Compumancy

[Andrew Shultz]

Thought there should be a computer magic school.  No spells yet, but dig in.

Compumancy is a school of magic focusing on computers: specifically the
boundaries, the new and exciting, the whole thrill of technology.  A
compumancer must always push the boundaries of what can be done with these
marvelous machines.  Unfortunately the compumancer cannot move back across
this boundary, and becomes dependent on the computer for things that normal
people do with pencil and paper.  Compumancers ride the relentless advance
of technology, but are often overtaken and tossed aside.

Compumancers build charges by doing new things with computers.

Minor charge: use your computer to do a task most people would presently do
offline.  This changes every few months, though - online shopping probably
doesn't count any more, but using your computer to make your breakfast
counts.  

Significant charge: use your computer to do something that you've never
done by computer before.  The catch here is that now you can do it by
computer, so your taboo comes into play.

Major charge: use your computer to do something that no one has ever done
before.  This has to be significantly different: controlling your
craftmatic bed doesn't count because computers have been used to control
machines for decades.

Taboo: do something without a computer that could have been done with it.
For instance, taking notes on a piece of paper, keeping your appointments
in a book, ordering food (since you can sometimes order on the web now)
with a phone, and these days buying almost anything in an actual store.
Ouch!  Compumancers will typically carry a portable computer of some type
everywhere - or several computers.  Note that a calculator or other special
purpose computing device is okay for this taboo.  Also, if you've never
done a particular thing with a computer before you don't break this taboo
by not using a computer for it - but once you get a significant charge off
that thing, you're stuck.

Compumancers obviously have to be careful when they use computers, and
compumancer players have to keep track of things they've done and things
they are only planning to do.  Older compumancers often burn out, having
thought up everything new they will ever think up.  This is a young mage's
school of magic.

Blast style: electricity.  A minor blast looks like a static zap, a major
blast like a small lightning bolt.  Compumancy minor blasts may be cast
through any sort of electronic connection to the target (phone, live TV
broadcast, radio) without spending a significant charge, although one
additional minor charge is required.  Compumancy significant blasts are too
much electricity to carry that way.  Minor blasts cost 2 minor charges,
significant blasts cost 2 significant charges.

Random magic domain: computers.  Compumancers can use computers to do the
impossible hacking tricks seen in movies, whether it be using their palmtop
as a remote control for a car or breaking into the alien OS and attaching a
virus. 

Comments: minor charges should be easy to come by for this school, but
significant charges are somewhat of a limited resource.  Many compumancers
will use up a lot of significant charges on things they don't really need
when they first start out and haven't done too much, then find that charges
are hard to come by later on.


Andy Shultz
ashultz at bbn.com