Wizards and Oceans

[Da_Gut]

Considering the following from YS (393 and 394)
Frances Scot-Key bridge

Known to locals as the “Key Bridge,” this
bridge carries Interstate 695 across the Patapsco
River as part of the Baltimore Beltway. The
massive flow of the Patapsco River passing 185
feet below, combined with the vast distance to
solid ground on either side, tends to ground
magical energy; it is extremely difficult to
perform any sort of spellcasting on the bridge—
the massive river acts as a Great threshold.

While the bridge is not neutral ground, it
often serves as a meeting place for people who
want to minimize spellcasting during tense
discussions. The tollbooth supervisor, Ellsworth
Dillman, can arrange access to the maintenance
deck of the bridge—out-of-the-way spaces just
under the superstructure of each end of the main
span. These places are very suitable for private
discussions where magic should be suppressed.
Face: Ellsworth Dillman, toll booth employee
(page"384)

So - Wizards and Oceans? No wizards sailed with the pirates?

What massive natural power did Wizards piss off "back in the day" which so disrupts magic over water?

[Mindflayer94]

Maybe a really powerful death curse, because it appears that wizards don't hold a grudge against any force, we've met.

[Ala Alba]

Actually, I don't know if that's accurate. Harry clearly has no problems using magic on Thomas' boat in White Night. Perhaps it is ONLY rivers(and streams) that produce this grounding effect.

[lankyogre]

Well, in White Knight he's still docked, so the ground is fairly close. He also mentions that the boat in the middle of the lake in Turn Coat should help make it harder to find the people on it.

[BigMrE]

I thought about this as well.  Running water neutralizes/grounds magic, as in Death Masks when Harry is being drenched in a constant stream of water.  But does all water (i.e., lakes, streams, Gulf of Mexico, etc) totally neutralize magic?  I can't see it being a relationship of distance from ground to running water, as, again, in Death Masks, Harry is only a few feet off the ground, but he can't cast.

Perhaps it is more a function of "running" water, water that is moving in a constant stream (no pun intended), instead of a "sedentary" body of water (like a lake or pond, can't justify an ocean/sea in this category personally)?

[Nomad]

Or you might be looking at from a wrong angle. All of the wizards or to be more precise, all of the magic capable beings we have seen up umtill now are creatures of solid order.
You need to believe to make something happen (for mortal casters) and that requires an order of things to build upon. A foundation of/from Earth if you will. The ever shifting waters would be the anathema for this.

Who says an opposite "water school" of thinking does not exist? If there is something like a dnd "wild mage" concept in the  DV than it would be the ultimate example of such a world view I think.





Now that I got that out, I wonder if this had anything to do with Atlanteans and their dissapearnace. Maybe they were water based mage users and their great magics went nova when an idiot tried to control and harness them in an epic scale...

[ClassDunce]

So an Aquamancer might have an advantage against a Wizard in a straight up one on one duel... I like the idea of an Aquamancer as a Focused Practitioner. It could be a fun character to play.

[Nomad]

Not Aquamancer exactly.
Its more of the way, the persons belief/thought system works. Some/most people need to structure their thought process, A base (earth) and building up on it.

Then there are some rare individuals who doubt everything. who are fluid in their thought process but don't get distracted or lost. Only those kind of people would be able to harness the fluid magics that sea produces.

This blurb (from An Oblique Approach by Eric Flint) probably explains the mindset more than I can.

"I doubt often, Michael," whispered Anthony. "There has never been a day in my life that I have not doubted."
"I should hope not!" The raptor had returned, and the blue eyes of the Macedonian were as pitiless as an eagle's. "Where else but from doubt can faith arise, wise fool?" Michael glowered. "It is the true sin of the churchman that he doubts not. He knows, he is certain, and thus he is snared in Satan's net. And soon enough, casts the net himself, and cackles with glee when he hauls up his catch of innocence."
The raptor vanished, replaced by the friend. "Others see in you the gentleness of your spirit, and the wisdom of your mind. Those are there, true. I have always recognized them. But beneath lies the true Cassian. There is no strength so iron hard as gentleness, Anthony. No faith so pure as that which always doubts, no wisdom so deep as that which always questions."
The monk straightened his back. "Were this not true, I would reject God. I would spit in His face and join the legions of Lucifer, for the archangel would be right to rebel. I love God because I am His creation. I am not his creature."
The Macedonian was rigid. Then his face softened, and for just a fleeting moment, there was as much gentleness there as was always present in the face of the bishop. "Do not fear your doubt, Anthony. It is God's great gift to you. And that He placed that great doubt in your great mind, is his gift to us all."

[Walker_Blade]

It is noted several times that running water drains magic, so rivers would screw up a spell, as would a costal area as the waves roll over the beaches, but once you and your target are both out on the water there's no problem.  I've just been thi9nking of it like a border to a zone that prevents magic from being effective.

[BigMrE]

It is noted several times that running water drains magic, so rivers would screw up a spell, as would a costal area as the waves roll over the beaches, but once you and your target are both out on the water there's no problem.  I've just been thi9nking of it like a border to a zone that prevents magic from being effective.

I like this.  But, then again, wouldn't rain make it hard to cast (especially in a downpour or tropical storm type rain)?  Lots of running water there.

[Drachasor]

I like this.  But, then again, wouldn't rain make it hard to cast (especially in a downpour or tropical storm type rain)?  Lots of running water there.

And that comes up in the books.

I find it really odd though.  Seems to mean that if you make a wizard that messes with the weather, then he is impotent in a storm.  More to the point if you make a Storm-like wizard, then she should stay inside to be most effective.

[austinmonster]

I do recall an instance when the sprinklers caused a certain awful nevernever creature's darkness haze to stop working.

I look at it like this: water often provides an "erosion" effect.  It can wear away at minor spells, taking a little bit of the energy away and back down into the flow of life.  Magic is all about life - and a wizard's magic is taking that energy and putting it to another use.  Water sets that right.  Rain will fall, it will carry that energy back into the earth where it will feed the trees and the bees, thus making everything continue on it's hunky-dory fashion.

rainstorms obviously don't keep you from slinging around major league spells, but they would erode minor things.  The more water you have moving, the more the flow wants to carry that energy back into the natural order.  Being drenched in flowing water would be dangerous simply because of the proximity.  The big momma river you were talking about is just waiting to pull any errant energy off into where it needs to be.

If a spell could HARNESS the energy the flowing water the big river was carrying, and keep it from disrupting itself... well... that's the sort of thing campaigns are built around.

[Deadmanwalking]

I do recall an instance when the sprinklers caused a certain awful nevernever creature's darkness haze to stop working.

Yeah, but not because of anything magical. Myrk is a physical thing (made of Ectoplasm) and the sprinklers cut through it like they would smoke, not for any mystical reason. That's how Harry explained it anyway.

[austinmonster]

Yes, that likely helped it quite a bit.  However, i've been in smokey rooms when the fire sprinklers go off, and it doesn't even put a dent in the smoke most of the time. 

I like to think that the myrk (combined with it's physical nature) was such a transitory thing that the little bit of flowing water that the fire extinguishers brought was enough to dispel it.  It sucked all the energy out of the spell, and turned it into slick ectoplasm.

Afterall, if all the water did was beat the myrk to the ground, why did it devolve into ectoplasm?

I know, it's a bit reaching, but it seems to make sense to me.

[ballplayer72]

Considering the following from YS (393 and 394)
Frances Scot-Key bridge

Known to locals as the “Key Bridge,” this
bridge carries Interstate 695 across the Patapsco
River as part of the Baltimore Beltway. The
massive flow of the Patapsco River passing 185
feet below, combined with the vast distance to
solid ground on either side, tends to ground
magical energy; it is extremely difficult to
perform any sort of spellcasting on the bridge—
the massive river acts as a Great threshold.

While the bridge is not neutral ground, it
often serves as a meeting place for people who
want to minimize spellcasting during tense
discussions. The tollbooth supervisor, Ellsworth
Dillman, can arrange access to the maintenance
deck of the bridge—out-of-the-way spaces just
under the superstructure of each end of the main
span. These places are very suitable for private
discussions where magic should be suppressed.
Face: Ellsworth Dillman, toll booth employee
(page"384)

So - Wizards and Oceans? No wizards sailed with the pirates?

What massive natural power did Wizards piss off "back in the day" which so disrupts magic over water?

Sorry, but where do you get that wizards pissed something big off back in the day and now water grounds out magic?