Technology Guide question about generators

[raverbane]

This is aimed at folks that have had a chance to look over the PDF.

The back on the tech artifacts section talks about the rules for generators. One of the things it stresses is the scarcity of generators and the non-existence of portable generators.

The rules also have a section about magic and technology and the ways of combining them.

Why hasn't any Technomancer or even just a Technologist caster type thought to use an electric spell (Shock Grasp for instance) and Craft Wondrous Item to make a portable magic item that constantly generates electricity? Plug one end of a power cord to it and the other to a laser pistol...

[DrSwordopolis]

Considering the spell that charges batteries has a 20% chance of destroying them, it's probably because they've tried that and determined that the batteries kept exploding when charged with magic, as opposed to power.

Alternately, they need 10v DC (solar panel), not 10,000v DC (Shocking Grasp).

[Dromeda]

I imagine it's a case of not being able to figure out the proper voltage and/or other parts of power generation that I don't understand! Probably the same reasons we don't try to power things with lightning bolts and such.

[leo1925]

I think that the reason for not including (relatively) low yeild generators is a game balance issue, after all robots have built in low yeild generators in order to function.

My question on generators is this:
For how long is the generator's yeild is being lowered every time that a connected "one charge per used" item is used? One round? One hour? something else?
By "logic" i tend to the one round answer.

[LazarX]

raverbane wrote:

This is aimed at folks that have had a chance to look over the PDF.

The back on the tech artifacts section talks about the rules for generators. One of the things it stresses is the scarcity of generators and the non-existence of portable generators.

The rules also have a section about magic and technology and the ways of combining them.

Why hasn't any Technomancer or even just a Technologist caster type thought to use an electric spell (Shock Grasp for instance) and Craft Wondrous Item to make a portable magic item that constantly generates electricity? Plug one end of a power cord to it and the other to a laser pistol...

Because while they may be CALLED Technomancers and Technologists, they still are natives of a primitive pre-tech society and they have about as much of a chance of figuring that out as the most learned scholar of the 12th century has of duplicating a Corvette that falls out of the sky.

[leo1925]

LazarX might be right, even technomancers haven't figured out the exact formula for converting magical energy to electrical power and vice versa.
Their abilities (arcane battery and unified energy) seem to indicate a "wing it" approach.

[LazarX]

leo1925 wrote:

LazarX might be right, even technomancers haven't figured out the exact formula for converting magical energy to electrical power and vice versa.

Their abilities (arcane battery and unified energy) seem to indicate a "wing it" approach.

What a lot of people don't understand that Arthur C. Clarke's famous quotes on the "equivalancy between magic and science" are written in a world view which totally excludes the present or past existence of magic at all. That oft quoted saying takes a severe beating in worlds where magic not only exists, but is fundamentally different from science.

[Zahariel]

Dromeda wrote:

I imagine it's a case of not being able to figure out the proper voltage and/or other parts of power generation that I don't understand! Probably the same reasons we don't try to power things with lightning bolts and such.

The one time I tried, my flux capacitor overloaded. Seems that that particular lightning bolt had 1.85 gigawatts instead of the expected 1.21. I ended up traveling to 1545 instead of 1945, and you know how awkward that can be.

[leo1925]

LazarX wrote:

leo1925 wrote:

LazarX might be right, even technomancers haven't figured out the exact formula for converting magical energy to electrical power and vice versa.

Their abilities (arcane battery and unified energy) seem to indicate a "wing it" approach.

What a lot of people don't understand that Arthur C. Clarke's famous quotes on the "equivalancy between magic and science" are written in a world view which totally excludes the present or past existence of magic at all. That oft quoted saying takes a severe beating in worlds where magic not only exists, but is fundamentally different from science.

Can you explain that a little more? I am not sure i get it.

[LazarX]

leo1925 wrote:

LazarX wrote:

leo1925 wrote:

LazarX might be right, even technomancers haven't figured out the exact formula for converting magical energy to electrical power and vice versa.

Their abilities (arcane battery and unified energy) seem to indicate a "wing it" approach.

What a lot of people don't understand that Arthur C. Clarke's famous quotes on the "equivalancy between magic and science" are written in a world view which totally excludes the present or past existence of magic at all. That oft quoted saying takes a severe beating in worlds where magic not only exists, but is fundamentally different from science.

Can you explain that a little more? I am not sure i get it.

Arthur Clarke's original quote is "Any sufficiently advanced technology is inditinguishable from magic." From that we've seen corrolary quotes such as "Any technology that doesn't look like magic isn't advanced enough" and so on. So many gamers who look at the subject of magic in Pathfinder and like backgrounds take a very technological view of it and how it can be applied.

As of this they make the assumption that powerful and learned wizards should be able to easily reverse-engineer technology they get their hands on it even if it might take a couple generations of work.

But as we know, Clarke made that quote in a world where magic doesn't exist, and never has. That the only operating principles are scientific ones whether we are aware of them or not.

Magic on the other hand in it's literary incarnations is pretty much the exact opposite of science. It operates arbitrarily, and more along the lines of story principles, such as sympathy and karmic retribution, than rational ones. It's not required to be consistent, or even repeatable.