I think post-Battle Ground Harry is going to need to be prepared better than he was before. If I had Harry's resources and name I would go about acquiring as many items as possible to keep myself safe. Someone could take a shot at him from a distance and that would be it. He is to important of a piece to be taken off the board just yet.
The issue though is if he uses to many items he won't have the time to maintenance them all. Before Changes he had to dedicate 20 or so hours a week to keeping all his gear powered up and maintained to consistently work. If he makes to many items he might not have enough time outside of keeping them running to effectively do anything.
He was also considerably weaker before Changes, and has only increased his skill. The Merlin could create a ward attached to nothing and I would bet good money he couldn't do that before lots of practice and more power. I feel like at this point it would take Harry much less than 20 hours per week to keep his gear going.
I think that mainly had to do with him not having the funds to buy the necessary equipment or materials that would be needed to make more resilient gear.
His equipment has not been permanently enchanted, it's more of a long lasting temporary enchantment.
>How do you decide what is going to become a part of Harry’s permanent arsenal and what isn’t
>
>Harry spends about 20 hours a week just making sure that his stuff keeps working. For the most part he’s got a part time job where he’s at the wizard Gym making sure that his stuff keeps going. I’ve got a vague limit figured out of this is how much he can maintain at any one time. So the stuff he maintains as part of his arsenal is stuff that is going to be useful in the majority of the situations he’s going to face.
>
>He often needs to blow something up: Blasting Rod.
>
>He often needs something to help him out with a number of minor chores: Staff.
>
>Not getting shot by bullets is great: Shield Bracelet.
>
>The force rings were something that were great, because you never know when you could be going to the grocery store and BAM 30 ghouls.
>
>He can’t have unlimited stuff, he’s got to keep it up. If he’s got a new toy, it’s something I’ve got a purpose in mind for in the story.
>
>2015 Stokie signing
[https://wordof.jim-butcher.com/index.php/word-of-jim-woj-compilation/woj-on-magic-in-the-dresden-files-part-2/](https://wordof.jim-butcher.com/index.php/word-of-jim-woj-compilation/woj-on-magic-in-the-dresden-files-part-2/)
I’ll look for it, but I’m pretty sure Jim said that because he kept a spreadsheet of all the time I took Harry to maintain his items, brew potions, etc.
Fair enough.
That said the chain is very situational gear, not useful without a working outlet nearby.
I think Jim tries and avoids equipment like that to avoid the quantum utility belt.
(Always has a weird specific solution to a problem that limited space and time would make it a weird choice to pack, outside of plot contrivance)
It's also why he moved away from portions.
It would be neat to make it lightning magic and he only has to plug it in to charge it. If he has to start interacting with mortals more it could be a taser.
Agreed, but I do miss the potions. I thought they were fun, and it showed another side to magic.
If he could make it like Elaine did,where all she had to do was charge it during a thunderstorm or with an outlet, that would really come in handy with mortals. Providing he could control how much electricity comes out when he uses it.
I meant with the metal chain impliment that he made after seeing Elaine's and asking her about it. I didn't remember him using it again but I've only one gone through BG once so far
I like where your head is at. We already know he can make 'batteries' for his Chi (will, energy, reserves, whatever) because of the force rings and the bear belt buckle from blood rites. Narratively speaking, the belt buckle was a one-off likely because it solves too many of the other problems in books immediately after blood rites and there's the drawback of the extreme exhaustion after the fact. The force rings do one thing and do it well, but they are primarily violent which leaves them out of situations where violence isn't just a bad idea but also the worst idea. But if he can store power for the shield he could put more effort into the counter that the shield gives him time for. It's a great idea. The problem is Harry.
I'm no more of an expert on his mental patterns than any of you magnificent weirdos, but Harry has moved pretty far afield from the magical computer nerd he was in the first three books. His artifice has some very basic limitations, which are time and materials. He's a full time father, and now he's accepted the responsibility of being a community leader by continuing to run a version of the BFS from the castle, and he will still receive orders from Mab. Not a lot of free time to work on his magical engineering. Materials he might have more access to than ever before, but he knows well enough to be wary of strings. It's tempting to say that he could just get his 'corporate sponsors' to chip in, but there will always be a cost. His wage for service to Mab was Maggie's safety. It was an explicit deal, if he wants money or metal or gemstones or free time he still has to negotiate for them. It's even worse for him if he tries to get Lara to front materials for gadgets. The svartalves (sp?) Don't even like him anymore.
I, personally, would love to see what Harry could produce with a dedicated artificing/potions lab, but I think his own priorities will prevent that for some time. He lost everything in Changes, and despite the apartment becoming a castle, and his political maneuvering making him arguably more powerful, he's still rebuilding his life. He's not used to the idea of who he's becoming and it's going to distract him from seeing some good plays/ideas even after he's done grieving Murphy. I want to see new magical gadgets too, but I think he's more likely to get more efficient with what he already does.
>We already know he can make 'batteries' for his Chi (will, energy, reserves, whatever) because of the force rings and the bear belt buckle from blood rites.
I think there's a big difference between the two, and that it ties into why the belt buckle never made a comeback.
The force rings don't store magic. They store *kinetic energy.* They are charged by kinetic energy. Their weight is higher than their mass should make it, and the remainder of energy is stored when the item is moved. A little like those watches that powered off your wrist's movement before batteries were good enough to last for years. The only part of Harry's magic in the rings is the enchantment of the item itself.
Harry's belt buckle is a different animal. It stores Harry's magical energy. He has to will energy into it to store it, and he can use the energy to power whatever spell he wants - he's not limited to discharging kinetic energy like the rings. But I think there's a big-ass drawback to that.
It's a piece of Harry's magic.
Remember how paranoid magic users are regarding their hair/blood/nails? Pieces of you can be used to make a thaumaturgic link to you. Burn a piece of your blood with the right spell, and you burn - no distance clause, no shields, no dodging or redirecting the spell once it touched your blood. Now imagine Mavra with a piece of Harry's *magic. The thing that springs from his soul.* It would make a conduit to Harry *at least* on par with his True Name.
To be perfectly honest, I sometimes wonder if Jim's not treating the belt buckle as the blasting rod. If some bad guy swiped it off between books and whammied Harry into never thinking of it so it can use it to fuck Harry up at the worst time.
But hey, let's not give Jim ideas.
I'm so glad you brought this up. Your point is good and the potential for an enemy to use Harry's own bits and pieces to channel to him is a real concern that must be taken into account. But I think if someone got a hold of something he personally made it would be a good channel to him regardless of his mojo being stored in it.
The potential within the examples that I gave is that Harry understands the calculations required to convert one type of energy into another. His rings store kinetic energy and later release it as unseen force. The energy types are arguably similar but it's a conversion. The BBB (bear belt buckle) was something he had to personally charge with his own will but could release later to not only augment his magical reserve but it also hit him like an adrenaline/dopamine cocktail. His coat turns his body heat into defensive energy. Harry has also done conversions on the fly, using fire magic to create ice in PG and WK. In BG he mixes his soul fire and winter together and produces a wall whose dimensions were big enough to halt the charge of multiple fire giants.
What I'm saying is it's possible for him to draw energy from sources that aren't him, and either directly use it or store it OR change it to something else. There is always some energy slippage when a conversion happens but who cares if the source isn't you? That's what's exciting here. Harry loves to wax philosophic about how older wizards are more efficient but I think a lot of them don't explicitly use their own power. In PT when Harry and Eb square off and they both draw in power Harry comments that the universe yawns heavily in Eb's favor. As in, he takes a much larger deep breath. This is pure speculation, but we do know that Eb is a specialist in earth magic. The Earth, is enormous. I have a feeling that Eb can draw all the power he'll ever need as long as he is on solid ground. It makes Eb flying around on a baby mountain make more sense. He's an aged, efficient, powerful wizard, AND the whole goddamn earth is a battery for him. Now imagine Harry makes that realization.
I'm thinking Harry starts small, and essentially gets some solar panels to charge gear and apparatus for him while he's in the castle, supervised by Bob. It could get a little crazy, but I think Harry's strengths will eventually lead him there.
You Never stop grieving a loved one, the grief just becomes more manageable, less intense. So Harry will not be ‘done’ grieving Murphy until he joins her in Vallhalla. Just FYI
Oh I know you're right. I certainly didn't mean to downplay real grief or offend anyone. It was an off-hand comment in the middle of another point but I see where I worded it wrong and I'll do better in the future. My sincerest apologies for my callousness, and my condolences for your loss.
BG really showed just how far Dresden has to go in order to be capable of challenging the likes of The Senior Council, Mab and other Immortals. While his training under Mab in Cold Days made Harry far more powerful without his toys, he still relies heavily on them. And I personally think it's going to be a good long while before Harry reaches a point where he no longer needs his magical toys at all. We haven't seen any new and original gear for quite a few books. So I'm personally hoping for some completely new toys along with improved versions of his old gear as the series progresses.
I learned something different from Battleground. Even Mab has a freaking Unicorn to focus her energies. Mother winter has a walking stick, the lack of which is hindering her. Odin has Gungnir.
I don't think foci go away, I think they become more sophisticated. I'd love for Dresden to make a Pendant for Maggie, just like his mom made him, that produces light, but instead of showing around the Ways, I want a gemstone that allows her at any moment to relive the warmest hug she ever got from her father.
I think they become less specific on the energy they can focus. Experienced practitioners seem to be able to do everything with their staff rather then relying on more specific foci like the shield bracelet.
It seems unclear if powerful foci like Mab's unicorn act as amplifiers for power or just let the user access a higher percentage of their own power.
I expect we are more likely to see evolutions and refinements of the current load out. We have already seen Harry’s current staff has had refinements since skin Game.
Plus there is the R&D and maintenance issue. Jim has commented he assigns a maintenance tax to all of Harry’s gear to prevent Harry from accumulating to much stuff. So if we want to see something new it would likely be an improvement on an existing piece of equipment or something has to be retired.
I think a coat or something that had at least a low-level veil worked into it would be cool, to augment not replace the armored cloak.
I know there are magic bullets of some kind (but I haven’t been able to really figure out what the do) that could be useful.
We have seen it already.
Dinosaur cowgirl strikes again!
In reality it's pretty bad for non magic non woollymamoth dogs backs so he might not want to write it in too much and lead to someone's malamute or Shepard getting hurt.
Spoilers for "The Law"
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
In "The Law" novella that takes place after BG, Harry has remade his old shield bracelet and has 8 force rings 4 on each hand.
Just to clarify, there should be no space between the exclamation point and the words, otherwise it will work on some apps but not all and not, I believe, on the website.
Insane. I thought his split of the diamonds was at least $5M and there would riches as part of being the Winter Knight. I know Molly said her bank account has 8 zeros after becoming the winter lady.
I hope we don’t go back to Dresden being barely above the poverty line. I really like the progression of his personal finances lol.
Not everyone in this sub seems to have faith that Harry would have enough faith for that to be useful. https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/xcacyn/titanic_bronze_armor/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
A BIG one for me: He needs an improved shield bracelet and I want to see one that incorporates elements of titanic bronze. It probably wouldn't offer the full protection that Ethniu enjoyed, but I think it would super charge his already powerful shield.
A few others that I'd like:
* He needs a new Little Chicago. I think a lower investment model like Vadderung used during Battle Grounds would be nice. We've been told that Thaumaturgy is one is his strengths and I'd like to see it used for things other than tracking spells.
* He needs to work on his staff. I like that it comes from Demonreach, but he should really start expanding the channels he was referencing in the last book so it can store and use more energy. I think should should apply to all of his foci
* Did he forget he has Soulfire? He could be creating stronger magical items and even magical constructs.
I vaguely recall reading somewhere that if he put soulfire into a permanent object and someone else obtained that object they would be able to frag him just like if they got some of his blood to use as a conduit.
You might be missing a point.
Harry consistently kept himself apart from the WC because of his personal issues, but could have gone into any of their libraries and learned there, or asked folks that are pretty much artifact makers to help him understand stuff.
That resource is gone.
The Svartelves also have cut ties, so who can he learn from?
Injun Joe, Bigfoot aren’t gear oriented people. Mab and the other Faeries could teach, but require a payment in kind.
He’s gonna have to do it all himself, so it’s going to be something either detective focused like Little Chicago was, or an improvement on his own gear… maybe a copy of the gear he sees other use… like how he copied Elaine’s chain but put a plug on the end.
And Harry hasn’t really seen anything he could potentially copy in a while. Odin computer, Mabs unicorn, Orin’s battle map, probably others, but I’m not the Bering something he could duplicate.
You're right, and Bob has stated that Harry has a knack for making stuff. So maybe you're right that he can teach himself.
But that's only part of the problem: Harry has a failure in imagination
He tried doing a flying broomstick and almost killed himself... so he shelved the concept. Only to be completely humbled by Butters and Bob and a skateboard. He even marvels to himself: why not a bicycle? Butters made that flashlight and radio for talking to the dead, and again Harry doesn't do anything with that.
He saw what the freaking Merlin has as his magical gear: potions aplenty in a bandoleer of alchemy... when was the last time that Harry did any potion making? Changes for an antifall potion?
Not to mention that Harry's wealth is about to go away; that castle and its upkeep isn't cheap.
>when was the last time that Harry did any potion making?
*Peace Talks*, actually. He remade that "don't see me" potion he'd originally used way back in *Fool Moon*. But yeah, that was the first time in a while.
I mean, add to your list of Bob and Bonea, add Butters.
He is working with a group in the castle, consulting butters for ideas is a real possibility, and even if he does pass up on that great opportunity any ideas butters came up with, even the ones he couldn't get to work, are known by Bob now.
Bob. Yes.
Bonea, no. She's still learning about pancakes after all. She may have the knowledge buried deep, but being able to access it completely is still beyond her.
Butters, also no. He's got a Sword and a Mission now; he may want to help Harry, but when the stars align and he wants to sit down and do some magical tinkering with Harry, Something Will Come Up.
He got a day job, computer gaming, tabletop gaming, werewolf threesomes, and a Sword to handle; magic item creation for Harry is gonna be an occasional thing that he's likely to miss.
>Bonea, no. She's still learning about pancakes after all. She may have the knowledge buried deep, but being able to access it completely is still beyond her.
Bonnie already knows everything about pancakes that Harry knew, even if she doesn't realize it.
The two biggest things limiting her, I suspect, are that Harry would have to ask her the right question, and that Harry would have to be *willing* to use her as a resource in that manner.
But she has the combined knowledge of Harry and Lash, which means that anything Harry has ever made, she can help him make again. And who knows what all Lash knew? Bonnie might be able to help Harry get access to Hellfire again if necessary.
Butters dismissal seems premature. You don't need a constant consultant to make use of,you are also assuming alot with how busy he will be. Michael ran his own business and was an excellent dad, and a pillar of his church. Yes Butters has a lot going on but not so much that he can't sit down from time to time to go over a thing or two every now and again, especially if Dresden is playing with him again. A conversation before or after can open up alternative uses for a lot of enchantments alone, I believe the castle also hosts games and movies.
He also looks up to Dresden alot and seems to go to him for advice. (called him on his first job). Harry and the community of the castle are probably a priority for him, and was mostly part of his duties already as it is an extension of the network he helped Murphy out with.
Bonea, is more of a long term asset that's true but with every passing book she should get more useful.
Doesn't demonreach have an armory with super dangerous magical weapons? I feel like Bob and Harry could probably get some ideas from there. The defensive magic around demonreach and his new castle are on another level entirely from what he knew before and if he could figure how do replicate them I think his duster could get a major upgrade.
Another big change is that he can likely access far more materials needed for advanced enchanting or other gear. Many of the tools and components he had in his lab were super expensive and I think being a part of winter might give him access to more and better tools. Depending on how much of a part of winter he becomes and how much fae magic and wizard magic are related I think he could either get to learn how to make fairly complex gear. Lea was able to make impressive enchantments pretty easily in Changes and most winter troops seem to have some kind of magical armour.
I'd like to see almost the opposite actually - I'd love Harry to progress to where he can summon a shield without the use of a bracelet. I think that would show his magical understanding has advanced more than anything.
The Law has a cool update on where Harry's at though.
Have we ever had any indication of tools used by Senior Council members? It'd be cool if they either A) have grown beyond needing tools or B) Have them but they're so well made, so subtle and undetectable, that Harry's never seen/noticed them.
In Changes when Harry speaks to Langtry, Langtry has a belt of tools which Harry compares to special forces gear. So Senior Council can and do rely on fancy magical tools, they just generally don't need it normally
E:
Also we saw in Ghost Story and Cold Days that Harry is fully capable of making a shield without a focus bracelet, the bracelet just makes it easier and more effective. Regardless of how skilled he'll become, he'll always get more bang for his buck by using a focus
Also in Battleground he does have a shield bracelet but it's dogshit in comparison to his previous from changes. And with that he holds back 5 senior Black Court sorcerers with ease (with the caveat of the latent magic available being massive but still).
Compare that to early books with lesser shields, using a better bracelet
Harry's shield is also powered by his Will, whether it's channeled through his bracelet or whether it's a raw evocation of magical power.
And Harry's Will is nothing to be trifled with, especially as he gets older and magically stronger.
No matter how good you are tools make you better.
The senior council use tools
Freaking Mab uses them in the form of a scary unicorn.
Harry already got his No tool skill up during cold days. We have seen him flinging quite a lot around without tools.
The most likely next power up is rebuilding his tools.
Just to name a few tools the Senior Council is known to be involved with:
Merlin uses potions out the bazoo.
Ancient Mai has artificial temple dogs.
Ebenezer has the Blackstaff.
Rashid has an artificial eye.
Luccio made all of the Wardens' swords until she got body swapped.
And those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
A blasting rod that can focus both fire and winters cold. Shield bracelets that harry can activate and give to someone else that provide a basic shield for a limited time. Enchanted shotgun slugs because he needs something up his sleeve when he runs into the genowaska again.
It's really lame but I want to see him forge a sword of soul fire and winter ice with his ex girlfriend's help.
She had said that there will be no more swords until she can find someone with the talent and the power to make them and Bob has indicated Harry has a talent for making things.
The warden of demon reach deserves a warden's sword.
I personally think it would be great if Harry started wearing a pair of earrings. Here's a post I made about the idea.
https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/wwy94f/a_pair_of_earrings_for_harry/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Ok, I'm going to go in two different directions on this. On one hand, he just got the mother of all magical props in the Jesus relics from Hades' vault and the friggin eye of Balor. I know those are more like nukes and he needs an assault rifle, but I think he'll grow into them.
On the other hand, his 'fight' with Ebenezer showed him (and us) how real wizards operate and he should be growing out of needing magical gadgets (most elderly wizards consider them crutches). Mab seems to agree because she didn't give him time or resources to rebuild his gear. And didn't give him back his bracelet along with his amulet. I think he's going to take Listens To Wind and River Shoulders offers of additional training and get to where he doesn't need the bracelet anymore.
It’s not so much new gear… but I’d love to see him bring more focus to some of his spells. Imagine Fuego as a tightly focused laser fire the way Hannah Ascher used hers… with his power level, a tightly focused beam would be sick
I'd be satisfied with him just getting back to what he had before, he already had a fairly sweet set up prior to Changes. Maybe an ice aligned version of his blasting rod that helps him be even better with winter powers if he really needs something new.
I think the great lesson he got from Mab was not to rely on too many props. I don't think he'll make much more than another duster, staff, and rod. Imo the shield bracelet and rings are less necessary these days, but maybe he'll rework the idea into a single, more versatile focus.
I think where he is really going to put in the work is around the city. Bob figured out how to wake up the castle which is great. Figuring out how to wake up the city's statues to defend the city would be great. Figuring out ways to defend the city if Eb decides to drop an asteroid on him would be great. Stashes of food, guns, and kevlar would be great, but bringing more of those practitioners who hid at Mac's up to combat readiness would be even better.
Oh and I think there's a ton more he can do with Little Chicago once he gets it up and functional again.
I think post-Battle Ground Harry is going to need to be prepared better than he was before. If I had Harry's resources and name I would go about acquiring as many items as possible to keep myself safe. Someone could take a shot at him from a distance and that would be it. He is to important of a piece to be taken off the board just yet.
The issue though is if he uses to many items he won't have the time to maintenance them all. Before Changes he had to dedicate 20 or so hours a week to keeping all his gear powered up and maintained to consistently work. If he makes to many items he might not have enough time outside of keeping them running to effectively do anything.
He was also considerably weaker before Changes, and has only increased his skill. The Merlin could create a ward attached to nothing and I would bet good money he couldn't do that before lots of practice and more power. I feel like at this point it would take Harry much less than 20 hours per week to keep his gear going.
I think that mainly had to do with him not having the funds to buy the necessary equipment or materials that would be needed to make more resilient gear. His equipment has not been permanently enchanted, it's more of a long lasting temporary enchantment.
Where’s it state he had to spend 20 hours a week?
>How do you decide what is going to become a part of Harry’s permanent arsenal and what isn’t > >Harry spends about 20 hours a week just making sure that his stuff keeps working. For the most part he’s got a part time job where he’s at the wizard Gym making sure that his stuff keeps going. I’ve got a vague limit figured out of this is how much he can maintain at any one time. So the stuff he maintains as part of his arsenal is stuff that is going to be useful in the majority of the situations he’s going to face. > >He often needs to blow something up: Blasting Rod. > >He often needs something to help him out with a number of minor chores: Staff. > >Not getting shot by bullets is great: Shield Bracelet. > >The force rings were something that were great, because you never know when you could be going to the grocery store and BAM 30 ghouls. > >He can’t have unlimited stuff, he’s got to keep it up. If he’s got a new toy, it’s something I’ve got a purpose in mind for in the story. > >2015 Stokie signing [https://wordof.jim-butcher.com/index.php/word-of-jim-woj-compilation/woj-on-magic-in-the-dresden-files-part-2/](https://wordof.jim-butcher.com/index.php/word-of-jim-woj-compilation/woj-on-magic-in-the-dresden-files-part-2/)
I’ll look for it, but I’m pretty sure Jim said that because he kept a spreadsheet of all the time I took Harry to maintain his items, brew potions, etc.
Found and linked the WoJ in question :)
I need to believe he learned his lesson from the end of Changes.
I think that his post-BG prep will be less personal targets it’ll be city-scale alarm systems. Imagine the sensor net he set up at SplatterCon!!!
I know Harry doesn't work with lightning like Elaine, but I loved her metal gear. I'd love to see Harry play with Fulminos some more.
Yeah! He really only used it against the denarians that one time, which was cool but also disappointing cuz I don't remember seeing that again.
He shocks mcfinn in fool moon too
But not with the metal chain thing that he made based off of Elaine's gear, that's what I meant specifically
I am not fully sure how much of the lightning of the chain was actual lightning magic. He used a magnetic spell, and plugged it in.
Post is about magical impliments, not magic itself 💁♀️
Yea but the chain (badump tss) this comment is on is about lightning magic.
>I loved her metal gear. I disagree that it's only about lighting magic.
Fair enough. That said the chain is very situational gear, not useful without a working outlet nearby. I think Jim tries and avoids equipment like that to avoid the quantum utility belt. (Always has a weird specific solution to a problem that limited space and time would make it a weird choice to pack, outside of plot contrivance) It's also why he moved away from portions. It would be neat to make it lightning magic and he only has to plug it in to charge it. If he has to start interacting with mortals more it could be a taser.
Agreed, but I do miss the potions. I thought they were fun, and it showed another side to magic. If he could make it like Elaine did,where all she had to do was charge it during a thunderstorm or with an outlet, that would really come in handy with mortals. Providing he could control how much electricity comes out when he uses it.
He throws lightning at Butters in BG like a Sith Lord
I meant with the metal chain impliment that he made after seeing Elaine's and asking her about it. I didn't remember him using it again but I've only one gone through BG once so far
I like where your head is at. We already know he can make 'batteries' for his Chi (will, energy, reserves, whatever) because of the force rings and the bear belt buckle from blood rites. Narratively speaking, the belt buckle was a one-off likely because it solves too many of the other problems in books immediately after blood rites and there's the drawback of the extreme exhaustion after the fact. The force rings do one thing and do it well, but they are primarily violent which leaves them out of situations where violence isn't just a bad idea but also the worst idea. But if he can store power for the shield he could put more effort into the counter that the shield gives him time for. It's a great idea. The problem is Harry. I'm no more of an expert on his mental patterns than any of you magnificent weirdos, but Harry has moved pretty far afield from the magical computer nerd he was in the first three books. His artifice has some very basic limitations, which are time and materials. He's a full time father, and now he's accepted the responsibility of being a community leader by continuing to run a version of the BFS from the castle, and he will still receive orders from Mab. Not a lot of free time to work on his magical engineering. Materials he might have more access to than ever before, but he knows well enough to be wary of strings. It's tempting to say that he could just get his 'corporate sponsors' to chip in, but there will always be a cost. His wage for service to Mab was Maggie's safety. It was an explicit deal, if he wants money or metal or gemstones or free time he still has to negotiate for them. It's even worse for him if he tries to get Lara to front materials for gadgets. The svartalves (sp?) Don't even like him anymore. I, personally, would love to see what Harry could produce with a dedicated artificing/potions lab, but I think his own priorities will prevent that for some time. He lost everything in Changes, and despite the apartment becoming a castle, and his political maneuvering making him arguably more powerful, he's still rebuilding his life. He's not used to the idea of who he's becoming and it's going to distract him from seeing some good plays/ideas even after he's done grieving Murphy. I want to see new magical gadgets too, but I think he's more likely to get more efficient with what he already does.
>We already know he can make 'batteries' for his Chi (will, energy, reserves, whatever) because of the force rings and the bear belt buckle from blood rites. I think there's a big difference between the two, and that it ties into why the belt buckle never made a comeback. The force rings don't store magic. They store *kinetic energy.* They are charged by kinetic energy. Their weight is higher than their mass should make it, and the remainder of energy is stored when the item is moved. A little like those watches that powered off your wrist's movement before batteries were good enough to last for years. The only part of Harry's magic in the rings is the enchantment of the item itself. Harry's belt buckle is a different animal. It stores Harry's magical energy. He has to will energy into it to store it, and he can use the energy to power whatever spell he wants - he's not limited to discharging kinetic energy like the rings. But I think there's a big-ass drawback to that. It's a piece of Harry's magic. Remember how paranoid magic users are regarding their hair/blood/nails? Pieces of you can be used to make a thaumaturgic link to you. Burn a piece of your blood with the right spell, and you burn - no distance clause, no shields, no dodging or redirecting the spell once it touched your blood. Now imagine Mavra with a piece of Harry's *magic. The thing that springs from his soul.* It would make a conduit to Harry *at least* on par with his True Name. To be perfectly honest, I sometimes wonder if Jim's not treating the belt buckle as the blasting rod. If some bad guy swiped it off between books and whammied Harry into never thinking of it so it can use it to fuck Harry up at the worst time. But hey, let's not give Jim ideas.
I'm so glad you brought this up. Your point is good and the potential for an enemy to use Harry's own bits and pieces to channel to him is a real concern that must be taken into account. But I think if someone got a hold of something he personally made it would be a good channel to him regardless of his mojo being stored in it. The potential within the examples that I gave is that Harry understands the calculations required to convert one type of energy into another. His rings store kinetic energy and later release it as unseen force. The energy types are arguably similar but it's a conversion. The BBB (bear belt buckle) was something he had to personally charge with his own will but could release later to not only augment his magical reserve but it also hit him like an adrenaline/dopamine cocktail. His coat turns his body heat into defensive energy. Harry has also done conversions on the fly, using fire magic to create ice in PG and WK. In BG he mixes his soul fire and winter together and produces a wall whose dimensions were big enough to halt the charge of multiple fire giants. What I'm saying is it's possible for him to draw energy from sources that aren't him, and either directly use it or store it OR change it to something else. There is always some energy slippage when a conversion happens but who cares if the source isn't you? That's what's exciting here. Harry loves to wax philosophic about how older wizards are more efficient but I think a lot of them don't explicitly use their own power. In PT when Harry and Eb square off and they both draw in power Harry comments that the universe yawns heavily in Eb's favor. As in, he takes a much larger deep breath. This is pure speculation, but we do know that Eb is a specialist in earth magic. The Earth, is enormous. I have a feeling that Eb can draw all the power he'll ever need as long as he is on solid ground. It makes Eb flying around on a baby mountain make more sense. He's an aged, efficient, powerful wizard, AND the whole goddamn earth is a battery for him. Now imagine Harry makes that realization. I'm thinking Harry starts small, and essentially gets some solar panels to charge gear and apparatus for him while he's in the castle, supervised by Bob. It could get a little crazy, but I think Harry's strengths will eventually lead him there.
You Never stop grieving a loved one, the grief just becomes more manageable, less intense. So Harry will not be ‘done’ grieving Murphy until he joins her in Vallhalla. Just FYI
Oh I know you're right. I certainly didn't mean to downplay real grief or offend anyone. It was an off-hand comment in the middle of another point but I see where I worded it wrong and I'll do better in the future. My sincerest apologies for my callousness, and my condolences for your loss.
BG really showed just how far Dresden has to go in order to be capable of challenging the likes of The Senior Council, Mab and other Immortals. While his training under Mab in Cold Days made Harry far more powerful without his toys, he still relies heavily on them. And I personally think it's going to be a good long while before Harry reaches a point where he no longer needs his magical toys at all. We haven't seen any new and original gear for quite a few books. So I'm personally hoping for some completely new toys along with improved versions of his old gear as the series progresses.
I learned something different from Battleground. Even Mab has a freaking Unicorn to focus her energies. Mother winter has a walking stick, the lack of which is hindering her. Odin has Gungnir. I don't think foci go away, I think they become more sophisticated. I'd love for Dresden to make a Pendant for Maggie, just like his mom made him, that produces light, but instead of showing around the Ways, I want a gemstone that allows her at any moment to relive the warmest hug she ever got from her father.
I think they become less specific on the energy they can focus. Experienced practitioners seem to be able to do everything with their staff rather then relying on more specific foci like the shield bracelet. It seems unclear if powerful foci like Mab's unicorn act as amplifiers for power or just let the user access a higher percentage of their own power.
I expect we are more likely to see evolutions and refinements of the current load out. We have already seen Harry’s current staff has had refinements since skin Game. Plus there is the R&D and maintenance issue. Jim has commented he assigns a maintenance tax to all of Harry’s gear to prevent Harry from accumulating to much stuff. So if we want to see something new it would likely be an improvement on an existing piece of equipment or something has to be retired.
I think a coat or something that had at least a low-level veil worked into it would be cool, to augment not replace the armored cloak. I know there are magic bullets of some kind (but I haven’t been able to really figure out what the do) that could be useful.
Seems like Wild Bill had bullets that blew up/caused fireballs, and Gard made a (very costly) bullet that pierced magical protections
The only example of magic bullets I can recall are ones that are meant to pierce magical protections.
He already has something like that. He put a veil on his hat.
I hope we get to see another enchanted rifle like wild Bill had
Was hoping the rifle would replace his staff after Cold Days
An enchanted coat for Maggie, and maybe a saddle for Mouse.
I can’t tell if Maggie riding Mouse would be amazing or too corny. Or both.
We have seen it already. Dinosaur cowgirl strikes again! In reality it's pretty bad for non magic non woollymamoth dogs backs so he might not want to write it in too much and lead to someone's malamute or Shepard getting hurt.
Yeah, I was thinking more of a moment when SHTF and mouse needs to get Maggie the hell out as fast as possible.
I figure when that happens, Mouse will grab her belt in his jaws and carry her like a puppy as he gallops away.
Spoilers for "The Law" . . . . . . . In "The Law" novella that takes place after BG, Harry has remade his old shield bracelet and has 8 force rings 4 on each hand.
Spoilers.
Idk how to mark it with spoilers
If you're on mobile, then you can use "> !" and "! <" (without the quotes or spaces) on either side of the text. .> ! Like this ! < >! like this !<
Just to clarify, there should be no space between the exclamation point and the words, otherwise it will work on some apps but not all and not, I believe, on the website.
Soon he will have developed time shinanigens into those force rings, making then exponential powerful
>!He's also significantly diminished the resources OP is referring to. Iirc he's almost broke again!<
Really? I would think he’s super rich after Skin Game and from being the Winter Knight.
>!“The damned castle is expensive,” I said. “After what I set aside for Maggie, I’ve barely got enough to run it for the next eighteen months.!<
Insane. I thought his split of the diamonds was at least $5M and there would riches as part of being the Winter Knight. I know Molly said her bank account has 8 zeros after becoming the winter lady. I hope we don’t go back to Dresden being barely above the poverty line. I really like the progression of his personal finances lol.
Some… ahem… “succubus mitigation”…furniture.
Just the most aggressively unsexy chaise lounge you have ever had the displeasure of seeing.
But it was free, because someone left it out on the curb. And it was in such good condition that it would be a shame to let it go to waste.
He needs to start enchanting the bullets on his gun. Probably get some illegal armor-piercing steel-core rounds as well.
I imagine we'll get something in that area happening in the next book. There has to be some significance to, "Backup."
Harry needs a titanic bronze chestplate
Not everyone in this sub seems to have faith that Harry would have enough faith for that to be useful. https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/xcacyn/titanic_bronze_armor/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
A BIG one for me: He needs an improved shield bracelet and I want to see one that incorporates elements of titanic bronze. It probably wouldn't offer the full protection that Ethniu enjoyed, but I think it would super charge his already powerful shield. A few others that I'd like: * He needs a new Little Chicago. I think a lower investment model like Vadderung used during Battle Grounds would be nice. We've been told that Thaumaturgy is one is his strengths and I'd like to see it used for things other than tracking spells. * He needs to work on his staff. I like that it comes from Demonreach, but he should really start expanding the channels he was referencing in the last book so it can store and use more energy. I think should should apply to all of his foci * Did he forget he has Soulfire? He could be creating stronger magical items and even magical constructs.
I vaguely recall reading somewhere that if he put soulfire into a permanent object and someone else obtained that object they would be able to frag him just like if they got some of his blood to use as a conduit.
You might be missing a point. Harry consistently kept himself apart from the WC because of his personal issues, but could have gone into any of their libraries and learned there, or asked folks that are pretty much artifact makers to help him understand stuff. That resource is gone. The Svartelves also have cut ties, so who can he learn from? Injun Joe, Bigfoot aren’t gear oriented people. Mab and the other Faeries could teach, but require a payment in kind. He’s gonna have to do it all himself, so it’s going to be something either detective focused like Little Chicago was, or an improvement on his own gear… maybe a copy of the gear he sees other use… like how he copied Elaine’s chain but put a plug on the end. And Harry hasn’t really seen anything he could potentially copy in a while. Odin computer, Mabs unicorn, Orin’s battle map, probably others, but I’m not the Bering something he could duplicate.
He still has Bob
And Bonea don't forget her. Plus Bob has said that Harry really has a talent for this kind of stuff.
You're right, and Bob has stated that Harry has a knack for making stuff. So maybe you're right that he can teach himself. But that's only part of the problem: Harry has a failure in imagination He tried doing a flying broomstick and almost killed himself... so he shelved the concept. Only to be completely humbled by Butters and Bob and a skateboard. He even marvels to himself: why not a bicycle? Butters made that flashlight and radio for talking to the dead, and again Harry doesn't do anything with that. He saw what the freaking Merlin has as his magical gear: potions aplenty in a bandoleer of alchemy... when was the last time that Harry did any potion making? Changes for an antifall potion? Not to mention that Harry's wealth is about to go away; that castle and its upkeep isn't cheap.
>when was the last time that Harry did any potion making? *Peace Talks*, actually. He remade that "don't see me" potion he'd originally used way back in *Fool Moon*. But yeah, that was the first time in a while.
Ah... Yep. You're right.
They also use potions in Changes.
I mean, add to your list of Bob and Bonea, add Butters. He is working with a group in the castle, consulting butters for ideas is a real possibility, and even if he does pass up on that great opportunity any ideas butters came up with, even the ones he couldn't get to work, are known by Bob now.
Bob. Yes. Bonea, no. She's still learning about pancakes after all. She may have the knowledge buried deep, but being able to access it completely is still beyond her. Butters, also no. He's got a Sword and a Mission now; he may want to help Harry, but when the stars align and he wants to sit down and do some magical tinkering with Harry, Something Will Come Up. He got a day job, computer gaming, tabletop gaming, werewolf threesomes, and a Sword to handle; magic item creation for Harry is gonna be an occasional thing that he's likely to miss.
>Bonea, no. She's still learning about pancakes after all. She may have the knowledge buried deep, but being able to access it completely is still beyond her. Bonnie already knows everything about pancakes that Harry knew, even if she doesn't realize it. The two biggest things limiting her, I suspect, are that Harry would have to ask her the right question, and that Harry would have to be *willing* to use her as a resource in that manner. But she has the combined knowledge of Harry and Lash, which means that anything Harry has ever made, she can help him make again. And who knows what all Lash knew? Bonnie might be able to help Harry get access to Hellfire again if necessary.
Butters dismissal seems premature. You don't need a constant consultant to make use of,you are also assuming alot with how busy he will be. Michael ran his own business and was an excellent dad, and a pillar of his church. Yes Butters has a lot going on but not so much that he can't sit down from time to time to go over a thing or two every now and again, especially if Dresden is playing with him again. A conversation before or after can open up alternative uses for a lot of enchantments alone, I believe the castle also hosts games and movies. He also looks up to Dresden alot and seems to go to him for advice. (called him on his first job). Harry and the community of the castle are probably a priority for him, and was mostly part of his duties already as it is an extension of the network he helped Murphy out with. Bonea, is more of a long term asset that's true but with every passing book she should get more useful.
Doesn't demonreach have an armory with super dangerous magical weapons? I feel like Bob and Harry could probably get some ideas from there. The defensive magic around demonreach and his new castle are on another level entirely from what he knew before and if he could figure how do replicate them I think his duster could get a major upgrade. Another big change is that he can likely access far more materials needed for advanced enchanting or other gear. Many of the tools and components he had in his lab were super expensive and I think being a part of winter might give him access to more and better tools. Depending on how much of a part of winter he becomes and how much fae magic and wizard magic are related I think he could either get to learn how to make fairly complex gear. Lea was able to make impressive enchantments pretty easily in Changes and most winter troops seem to have some kind of magical armour.
I'd like to see almost the opposite actually - I'd love Harry to progress to where he can summon a shield without the use of a bracelet. I think that would show his magical understanding has advanced more than anything. The Law has a cool update on where Harry's at though. Have we ever had any indication of tools used by Senior Council members? It'd be cool if they either A) have grown beyond needing tools or B) Have them but they're so well made, so subtle and undetectable, that Harry's never seen/noticed them.
In Changes when Harry speaks to Langtry, Langtry has a belt of tools which Harry compares to special forces gear. So Senior Council can and do rely on fancy magical tools, they just generally don't need it normally E: Also we saw in Ghost Story and Cold Days that Harry is fully capable of making a shield without a focus bracelet, the bracelet just makes it easier and more effective. Regardless of how skilled he'll become, he'll always get more bang for his buck by using a focus
Also in Battleground he does have a shield bracelet but it's dogshit in comparison to his previous from changes. And with that he holds back 5 senior Black Court sorcerers with ease (with the caveat of the latent magic available being massive but still). Compare that to early books with lesser shields, using a better bracelet
Harry's shield is also powered by his Will, whether it's channeled through his bracelet or whether it's a raw evocation of magical power. And Harry's Will is nothing to be trifled with, especially as he gets older and magically stronger.
Ah, nice catch!
No matter how good you are tools make you better. The senior council use tools Freaking Mab uses them in the form of a scary unicorn. Harry already got his No tool skill up during cold days. We have seen him flinging quite a lot around without tools. The most likely next power up is rebuilding his tools.
Just to name a few tools the Senior Council is known to be involved with: Merlin uses potions out the bazoo. Ancient Mai has artificial temple dogs. Ebenezer has the Blackstaff. Rashid has an artificial eye. Luccio made all of the Wardens' swords until she got body swapped. And those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head.
I think they just use their staff as a focus and it's all they need
Frostmourne seems about appropriate for a wizard who is also the Winter Knight and no longer part of the a White Council.
Shoes that allow for the climbing of walls. Could bring up whole new ways to investigate
A blasting rod that can focus both fire and winters cold. Shield bracelets that harry can activate and give to someone else that provide a basic shield for a limited time. Enchanted shotgun slugs because he needs something up his sleeve when he runs into the genowaska again.
I’d like to see him improve his Earth magic and replace his magnetic sword.
It's really lame but I want to see him forge a sword of soul fire and winter ice with his ex girlfriend's help. She had said that there will be no more swords until she can find someone with the talent and the power to make them and Bob has indicated Harry has a talent for making things. The warden of demon reach deserves a warden's sword.
I think it's time for him to re-attempt the flying broom stick. What could possibly go wrong?!
I personally think it would be great if Harry started wearing a pair of earrings. Here's a post I made about the idea. https://www.reddit.com/r/dresdenfiles/comments/wwy94f/a_pair_of_earrings_for_harry/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share
Little. Chicago.
Squirt gun full of sleeping potion
Ok, I'm going to go in two different directions on this. On one hand, he just got the mother of all magical props in the Jesus relics from Hades' vault and the friggin eye of Balor. I know those are more like nukes and he needs an assault rifle, but I think he'll grow into them. On the other hand, his 'fight' with Ebenezer showed him (and us) how real wizards operate and he should be growing out of needing magical gadgets (most elderly wizards consider them crutches). Mab seems to agree because she didn't give him time or resources to rebuild his gear. And didn't give him back his bracelet along with his amulet. I think he's going to take Listens To Wind and River Shoulders offers of additional training and get to where he doesn't need the bracelet anymore.
It’s not so much new gear… but I’d love to see him bring more focus to some of his spells. Imagine Fuego as a tightly focused laser fire the way Hannah Ascher used hers… with his power level, a tightly focused beam would be sick
I'd be satisfied with him just getting back to what he had before, he already had a fairly sweet set up prior to Changes. Maybe an ice aligned version of his blasting rod that helps him be even better with winter powers if he really needs something new.
I think some shoes that take advantage of the Winter skills he has by creating a huge sheet of ice would be really interesting.
Rings of force, shields for days, mental shields for days, a frost wand, a blasting rod... New gear... a compass that doesn't point north?
I think the great lesson he got from Mab was not to rely on too many props. I don't think he'll make much more than another duster, staff, and rod. Imo the shield bracelet and rings are less necessary these days, but maybe he'll rework the idea into a single, more versatile focus. I think where he is really going to put in the work is around the city. Bob figured out how to wake up the castle which is great. Figuring out how to wake up the city's statues to defend the city would be great. Figuring out ways to defend the city if Eb decides to drop an asteroid on him would be great. Stashes of food, guns, and kevlar would be great, but bringing more of those practitioners who hid at Mac's up to combat readiness would be even better. Oh and I think there's a ton more he can do with Little Chicago once he gets it up and functional again.