Will Harry get back to basics?

[Kindler]

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.

He's certainly got plenty of diamonds now. I've been thinking about all that potential diamond dust, and how it'd be just like Harry to grind up something that valuable to make some magic doodad.

[RobReece]

My guess is that Jim will continue to make Harry's shield something that is always subject to failing, otherwise it would make him too safe and Jim doesn't like a 'safe' Harry.

[groinkick]

My guess is that Jim will continue to make Harry's shield something that is always subject to failing, otherwise it would make him too safe and Jim doesn't like a 'safe' Harry.

The bracelets have two major weaknesses.  The first is they are like a car engine.  Pushed too hard they overheat and break apart.  The second is Harry's focus which can be weakened by any number of things.  The shield bracelet is a really cool tool that can save your life, but by no means some over powered thing that makes the wizard immune to all attacks.

[RobReece]

The bracelets have two major weaknesses.  The first is they are like a car engine.  Pushed too hard they overheat and break apart.  The second is Harry's focus which can be weakened by any number of things.  The shield bracelet is a really cool tool that can save your life, but by no means some over powered thing that makes the wizard immune to all attacks.

that's what I was saying, I think that something like a kinetic reservoir for his shield will not be in the works, because it would make his shield too powerful.

[Bacchus]

a spell to siphon excess energy off the shield into a ring or other object would probably make the shield charms more complex and probably need more energy.
Ive wondered about a 2 stage shield charm.
 1st stage only for bullets and weaker physical objects and takes very little energy.
2nd stage protects from absolutely everything and takes huge energy.

about the rings, they were insanely useful i doubt Jim will do it but honestly Dresden should sew 30 of the triple rings onto his duster somewhere. no reason to have just the staff spell
harry can take out only so many guys in a given time period  with his own magic before he passes out, stuff like the rings that lets him take out extra guys is always great. on that note he needs some guns, Dresden could handle the recoil on and conceal some huge guns. id say conceal one powerful revolver for beasts and something like a glock 19 for people maybe some grenades and larger guns for battles

 Ive always hated how much of a glass cannon Dresden is, if he goes about openly it would be very easy for him to die in a surprise attack from a few guys with scoped rifles.
to make him tougher id say he needs enchanted boots and shin protection, enchanted vest, hardened vampbraces (he always blocks blows with his forearms).some type of head protection for battles at least

[Kindler]

some type of head protection for battles at least

You mean... a hat? Finally.

[Lost Merlin]

I think the two different Shield Bracelets is a good Idea and have been wondering why he hasn't done that yet, My guess is just time. 

Ive always hated how much of a glass cannon Dresden is, if he goes about openly it would be very easy for him to die in a surprise attack from a few guys with scoped rifles.
to make him tougher id say he needs enchanted boots and shin protection, enchanted vest, hardened vampbraces (he always blocks blows with his forearms).some type of head protection for battles at least

I think you are asking too much to make Harry OP.  I think part of what Jim has been preaching about Wizards during the whole book is that they are glass cannons.

[Kindler]

I think you are asking too much to make Harry OP.

I would absolutely love it if one story, long story or novella-length (I'd at least like 30 pages), dealt with Harry combating a threat that was so far beneath him on the Scale of Things to Be Afraid Of that every fight was a total curbstomp. Waves and waves of faceless mooks that pose zero threat to Harry whatsoever, and an extended action sequence in which Harry annihilates thousands of them. And the whole time Harry is just complaining. "I'm not even supposed to be here today."

Basically imagine a horde of Darth Wannabes getting their butts kicked by a souped-up, completely overpowered Dresden, a totally mindless story that amounts to us reading about Harry playing Life on God Mode.

Obviously not much fun for a novel, but it'd be a blast to see Harry be John Wick with Magic for a little while.

[Lost Merlin]

I would absolutely love it if one story, long story or novella-length (I'd at least like 30 pages), dealt with Harry combating a threat that was so far beneath him on the Scale of Things to Be Afraid Of that every fight was a total curbstomp. Waves and waves of faceless mooks that pose zero threat to Harry whatsoever, and an extended action sequence in which Harry annihilates thousands of them. And the whole time Harry is just complaining. "I'm not even supposed to be here today."

Basically imagine a horde of Darth Wannabes getting their butts kicked by a souped-up, completely overpowered Dresden, a totally mindless story that amounts to us reading about Harry playing Life on God Mode.

Obviously not much fun for a novel, but it'd be a blast to see Harry be John Wick with Magic for a little while.

Short Story that sounds worth reading.  Like you said put in to perspective how much power creep has gone on with Harry from Storm Front.  Show us the growth while showing that Harry is strong when facing 'normal' threats. 

[forumghost]

The problem being that even 'normal' threats are a big danger to Dresden, even with his big "Power Boost" from being the Winter Knight.

Like how in CD he needed to be rescued from a couple of pixies.
Or how in SG he needed to be saved from Formor Red Shirts.

Harry just... isn't really all that. Don't let his in-universe rep fool you.

[Kindler]

The problem being that even 'normal' threats are a big danger to Dresden, even with his big "Power Boost" from being the Winter Knight.

Like how in CD he needed to be rescued from a couple of pixies.
Or how in SG he needed to be saved from Formor Red Shirts.

Harry just... isn't really all that. Don't let his in-universe rep fool you.

I'm talking about a geared-up, ready-for-a-fight Dresden, the one who killed several thousand low-level Red Court Vampires with a single shot at Chichen Itza (though admittedly he had help, and a full minute or two to pull it off). His (arguably) biggest weakness right now is that he has neither shield bracelet nor blasting rod, just a staff (and against the Fomor Red Shirts, he didn't even have that). That's been partly necessary to rebalance the conflicts since he became the Winter Knight, since he can now reliably deck most people across a room. But if he had his whole arsenal back, I think he'd be pretty OP. You'd have to catch him unaware (or pull a Kincaid and nail him from a mile away), or there's a better-than-even chance you get your butt booted.

[forumghost]

I suppose. Which brings us back to the thread topic- Harry probably won't be getting much of his stuff back for at least another book, because otherwise Jim will have a hard time making Harry lose to Mooks 4 chapters in so that he's half dead for the finale.

[Kindler]

I suppose. Which brings us back to the thread topic- Harry probably won't be getting much of his stuff back for at least another book, because otherwise Jim will have a hard time making Harry lose to Mooks 4 chapters in so that he's half dead for the finale.

True enough. It depends on the scale of the conflict, I suppose. Can't remember where I read it, but someone mentioned a Word of Jim that Peace Talks would be the most "magically violent" book so far, though, so I'd imagine Harry'd have to have something beyond his staff.

[wardenferry419]

I thought that many of his magical items were crutches that enabled him to control what he couldn't control.

[LordDresden2]

I thought that many of his magical items were crutches that enabled him to control what he couldn't control.

Not crutches so much as tools.  Is a hammer a crutch because it let's you drive a nail into material you couldn't with bare hands?  The energy for driving the nail still comes from your muscles, but the hammer makes that energy more efficient and makes it do something you can't do unaided.  Is a crowbar a crutch because it lets you pry open something you couldn't do without it?  After all, it's still you providing the energy, surely you could learn to do without the crowbar...well, no, a lot of times you can't.

Yeah, probably there's somebody somewhere that could drive that nail in with bare hands...at least into some materials, sometimes, if the nail is the right kind.  But in general, the hammer amplifies your powers.