Death Not-Curse

[Lonelylurker]

Is there any reason that a dying wizard, with the opportunity to use his Death-curse, couldn't use that last burst of power for something else instead?

[PirateJack]

No specific reason. I believe we have a Word of Jim saying that it's possible, but that most wizards at the time of their death aren't exactly in the blessing frame of mind.

[Sanctaphrax]

Yeah. Mechanically, the death curse rules work just fine for a death blessing or a death ward or whatever. And narratively it's a cool idea, so I say go for it.

[dragoonbuster]

Hard for a wizard to think constructively while dying and mean it. But if they could, I expect you'd be able to accomplish some cool stuff.

[horngeek]

It would depend on the specific character- death not-curses are likely to be pre-planned as well, I'd think. 

[Taran]

I like the idea of a Death-Ward. 

Where, in your final breath, you protect a person or place.  It also seems like a selfless thing someone might do in their final moments - especially if you die protecting said place.

Or, if you have something like biomancy or soul-fire, purifying a place - like, say, a polluted or contaminated lake or dying forest.

[Arjan]

But that is only true if a wizard is actually killed by someone else. If he dies in his bed after a long life with his descendants gathered around him why would he not give them his death blessing?

[dragoonbuster]

But that is only true if a wizard is actually killed by someone else. If he dies in his bed after a long life with his descendants gathered around him why would he not give them his death blessing?

You can't. Doesn't work that way according to Harry. Death Curses require the kind of high-running emotions brought upon by untimely deaths. Peacefully drifting away doesn't provide the kind of emotional fuel for the effects you can get from Death Curses (or Death Not-Curses, as the case may be).

[Arjan]

You can't. Doesn't work that way according to Harry.

Where is that said? Because death beat gives a totally different impression. When Harry prepared his own death curse he had time to direct it and choose a target and so on.

Probably enough time to choose an effect as well. And he was not dying yet.

Later something similar happened. Bob warns Cowl about Harry's death curse and Kumori does not have to kill harry to make him use it.

I think a wizard can use a death curse any time if he is prepared to pay the price.

But maybe Harry can trigger death curses more easily than most, he has suicidal tendencies.

Death Curses require the kind of high-running emotions brought upon by untimely deaths. Peacefully drifting away doesn't provide the kind of emotional fuel for the effects you can get from Death Curses (or Death Not-Curses, as the case may be).

Maybe an illness does, it is prematurely and can be highly emotional but you can not really curse someone for it.

The fear for what will happen to them when you can not protect them anymore could easily generate those emotions. Fear, loss, love, .....

The wish, strong emotional need, to take care of them beyond death.
Every death can be untimely and the emotional bond can be strong. 

And of course preparation. If you know your death is coming you can prepare a death curse and make it complicated, like Harry's mother did.

[Sanctaphrax]

The death curse is fuelled by life energy, right? Presumably you don't have much left if you've just finished withering away.

There are some illnesses that act a lot like injuries, though. I imagine someone with a brain tumour still has plenty of juice left.

[Lonelylurker]

You can't. Doesn't work that way according to Harry. Death Curses require the kind of high-running emotions brought upon by untimely deaths. Peacefully drifting away doesn't provide the kind of emotional fuel for the effects you can get from Death Curses (or Death Not-Curses, as the case may be).

That might be true for a curse(presumably of harm against your murder). But a peaceful passing surrounded by loving family sounds like the perfect circumstance for using your last breath to place a blessing on your descendants(i.e. the opposite of a 'bloodline curse').

[toturi]

The death not-curse that comes to mind most readily is the one in the other Harry story. You know... that shield spell Harry's mum put on her infant son.

[dragoonbuster]

The death not-curse that comes to mind most readily is the one in the other Harry story. You know... that shield spell Harry's mum put on her infant son.

Definitely a completely different action of magic in that circumstance--Lily's magic had nothing to do with it; rather, it was laying down her life in front of her son that did it. She did nothing but sacrifice herself--the magic was "older than time" or whatever Dumbledore says.

Besides, are we really bringing in the terrible Harry Potter magic paradigm into Dresden now? Blegh.

[Sanctaphrax]

It's as death-curse-like as anything outside the Dresden Files can be. She sacrificed herself and created an extremely powerful magical effect by doing so.

[RonLugge]

Definitely a completely different action of magic in that circumstance--Lily's magic had nothing to do with it; rather, it was laying down her life in front of her son that did it. She did nothing but sacrifice herself--the magic was "older than time" or whatever Dumbledore says.

Besides, are we really bringing in the terrible Harry Potter magic paradigm into Dresden now? Blegh.

I think he's using it for a narrative concept, rather than saying the mechanics transfer over.  It's a place where it makes narrative sense to place a blessing on someone rather than take out your killers.