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Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

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[X] Offer to get him a working computer/TV or any other electronic he might want by means if HMP instead
-[X] "If you won't let me pay you with money, let's trade in trade. You used your magic and powers to help me, so it's only fair that I return the favor. A laptop and a smart phone. That's like, the minimum if you want to do modern PI work. If you don't complain I'll even throw in an overhaul of your fuse box and get the power turned back on. Think about it Dresden, electric lights, hot water in your shower...

Alternatively
[X] Offer to get him a working computer/TV or any other electronic he might want by means if HMP instead
- [X] "It's your job? Fine, well I am going into the family business, so if you see anything that deserves the attention of a Carpenter you should give me a call. On that note, I'm getting you a phone, so you can make that call. No, don't argue. You know what both of us do as our real job is too important to compromise. You being able to call me at a moment's notice could mean the difference between Chicago having another sleepy night or disaster.

 
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FrizZ1 said:
This is a threat.


[X] Offer to get him a working computer/TV or any other electronic he might want by means if HMP instead
-[X]"Well I'm not a fey, but by my thinking if you gave up your debt from the summer lady to save me then logically that means that debt effectively transfers to me. And not to toot my horn too much that is bargain deal on your part." Sidelong look "Or if you won't let me pay you back directly I can see about paying off your debt to Mab."
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Yeah, but if there's any two word phrase likely to make Harry clench up tighter than a bank vault on both ends from sheer reflex it's "fey debt".

As a result it's suboptimal in at least two ways. Firstly in that it's at least as likely to make him stubborn about doing things in whatever way he thinks is best as it is to make him fold to our desired approach. Secondly, it reminds him of our interest in getting involved with his winter business and primes him to take steps to avoid it.

Threatening him with it is a half step from asking him to take additional steps to keep us out of it even if it works.

Granted he's already liable to try to avoid our involvement, so it's a judgment call on if the increase in vigilance on his part would make things meaningfully worse. For my part I think he's crafty enough that encouraging him to think about this in advance is likely to have a measurable impact.
 
Idea! What if we fix up his car? He drives an ancient hunk of junk because all of the recently-made stuff has electronics that don't play nicely with techbane, and it constantly breaks down on him.

Cars specifically fall under our mechanics specialty for Craft, so we roll 14 dice with an Excellency. We can easily rebuild his car from the ground up to be reliable and perform well in detective stuff, while excluding any circuitry and such that his techbane would set off. We can make him a legendary-success-tier car built for wizard detective work, techbane-proofing and all, without getting him nervous about cyberdevils. Even do it at 10x speed since cars are specifically called out as qualifying for the higher rate in the description for TTC. Add a quick rinse with a hose to trigger the difficulty reduction, and we can give him something really awesome and useful.

Thoughts?
 
On that note, thinking about it, we stuck a cyber demon in a car. A car is mostly a mechanical system.

Could we stick a cyber demon into a gun? It's a machine, if a purely mechanical one. Dresden could do with an upgrade to his sidearm. We don't need to do anything fancy, but a .45 handgun with more than 6 shots would help him in those fights where he can't kill the mortals with magic.

bengalqueen said:
Idea! What if we fix up his car? He drives an ancient hunk of junk because all of the recently-made stuff has electronics that don't play nicely with techbane, and it constantly breaks down on him.

Cars specifically fall under our mechanics specialty for Craft, so we roll 14 dice with an Excellency. We can easily rebuild his car from the ground up to be reliable and perform well in detective stuff, while excluding any circuitry and such that his techbane would set off. We can make him a legendary-success-tier car built for wizard detective work, techbane-proofing and all, without getting him nervous about cyberdevils. Even do it at 10x speed since cars are specifically called out as qualifying for the higher rate in the description for TTC. Add a quick rinse with a hose to trigger the difficulty reduction, and we can give him something really awesome and useful.

Thoughts?
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What time of year is it? Because if it's winter in Chicago then just having some tools outside or in an unheated garage should qualify us as working in a freezing workshop.
 
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Techbane proofing
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If Dresden decides to be stubborn about, idk, demons in his everything, we prolly could accomplish the same effect with two dots of enchanting or alchemy. Two dots enchanting specifically has the "things don't break when they really should" ritual.
 
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Fouredged Sword said:
Could we stick a cyber demon into a gun? It's a machine, if a purely mechanical one. Dresden could do with an upgrade to his sidearm. We don't need to do anything fancy, but a .45 handgun with more than 6 shots would help him in those fights where he can't kill the mortals with magic.
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Probably not a regular gun, since they don't have the same level of electronics integration as a car, but that isn't our only option.

Smart guns are a thing though. I'm pretty sure the first prototype of the sort that does aimbot stuff wasn't publicly known of until 2011 (might be wrong on the timeline, but I'm thinking of the Linux rifle project). However, the type of smart gun that's intended to stop anyone but an authorized user from firing it have been under development since the late 90s/early 2000s.

Even if making real life aimbot is beyond us, building a full auto pistol with the electronics necessary to support user authentication and then sticking a cyber devil in it instead might be possible.
 
Fouredged Sword said:
On that note, thinking about it, we stuck a cyber demon in a car. A car is mostly a mechanical system.

Could we stick a cyber demon into a gun? It's a machine, if a purely mechanical one. Dresden could do with an upgrade to his sidearm. We don't need to do anything fancy, but a .45 handgun with more than 6 shots would help him in those fights where he can't kill the mortals with magic.



What time of year is it? Because if it's winter in Chicago then just having some tools outside or in an unheated garage should qualify us as working in a freezing workshop.
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You put it in a modern car with cruise control, and a lot more, but cruise control is the bare minimum for putting a cyber devil in a vehicle. For a gun, you could totally build a gun with enough processing power fit one of your friends on the other side, but not buy one off the shelf.
 
BronzeTongue said:
Probably not a regular gun, since they don't have the same level of electronics integration as a car, but that isn't our only option.

Smart guns are a thing though. I'm pretty sure the first prototype of the sort that does aimbot stuff wasn't publicly known of until 2011 (might be wrong on the timeline, but I'm thinking of the Linux rifle project). However, the type of smart gun that's intended to stop anyone but an authorized user from firing it have been under development since the late 90s/early 2000s.

Even if making real life aimbot is beyond us, building a full auto pistol with the electronics necessary to support user authentication and then sticking a cyber devil in it instead might be possible.
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The only thing scarier than an angry Harry Dresden is an angry Harry Dresden with a G11 with an integrated wizard staff bayonet.
 
[X] If Harry won't accept compensation for previously rendered aid, perhaps he would allow us to pay him for future services? Attempt to convince Harry to provide tutoring and Bob time for us, and possibly some assistance introducing Rosie to the supernatural world while helping her get a handle on her gifts, in exchange for regular payments.
-[X] Stunt: "TANSTAAFL, Harry." Seeing his confusion, you elaborate with a grin, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Not for me, not for you, not for anyone. Your time and energy are valuable, and using it on my behalf means you don't have it to use elsewhere, earning money on jobs to pay your bills or working to improve your magic. Basically, I need information and instruction, and you need money. So, what do you say?"
 
Goldfish said:
[X] If Harry won't accept compensation for previously rendered aid, perhaps he would allow us to pay him for future services? Attempt to convince Harry to provide tutoring and Bob time for us, and possibly some assistance introducing Rosie to the supernatural world while helping her get a handle on her gifts, in exchange for regular payments.
-[X] Stunt: "TANSTAAFL, Harry." Seeing his confusion, you elaborate with a grin, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch. Not for me, not for you, not for anyone. Your time and energy are valuable, and using it on my behalf means you don't have it to use elsewhere, earning money on jobs to pay your bills or working to improve your magic. Basically, I need information and instruction, and you need money. So, what do you say?"
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Your stunt is mixing topics without much of a transition in the stunt. Might be worth adding something to connect the new deal to the discussion of what we say we owe him.
Shane_357 said:
@DragonParadox how sophisticated are electronic toy dolls at this point or should we just build our little helpers robot bodies from scratch?
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Because those things aren't creepy enough. I'm envisioning a cross between Chucky and Metallica presents the island of misfit toys.

So naturally we should inflict them on people at the slightest provocation. :V
 
DragonParadox said:
You could build one that is advanced enough, hell technically you could even build full sized humanoid combat robots. Your limitation is more that it still takes quite a few rolls to get that 5+ successes you need to get a permanent binding.
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No I want a factory line producing every child's new favourite toy, Chippy! He has thousands of phrases and wants to be your best friend! Go play with him in the kitchen, where the sharp things are!
 
[X] Offer to get him a working computer/TV or any other electronic he might want by means if HMP instead
-[X] "If you won't let me pay you with money, let's trade in trade. You used your magic and powers to help me, so it's only fair that I return the favor. A laptop and a smart phone. That's like, the minimum if you want to do modern PI work. If you don't complain I'll even throw in an overhaul of your fuse box and get the power turned back on. Think about it Dresden, electric lights, hot water in your shower...

I wanted to say we could get him a Noika due to the memetic durability, but we have enough spread.
 
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VOTE
[X] Offer to sit down and write down some of the stuff Usum knows which the White Council might not, that should segue into talking to Bob nicely, knowledge for knowledge but you will make sure he gets the better deal
-[X] STUNT: "Really." You draw the word out as you arch an eyebrow at him. "You remember I can look, right?" You let a beat pass, and a second as he struggles to hold his poker face, and then sigh theatrically. "This conversation isnt over, but we'll shelve it for the moment." You move to the sofa and take a seat, with one leg curled underneath you. "Anyway, magic. I find that I know a lot of......stuff now, and I have an advisor upstairs" you tap your temple meaningfully "who is an authority on esoterica that Im reasonably sure the White Council doesnt know about, but he's several centuries out of date at least." You make puppy eyes at him. "Trade?"


RATIONALE
He's a paramilitary subcommander for the White Council, which is currently at war. And a practicing wizard with lots of enemies.
Knowledge both improves his chances of staying alive and unscragged, and it improves his general standing among White Council wizards, which helps.

More important than creature comforts like a TV and computer, and easier to get him to agree with.
And it gets him into the habit of agreeing with Molly, which is a small but significant victory.

Also, he's a magic nerd.
Dangling magic knowledge without (many)strings hits every one of the levers in his psyche.
And getting him to treat her as an equal is also another small but useful victory.


The important thing in managing Dresden is to steer him with his own known levers, and to know when to present him with a fait accompli. Not too often, but sometimes necessary, and sometimes it works, like when Thomas paid off his debt to Kincaid with his money stash.

If we lay our hands on enough money to set him up comfortably and he balks, setting up a trust for Mouse is always an option.
Lost Star said:
Harry needs a phone or computer with internet access. That'll help him significantly, as well as entertain Bob.
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Nah. Bob and maybe Mouse need a computer with internet access. Harry just needs a working cellphone.
He's like one of those old executives who dont even know how to use email and have a secretary for that; Internet access requires someone to teach him about it.

DragonParadox said:
You put it in a modern car with cruise control, and a lot more, but cruise control is the bare minimum for putting a cyber devil in a vehicle. For a gun, you could totally build a gun with enough processing power fit one of your friends on the other side, but not buy one off the shelf.
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Basically, he needs a 200-series Toyota Land Cruiser to replace the VW.
Something with a reputation for indestructibility that you can then hang protective spells on.
But Molly needs to work on her Craft/Enchanting/Alchemy skills first. Possibly learn Sorcery as well.

@DragonParadox
QUESTION
When Molly unlocks Ancient Sorcery, can she cast Benediction of the Wood Dragon on the Dragons Nest as part of the process of building or upgrading it?
 
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We really should spend the effort required to make a custom workshop that allows us to stack our difficulty reducers and dice adders. Just making it have a cyber-devil controller door makes a massive difference.

Another thing we should consider in the medium term is learning summoning spells/paths and calling up some more knowledgeable devils from the Wicked City and learning their flavour of magi-tech. Some of them should know tech themed alchemy and enchantment paths and 'rituals'. Their version of the paths are a much better fit for Molly's charms than Harry's version, and corporately they probably know vastly more recipes/rituals than he does.

Also, it feels like we've gone through two story arcs now and wasted the once per story ability to learn an ancient magic spell twice.
 
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BronzeTongue said:
Probably not a regular gun, since they don't have the same level of electronics integration as a car, but that isn't our only option.

Smart guns are a thing though. I'm pretty sure the first prototype of the sort that does aimbot stuff wasn't publicly known of until 2011 (might be wrong on the timeline, but I'm thinking of the Linux rifle project). However, the type of smart gun that's intended to stop anyone but an authorized user from firing it have been under development since the late 90s/early 2000s.

Even if making real life aimbot is beyond us, building a full auto pistol with the electronics necessary to support user authentication and then sticking a cyber devil in it instead might be possible.
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Pistol user authentication is a much harder problem than it may sound, where politicians have been suggesting it since the late 90s and "development" has been more talk than reality. Some of the problems with alleged smart guns include:

1) Fail-deadly authentication is a waste of time. The attacker can spoof or damage the authentication system, with muddy fingers or physically thwacking the device or removing the battery, and be able to fire it anyway. But fail-deadly is what users expect in other respects, because,
2a) Fail-safe authentication in a gun makes for an unreliable gun, and there's almost no customer demand for unreliable guns with new and interesting ways of jamming if the fingerprint scanner has a bad day, or you lose the auth token, or whatever else. This is something you wish for your enemies to have, not yourself and your friends.
2b) Even if you solve fail-safe personal authentication, there's a second layer of challenges in being able to give/lend it to a friend or family member temporarily, and "gun I can't lend to my buddy" is another kind of unreliable gun that most customers don't want.
3) Guns, by nature, are subject to intense physical forces (internal explosions) and the closer you put sensitive electronics in them, the more chance for something to go wrong, but the further the electronics are from the firing, the easier it is to disable them,
4) Guns are expected to have long-term reliability and durability on the scale of years, but years-long batteries for those electronics are very hard to produce, even more so if you expect the sensitive electronics and batteries to keep working after the gun gets run over by a car or dropped in the mud for a week.

A smart gun that only lets an authorized user fire it is a problem where a cyberdevil may be the only possible solution, because it invokes bullshit technomagic to solve these problems.
 
[X] Offer to get him a working computer/TV or any other electronic he might want by means if HMP instead
-[X] "If you won't let me pay you with money, let's trade in trade. You used your magic and powers to help me, so it's only fair that I return the favor. A laptop and a smart phone. That's like, the minimum if you want to do modern PI work. If you don't complain I'll even throw in an overhaul of your fuse box and get the power turned back on. Think about it Dresden, electric lights, hot water in your shower...
 
BronzeTongue said:
Your stunt is mixing topics without much of a transition in the stunt. Might be worth adding something to connect the new deal to the discussion of what we say we owe him.

Because those things aren't creepy enough. I'm envisioning a cross between Chucky and Metallica presents the island of misfit toys.

So naturally we should inflict them on people at the slightest provocation. :V
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That's what I get for slapping something together in a hurry before I had to run an errand.

[X] uju32
 
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bengalqueen said:
Idea! What if we fix up his car? He drives an ancient hunk of junk because all of the recently-made stuff has electronics that don't play nicely with techbane, and it constantly breaks down on him.

Cars specifically fall under our mechanics specialty for Craft, so we roll 14 dice with an Excellency. We can easily rebuild his car from the ground up to be reliable and perform well in detective stuff, while excluding any circuitry and such that his techbane would set off. We can make him a legendary-success-tier car built for wizard detective work, techbane-proofing and all, without getting him nervous about cyberdevils. Even do it at 10x speed since cars are specifically called out as qualifying for the higher rate in the description for TTC. Add a quick rinse with a hose to trigger the difficulty reduction, and we can give him something really awesome and useful.

Thoughts?
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My man Dresden drives a much broken down, much repaired classic VW Beetle.
He's six feet eight inches tall. I dont even know how he fits inside it.
And I dont think Beetles of that era came with car heaters or AC, so you can imagine attempting to drive in a Chicago winter.

He doesnt need his car fixed, he needs an upgrade.
Like I said, buy a 200-series Toyota Land Cruiser for that legendary reliability, then tear it down and rebuild it with Exalted charms and any other magic bullshit on hand.
 
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