Technomancer

[Rubycon]

Hi,
could there be such a thing like a "Technomancer", a practitioner who specialises in manipulating (not destroying) tech?
Rulewise, I definitely think it is possible to build up a character like this, but is it consistent with the dresdenverse, wher magic interrupts technology?

[sinker]

One of the things I gather from the books is that magic is primarily about belief and has absolutely no relation to things like physics or science. I think it's totally within the realm of the setting to find someone who's system of belief includes technology. Is it within the setting's flavor though? I don't really know. I suppose that would be up to the individual.

As a secondary the books are definitely clear that hexing (as the concept of weird things occur around wizards) has always been a part of being a wizard. As such I think I would find another way for that to express itself were you to create a tech friendly wizard.

[Arcane]

Well, Mortal Magic currently hexes things in the Dresdenverse.  That doesn't rule out some form of Sponsored Magic, perhaps from some god or spirit of technology, that has manipulating technology as an aspect.

[Radijs]

Priest of Deus Ex Machina?

[Rubycon]

Sponsored magic might be a good solution, as it makes a technomancer possible and at the same time maintains the philosophy of the dresdenverse.
Such a technomancer could be a real headache to the players...

[Tsunami]

Sponsored magic might be a good solution, as it makes a technomancer possible and at the same time maintains the philosophy of the dresdenverse.
Such a technomancer could be a real headache to the players...

Until the Wizard comes along and hexes all this precious tech to molten scrap... Then the technomancer is practically helpless.

I mean hexing at Base complexity doesn't even cause mental stress... The Technomancer would not stand a chance.  

[Rubycon]

Depends on...
First, there has to be a wizard in the group... Second, the technomancer would have different possibilities to use his power. The more obvious, the more are the chances that the characters will find out and start to detroy all his little toys. But things like using public surveillance cameras for his purpose, shutting down all automatic doors in a mall and things like that aren't that much obvious and can easily explained by a hacker or some other kind of competent tech. And the characters will have to think a long way before starting to suspect something like a technomancer...

But anyway, it is only an idea and a crude one...

[Guldor]

Perhaps the technomancer has also some thaumaturgy spells for guarding his toys against hexing to a certain degree?.....

I must say the idea of sponsored magic is a good one. Iīm thinking about some kind of never never beast which was created through the belief of more and more people nowadays, who donīt believe in god or magic but in tech. This godlike beast isnīt really old and it is like a small child with vast powers. Perhaps it wantīs to create new toys (not necessarily harmless ones) as one agenda of it.

[computerking]

Perhaps the technomancer has also some thaumaturgy spells for guarding his toys against hexing to a certain degree?.....

And with Sponsored magic, the "Anti-Hex Ward" can (possibly) be cast with the speed of Evocation!

[Linnemir]

I recently read "Invasion" by Mercedes Lackey and others; it's based on their characters in City of Heroes. One of the characters is a Shaman/TechnoMage. You might want to try the book (it's a good read) to get some ideas of how it worked there and might be tweaked for use in this setting.

[Discipol]

Idea: Emissary of Hephaestus: Rising Conflict: Faith vs Fact: Find out why hexing occurs, or perhaps a Trouble if the DM doesn't want the answer ever revealed.

Mortal Stunt(cannot be pure mortal) / Reverse Mana Static: When hexing occurs, make a check to deny the hexing event at +2. (tag the Faith vs Fact for another boost)

I would also add another stunt to use highest between (lore/conviction/discipline) if the case comes where discipline is not the highest.
Relating the use of magic to simulate technology, you can max do it Green Lantern style. If you try to make a computer through thaumaturgy, it would be a waste of effort.

You can always summon a spirit / demon / wildfey and ask the question.

[ARedthorn]

Um... Anti-hex wards are easy. They're called circles.

[Masurao]

In my vision, a DFRPG Technomancer would have one 'drawback', namely that all his spells/rituals would require focus items to use. He wants to lob a globe of fire? He builds a 'gun' that can do just that as evocation. (Focus item, +1 offensive Fire) It would need some fleshing out, as it needs to be balanced, but it seems to me that this could make a very interesting character type. As an obvious advantage, he might be able to 'psychically' contact computers with Spirit magic.

An other effect of such a build, would be that his gadgets, are essentially focus items/potions/enchanted items and thus immediately immune to hexing by others. A form of Sponsored Magic would allow him to magic about electronics without blasting them apart, while limiting his own spellcasting by requiring focus items. A quick thought about this and I would say, keep all the costs the same (-3 for Thaumaturgy and/or Evocation, -2 for Sponsored Magic), but give him a few more Focus Item slots. To balance it out, perhaps let him start without any specialization bonuses.

Or am I unbalancing things too much and thinking too far out of the box? :p

[sinker]

I must say the idea of sponsored magic is a good one. Iīm thinking about some kind of never never beast which was created through the belief of more and more people nowadays, who donīt believe in god or magic but in tech. This godlike beast isnīt really old and it is like a small child with vast powers. Perhaps it wantīs to create new toys (not necessarily harmless ones) as one agenda of it.

Reminds me of Gaiman's American Gods.

[SunlessNick]

Magic hasn't always hexed technology.  In the Middle Ages, it did stuff like souring milk and stopping bread from rising.  In a way, I'd call both of those things - technology for now, stored and staple foodstuffs on which a comminity depends for then - as emblematic of how people see the human world.  And since belief in the Dresdenverse is as at least as much about what faith in what should work as what will - in general, magic works better for things you deep down think are ok to do - perhaps hexing is tied to wizards see themselves as a step outside the human world, or thinking they should be.  So a technomancer might be a wizard who has no such instinct.  Or there might be some other aspect of the human world they hex.

Maybe they date from a time when wizards did sour milk, and where blacksmithing was seen as a quasi-supernatural ability, have been trapped in wrinkle of time and emerged in the modern world.  They still hex foodstuffs, and see technology as the heir to blacksmithing, alchemy, and such - and are maybe just fascinated by it.

While Refinements are supposed to provide bonuses, maybe you can also refine down - become worse at hexing to the point where you can reliably fail to do it.