Will Harry get back to basics?

[groinkick]

In the early books Harry had his lab, potions, magical gear....  Then after Changes where he lost everything.  Ghost Story he was a ghost, Cold Days he was living with Mab, and in Skin Game he'd been on the Island.  Now he will be back in Chicago, have a home, and money.  So do you think he will get back to the basics?  Maybe a shield bracelet, blasting rod, some kinetic rings?  Some other cool toys?  I freaking hope so!  What say you?  Do you think he will?  If he does what do you hope to see him running around with?

[RobReece]

IIRC PT takes place only about 6 weeks after SG.  I don't think he'll have had time to make much.  Especially when he didn't have a lab and his priorities may have shifted to being a dad.  Also, I know that Bob helped him with his potions, but I don't know how much input Bob had in his other devices and he's now with Butters.

[Mira]

I believe that Harry will get back to basics because that is who he is, a wizard...  Wouldn't be surprised if there isn't already a lab set up in Molly's old apartment that he now lives in..  Wouldn't be surprised if there wasn't one on Demonreach as well. He already has made himself a new staff, I am sure the rest will follow with new updates as soon as possible...

[huangjimmy108]

IIRC PT takes place only about 6 weeks after SG.  I don't think he'll have had time to make much.  Especially when he didn't have a lab and his priorities may have shifted to being a dad.  Also, I know that Bob helped him with his potions, but I don't know how much input Bob had in his other devices and he's now with Butters.

6 weeks? Is this confirmed?

[groinkick]

He at least needs a shield bracelet.  As Jim has said this is going to be the most magically violent book to date.  Find it hard to believe Harry can survive without some magical goodies, and the ability to block some stuff.

[LordDresden2]

In the early books Harry had his lab, potions, magical gear....  Then after Changes where he lost everything.  Ghost Story he was a ghost, Cold Days he was living with Mab, and in Skin Game he'd been on the Island.  Now he will be back in Chicago, have a home, and money.  So do you think he will get back to the basics?  Maybe a shield bracelet, blasting rod, some kinetic rings?  Some other cool toys?  I freaking hope so!  What say you?  Do you think he will?  If he does what do you hope to see him running around with?

Depends on what you mean by 'basics'. 

Will some versions of his old favorite tools (probably upgraded ones) reappear?  I wouldn't be surprised.

Will things ever be the way they were before?  No, I don't think so.  That was the whole point of the book Changes.  I don't think the Harry we knew in the old days will be back, it wouldn't make any sense.

Harry is entering bigger leagues now.  He may well have a lab again someday, but probably not like the old one.  He might make a potion now and again, but more likely we'll just see the potions already made and ready to go...when he's not using something heavier duty.

[khadgar4606]

Depends on what you mean by 'basics'. 

Will some versions of his old favorite tools (probably upgraded ones) reappear?  I wouldn't be surprised.

Will things ever be the way they were before?  No, I don't think so.  That was the whole point of the book Changes.  I don't think the Harry we knew in the old days will be back, it wouldn't make any sense.

Harry is entering bigger leagues now.  He may well have a lab again someday, but probably not like the old one.  He might make a potion now and again, but more likely we'll just see the potions already made and ready to go...when he's not using something heavier duty.

or he might build paranet papers R&D division and get toys from there

[Kindler]

In the early books Harry had his lab, potions, magical gear....  Then after Changes where he lost everything.  Ghost Story he was a ghost, Cold Days he was living with Mab, and in Skin Game he'd been on the Island.  Now he will be back in Chicago, have a home, and money.  So do you think he will get back to the basics?  Maybe a shield bracelet, blasting rod, some kinetic rings?  Some other cool toys?  I freaking hope so!  What say you?  Do you think he will?  If he does what do you hope to see him running around with?

I doubt we'll see the rings, because of what he did with his staff. I don't see Jim adding rings to that. I've always wondered what would happen if Harry hooked those kinetic energy rings to a bigger reservoir, and re-purposed it for something else, like his shield bracelet. Or hell, figured out some way to convert the energy stopped by his shield bracelet to charge something else. Stopping a hail of gunfire is pretty cool on its own, but imagine if Harry then fired back all that energy in one shot.

I don't think it's possible with his old bracelet, because of the way it worked; he met energy with energy, and it would have to be a net loss. But if he has a new bracelet that functions differently, it might be possible.

I've also frequently wondered why he doesn't enchant his shoes in a way similar to the rings. All of his (considerable) weight is brought down on a relatively small area, way more than swinging his hands, so he could potentially fill some kind of kinetic reservoir much faster, and with the added real estate of his shoes versus the rings, that reservoir could be significantly larger. Not sure what he'd do with it, though. Maybe he'd be able to double-jump . Or maybe he could convert that kinetic energy into something else, like maybe that bear belt buckle he used way back when.

Since his ear is pierced, how about an earring of some kind? Or maybe enchanting his Winchester? I've always wanted to see guns get some magic love.

As far as old stuff, he needs a blasting rod again, and definitely a shield bracelet, no question.

[RobReece]

back to my original reply, do I think he'll rebuild a lab and his toys, yes, but I don't think he's going to have much by the time PT starts.  His staff and bonnie's skull are wood, that he could do with out much in the way of tools on the island, he had lots and lots of time for those.  But rebuilding a lab anywhere and the tools he'll need to make a new ring or bracelet is going to take time.  He has the money, but I don't know if he'll have enough time to pump those out.  Now if he buys something to work with from the svartelves... all bets are off.

[groinkick]

I doubt we'll see the rings, because of what he did with his staff.

What does the staff have anything to do with rings?  The rings were easily concealed, surprise weapons.  The staff is the equivalent of a rocket launcher that everyone will notice.

I don't think it's possible with his old bracelet, because of the way it worked; he met energy with energy, and it would have to be a net loss. But if he has a new bracelet that functions differently, it might be possible.

I have no idea what you're talking about.  What has changed that would make his old shield bracelet useless?  It can block all kinds of things like spells, bullets, fire....  Sounds like a pretty handy device when facing danger if you ask me.  Harry has had at least 2 in the story.  The first prove to be useless against extreme heat, which cost him severely.  He learned from it an made an even superior bracelet.  If he created a new one it would be built with an even greater appreciation for the dangers out there.

[Kindler]

What does the staff have anything to do with rings?  The rings were easily concealed, surprise weapons.  The staff is the equivalent of a rocket launcher that everyone will notice.

Yeah, they have different uses, but I think that Jim will want to keep the energy he uses more diversified. He has a kinetic energy tool already, so if he does rings again, I'd expect them to be something other than the ones he used to have. Maybe as foci for something else.

I have no idea what you're talking about.  What has changed that would make his old shield bracelet useless?  It can block all kinds of things like spells, bullets, fire....  Sounds like a pretty handy device when facing danger if you ask me.  Harry has had at least 2 in the story.  The first prove to be useless against extreme heat, which cost him severely.  He learned from it an made an even superior bracelet.  If he created a new one it would be built with an even greater appreciation for the dangers out there.

I didn't say that at all. I was talking about using the energy his shield absorbs to charge something. If a bullet hits his shield, direct that kinetic energy to a reservoir he can use later. I was saying that the way his old shield worked means that isn't possible, because he expends force to halt bullets and such. I was further speculating that when he makes a new one, he might use a different method that would make a transfer of energy possible, so that when, for example, he stops a bullet, instead of simply canceling out the forward momentum, he stores it somewhere else.

Sort of like how his old rings worked, but instead of collecting energy when his arms swing, he collects energy from things colliding with his shield. If nothing else, it might make it possible for him to hold a shield up for longer.

[YoungestGruff]

Snip:

Sort of like how his old rings worked, but instead of collecting energy when his arms swing, he collects energy from things colliding with his shield. If nothing else, it might make it possible for him to hold a shield up for longer.

Have you seen how many things hit his shield? He could level a building with a snap within an average week.

Not saying that's a bad idea. That's like the opposite of a bad idea.

[Snark Knight]

Stopping a hail of gunfire is pretty cool on its own, but imagine if Harry then fired back all that energy in one shot.

He's probably kind of limited in terms of making force foci not too powerful lest he accidentally violate the first law. Fomor servitors are the most likely gun-wielding enemies he'd be facing in the near future, and I'm not sure Jim has confirmed whether they're so far modified that they don't count as people any more.

[Kindler]

Snip:

Have you seen how many things hit his shield? He could level a building with a snap within an average week.

Not saying that's a bad idea. That's like the opposite of a bad idea.

Yeah, if the reservoir was big enough. I was thinking more along the lines of a belt buckle, or a glove or something. Probably wouldn't be large enough to store that much energy, but enough to release a pretty big shockwave of kinetic force. I was thinking something widespread, rather than the tight, focused release from his rings, wide enough to give him breathing room, but only with enough force to knock someone down or crack a few ribs.

I have absolutely no idea if it's even possible. Harry's kinetic reservoirs for his staff and rings were the result of physically interacting with forces—the motion of his hands let them store energy—so having a shield that is useful, meaning one that extends beyond Harry's skin, that can do this is very hard. Technically, Harry's shield bracelet doesn't interact with anything, it just focuses his energy.

Then I'm reminded that Harry's bracelet heats up when it stops too many bullets, so there has to be some kind of interaction going on. I think it might be possible to pull something pretty cool off if he does it right.

[RobReece]

Maybe if he added a gem or something to the bracelet that could act as a reservoir, even if he couldn't re-direct it, using it to power the shield beyond his own strength would still be pretty cool.