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NancyLebovitz comments on Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality discussion thread, part 17, chapter 86 - Less Wrong Discussion

9 Post author: Alsadius 17 December 2012 07:19AM

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Comment author: thomblake 17 December 2012 04:48:44PM 18 points [-]

Don't worry, the power drops off with the inverse square of the distance. It's lethal at pretty much any reasonable range, but then drops off quickly after a half mile or so.

I just made that up.

Comment author: Alsadius 18 December 2012 08:31:00PM 12 points [-]

Actually, it spreads as an Airy disc, which gives it a radius of about 300 metres at the far side of the planet, and the effect is divided among all the souls it hits. If you hit a city on the other side of the planet, you just take a couple days off everybody's life. (The technical term is "statistical homicide")

Comment author: FiftyTwo 17 December 2012 11:07:36PM 1 point [-]

That would make sense as a general rule for spells, otherwise why do they bother having duels face-to-face rather than sniping from nearby mountains? (Or an invisible broomstick 2000m up..)

Comment author: RolfAndreassen 18 December 2012 12:31:26AM 6 points [-]

You do have to aim it by hand and eye. You try hitting a human-sized target from a moving platform at 2km.

Comment author: Nornagest 18 December 2012 01:10:59AM *  7 points [-]

Given the descriptions of wandwork we've seen in canon and in MoR so far, I imagine it'd be difficult to reliably hit anything person-sized past thirty feet or so. You can't sight down a wand if you have to swish and flick (though a wizard's staff with a telescopic scope mounted on it is a nice Discworldly image), so it should be about as accurate as throwing a ball -- which is to say not very.

Comment author: FiftyTwo 18 December 2012 04:15:02AM 1 point [-]

We know of at least one spell that aims itself (Flitwick's) and area affect spells are possible (with a massive fireball it doesn't matter how you aim).

Alternatively, take a potion of +10 accuracy or the equivalent.

Comment author: Desrtopa 18 December 2012 07:17:28AM *  4 points [-]

Alternatively, take a potion of +10 accuracy or the equivalent.

Felix Felicis may be the only potion that performs that function, and it's sufficiently broken to be the Potion Not Appearing In This Fic.

Comment author: MugaSofer 18 December 2012 08:12:43PM 3 points [-]

Just find something that was made by using up a lot of accuracy. That should do it.

Comment author: linkhyrule5 22 December 2012 05:37:43AM 0 points [-]

A target with nothing but bulls-eyes will do.