Old Technology that was recently manufactured?

[^Graff]

The books say that generally, any technology manufactured after WWII is prone to failure around a wizard's "Murphyonic Field," but what about a low-tech design that was built recently?  Would a Colt 1911 manufactured in 2011 be any more prone to malfunction than a Colt 1911 built in 1911?  Or other devices that didn't use a lot of moving parts or electronics?  One of my players is interested in building a character that uses craftsmanship to make specialized tools, and the warden NPC that I have really seems like a SIG kind of gal than a revolver user.  Would the presence of a wizard have an effect on this?

[Drachasor]

They meant newer tech that has been developed since then, not just stuff that's been made...NEW stuff only.

[^Graff]

So it would make perfect sense for someone to design a "wizard-resistant" car that doesn't require as much maintenance as a jet, as long as he kept to bells and whistles to a minimum?  That actually makes things easier for a character, as long as his resources and craftsmanship is good enough.

I'm still thinking about changing the fluff in my game to rule that wizardry really only shorts out sensitive electronics, and stuff that has been hardened (or isn't electronic in nature) doesn't break.

[Seb Wiers]

Yes, I'm pretty sure you could buy all newly manufactured replacement parts for (say) a classic VW bug (something you can do even today) and build up a full "mage tolerant" car.  Its not the date of manufacture that matters, but the technology used.  Honestly, anything that doesn't have electronic fuel injection should probably be OK, though it might have other systems that get messed with (say, they used a solid state switch for the fuel pump).
I don't think you'd see a commercial car built that way, but a custom car easily could be.  Heck, a lot of race cars actually are mechanical throwbacks with no "luxury" electronics in them.  If you want a commercial product, you could probably find a motorcycle that was "mage reistent", and could certainly get one made,

As to electronics, I don't think "hardening" would help; I see the effect as being quantum in nature, which means it can mess up anything that uses even simple semiconductors (eg, transistors, diodes).

[bibliophile20]

Yes, I'm pretty sure you could buy all newly manufactured replacement parts for (say) a classic VW bug (something you can do even today) and build up a full "mage tolerant" car.  Its not the date of manufacture that matters, but the technology used.  Honestly, anything that doesn't have electronic fuel injection should probably be OK, though it might have other systems that get messed with (say, they used a solid state switch for the fuel pump).
I don't think you'd see a commercial car built that way, but a custom car easily could be.  Heck, a lot of race cars actually are mechanical throwbacks with no "luxury" electronics in them.  If you want a commercial product, you could probably find a motorcycle that was "mage reistent", and could certainly get one made,

As to electronics, I don't think "hardening" would help; I see the effect as being quantum in nature, which means it can mess up anything that uses even simple semiconductors (eg, transistors, diodes).

Huh.  I never thought about the race car point.  Be expensive as anything, though.  Any idea for a price tag for a "mage resistant" vehicle? (ballpark for Resource rolls and such)

[^Graff]

As to electronics, I don't think "hardening" would help; I see the effect as being quantum in nature, which means it can mess up anything that uses even simple semiconductors (eg, transistors, diodes).

So no building faraday cages around your entertainment centers, then?

[Kommisar]

Price tag is going to depend, in a big way, on labor costs.  If the person has the skills, or friends willing to do the work, then he just has to get parts.  If not, then he has to pay for the labor to assemble the custom car.  Not hard to find (just find your local muscle car garage) but it will be expensive.

You are going to be better off finding a fixer upper to have repaired/worked-up than to have a full custom build.  Like Harry with his Beetle. 

My friend just bought a Chevy C10 that does not have any of the fancy computerized elements.  It has had to have some work done to get it up to 100% (brakes, new tires, and some tubing replaced in the engine).  Off the top of my head, he has put in about $4,000 dollars. 

[bibliophile20]

Price tag is going to depend, in a big way, on labor costs.  If the person has the skills, or friends willing to do the work, then he just has to get parts.  If not, then he has to pay for the labor to assemble the custom car.  Not hard to find (just find your local muscle car garage) but it will be expensive.

You are going to be better off finding a fixer upper to have repaired/worked-up than to have a full custom build.  Like Harry with his Beetle. 

My friend just bought a Chevy C10 that does not have any of the fancy computerized elements.  It has had to have some work done to get it up to 100% (brakes, new tires, and some tubing replaced in the engine).  Off the top of my head, he has put in about $4,000 dollars. 

Excellent.  Thanks.

[Team8Mum]

So the White council could be using an analytical engine then, and potentially could be behind this - Plan28, building Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine.
That would be cool

[bibliophile20]

so potentially the White council could be using a difference engine then.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Difference_engine
That would be cool

It wouldn't surprise me if Babbage and Tesla had been wizards in the Dresdenverse...

[Team8Mum]

and Alan Turing.

[Ranthog]

And there are activists building steam engine cars, which are probably as reliable as any car would be.  In the TT I'm running we have a Wizard who rides in a Model A.

[Drachasor]

It wouldn't surprise me if Babbage and Tesla had been wizards in the Dresdenverse...

Err, isn't working with the latest technology rather against what a wizard can do in Dresden?  It makes sense in Mage: The Ascension, but not Dresden where they'd be hexing their own devices all the time.

A theoretical physicist could get away with it though, as long as they didn't go near where the experimentalists worked.

[Warpmind]

Err, isn't working with the latest technology rather against what a wizard can do in Dresden?  It makes sense in Mage: The Ascension, but not Dresden where they'd be hexing their own devices all the time.

A theoretical physicist could get away with it though, as long as they didn't go near where the experimentalists worked.

So, Werner Heisenberg, then?

[bibliophile20]

So, Werner Heisenberg, then?

Wolfgang Pauli