
« Reply #62 on: May 17, 2013, 03:09:21 AM »
As corrupting?  Well sure, if for the sake of this argument I started drawing from real life, on which the Dresden Files is a commentary as much as it is a fantastic story then I would have ample evidence.  In the setting from what we've been given?  One example comes to mind, but you would probably dismiss it out of hand since it relates back to what I was saying about fantastic racism. 

The example would be Harry's changing attitude towards ghouls.  At first he's complacent as much as one can be about cannibals because that's just their nature.  When he's exposed to something that changes that attitude he changed gears to indiscriminate hate.  He uses magic viciously, the use of magic reinforces his hatred and he begins changing to react like that with his magic to all ghouls.

Actually, another example just came to me.  There's also his case history overall, for instance when Marcone mentions that he'll take the bet that Harry destroys their mutual enemy.  Harry ends up musing on that, more often than not his enemies end up dead; this would be because he has grown accustomed to using his magic to kill his enemies either directly or indirectly.

Offline Mrmdubois

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Re: The First Law of Magic In-Play: Semi-Official Advice
« Reply #63 on: May 17, 2013, 03:37:28 AM »
Outside of Harry himself we have Binder, a thoroughly unpleasant individual who uses his magic and is corrupted by his hedonistic use of it even if he's never broken one of the Council's Laws.