Guys, while I see how this relates to the topic it isn't on topic. If you want to discuss the ins and outs of whether magic is gray, black, or polka dotted please do so in another thread. I made these threads, and I hope this thread was made in the same thought, to help flesh out magic ideas not whether it broke the laws. There are a ton of threads on that, I wanted and I think the thread creator here wants, ideas for how to use the magic thematically. Sorry if I'm coming off as rude, but this isn't what I was looking for. That being said....
Patience grasshopper! lol. I was planning on making a new thread for spirit magic (I call this force because I think spirit sounds wierd) tonight but you beat me to it bestial warlust! I was having trouble choosing between spirit and air and you helped lol! Anyway, I absolutely LOVE force magic. I think it is the most versatile and handy of all the elements for one simple fact, you can do anything that another element can do....AND ITS INVISIBLE!
Here are a few things I've done that I think are pretty nifty with force magic....
1. What is a non-combat interesting way to use spirit magic?
Well, the obvious ones are the light/darkness effects and viels that everyone else mentions. Force magic also has some really neat applications when you think about it because ALL the symbiotic ties that link stuff together in dresdenverse are made of spirit/force magic. So, you coule take a tie that someone left behind like say a napkin with lipstick on it from their mouth, strengthen that tie to the point where you could cast at them through the link.
Another use for force magic is stated in the series as "holomancy" or illusions. Now, for those of you who are scifi fans you will know what a hard light hologram is. Its a hologram that can interact with its environment. I have made these before to even the numbers in a fight, to make someone lose me when being followed, and to make targeting me almost impossible in a fight. Also remember that you don't have to make them of people. How bad would it be if the get away driver accidently drove over a "bridge" and ended up in his van down by the river!
2. What is a single target interesting way to use spirit magic?
If you want to target a single person in combat the most direct method I can come up with is either the old force punch/grip (think Darth Vader) or my personal favorite the expanding force bubble in their head.
3. What is an area of effect interesting way to use spirit magic?
When you absolutely, positively, have to kill every person in the area nothing is more devestating than spirit/force magic. Fire magic and the rest are great for hurting people, spirit kills them. Think soulfire guys, if you get rid of their spirit they die, just like if you use to much of it with soulfire. The most ridiculously horrible attack would be like that guy in the books that waves his hand and people just fall over. Great kill ration, no collateral damage.
Another thing would be to do a layover of what a wizard sees with the sight. Think about 50 mooks chasing down your wizard who ends up in a dead end (no pun intended), the mage reaches out and creates an illusion of exactly what you would see with the sight and lays it over the immediate area. If it doesn't drive the guys bonkers it at least stuns them long enough to get away.
4. What is an interesting way to block using spirit magic?
My favorite block in the game is from force. You let the person attack you and then create a force funnel that redirects and amplifies the attack by giving it kinetic energy. It only works once but it surprises the hell out of him when his own fireball hits him in the face.
Another great idea for blocking with force magic is duh....FORCEFIELDS!
5. What would be an interesting way to impede someones movement with sprit magic?
Force wall maze....whats worse than a maze? AN INVISIBLE MAZE! BWHAHAHA
Force Cages
One thing I have been wanting to use but haven't had a chance to use yet is something that amplifies a certain emotion. before you start shouting about breaking the laws, I am thinking about it being set to an area, not a person, so that it would be more like Harry and the others making someplace dreary or frightening.
One way to single target impede movements is with judicious applications of force ribbons that wrap around the person. I've also done this in an iron maiden design that worked well.
6.Can you think of anything else that would fit the Dresdenverse and be really neat in a game for spirit magic?
Most of the really neat stuff Harry does is with spirit magic I would say. Almost all tracking spells, summonings, necromancy (which as long as it doesn't raise people is legal), illusions, light/darkness effects, force fields, kinetic energy, lasers, and concussion explosions come out of spirit. Like I said, its my favorite!
