 Magical Services, Consumer Usage |
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 Dec 7 2006, 03:30 PM
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#1
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Target  Group: Members Posts: 94 Joined: 15-May 03 Member No.: 4,591  |
Greetings.
A random thought led to some 'flavour' questions, then some Run ideas started building, so I thought I'd gather some input, if possible... (Too many Dresden File books and Angel episodes will do this.) What sort of Magical Services are available in the Sixth World? Imagine skip-traces with Ritual Magic and a tissue sample. Magical cosmetics and diet plans are mentioned-quite a few spells have specific commercial applications. Magical security and spying are pretty standard, but what other creative uses of magic are there, both canon and in your games? Spirit bodyguards? Spirit 'escorts'?(Not just for sex, but companions, especially for elderly/shut-ins.) Spirit pets? (No feeding or walking or barking or shedding.) Sure, Magic has changed the world (in SR), but too what specific uses has it been put? Any thoughts? R |
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Dec 7 2006, 09:23 PM
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#2
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Running Target Group: Members Posts: 1,379 Joined: 16-April 02 From: the LI shadows Member No.: 2,607 |
You might have to read Magic In the Shadows & Street Magic, but I believe that if there's money to be made, there's a niche for it.
Having a Free Spirit as a bodyguard could entail a different type of payment, from a mundane service that the spirit can't perform to a simple exchange of Karma. Spirit escorts fall under that category too. Spirit pets I think fall under the "Ally Spirit" section of Street Magic, but I may be mistaken. Magic has been put to many uses in the 6th World, such as Illusion spells for special effects, emotion-Manipulations to enhance simsense recordings, disguise spells for mundane 'escorts' (think that episode of Futurama, where Fry downloads a copy of Lucy Liu onto a robot), magical healing in hospitals, ect. that's all I can think of. |
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Dec 7 2006, 11:43 PM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 903 Joined: 7-February 03 Member No.: 4,025 |
Try a search. There's already a few threads that have touched on this. Good luck.
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Dec 8 2006, 12:21 AM
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#4
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
Spirit pets are going to be far too expensive due to the face that commands are handled on a per-service basis. It would be cheaper and easier to have a human brainwashed and surgically sculpted into a very intelligent dog.
Ally Spirit's don't charge per service, but they are just as expensive due to the karma cost. The fact that they are bound to the summoner instead of to the owner would also present certain problems over the long term. One of the bigger services is lifestyle maintenance spells. Those super-skinny anorexic models are going to be getting Fast and Nutrition cast on them every day. In fact, the Nutrition spell is pretty much what will push the anorexia out of the real of mental disorders and into the realm of perfectly valid lifestyles. The Fashion spell is useful for anyone who wants a bigger wardrobe. Public speakers and executives will benefit from sustained or quickened willpower and charisma buffs. Spirits are most useful in the transportation industries, increasing speeds and travel distances without increasing fuel costs. |
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Dec 8 2006, 12:32 AM
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#5
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Immoral Elf Group: Members Posts: 15,247 Joined: 29-March 02 From: Grimy Pete's Bar & Laundromat Member No.: 2,486 |
A mage that knows Fashion, Makeover, and Healthy Glow will never lack for money-making opportunities.
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Dec 8 2006, 12:59 AM
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#6
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Moving Target Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 573 Joined: 23-July 03 From: outside America Member No.: 5,015 |
I very much doubt (meta)humans could reproduce with spirits.
But a spirit might be the friendly companion of a person in exchange for karma. In our game there's a contact who's a mage who works in a nightclub providing magical services for patrons: tentacle-like control of your own hair, rose petals constantly falling on you wherever you go in the club, bust support without a bra, improved dancing skill, butterflies fluttering around you, hair/skin/eye/nail recolouring, etc. All temporary, lasting half an hour to a week depending on how much you pay him. Good for patrons who want to try out a new look without paying for the cyber and knowing its effects aren't permanent. |
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Dec 8 2006, 01:18 AM
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#7
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
Half-human half-spirit characters are canon in Earthdawn. It is possible; it may require a higher mana level; it may already be happening in some places. http://forums.dumpshock.com/index.php?show...wtopic=9141&hl= |
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Dec 9 2006, 02:59 AM
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#8
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Moving Target Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 573 Joined: 23-July 03 From: outside America Member No.: 5,015 |
Neat. Well in that case I suppose some companion spirits might well try out being sexually involved with a metahuman as was suggested.
One of the players in our game's background story for why he has extraordinary Body score (14) is because he used to work in a brothel. Many of the 'women' working there were merely sewer rats or stray dogs with Transform cast on them, locked into a sustaining focus bracelet they couldn't take off without losing a limb. They weren't really required to talk ever, could be made to look however the caster wanted, were cheap, had no human rights, brought in money and cost nothing (the focus would be reused on a fresh subject when that one died), etc etc etc.
I think there could easily be a corp who sends out talent scouts to aura-read kids at school and make a list of those who have magical ability. They teach them this 'new fun game' (Conjuring) and help them design some toys (ally formula, as prescribed by the corp's client). Each kid can then summon six Force 1 ally spirits (1 form for free, no karma cost). Oh look it's home time, tell them they are free to go. Then the corp mages go on an astral quest for those spirits' True Names... not difficult at Force 1. Then the client is told the True Name and pays karma to bind the Free Spirit. As an extra bonus, it reduces the number of mages leaving school. |
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Dec 9 2006, 03:24 AM
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#9
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Dragon Group: Members Posts: 4,589 Joined: 28-November 05 Member No.: 8,019 |
How would working in such a brothel give them an extraordinary Body score?
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Dec 9 2006, 04:00 AM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Dumpshocked Posts: 573 Joined: 23-July 03 From: outside America Member No.: 5,015 |
If a rich client with a sleep regulator wanted to buy biological love that would last all night... and all day... and all night... and all day... and all night...
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Dec 9 2006, 01:37 PM
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#11
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 732 Joined: 1-December 06 Member No.: 10,116 |
Also on the subject of 'spirit pets' wasnt one of Dunkie's will that some old lady have her pet inhabited by some sort of spirit. Since she belived her pet could talk to her and now it simply really would?
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