Ritual Reference Guide: ''B is for Bigfoot''

This entry provides a summary and structured mechanical analysis of ritual magic as it appears in B is for Bigfoot, a short story originally published in Under My Hat: Tales from the Cauldron (2012), later collected in Brief Cases. Chronologically, it takes place shortly after Fool Moon and well before Grave Peril — making it the earliest of the Bigfoot trilogy.

In B is for Bigfoot, Harry is hired by River Shoulders to protect his young half-human son, Irwin Pounder, who’s being targeted by supernatural bullies. During his investigation, Dresden uses a sensing/warding ritual to locate the source of magical interference near Irwin’s school and uncover the cause of his mysterious illness.

Dresden performs a localized ritual to detect and interpret magical influence affecting Irwin's environment, identifying supernatural harassment.

• Intent: Detect and map magical interference targeting a child
• Domain: Warding, Sensing, Divination
• Scale: Scene-level (school + classroom proximity)
• Link: Emotional trace from Irwin, site resonance
• Catalyst: Chalk markings, sensory focus object, quiet invocation
• Resolution Type: Ritual
• Cost: Low magical exertion
• Complications:
  • The threat is subtle and camouflaged; requires interpretation
  • The ritual identifies the interference but doesn’t resolve it

B is for Bigfoot provides a clean early-series model of low-impact investigative ritualism. It’s a good fit for street-level campaigns where PCs want to identify lingering magical threats without triggering alarms. It also serves as an introduction to how emotional or environmental sympathy can function as a ritual link.