For those of you using Azshara Crater;

[Anski]

Shadow and Warlock/Fel magic are punishable by immediate, unrequited death. There will be no Character Warning issued, this is a widespread rule as the entire crater is a faction area. Both the Leafwind Sisterhood and the Earthshaker Clan hold these ideals, and you will be killed whether through NPCs or any players carrying the <Leafwind Sisterhood> or <Earthshaker Clan> tags. They understand and will uphold this right, it's the same as being killed by an NPC, it's not a fight nor a chance to escape. When a warlock/shadow priest is confirmed in the Crater, the only entrance is sealed by the Sisterhood. Doing so infront of an NPC can be reported to the GMs and it's the same as doing it in any other city.

The reasoning behind this is that the Sisterhood and Earthshakers were bonded through the terminal agreement between the Horde and Alliance to fight the Burning Legion. The Sisterhood and Earthshakers decided to continue this bond and be the front line of defense if another opening to the planet of the Burning Legion were to tear open again. The Sisterhood feels more feverent about this than the Earthshakers do, but they will both uphold this law.

If you're going to complain, i'm going to tell you that this topic was as it seems;
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

(( As a note, there are exceptions, i've let people go before, but doing something obvious like summoning an imp in the middle of the Arena will get you beaten down. If you're going to roleplay it well, roleplay like a warlock should be. Subtle. ))

[Abishua]

How apt are the various NPC guards at recognizing the more mental aspects of shadow magic? While someone suddenly tearing off screaming their head off in fear isn't exactly subtle for the caster, there's not a lot of sparkly blackness shooting from them with a sign saying 'shadow'!

Just at what point do the guards understand what's going on with the more subtle (at least visually and such) bits of shadow magic?

As stated, nothing that is visually identifiable as shadow (bolts, shadow form etc) and such.

[aroes]

I think the real message here is simply just don't do it.

[Anski]

Night Elves can tell a disruption when Shadow or Fel is being used, such as a Demon Hunter has to be trained to tell someone who's used Fel as they can't feel it lest it's being used. The Orcs cannot instantly tell, but there are Sisters all over as well as Earthshakers.

[Abishua]

I think the real message here is simply just don't do it.

*Shrug* I find when something in the fuzzy grey area is left to interpretation then conflicting views cause a ton of drama. I don't plan on running around using shadow magic (and currently can't with all of my characters), but if I'm ever in a situation where I need to choose between fearing and something else unpleasant, I'd like to know where the line is drawn. Regardless of where the line is actually drawn, I still make pull something that's totally not subtle at all and attempt to melt that person's face off. Just it'd be nice to know, to avoid OOC drama.

edit:

Night Elves can tell a disruption when Shadow or Fel is being used, such as a Demon Hunter has to be trained to tell someone who's used Fel as they can't feel it lest it's being used. The Orcs cannot instantly tell, but there are Sisters all over as well as Earthshakers.

Okay this is a more personal question, as I didn't see this directly addressed in the recent threads on shadow magic. Is it possible to identify shadow magic from arcane magic by feel alone, with proper training? If you can get a generic feel of magic occurring nearby, I'd guess that you probably could make a guess based on context if it was shadow magic, but assuming that the person/guard was in a position where they didn't have the direct context of what occurred, just that magic of some kind was performed.

[Sol]

Okay this is a more personal question, as I didn't see this directly addressed in the recent threads on shadow magic. Is it possible to identify shadow magic from arcane magic by feel alone, with proper training? If you can get a generic feel of magic occurring nearby, I'd guess that you probably could make a guess based on context if it was shadow magic, but assuming that the person/guard was in a position where they didn't have the direct context of what occurred, just that magic of some kind was performed.

Truth be told, night elves would get suspicious if they saw someone using the arcane, fel or not. Particularly if they weren't visibly channelling anything.

[Knock]

@ Abishua:

That's part of the reason that Shadow and Fel magic are completely banned. It's not a grey area, it's all black. Even fearing isn't subtle. A shady looking guy gets cornered in the arena and suddenly his adversary runs off screaming in terror, the guards can put two and two together.

I think the real message here is simply just don't do it.

Quoted for truth. Don't bother wondering what you could get away with. The bottom line is you won't get away with anything in front of an NPC so don't try.

[Abishua]

That's part of the reason that Shadow and Fel magic are completely banned. It's not a grey area, it's all black. Even fearing isn't subtle. A shady looking guy gets cornered in the arena and suddenly his adversary runs off screaming in terror, the guards can put two and two together.


Quoted for truth. Don't bother wondering what you could get away with. The bottom line is you won't get away with anything in front of an NPC so don't try.

It wasn't a question on it being banned and a grey area as far as the law is concerned. I felt like the message was conveyed in a somewhat fuzzy manner, and asked to clarify. I also am still asking on if the guards can consistently pick out shadow magic being cast as opposed to just arcane power within an area. If you stuck the guard in an all white room, and had a mage casting fire balls and shadow bolts rapid fire, and assuming no sort of sensory cues got to the guard other than the magical sense, would they be able to identify when it's a shadow bolt and when it's not? It's more of a fundamental "How does sensing shadow magic differ from arcane magic and is it possible to separate the two as such?"

This -does- apply to the situation of guy being cornered, as mind control and other various spells can be used, which don't result in people tearing off screaming. A guy randomly stomping off towards the forest (not under his own will) as the shadow priest tries to book it out of there is a viable attempt.

I was discussing this with a friend of mine, and he brought up a very valid point. To summarize, it's important to avoid the standard 'quick and dirty' methods which are often employed. Instead it becomes a quick mental battle between the nearest guard and the shadow user. It's the shadow user's charisma against the guard's intellect, perception (wisdom?), and all the context the guard has of the event. The latter part being the most likely to screw the shadow user, but being a really smooth talker could buy you enough time to potentially get the fel out of there. (One thing I learned is that the more time you buy yourself away from dieing, the higher chance you have of getting out of there. Besides, it's all fun RP to be dragged around wondering if you'll be executed or able to escape!) It'd require a somewhat objective or impartial person who would be outside of the specific event to be able to look in and decide what the guard did and didn't see, and then begin one on one with the original.

Of course, in most situations the spriest (or whoever) would be screwed. I'm not denying that, and I'm not planning on testing that or taking any information that may be gained from this and using it in such a way. I just want to know a few bit of specifics that relate to shadow magic which I have not found answered elsewhere in the stated 'shadow magic lore dump' that currently is on the forums.

Also, last quick note. For the type of characters I'm thinking of rolling, none of them would be doing this directly in the line of sight (hopefully!) of the guard NPCs. Subtly is king.

[Etmosril]

Just don't go into AC if you're a fel or shadow-user. There's already a perfectly good, nearly risk-free place for 'baddies' to roleplay.

I don't see why the only roleplaying location strictly maintained by people highly sensitive to fel and shadow has to be a place where people wielding such congregate.

It just makes no sense. Come on, you're putting your life in your hands every time you step in there as a warlock or shadow priest.

[flammos200]

To put things very very bluntly. A warlock/Shadow Priest in Azshara Crater is like a Paladin in the Catacombs. Make of the analogy whatever you can.

Also, simply -attempting- to mind control someone(Not saying you succeed or not) will alert nearby Kaldorei and Tauren to the use of Shadow Magic.

There is a reason we keep yelling about that Shadow and Fel are corruptive. They leave a long-lasting imprint upon the user. Shadow leaves you an emotionless husk and Fel turns you into a demonic, twisted being. Now, using these things, you reek of their energies. Even for powerful Arcane users, Night Elves and Tauren will go haywire. You can be sure that such powerful forces as Fel or Shadow will cause discomfort in their presence.

And half the Crater's Kaldorei, the other half have a Farseer, Spiritwalker and Spirit Champion. Fel, if you -tried- doing it, they probably will have forseen it somehow... or remote-viewed it, or perhaps been warned by the Spirits that there's some person trying to meddle with the Crater.

Take the following example: Jidaeo. He used a single spell, Blood Boil, in the Arena in the Crater. He nearly died because of it. And Blood Boil isn't that visible a spell, now is it? It boils the blood -inside- a person. Necromantic magic. Just for using that he was nearly killed.

So, yeah. Hope it helps somehow...

[Aphetoros]

Just don't go into AC if you're a fel or shadow-user. There's already a perfectly good, nearly risk-free place for 'baddies' to roleplay.

Its hardly risk free...

[ManDudely]

Also, simply -attempting- to mind control someone(Not saying you succeed or not) will alert nearby Kaldorei and Tauren to the use of Shadow Magic.

Uhh... a Gnome did it and ran away!

(Mind Control Cap)

[Abishua]

I think I'll take this where flammos200 answered my question, I think?

I understand there are places that are more suited for that type of RP, but I'm also currently not planning on any sort of fel or shadow caster. It was a lore question which was spurred from the comment that the guards would recognize all shadow and fel magic, and I was simply wondering how effectively they can identify the magic used.

Thanks! <3