Basic Information
Somewhat obscurely named after a schtick from Doctor Who the humbug is a token passed to someone on whom you wish a magical working to take effect. Accepting the humbug forms a partial consent to the working and is a useful way of overcoming innate magic resistance. If the target accepts the humbug in the knowledge that it will have a magical effect on them (but possibly having been deceived about the nature of the effect) or that it will have some effect that is out of the ordinary if not actually magical (such as a drug) then the effect on their resistance is all the greater.
A humbug can deliver positive or negative effects and can also be called a charm or amulet (although these have other definitions as well) - in some settings a potion is a kind of humbug.
This device exploits the Law of Contagion and the Law of Consent.
Sources
A masterwork example of humbuggery is found in M. R. James's Casting the Runes.
Game and Story Use
- Depending on you magic system, this may be completely irrelevant or an extremely useful tool.
- As per Casting the Runes, it may be possible to pass on, or even to return the humbug under the right circumstances, especially if the attack takes a while to come into effect.