Nulls (was Faeries)

[Rick Neal]

>nulls:  there are people out there that are so polarized against the
>supernatural that they effectively nullify unnatural phenomena...including
>a mage's magickal charges.  any spell or phenomenon or spell directed at a
>null will fail.  period.  contact with nulls will drain a mage dry of his
>power...

Personally, I've never liked this sort of idea. From a game-design 
perspective, it always seems to me to be a late add-on when the designer 
realizes that he's made his wizards/telepaths/vampires too powerful. 
Functionally, it's a device to force PCs to not rely on the powers and 
abilities that define them. 

Now, if you don't want your adept magicking everyone he comes across 
instead of looking for a different way to relate to them, build some 
in-game consequences that don't limit his power, but show him that using 
may sometimes be a BAD IDEA (tm). For example, a plutomancer probably 
gets one chance to use his blast on Alex Abel. If he doesn't take him out 
with the blast, Abel runs, because he didn't get where he is today by 
being stupid. Once he's safe, you can bet that every resource the man has 
is focussed on wiping this absurd little plutomancer out of existence. 
Life expectancy of said plutomancer can hereafter be measured in hours.

Another example is an epideromancer who continually reshapes the 
appearance of friends and acquaintances. Can anyone say "Self Check?" How 
about saying it any time your physical structure is altered? Tack on a 
Helplessness Check, too, unless you specifically ask to be remade. Now, 
suppose the epideromancer does this with someone he's just met in a bar? 
Well, the legal definition of battery is "An unwanted touching." Once the 
police are involved, there's going to be some serious limitations on our 
little adept's habits.

The other reason I can see wanting to put a null in the game world is for 
the sheer "What the...?!?!" response from the player. Given that this is 
desirable (and I really do believe it is, so take warning Clint and 
Chris), I would do it somewhat differently.

>there are people out there that are so polarized against the
>supernatural that they effectively nullify unnatural phenomena
You might almost say they're Obsessed with it. Now, let's see if we can 
build a paradox... Ah! Using disbelief in magick to work magick to 
destroy magick! How's that? This gives us the basis of a magick school, 
superficially similar to the skeptomancers, who actually use magick to 
suppress magick. Now we know why James Randi has never had to give his 
prize money away.

Just my thoughts on a suggestion.

Rick Neal


It is always best to be a little improbable.
     - Oscar Wilde