marycatelli (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
marycatelli) wrote2022-10-28 10:38 pm
marycatelli) wrote2022-10-28 10:38 pm
against the power
When it's magic or superpowers, an important issue is whether it can be stopped. Whether to imprison a wrongdoer or to protect a place.
Particularly when it's inherent. Wizards who need spellbooks and eye of newt can be imprisoned much more safely than a flame-based superhero who can generate his own flame. Of course, modern-day fantasy wizards often are on the super side in effect if not power.
But it will be very important to determine how fine-grained the turning off can be. If you block out all powers, that will be one effect. At the other extreme, there is where you need to fine-tune the power blocker to the very person you mean to stop, and it won't work on his identical twin brother with the same powers.
In between, you get different effects depending on what you can group by: all flame-based powers? Or all powers derived from pacts with elemental beings? Those produce very different results. The second is more useful for situations of intergroup conflict but encourages groups with different metaorigins.
Particularly when it's inherent. Wizards who need spellbooks and eye of newt can be imprisoned much more safely than a flame-based superhero who can generate his own flame. Of course, modern-day fantasy wizards often are on the super side in effect if not power.
But it will be very important to determine how fine-grained the turning off can be. If you block out all powers, that will be one effect. At the other extreme, there is where you need to fine-tune the power blocker to the very person you mean to stop, and it won't work on his identical twin brother with the same powers.
In between, you get different effects depending on what you can group by: all flame-based powers? Or all powers derived from pacts with elemental beings? Those produce very different results. The second is more useful for situations of intergroup conflict but encourages groups with different metaorigins.