Elemental Magic System: Part 2; Schools and the Elements [Archive] - Wizards Community

Elemental Magic System: Part 2; Schools and the Elements [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Xeviat-DM
10-04-05, 04:10 AM Step 2 in creating my magic system (step 1 was adding a new physical and a new mental ability score) is deciding what each element will govern.

Recently, I have taken a new path in working on this project. There was a time when I wished to utilize Void as a very important element, splitting it into three functions (positive energy, negative energy, and spiritual energy). But after studying the beliefs of certain cultures more and more, and after playing with a few other systems, I realized that it would be best to make Void more rare and mysterious of an element for people to manipulate.

So, because of this, I must make sure that all magical functions (except for a very select few) will belong to the four main elements: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Yes, I know that elemental magic is quite possibly the most overused idea on the boards, but I intend on doing it slightly differently. Without going into too much detail, because I need to get the basics figured out before I get into creating the meat and potatoes of my system, is that characters develop their ability with each element separately. A characters strength with magic is directly reflected by the growth of their body and mind, represented by their ability scores. A wizard who specializes in all aspects of fire magic would slowly grow stronger and more charismatic, while a sorcerer who focused on water magic would slowly grow more dexterous and intelligent.

I'll explain more about that in another thread. For now, I need to define the boundries of each element.

The current system has given me spell schools to work with. There was a time when I thought it would be best to ensure that each school had spells from each element; otherwise specialist wizards would be coerced into certain paths. But after studying ideas of elemental magic more and more, especially from disecting the OA's Shugenja's spell definitions, I came to a different conclusion.

There are 8 schools of magic: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation. After much disection, I realized that not all schools are created equally, as far as the elemental descriptions are concerned ...

Air spells deal with intuition, the senses, travel, breath (that spark of life that gives you energy), air and wind, and electricity.
Earth spells deal with protection, bone, metal, minerals, earth and plants, and acid.
Fire spells are destructive and deal with powerful negative emotions (hate, fear), the flesh (muscle), energy, fire and heat, and light.
Water spells deal with healing, trickery, blood, positive emotions (love, bravery), and water and cold.

Slowly it came to me: Conjuration, Enchantment, Evocation, Necromancy, and Transmutation are schools where I could easily create spells of each element. Conveniently, Abjurations could easily be made to be strictly earth, Divinations could be made strictly air, and illusions could be made strictly water. With some alterations (such as moving the energy spells to conjuration), Evocation could be made entirely fire (spells which create pure energy).

So, here's what it ends up looking like in the end:

Conjuration: Spells which create or summon energy or mater.
Air: Summon creatures from the elemental plane of air, create electricity, or air.
Earth: Summon creatures from the elemental plane of earth, create acid, plants, metal, earth, or stone.
Fire: Summon creatures from the elemental plane of fire, create fire.
Water: Summon creatures from the elemental plane of water, create cold and water.
Enchantment: Spells which alter the minds of others.
Air: Unsure
Earth: Unsure
Fire: Dealing with Fear and Hate.
Water: Dealing with Courage and Friendship.
Necromancy: Spells which alter the life force of others.
Air: Dealing with vitality (fatigue).
Earth: Dealing with bone.
Fire: Dealing with flesh and harming the life force.
Water: Dealing with blood and creating life force.
Transmutation: Spells which alter the physiology of others and things.
Air: Spells dealing with agility, speed, and altering air.
Earth: Spells dealing with constitution, and altering earth, stone, and metal.
Fire: Spells dealing with strength, and altering fire.
Water: Spells dealing with dexterity, and altering water.

I do need to establish more functions of air and earth enchantments and necromancies, but that's only a small amount of work. Additionally, many spells will be changing schools (healing spells are necromancy, teleportation will probably be transmutation (air), and many other changes), and I'll have to establish what is void.

What's your opinion on what I've undertook?
Glak
10-06-05, 10:04 PM I don't understand why you are even keeping the 8 schools at all. Why not have each element be a school?
Xeviat-DM
10-09-05, 04:14 AM Because by separating them into schools, I can make sure that each element has a wide variety of affects, and also ensure that there can be specialists other than elemental specialists.

That is especially important for my Wizards, who are school specialists, unlike my Psions and Sorcerers, who are elemental specialists.
Reivas Genocai
10-09-05, 06:04 PM Enchantment: Spells which alter the minds of others.
Air: Unsure
Earth: Unsure
Fire: Dealing with Fear and Hate.
Water: Dealing with Courage and Friendship.

Perhaps for air, Pacificism/ being passive
For Earth, Assertiveness
Xeviat-DM
10-17-05, 04:55 PM Perhaps for air, Pacificism/ being passive
For Earth, Assertiveness

Air isn't passive, it's active defense, while earth is passive defense. Fire is active agression and Water is passive agression. At least that's it simply defined.

In a fight, fire would attack, water would counter attack (such as redirecting a foes attack to use it against them), air would dodge, and earth would stand there and take it.

I may have to combine elements of enchantment and transmutation into the same school, or have transmutations that affect creatures be enchantment, and change the definition of enchantment to spells which alter the way creatures behave mentally and physically.

Necromancy looks a little thin too ...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xeviat-DM 10-04-05, 04:10 AM	Step 2 in creating my magic system (step 1 was adding a new physical and a new mental ability score) is deciding what each element will govern. Recently, I have taken a new path in working on this project. There was a time when I wished to utilize Void as a very important element, splitting it into three functions (positive energy, negative energy, and spiritual energy). But after studying the beliefs of certain cultures more and more, and after playing with a few other systems, I realized that it would be best to make Void more rare and mysterious of an element for people to manipulate. So, because of this, I must make sure that all magical functions (except for a very select few) will belong to the four main elements: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Yes, I know that elemental magic is quite possibly the most overused idea on the boards, but I intend on doing it slightly differently. Without going into too much detail, because I need to get the basics figured out before I get into creating the meat and potatoes of my system, is that characters develop their ability with each element separately. A characters strength with magic is directly reflected by the growth of their body and mind, represented by their ability scores. A wizard who specializes in all aspects of fire magic would slowly grow stronger and more charismatic, while a sorcerer who focused on water magic would slowly grow more dexterous and intelligent. I'll explain more about that in another thread. For now, I need to define the boundries of each element. The current system has given me spell schools to work with. There was a time when I thought it would be best to ensure that each school had spells from each element; otherwise specialist wizards would be coerced into certain paths. But after studying ideas of elemental magic more and more, especially from disecting the OA's Shugenja's spell definitions, I came to a different conclusion. There are 8 schools of magic: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation. After much disection, I realized that not all schools are created equally, as far as the elemental descriptions are concerned ... Air spells deal with intuition, the senses, travel, breath (that spark of life that gives you energy), air and wind, and electricity. Earth spells deal with protection, bone, metal, minerals, earth and plants, and acid. Fire spells are destructive and deal with powerful negative emotions (hate, fear), the flesh (muscle), energy, fire and heat, and light. Water spells deal with healing, trickery, blood, positive emotions (love, bravery), and water and cold. Slowly it came to me: Conjuration, Enchantment, Evocation, Necromancy, and Transmutation are schools where I could easily create spells of each element. Conveniently, Abjurations could easily be made to be strictly earth, Divinations could be made strictly air, and illusions could be made strictly water. With some alterations (such as moving the energy spells to conjuration), Evocation could be made entirely fire (spells which create pure energy). So, here's what it ends up looking like in the end: Conjuration: Spells which create or summon energy or mater. Air: Summon creatures from the elemental plane of air, create electricity, or air. Earth: Summon creatures from the elemental plane of earth, create acid, plants, metal, earth, or stone. Fire: Summon creatures from the elemental plane of fire, create fire. Water: Summon creatures from the elemental plane of water, create cold and water. Enchantment: Spells which alter the minds of others. Air: Unsure Earth: Unsure Fire: Dealing with Fear and Hate. Water: Dealing with Courage and Friendship. Necromancy: Spells which alter the life force of others. Air: Dealing with vitality (fatigue). Earth: Dealing with bone. Fire: Dealing with flesh and harming the life force. Water: Dealing with blood and creating life force. Transmutation: Spells which alter the physiology of others and things. Air: Spells dealing with agility, speed, and altering air. Earth: Spells dealing with constitution, and altering earth, stone, and metal. Fire: Spells dealing with strength, and altering fire. Water: Spells dealing with dexterity, and altering water. I do need to establish more functions of air and earth enchantments and necromancies, but that's only a small amount of work. Additionally, many spells will be changing schools (healing spells are necromancy, teleportation will probably be transmutation (air), and many other changes), and I'll have to establish what is void. What's your opinion on what I've undertook?
Glak 10-06-05, 10:04 PM	I don't understand why you are even keeping the 8 schools at all. Why not have each element be a school?
Xeviat-DM 10-09-05, 04:14 AM	Because by separating them into schools, I can make sure that each element has a wide variety of affects, and also ensure that there can be specialists other than elemental specialists. That is especially important for my Wizards, who are school specialists, unlike my Psions and Sorcerers, who are elemental specialists.
Reivas Genocai 10-09-05, 06:04 PM	Enchantment: Spells which alter the minds of others. Air: Unsure Earth: Unsure Fire: Dealing with Fear and Hate. Water: Dealing with Courage and Friendship. Perhaps for air, Pacificism/ being passive For Earth, Assertiveness
Xeviat-DM 10-17-05, 04:55 PM	Perhaps for air, Pacificism/ being passive For Earth, Assertiveness Air isn't passive, it's active defense, while earth is passive defense. Fire is active agression and Water is passive agression. At least that's it simply defined. In a fight, fire would attack, water would counter attack (such as redirecting a foes attack to use it against them), air would dodge, and earth would stand there and take it. I may have to combine elements of enchantment and transmutation into the same school, or have transmutations that affect creatures be enchantment, and change the definition of enchantment to spells which alter the way creatures behave mentally and physically. Necromancy looks a little thin too ...