I'm struggling with a plot point that requires death by electrocution, but the voltage involved (or the amps, whichever is more appropriate) is something obscene and needs to fry something important beyond repair. The genre is space fantasy, so despite the magic involved in the generation of the electricity, I'm trying to stay as realistic as is probable. Two separate altercations are occurring simultaneously. The first is with an electromancer who has the ability to generate any voltage/amperage necessary; the other is with a pyromancer whose gift is irrelevant to the question. The pyromancer knocks someone into a large water pipe, which covers his fight area in water and leaves a large spout gushing into the fight. The electromancer has an attack deflected, and the bolt of energy hits the water the pyromancer is standing in. The problem is, the pyromancer is not 'normal', and would not remain dead with a 'normal' killing strike. His heart needs to burst completely, or there needs to be some other method of entirely preventing him from waking up. I tried researching it, but all the articles I found were just about normal amounts of electricity or the fact that what electrocution actually does is just screws up your heart's timing. One article said it can cause burns or melt eyeballs, but neither of those is going to prevent someone who can magically repair any injury short of exploded organs from getting back up. I suppose the question is, would sufficient voltage/amperage (voltage, right?) rupture internal organs completely, or cause irreparable damage to the brain? The brain would have to be fairly well cooked to prevent revival. These guys are designed to be very hard to kill. I am willing to consider the fact that my plan for this fight scene doesn't work, I'd just very much like it to.
the subject being in water would make a difference of course, a massive voltage from a stiff current source would fry everything and certainly destroy a brain or the muscle tissue of a heart simply by cooking and burning the tissue. A more entertaining end would be achieved if the voltage was oscillating at high frequency or was modified like an extreme Taser perhaps. If you use straightforward direct current, Ohms law will apply and upping the voltage from a 'stiff' current source would simply cook your victim and then set him on fire at some point, The most direct answer to the question is, yes. sufficient current passed through the body by a decent voltage will totally destroy the tissue and turn it into soot/charcoal/ash.
This is a silly question, but assuming that the bolt of electricity from the first fight travelled at the same speed electricity/lightning normally does, would it be possible for a normal human to dodge the lightning if they were expecting it and looking in the right direction? It looks like lightning is pretty fast, but I wasn't sure. I'm really bad at math stuff, and trying to figure out relative speeds is just not something I'm capable of.
The way I have set magic up, 'fire' is a specific thing to be controlled. He's resistant to flame-based heat, but not immune to it. They can hold fire in their hand, but not set themselves on fire. But if they were to catch on fire, their control of it would let them not be on fire anymore. Having said that, the source of an electrical fire is electricity, and in this case, magic-sourced electricity. He's not expecting to be electrocuted, and has no extraordinary resistance to it past his (admittedly increased) base resistance to damage from most sources. This particular bolt was meant to bounce between seven or eight mortals, but was knocked away and hit the puddle the pyromancer was standing instead. Elemental magic does some really weird stuff that's much better explained in the book than it is here. I promise. >_> I'm having a bad brain day and can't explain myself well.
Electricity would be impossible to dodge, as it is essentially moving at the universal speed limit, barring resistance along the paths and the angles in which each electron passes dependent on the magnetism. But what is possible is to direct it somewhere else. The electromancer is essentially a supergenerator and conductor, passing energy along in high amperage and volume. But he's going to be hindered by grounding. It's essential to remember that electricity is extremely lazy. It will always attempt to take the path of least resistance. So if your human was able to toss grounded objects, or overcharge a energy weapon with a sort of lightning rod while mostly avoiding becoming the ground, they can turn the energy back on them, or avoid the situation entirely. It's still going to be subject to some fantasy elements, but if the human could siphon power off the electromancer, or cause an over amperage through his body, he could cause the guy to melt himself with his own energy surges. Just some thoughts on it. Control the ground, control the electromancer.
