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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Vine on February 25, 2011, 09:08:44 PM
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The biggest question right now is opening portals to the Nevernever
Do you consider it a ritual or evocation?
Which themes, elements or type do you consider it for specialities and foci?
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Pretty much every reference in the novels is clearly Evocation, in which I'd place it under Spirit.
Unfortunately, the only real mechanics reference to it in the rpg books is under Thaumaturgy - Transportation And Worldwalking.
Then again, Harry generally only opens a portal to the Nevernever in a location where the barrier between worlds has been weakened somehow - from repeated or recent travel, or by other means - so it's possible that that has something to do with it
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A part of me feels that opening portals should be open to any practioner, regardless of specialty.
How do you feel it should work with foci?
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I've been running it as Thaumaturgy, but it has generally been performed by a character who already had enough of a Lore bonus that they required no prep for it, so it generally only takes an exchange to set up. I'd be happy to run it as Evocation, but it wasn't in the Evocation section.
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YS:283
Opening the way is a simple action against the target strength—it must meet or exceed the strength in order to open up.
Being a simple action, I'd say it's along the lines of evocation.
It also fits better with what Harry does. He never draws a circle to open a gate or anything. Something he does for even the simplest Thaumaturgy spells all the time.
Of course you can do it with Thaumaturgy as well, no question.
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If you want the portal to remain open for any length of time, you probably need the extra power that you can get out of thaumaturgy. But simply opening a portal that you step through and close is within evocations capabilities.
I'm rather irritated by making opening portals something related to the spirit element, since spirit is already the best element. Maybe let portals be opened with any element, and just change the narration?
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Maybe let portals be opened with any element, and just change the narration?
"I fell in to a burning ring of fire..."
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Like many things in DFRPG, opening the barrier can have many causes. It could be a simple act of will with no spellcasting involved (Fae in natural areas, WCVs in a strip club, etc). It could also be a quick evocation or, for longer and more extensive portals, thaumaturgy.
There's also no reason to lock it down to one element. Fae, druids, and Native American shaman will likely use nature magic, an earth wizard would tear open a portal in a cave or tunnel, a water wizard might find opening a portal behind a waterfall easiest...in my opinion, spirit is the least likely. After all, the Nevernever isn't exactly a "spirit world", though it does have some of the trappings.
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I have to disagree with UmbraLux in that spirit makes the most sense, being the basis of "pure will" but I like the idea of any element working, I think anyone with magic should be able to get through if they wanted.
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To clarify, I think the other options are better because of potential affinities / similarities. Transfer from a woodland glade on earth to the deep wild woods of the Nevernever, through the spray of one mountain stream to another, from a mirror on earth to a still pool of water, etc. The mental effort is required no matter what element is used.