In my book Illusion of Truth, a crime boss makes Blake an offer that many people would find difficult to refuse. The reason this happens is because he is a skilled diviner. If you have no qualms about breaking the law, then imagine the power you would get by being able to tell if someone is lying during negotiations, scrying on your enemies, seeing if people are cheating at the gambling tables, aiding cheating at your competitor’s gambling tables, and any number of creative applications. Think about burglars who can become invisible and climb even on ceilings without fail (which is true at 1st level in Pathfinder).
In society, there is an arms race between law enforcement and criminals. If one side develops something new, the other has to find a way to circumvent it. When law enforcement discovers finger prints, criminals start using gloves. When criminals discover supply chains, law enforcement start using anti-racketeering laws and tactics. The same is going to hold true in terms of magic. If law enforcement uses diviners for their interrogations and scrying for their investigations, criminals are going to find tactics to avoid being caught by diviners. If criminals use teleportation to rescue their crime bosses from prison, the police are going to have to figure out how to stop them.
When creating your setting, begin by looking at what spells and magical items could be used by the city guards or whoever your police force is to enforce the laws. Then, figure out how criminals get around those things. After all, the difference between a crystal ball and a wire tap is pretty small. Perhaps they talk in code (which happens frequently in modern times), they communicate via written message, or they use magic themselves to block access from the crystal balls. Then, look at how spells and magical items could be used by criminals to enhance their crimes. Invisibility is obvious, but imagine what damage a blackmailer could do with that same crystal ball. The police are going to need to figure out ways to deal with these threats.
While dealing with a maniacal dark lord wielding bolts of lighting is a staple of fantasy, a mafia boss with a stable of wizards (or worse, their own criminal magic school) would actually be a lot more common. If your world has untrained magic (such as D&D and Pathfinder’s sorcerers), don’t forget street gangs. After all, if you can just develop magic, nothing is stopping a street thug from developing that same magic. Drug cartels, anti-government militias, and every other form of organized crime are all likely to attract evil people with a talent for magic.
Next week is the last Sunday of the month, so I’ll be discussing how things are going with my writing, including National Novel Writing Month. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next week!
