Highprince
Member
I've created an original system of magic which I plan to use in an RP once I'm approved. Until then, I'd love any revisions or commentaries you all can offer. If someone had ideas towards how one could grow stronger or how to measure the difference between Tiers, I'd love to hear!
Without further ado, my system:
Proficiency: This is my version of the older-than-dirt elemental magic cliché. Magic will be divided into 5 primary aspects, and each one is attributed to a certain proficiency and requires a certain input. Along with this, there are fifteen secondary aspects. The base elements are air, water, earth, fire, and life. Every person is born with affinity to one of the five based randomly upon whatever their parents have. It is expressed through markings upon the lower dominant arm. Ambidexterous people have markings on both arms. If your arm is severed within 5 inches of the elbow, you lose your powers. The markings are a sort of etherial dye, reaching down to the bone and shifting in shade to remain visible despite tanning or scarring.
Growing stronger: Every 5 years, a person gains one "tier" of proficiency. Directly killing another (i.e. stabbing, strangulation, pushing down stairs) even accidentally grants you another tier of proficiency for every multitude greater than you they were, rounded down but excluding one. For example, killing someone of ToP 32 at ToP 5 will grant you 6 ToP's, more than doubling your strength. However, killing someone with ToP 6 at ToP 7 will only grant you ToP 8. Tiers are recognizable via markings on the arm, as are elements. There are no indicative symbols other than increasing complexity, but one simply knows by looking. This has leaf yo the social preference of longer sleeves and wrist wrappings.
Requirements and boosts given by elements:
Water manipulation uses body heat and can be used with more precision the stronger one grows, allowing for nearly artistic precision at high Proficiency.
Fire manipulation uses hydration and can be used with greater power the stronger one grows, allowing for one to achieve unbelievable heat and speed of use at high Proficiency.
Air manipulation uses wakefulness and can be used with greater ease the stronger one grows, allowing for practically subconscious use at high Proficiency.
Earth Manipulation uses stamina and can be used to greater scale the stronger one grows, allowing for the movement of multi-tonne objects at high Proficiency.
Life magic has the temporary drawback of poisoning onself, leading to a state similar to drunkeness after extended use. Doing so for long enough causes a number of permenant effects upon health and gradual withering of stature. Those with life magic grow more in tune with other things the higher their Proficiency, allowing for stronger use of their magic. They control their senses, eventually achieving a level of semi-clairvoyance. This sounds good until one dodges their intended death so nature attempts to balance things out. They're plagued with near constant threats to their life and often go mad.
Secondary Elements: One chooses their secondary element at 15 years, and it can be one which their parents had. If only one parent was metal and another vapor, they couldn't be dual water, as only one had a water-based power. If someone kills another before their 15th, the dead person's power will latch onto theirs, assigning them an element without them choosing. Otherwise, the choice is subconscious.
Ice (water and air): Can control and freeze water and other fluids at a moderate temperature range and below. The heat removed must be redirected somewhere else, and there must be a significantly colder object to start. This power emphasizes working easily in a detailed manner.
Steam (water and fire): Can control vapor (including smoke) and fluids of a moderate temperature range and below, along with heating said substances. The heat added must be pulled from surroundings. This power emphasizes working with powerful, fast, and dramatic percision.
Clay (water and earth): Can control stone, water, and most forms of damp earth. Given enough time, they can meld water with stone into clay, often on a massive scale in an elaborate manner. This power emphasizes intricate work on a large scale.
Plants (water and life): Can control plant life and how it grows and interacts, along with modifying oneself to a minor degree with features like poisonous blood or the ability to photosynthesize. This power emphasizes complex, but often subtle changes to oneself and their surroundings.
Metal (fire and earth) Can control most concentrated metals in a solid or liquid state, but can only melt them given a catalyst of intense heat (difficult for anyone without very high Proficiency). The only advantage to melting them is their heat and fluid nature even when not being controlled. This power emphasizes fast control over large quantities of materials.
Lightning (fire and air): Can control and generate lightning. This can be within a wide range of strengths from the power to stun people (low Proficiency) to cooking someone on contact (high Proficiency). This power is hard to work with in a cold environment with minimal movement of energy i.e. lack of friction, wind, or burning. This power emphasizes powerful, instinctive manipulation, using lightning reflexively if needed.
Flesh (fire and life): Can control and alter one's own body temporarily and permenantly. Temporary changes enchance numerous abilities, and permenant ones can change anything from hair color to organ placement and bone density the stronger one is. Permenant changes require consumption of tissue from a live victim or one dead by the Proficient's hand. This power emphasizes drastic changes to ones own physique.
Dust (air and earth): Can control dust, dirt and sand, creating a temporarily solid substance in enough density. Using this, one can create bludgeons and barriers from mundane materials. This power emphasizes being able to do things of large scale with little effort.
Beasts (spirit and earth): Can control animals of the surface and mimic animal traits, such as claws, teeth, and night vision. This power emphasizes large scale control with connectivity to what one does.
Avians (spirit and air): Can control animals of the sky and mimic avian traits, such as feathers, talons, secondary sets of lungs, and wings. This power emphasizes forming close bonds, allowing easy control.
The other five powers are the base 5, coupled the same power a second time: double air/fire/earth/water/life. Life allows for mental persuasion, great understanding of the actions of others, and heightened senses.
In Summary: Every person is born with Proficiency in one of the five elements. This is represented by a marking on the dominant arm. If the dominant arm is removed, they lose their powers. One becomes gradually more powerful every 5th year, or by killing another. At 15, every person picks their second Proficiency, which combine into an alternate one (vapor, lightning, metal, flesh, avians, beasts, plants, ice, clay, dust, and each of the initial 5 at a greater strength). An ambidexterous person has two secondary Proficiencies.
I'm considering adding the sixth element, which I'll refer to as "force". The abilities of force would be knetics, friction, tension, light, gravity, and microbes.
Without further ado, my system:
Proficiency: This is my version of the older-than-dirt elemental magic cliché. Magic will be divided into 5 primary aspects, and each one is attributed to a certain proficiency and requires a certain input. Along with this, there are fifteen secondary aspects. The base elements are air, water, earth, fire, and life. Every person is born with affinity to one of the five based randomly upon whatever their parents have. It is expressed through markings upon the lower dominant arm. Ambidexterous people have markings on both arms. If your arm is severed within 5 inches of the elbow, you lose your powers. The markings are a sort of etherial dye, reaching down to the bone and shifting in shade to remain visible despite tanning or scarring.
Growing stronger: Every 5 years, a person gains one "tier" of proficiency. Directly killing another (i.e. stabbing, strangulation, pushing down stairs) even accidentally grants you another tier of proficiency for every multitude greater than you they were, rounded down but excluding one. For example, killing someone of ToP 32 at ToP 5 will grant you 6 ToP's, more than doubling your strength. However, killing someone with ToP 6 at ToP 7 will only grant you ToP 8. Tiers are recognizable via markings on the arm, as are elements. There are no indicative symbols other than increasing complexity, but one simply knows by looking. This has leaf yo the social preference of longer sleeves and wrist wrappings.
Requirements and boosts given by elements:
Water manipulation uses body heat and can be used with more precision the stronger one grows, allowing for nearly artistic precision at high Proficiency.
Fire manipulation uses hydration and can be used with greater power the stronger one grows, allowing for one to achieve unbelievable heat and speed of use at high Proficiency.
Air manipulation uses wakefulness and can be used with greater ease the stronger one grows, allowing for practically subconscious use at high Proficiency.
Earth Manipulation uses stamina and can be used to greater scale the stronger one grows, allowing for the movement of multi-tonne objects at high Proficiency.
Life magic has the temporary drawback of poisoning onself, leading to a state similar to drunkeness after extended use. Doing so for long enough causes a number of permenant effects upon health and gradual withering of stature. Those with life magic grow more in tune with other things the higher their Proficiency, allowing for stronger use of their magic. They control their senses, eventually achieving a level of semi-clairvoyance. This sounds good until one dodges their intended death so nature attempts to balance things out. They're plagued with near constant threats to their life and often go mad.
Secondary Elements: One chooses their secondary element at 15 years, and it can be one which their parents had. If only one parent was metal and another vapor, they couldn't be dual water, as only one had a water-based power. If someone kills another before their 15th, the dead person's power will latch onto theirs, assigning them an element without them choosing. Otherwise, the choice is subconscious.
Ice (water and air): Can control and freeze water and other fluids at a moderate temperature range and below. The heat removed must be redirected somewhere else, and there must be a significantly colder object to start. This power emphasizes working easily in a detailed manner.
Steam (water and fire): Can control vapor (including smoke) and fluids of a moderate temperature range and below, along with heating said substances. The heat added must be pulled from surroundings. This power emphasizes working with powerful, fast, and dramatic percision.
Clay (water and earth): Can control stone, water, and most forms of damp earth. Given enough time, they can meld water with stone into clay, often on a massive scale in an elaborate manner. This power emphasizes intricate work on a large scale.
Plants (water and life): Can control plant life and how it grows and interacts, along with modifying oneself to a minor degree with features like poisonous blood or the ability to photosynthesize. This power emphasizes complex, but often subtle changes to oneself and their surroundings.
Metal (fire and earth) Can control most concentrated metals in a solid or liquid state, but can only melt them given a catalyst of intense heat (difficult for anyone without very high Proficiency). The only advantage to melting them is their heat and fluid nature even when not being controlled. This power emphasizes fast control over large quantities of materials.
Lightning (fire and air): Can control and generate lightning. This can be within a wide range of strengths from the power to stun people (low Proficiency) to cooking someone on contact (high Proficiency). This power is hard to work with in a cold environment with minimal movement of energy i.e. lack of friction, wind, or burning. This power emphasizes powerful, instinctive manipulation, using lightning reflexively if needed.
Flesh (fire and life): Can control and alter one's own body temporarily and permenantly. Temporary changes enchance numerous abilities, and permenant ones can change anything from hair color to organ placement and bone density the stronger one is. Permenant changes require consumption of tissue from a live victim or one dead by the Proficient's hand. This power emphasizes drastic changes to ones own physique.
Dust (air and earth): Can control dust, dirt and sand, creating a temporarily solid substance in enough density. Using this, one can create bludgeons and barriers from mundane materials. This power emphasizes being able to do things of large scale with little effort.
Beasts (spirit and earth): Can control animals of the surface and mimic animal traits, such as claws, teeth, and night vision. This power emphasizes large scale control with connectivity to what one does.
Avians (spirit and air): Can control animals of the sky and mimic avian traits, such as feathers, talons, secondary sets of lungs, and wings. This power emphasizes forming close bonds, allowing easy control.
The other five powers are the base 5, coupled the same power a second time: double air/fire/earth/water/life. Life allows for mental persuasion, great understanding of the actions of others, and heightened senses.
In Summary: Every person is born with Proficiency in one of the five elements. This is represented by a marking on the dominant arm. If the dominant arm is removed, they lose their powers. One becomes gradually more powerful every 5th year, or by killing another. At 15, every person picks their second Proficiency, which combine into an alternate one (vapor, lightning, metal, flesh, avians, beasts, plants, ice, clay, dust, and each of the initial 5 at a greater strength). An ambidexterous person has two secondary Proficiencies.
I'm considering adding the sixth element, which I'll refer to as "force". The abilities of force would be knetics, friction, tension, light, gravity, and microbes.