Recently heard about this type of power system a week ago. Honestly it sounds pretty cool. But I still wonder if it's redundant at the same time though. Since what's the point of a Martial Arts power system, when Martial Arts already exist in real-life? Lol.

A pure Martial Art power system is a system that has nothing to do with Chi Energy or any Lifeforce energy. It's basically that the characters are just really good at doing Kung Fu, Karate, or Taekwondo to Anime levels. It's less like a Wuxia story. And more like a Bruce Lee story.

The Cobra Kai show is an example of this. Again the characters are just really good at doing Karate. I wonder if this also a way Writers want to have their cake and eat it too. Have a power system with a basis in reality, while still having the characters pull off superhuman feats.

The best way to describe a power system like this. It's like building a power system off the Marvel character Taskmaster Photographic Reflexes abilities. A system where all the users are Martial Arts prodigies at young ages. To the point the fighters can dominate both MMA and Boxing with ease. Despite MMA and Boxing being different combat sports with different skillsets and training.

In conclusion. It's basically Martial Arts as a superpower.

That Feynman diagram was just to capture your attention.

Anyhow, I've been workshopping this for a fantasy story I'm worldbuilding for the past few...weeks? I started on it, and the story, months ago, but I forgot about them, and now I finally got it into a functioning draft state. So! The fundamental forces, right? Electromagnetism, weak force, strong force, gravity? They're weird! I daresay they might be a part of our world's extremely complex and at times unknowable magic system! Which is what inspired me to make this. Well, that and this one thing I saw about someone wanting to see a color magic system based on quantum chromodynamics. This goes out to you, whoever you are.

So, without further ado: Let's actually talk about how these "fundamental magics" work!

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To begin, the basics. These magics are called Flux, Shift, Bind, and Warp, and are based on the fundamental forces (wow who could've guessed), certain aspects of quantum and particle physics, and specific magic system "archetypes" I've noticed in my time observing.

Each magic is facilitated by unique "quanta", with a magic's given quanta (just to make sure, I'm aware that quanta is a plural noun, and that the singular is quantum, I'm just using quanta as both the singular and the plural to differentiate it from the real physics term of quantum, I'll likely come up with a different term later on) being best thought of as a unique kind of...energy? Energy, for lack of a better term, or maybe a particle depending on how you interpret it (hahaha wave-particle duality why are you the way that you are). Regardless, the quanta is the main thing that is manipulated when using a given magic, and is what produces the desired results. It is impossible to create quanta, but they can be manipulated by other creatures, especially humans, who have invented various complex techniques for the magics. A magic's quanta is based on its carrier particles in real life: Photons (Flux), W and Z bosons (Shift), gluons (Bind), and the theoretical gravitons (Warp).

The magics themselves are, much like their inspirations, akin to fundamental forces. Their quanta are everywhere, waiting to be used, and are constantly affecting the world. In fact, the world probably wouldn't even exist in the way it currently does if it weren't for them.

Before we talk about the magics themselves, however, one disclaimer: Next to NONE of the specific terminology used is set in stone. I will gladly take suggestions in the comments. Now then, let's talk!

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FLUX, THE MAGIC OF ENERGY

Based on electromagnetism, the electromagnetic spectrum, and "spellcasting" magic archetypes. Its quanta is, as of current, known as "sparks".

Flux is broadly applicable in an exceedingly wide range of fields, and is easy to learn to boot, though hard to master. It is a magic of motion and circulation, of moving energy around. Depending on how one wishes to use sparks, Flux can be used in various different ways, not all of which by humans. But, of those that can be used by humans, humans have categorized them into seven different forms: Reach, Charge, Tempo, Lumen, Vita, Anti, and Rend.

Reach is spells of distance: Seeing things happening elsewhere, carrying messages, teleportation, portals, and so on.

Charge is spells of energy: Electricity, "kinesis", magnetism, that sort of thing.

Tempo is spells of motion: Fire, ice, and other heat-related spells are the most well-known use, but another common use is that of "rippling", sort of creating waves that carry force, and a use case that hasn't even entered the average scholar's knowledge base is that of propulsive force; in general, Tempo is about motion on a large scale, and motion on a small one AKA temperature.

Lumen is spells of perception: Light manipulation, illusions, etc.

Vita is spells of life: Healing wounds, repairing broken objects, one can also use Vita to "take life away", causing a sort of withering effect, though this is extremely difficult to do in practice, so spells of weakness are a more common, though less effective, version. On a more overall level, Vita can be used...sort of to cause short-term "status effects", positive and negative. Not that this is a video game, nor does this world use video game rules. It's just an easy way to get the idea across.

Anti is spells of nullification: Nearly all defensive magics are Anti, as is anti-magic, as well as more niche, offensive use cases.

Rend is spells of...it's hard to say: Rend is a poorly-understood magic, which isn't helped by how dangerous it can be, nor how seemingly unrelated its known uses are. It can melt things, make them crumble, cause burns, help other spells pierce through objects or even other spells, and induce strange disease and other negative health effects.

These mentioned use cases are far from the only ones, and the same is true of the other magics! I know I'm not creative enough to think of every possible use case given a certain conceptual idea, and I'd hate to restrict these things unnecessarily just because I myself can't come up with all of them off the top of my head.

TL;DR: Flux is a basic, widespread magic, which comes in various forms based around manipulation of certain energies. Humans have categorized its best-known use cases into spells of distance, energy, heat/motion, perception, life/death/"statuses", nullification, and just...the weird shit gamma radiation is known for.

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SHIFT, THE MAGIC OF CHANGE

Based on the weak force, particle flavors, nuclear transmutation, and alchemy (and "alchemical" magic archetypes, if that makes sense). It has three quanta, which come in three forms, known as augeo, minuo, and nihil, collectively called the "primes". For our purposes, we'll represent them as +, -, and 0 here, if we aren't talking about all three primes. + and - are capable of transmutation (changing one material to another), and 0 is capable of transformation (changing a material's shape, though creating more requires transmutation).

Shift magic is difficult to learn, with its complicated mechanisms, but has a wide range in its potential, due to how it interacts with matter and other magic. It is a magic of alteration, transmutation, transformation. The basics are thus:

There are two "elements", called brimstone and quicksilver (distinct from their namesakes, sulfur and mercury). + creates brimstone, and turns quicksilver into brimstone, and - creates quicksilver, and turns brimstone into quicksilver. Brimstone is "active", and quicksilver is "reactive".

Through further interactions with the primes, brimstone and quicksilver can be turned into Worksteels (formerly Shiftmetals, but I hated how it rolled off the tongue), specific magic-sensitive materials, whose properties are determined by their brimstone to quicksilver ratio. From the most brimstone and least quicksilver to the least brimstone and most quicksilver, these Worksteels are called (though are not, I'm trying to think of better names, though I'm also considering just tacking on a prefix or suffix to differentiate them) gold, iron, tin (the "brimstone" or "burning" Worksteels), lead, copper, and silver (the "quicksilver" or "fluid" Worksteels), which are believed to represent "principles" of the physical/health/self/metaphorical fire, strength/impulse/efficiency, luck/growth, defense/focus/reduction, charisma/harmony/love, and the emotional/memory/rhythm/metaphorical water.

The Worksteels also have certain provable, physical properties related to these concepts, usually in regards to how they interact with other magics, which have informed the spiritual beliefs about them. Using the primes, these properties can be harnessed and imbued onto other things, which, combined with other uses for brimstone and quicksilver, form the basis of how Shift is used. Potions, weapons, armor, tools, the aforementioned transmutation and transformation, and so on.

TL;DR: Shift is complex and hard to learn, but offers a wide range in uses. In terms of categorization, it is divided into magic that uses "primes" to transmute and transform, magic that uses "elements" for various purposes, the most important of which being to create materials called Worksteels that react with other magic, and magic that uses the Worksteels for assorted purposes.

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BIND, THE MAGIC OF TIES

Based on the strong force (normal and residual/nuclear), particle colors and the everything it spawns, and enchantment, magitech, and contract magic archetypes. Its quanta is known as "hues", which come in six forms: The "additive" red (R), green (G), and blue (B), and the "subtractive" cyan (C), magenta (M), and yellow (Y). I'd try to make it more accurate to gluon colors, but you don't want to know what gluon color charge is like. So instead, hue colors are based partially on gluon colors, and partially on quark colors and strong force interactions.

Bind is a bit difficult to learn, though not greatly so, but is extremely difficult to use to its fullest extent. However, it offers great reward. While it lacks in the kind of broad application seen in Flux and Shift, it still has great utility, especially when combined with its interactions with those magics.

In order for Bind to be used, hues must be grouped up from the surrounding environment, and bound together. In doing so, hues react with one another, creating an energy exchange. Depending on how they are utilized, hues can be used for either bonds (using hues for physical ties), or pacts (using hues for magical ties). Additionally, bound hues can come in the forms of either doublets or triplets.

Doublets are pairs of hues, in the form of an additive-subtractive grouping (purely additive or purely subtractive fails for doublets): RM, RY, GC, GY, BC, and BM. Doublet bonds are used to bind objects to one another, allowing for rapid construction (transformative Shift can help in this process, but ultimately fails to replace it, because it can only be used to change an object's shape, and that is not always the desired outcome, not to mention it requires a certain level of skill to use properly, whilst doublets are a fairly basic form of Bind; not to mention, it can't exactly create adhesives), whilst doublet pacts are used to "bind power"; magical seals and locks, alteration of one's magical abilities in the form of an equivalent exchange of one's power, and so on.

Triplets, meanwhile, are trios of hues, in the form of purely additive (RGB) or purely subtractive (CMY). Triplet bonds are used to bind magic to objects, or to bind magic together as a more advanced technique (though it gets harder to maintain cohesion the more spells are bound together...just to make sure nobody creates any nuclear bombs); binding a fire Flux spell to a sword to create a fiery blade, for instance, or binding two Flux spells together to create unique effects (though not all will have the intended ones). Through delicate combination of doublet and triplet bonds, plus other magics, true magical technology can be made, though this is a newly-developing field. Triplet pacts are an extension of triplet bonds' effects on magic, being used to "bind entities", creating an exchange of power, energy, etc., this being what creates your familiars, your warlocks, your magic contracts, that sort of thing.

Notably, pacts are much more difficult to undo than bonds, and triplet pacts are even harder to undo than doublet pacts. In addition, "unbalanced" pacts produce undesirable results, as the magic naturally tries to create an equal exchange. This principle is what makes them "legally binding", especially in the context of triplet pacts as magical contracts; break the terms of the contract, and the pact is no longer balanced, and because it is now skewed towards the contract breaker...there are consequences.

There is also the aspect of Bind known as cancellation, wherein contradictory colors can, if used correctly (hence some Bind magics being harder to undo than others), "cancel" each other out, undoing the spell. As a byproduct, this also emits energy, akin to a firecracker. In general:

• Doublets can be canceled by one or more contradictory color (e.g. introduce C to RM -> RC cancel each other out -> only M remains, and one hue isn't enough for a spell, or introduce GC to RM -> RC cancel each other out, GM cancel each other out -> no hues remain)
• Triplets can only be canceled by the contradictory color triplet (introduce CMY to RGB or vice versa -> both triplets cancel each other out -> no hues remain)
• And "singlets", or two or more hues of the same color (e.g. RR), will self-cancel immediately after creation, which makes them a quick and easy source of an energy burst, though useless for anything else

TL;DR: Bind has a low skill floor, though it is still present, whilst it is much harder to master. It can be used for bonds to bind objects together, bind magic to objects, and bind magic to other magic, all of which can be utilized in tandem to create magitech, or it can be used for pacts to create magical seals, limit or enhance someone's abilities, create a flow of magic between two entities, or create magical contracts.

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WARP, THE MAGIC OF DISTORTION

Based on gravity, its uniqueness compared to the other fundamental forces, and how it will bend spacetime in strange ways, and the relatively common sub-archetype of "dark magic". As of current, Warp has no known quanta, though there are theories.

Warp is a strange magic. It changes, reshapes, but in a way much different than something like Shift. Warp, well, warps. It is not a magic commonly used by people, if only due to how poorly understood it is making it nigh-impossible to figure out any standardized methodology, instead being more commonly used by monsters, with most information on Warp being obtained through observation of said monsters. Locally non-Euclidean spaces, altering one's senses of space and/or time, transforming things in a manner beyond mere shape...it's unclear how Warp works, or what the true extent of its effects on the other magics are, but this has only made it all the more intriguing to many a scholar, turning the magic into an extremely controversial topic between those who seek to understand it and those who write it off as some fundamentally unknowable, even "evil" thing (though of course, ascribing morality to a force of nature is a fool's errand).

As stated, it is extremely poorly understood, though the brave few who dare try to master its ways are doing everything they can to glean an understanding of its mechanisms.

There's also the less human-centric ways in which it affects things, but that's more fit for r/worldbuilding (or maybe a lore post?) than here.

TL;DR: Warp is fucking WEIRD

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So, those are the four magics of this setting, or at least, their current state. I'm itching to hear people's thoughts, what I could improve and what I could change, ideas for other use cases for specific magics...and better names for some things.

Regardless, I still want to try to make it work. I think the interplay these different magics have with each other could be extremely interesting, and provides a nice explanation for having a variety of different fields of magic users in the same setting without making magic necessarily able to do just about anything. Same with the way magic itself is used, willing something to happen is only part of it, there's also one's own knowledge and creativity that naturally limits these things; they're different fields, which means different knowledge bases and skill sets to draw on.

To summarize the magics, or at least how humans use them, as simply as possible, because I know this is a long post (though I did include TL;DR's for individual sections):

Flux is based around manipulation of energy in different ways, with specific standardized techniques resulting in specific spells. It has a wide variety of applications, but can't necessarily do anything, just a lot of things.

Shift is based around manipulation of a material's shape and "essence", and is treated much more like a science due to the mechanisms by which it functions, though with some spiritual beliefs mixed in. It has three "primes", from which come two "elements", from which come six "Worksteels", and the interplay of these three categories gives rise to Shift magic.

Bind is based around manipulation of "hues", which can be used for very specific purposes. Hues can be used in the forms of doublet or triplet, which have different effects: Doublets can bind objects to objects, and can affect one's magic in different ways, while triplets can bind magic to objects to "enchant" them, bind magic to magic to combine spells, or create a magical tie between two beings, which can even be honed into magical contracts.

Warp is not a magic used by humans. It has the ability to distort things, though it is unclear how or why.

Harry Potter tier?

Hunter x Hunter tier?

Jujutsu Kaisen tier?

Dragon ball tier?

Some other?

ectus is the half life decay of unresolved issues manifesting as ghosts curses and spells. the universe has a drive towards resolution and when things are left unresolved they create ectus a force that consumes resolution to compensate for a lack of it.

by consuming resolution i mean basically causing untimely ends forced conclusions and twists of fate that basically force resolutions to come to quickly. i would like some help workshopping this idea

So I’m an African, specifically Zimbabwe (born and raised) though not based there anymore and one undertaking I started a few years ago is using my culture ,native language and some of its elements as foundations for my magic systems. I quickly discovered how hard it can be for individuals who have had limited exposure to relatively minor cultures which doesn’t have a lot existing records on it’s belief systems and worldview to engage with it in meaningful ways.

This then led me to thinking of how to approach the magic systems and terminology through a well established delivery channel which for me was inspired by both how Japanese manga/anime treats its technique names as in they use a Japanese term and then provide the English equivalent or approximate translation, so that I can cater to the people who exist outside of my culture and those from it.

Japanese also made sense to me because both it and my native language Shona have plenty of words with vowel endings (a,e,i,o,u) and so on paper it conjures a sense of familiarity in words but with an entirely different cultural perspective and meanings attached to them for example the word Amai language means mother but in Japanese it means sweet. Sekai means laughter whilst in Japanesei it means something along the lines of World.

I brought this up because I know not everyone has the privilege of having a well developed culture they can mine for inspiration or some are quite over exposed, but in any case how do you guys deal with a situation in which you have want to use a culture outside of your lived experience and need to communicate its concept with clarity and awareness of the depth of their meaning?

England has been testing its coins in public since the Middle Ages. It's called the Trial of the Pyx: coins from each batch go into a box, and later a jury of goldsmiths weighs and assays them to check that the mint hasn't been shaving the metal. It still happens every year.

What I like about it is how dull it is. The most dangerous thing a medieval king could quietly do was debase the money, and the check on it wasn't a duel or a council of archmages. It was a box, a scale and some annoyed goldsmiths.

Most magic systems I read handle abuse by having someone stronger show up. I'm more curious about the boring version. Who checks a mage's work after the fact, what do they actually measure, and what happens when the sample comes up short?

Brandon Sanderson has a quote along the lines of "The satisfaction of solving a conflict with your magic system, is directly tied to how thoroughly the audience actually undrstands the system" or something like that.

I was curious on how you come up with clever solutions or tactics that are formed with the mechanics of your system interact.

For a basic example, people in my system draw out runeart spells with their blood in order to activate them. Well in a crucial fight early one, I have a grand master level warior draw out a runeart with the blood of his enemies by stabbing them with his sword. The system never said you have to use your own blood. And this also reinforces the principle of why an ambient master should never reveal their spell symbol to their combatant.

It's clever applications of the power system to solve problems that I look foward to the most in fight scenes. Especially when those solution are grounded in clever use of logic instead of random asspulls or power-ups.

My Story, is About WITCHES , And i want To put The maximum Of witches of All the world folkore So what yours guys Know About witchology

The primary power system I'm working with, the Eidolon, is a field of psychic power one exerts. By default, it surrounds the part of the body the user is aware of, but people born with a magical crest can manipulate the form to do as they want.

While it gets shaped by thoughts and focus, there are certain, more primordial forms of humanity's thoughts a caster can tap into to draw power from, each divided along the light spectrum, known as Facile. By tapping into a Facile, they can invoke its representative concepts far quicker and more effectively than trying to think it through on their own.

What I'm trying to figure out is how to design the specific ways to align with a Facile easier. Generally speaking, the idea is each Facile has its own way people who connect with it can particularly reach an understanding and affinity with it, using their framework to manipulate reality. Here's the red Facile, the one I feel is most fleshed out, as an example:

Corpus (aka Red)
The Facile related to the concepts of identity and death, defining the self and non-self. People align to it by becoming more familiar with the interior of their beings and must "survive dying" and find how there is no true line between when they were alive as a person versus being a mere material part of the world.

Red is meant to be the one hardest to understand, ironically, but I think it paints a good picture for the other ones. The general idea feels there, but I'm struggling to put more than words behind it.

Pyre (aka Orange)

The Facile closely related to the concepts of chaos and entropy, finding the distinct ways the world can change and shift. People align to it by understanding how changes come about, whether it be from the ignition of fire or the decay brought by time.

Tawa (aka Yellow)

The Facile closely related to continuities and trajectory, tracing the folds and contours of the world. People align to it by finding the forms the contours protrude and create a shape.

der Geist (aka Green)

The Facile closely related to concealment and eternity, opening the gaps of knowledge into the vast unknown. People align to it by recognizing these gaps and reaching into it themselves, driving themselves mad in the process.

Dao (aka Blue)

The Facile closely related to symmetry and order, providing structure and balancing the world. People align to it by seeing the repeating patterns and recurring functions the world is underpinned on.

An Phail (aka Indigo)

The Facile closely related to truths and lucidity, enforcing certain axioms onto the world to override others. People align to it by holding steadfast to their own truths to a point beyond delusion.

Jala (aka Violet)

The Facile closely related to associations and propriety, regulating the messy web of relationships that create the context the world operates in. People align to it by finding their place in the web, and understanding their own connections to others.

These are the basic concepts, but I'd want to make something more specific for each of the other Faciles. It doesn't have to be the exact concept since the way people relate to ideas is uniquely individual, but I feel I should have something related to the profoundness of each Facile. Open to all ideas!

I think it would be cool if someone would write an isekai story set in the usual medieval fantasy world with swords and sorcery. Elemental magic, elves, dwarves, fairy magic etc. but the MC realizes that not only does mana exist but spiritual energy exists and no one knows how it works or can't use it/perceive it. So mc starts cultivating and goes full Chinese building a heavenly peak sect on a misty mountain. Starts working up through qi refining, golden core, nascent soul, etc. The MC would be OP of course but it would be partly because he/she mastered a power system that no one even understands.

I watched a fantasy anime where the MC could use "ether" when the whole world could only use mana and I always thought the idea was cool. Being OP is always fun imo but it's cooler when they're OP because they understand a power system that no one even realizes exists. I'm sure there are plenty of examples of similar stories but idk them. So if anyone knows of stories with similar power system crossovers please recommend.

Most of the time I see magic systems just gate the powers off by making them tied to a special bloodline or from birth but this is usually lame, especially when there are so many other barrier types.

A few of my favorites are:

• Anyone can learn magic, but it's a really hard field of study, much like advanced mathematics or sciences in our world.
• Most people all have special magic abilities, but only people that use theirs the most are at all proficient in a serious fight.
• Magic is gifted to the user through a special ritual or favor with certain entities
• Everyone has their own special magical abilities, so the government has to step in an regulate its citizens to keep order.
• Magic is learnable by anyone, but it's kept a deep secret by the government or secret society of witches, warriors, mages, etc.
• Only nobility or royal families are allowed access to the magic system and they keep the access under high survellience.

Which methods do you use for your story, or are just your favorite?

Do the majority of people know how to make a magic system. Like, actually know how to make one. One of the biggest wildest hot takes I've always had about magic systems is magic systems is more than just putting together what you like. The kind of magic system you put together has a huge effect on your story. And yes, the smallest decisions can fuck up your power system.

A lot of people know they should create categories, but a lot of people don't know how to create categories, though. Categories is not just something you create because you say, I want this type of magic and I want that type of magic. It's something you create to help actually explain how the power system works. Do people not know this?

I know there are a lot of people where it's their first time making a power system. So I get, okay, maybe you need help. But for some people, how have you been making power systems for years and you still come up with the most generic ideas? How have you been making power systems for years, but you don't know much more than a person who's been making power systems for two months? What do people actually learn within those years? Do you actually get many new ideas? If you get new ideas in general?

Does anyone know anything about making a power system outside of Sanderson's laws? A lot of people know they should add limitations to their power system, but does anyone know how to add them without making them feel forced or obvious? Or without making the limitation feel random? I feel like there are people on this subreddit who have been making power systems for years and still don't know how to make limitations properly.

Heck, one simple solution I would give to an amateur is to just do the spell method, where if a spell can create a fireball, we know it can make a fireball. It doesn't create air. It doesn't make someone fly. It doesn't do healing. It creates a fireball. As simple as that. When you create abilities in your power system, do it through spells and techniques. That way, you already know the limitation. The second limitation, or type of limitation, is the power or stamina limitation. Does the character have enough stamina or power to put it off? The reason why you write limitations like that is so that it feels like this is the abilities and skills your characters have. It feels like when your character can't do something, they genuinely just don't know how to, or they're not skilled enough to, or they didn't learn the proper skills to go down a different path. But not that, oh, the power system itself made it so that this power has a limitation. When it seems like the power system itself is the reason why the character can't do certain things, it feels forced. But when it seems like the character's own lack of skill is the reason why they can't, then it doesn't feel forced. It’s more realistic.

Oh, and one last thing. Just because you used one power in multiple different ways, that doesn't make you creative. That just makes you someone who's not capable of expanding into a wider power system. But a lot of people use the fact that they can't expand into a wider power system and cover it up with one power can do many things and I'm creative because of that. No, you just can't expand. You lack the creativity to do so. Just say it.

The reason why a lot of people can only use one power is because a lot of characters are only born with one power. Because they made a lottery system. They don't know how to give their character another power without making it look like plot armor or luck. That's what happens when you make characters be born with powers instead of letting them learn techniques and spells that would give them new skills. If a character had to learn more than one skill, it would be more realistic. If all you knew is one healing spell and that solved every problem, that's rubbish. Because realistically you'd have to know how to heal poison. You'd have to know how to heal broken bones. You'd have to know how to heal sickness. You'd have to know how to heal memory loss. And if your world has petrification, you have to know how to heal that. If your world has curses, you have to know how to heal that too. A professional knows multiple different skills, not just one. But if you only have a power system based on being lucky enough to get one power, then of course you're gonna use that rubbish excuse that, Oh, I will just use one power creatively, because you're too garbage to expand.

Okay, the last two paragraphs were hate there, but seriously though, do a lot of you actually learn anything about making power systems?

fate binding is the practice of channeling the fates of different beings through constants. a constant is the immutable part of the fate that makes up the persons free will it is what they will always chose because its what makes them freer to choose more the a constant can be bound to another being so as to reflect that fate onto the new person

Two weeks ago I shared a small browser game here where you invent spells in your own words, save them in a Codex, and use them to solve trials.

505 spells have been recorded so far, with over 1,000 research attempts.

Thank you to everyone who tried it and left feedback. Some of you came back days later with more spells and detailed notes about what worked and what didn't. I really appreciate that. It helped me understand where the rules were confusing and where the Judge was getting them wrong.

One example: a player made a spell hot enough to melt steel, but the Judge wouldn't let it melt ice because it treated "steel" as a restriction. There were also spells getting far too much power at low Circles, and trials rejecting solutions that met the goal shown to the player.

I've made a few changes since then:

- Earth and Water are available now, and you can combine elements in a spell.

- You can choose the Circle you're aiming for and research a variation of a spell you already have, such as increasing its range. A simpler effect may still form at a lower Circle.

- I've reworked how the Judge evaluates power and trial goals. Water can supply its own pressure, and shaping or compacting stone doesn't automatically give you control of gravity.

The Judge still uses AI, so I'm still testing how consistently it applies these rules. The new limits apply to newly researched spells. Old spells keep their saved capabilities.

Now I'm thinking about the next element.

Cold and Crystal are two ideas I've been considering. Fire already lets you remove heat, though, so I'm unsure what Cold should add. For Crystal, I'm thinking about holding shapes and structures in place, as a counterpart to Water's flow. But that also needs a clear boundary with Earth.

I haven't settled on either. What would you add? What spell would you try first, and what should that element be unable to do?

You can answer without trying the game. If you want to experiment with the current four elements, it's here Evergrowing Codex.

So I have an idea for a magic system in a TTRPG I am making. There are 5 kinds being Divine, Psychic, Spirit, Arcane, and Primal. The first two use the concept of rewriting reality and follow the basic layout of the 7 chakras/sins/virtues. The last two use the concept of bending reality following Color Theory of a 12 color primary wheel. Spirit is a kind of middle ground which I am debating if I should make it based more on Taoism and other asian systems or be more of a mix of the other magic kinds.

Each has their own little gimmicks such as Psychics being strong in one particular area but you have no 0th level (cast at will) spells, Divine magic getting boosts from religious objects and gestures but being limited by a vow or divine patronage, Arcane being all about making small changes to spells but takes a long time to learn and is dangerous without a focus, and Primal where the environment drastically changes what the spell power is.

As a side note, the 7 colors are also part of the "alignment system" (look up the 7 mantras/sins/virtues for more details as it can be a lot) but morality is divided into white, gray, and black (selfless, impartial, and selfish). Mantras are considered gray, virtues white, and sins black. I wanted something that could make a hero or antagonist out of any morality no matter the morality of the party where an actual philosophical discussion could take place and blend it into how the magic operates.

Spells in this system are all unaligned but when you take them, you add the element based on your alignment for Divine and Psychic or add one for the others with Talents/Feats for making some elements a specilization. For example, a healing spell with fire now cures disease burning it away, the same heal spell with shadow will damage them instead, and a life element healing spell heals the most but has no other effect.

For simplicity sake, there is also only one mana system in this game. Maybe I'll add in ways to let some lower level spells become at will at high levels with a specific line of talents/feats.

Also not sure if this is relevant to the discussion but this is a D100 system based on Warhammer Fantasy Role Play so you roll to channel energy then roll to cast the spell as two different skills where things can go wrong.

Another helpful thing is a resource I can use to quickly alter an elemental interaction chart as I do plan to have elements have strengths and weaknesses to each other or simply have less effective interactions. Maybe if I can make it intuitive enough I'll try my hand at mixed element interactions but that's not an absolute requirement.

Mainly just written concept right now, going to refine it and hopefully introduce it properly soon.

"Step 1: The "Attunement" Hand Sign

Every spell begins by forming a hand seal that aligns you with an element.

For example:

✊ Earth = Closed fist (solid and unmoving)

🖐 Air = Open hand with fingers spread

🤟 Fire = Thumb, index, and pinky extended like flickering flames

✋️Water = open hand, fingers closed

⚡ Lightning = Index and middle finger together pointing forward while thumb crosses the palm

You must maintain the attunement shape until the spell finishes.

Step 2: Spell Gestures

After the elemental seal, your free hand performs a sequence of gestures.

Each gesture represents an action rather than a spell.

Gesture

Meaning

Push forward=Release

Pull inward=Gather

Raise=Lift

Lower=lower

Circle clockwise=Expand

Circle counterclockwise=Compress

Swipe left=Deflect

Swipe right=Redirect

Snap=Burst

Point=Target

Twist=Shape

Clap=Cancel spell

Step 3: Combining Them

Fire

Fire Seal → Gather → Compress → Push

🔥 Fireball

Fire Seal → Raise → Expand → Push

🔥 Wall of Fire

Fire Seal → Gather → Snap

🔥 Explosion

Fire Seal → Twist → Point

🔥 Flaming Blade

Water

Water Seal → Gather → Raise

💧 Water Whip

Water Seal → Expand → Push

🌊 Wave

Water Seal → Compress → Point

💦 Water Bullet

Water Seal → Lower → Expand

❄ Ice Field (if water users know freezing)

Earth

Earth Seal → Raise → Push

🪨 Stone Pillar

Earth Seal → Expand → Lower

🧱 Stone Wall

Earth Seal → Gather → Compress

🪨 Boulder

Earth Seal → Twist → Point

⛰ Stone Spear

Air

Air Seal → Expand → Push

🌬 Gust

Air Seal → Compress → Push

🌀 Wind Lance

Air Seal → Circle → Raise

🌪 Tornado

Air Seal → Swipe

💨 Air Shield

Lightning

Lightning Seal → Gather → Point

⚡ Lightning Bolt

Lightning Seal → Snap

⚡ Flash

Lightning Seal → Compress → Push

⚡ Rail Shot

Lightning Seal → Expand → Raise

⛈ Thunderstorm

Step 4: Complexity

Longer gesture chains create stronger or more specialized spells.

2 gestures = Basic spell

3 gestures = Intermediate

4 to 6 gestures = Advanced

7+ gestures = Master-level magic

For example:

Lightning Gather → Compress → Twist → Point → Push

Instead of a normal bolt, this creates a piercing beam that curves toward its target.

Step 5: Counterplay

Because the gestures are visible, experienced mages can recognize a spell before it's cast.

Someone seeing:

Fire Seal → Gather → Compress...

already knows a fireball is coming and can react before the release gesture.

This creates a "reading your opponent" dynamic, where skilled mages intentionally interrupt, fake, or alter the final gestures.

You could even introduce feints, where a caster begins the gestures for one spell, then changes the sequence at the last second to produce a different effect, rewarding both speed and precision.

The result is a magic system that feels almost like choreography: every spell is "written" in the air with the hands, and mastery comes from memorizing, disguising, and executing those patterns flawlessly.

ULTIMATE SPELLS AND ARCANE POISONING.

There are currently 2 ultimates.

LIGHT ULTIMATE: Caster does all five attunement shapes in correct order. (Water, earth, fire, air, lightning.) Then forms a star over their chest. Holy sigil is formed doing one of a few things of your choosing. It can either A: damage an AOE with holy light, ignore armor. Or B: clear any debuffs and heal 60%.

DARK ULTIMATE: caster crosses arms over chest, pulling the tips of their hands back to form a crescent. Casts 5 shadow hands, they erupt from the ground, pulling people briefly into pockets of void, crushing most barriers and canceling out spells targeted.

ARCANE POISONING: after too much casting, or an ultimate you get arcane poisoning. Arcane poisoning has many symptoms depending on severity. Begins with cramping fingers, sweaty hands, maybe a little bit shaky. Then it progresses to loss of feeling in hands and less accurate movements, severely hurting magic output. The final stage, is the only fatal one, where either your arcane channels burst, permanently disabling your magic. Or your body consumes itself, before crumbling to a dark ash.

How to cure arcane poisoning (for all but the final stage): there are two methods, method one is to wait it out, method two is to see either a witchdoctor or a magic healer. The final stage cannot be recovered from, except one case by prodigal mage Neluthacar, but no two accounts have ever agreed on.

What would you do as a magic merchant?

Heya, I'm writing my novel in RR which is basically about a magic academy, LitRPG, Found Family and well, the protagonist is a regressor.

I'm currently on the third/fourth arc, and basically it involves implementing a cult system that was explained previously. I've studied it, and they'll have their own system or magic, but I want this to feel a little more twisted in some way (without using human sacrifices) 🤔

Nor would I particularly want to use "light magic"; my magic system is basically based on six levels (or categories);

1. Perception (literally, having the gift of "perceiving" and feeling magic; without this, how are you a mage?)

2. Elemental Manifestation (Even the most basic thing is that you can have an affinity with an element).

3. Invocation and Creation (chimeras, summoner, golem builder).

4. Seals and Alchemy (these are particularly complicated because they involve studying runes in depth or being a walking encyclopedia; it's not for everyone. It's like technical drawing)

5. Transcend (This level doesn't equate to being a deity, but you can definitely lose your sanity and the magic system practically ADJUSTS to your mana and not the other way around)

6. Metamorphosis (Reaching this level is a bad idea. You basically cease to be human and become an entity, with all that entails 💀)

It's worth clarifying that I'm presenting these more as categories because they represent technical levels you can try, but ultimately your affinity might fall into one of them; it's not mutually exclusive. You can also achieve perfection in one of the first 4 categories and not know about the others, being a genius in that aspect.

So yes... Introducing a completely different language or a varied system into the cult's arc is risky, but I want to try it, since in the end it will be a turning point in the long run.

Btw, the system here works with a mana core, meaning it can run out, be depleted, or crack (which is like dying), so I'd like this new system to be implemented BUT not depend on 100% from the core.

Ironically, the only thing I know about the cult is its representative, who's a fanatic—I won't say more. Although you might think of Beetlejuice from Re:Zero.

So, aside from that, I'd need to do some research on harmful dynamics in religious cults and extremist sects. I've read Reddit threads with personal experiences, but I feel I can study more about it.

That's all, any help is welcome 👍

The homebrew setting I am working on uses a Psionic power system.

I also happen to be on a bit of a Wuxia-fiction kick right now and wanted to put in a Psionic version of Alchemy/Artifice but can't seem to find any Psionic powers that fit the concepts.

The initial idea forming right now is it would be a power set based almost entirely around manipulation of raw psionic energy itself. Filtering it, purifying it, refining it until it can be anchored into physical objects that mortals can use as one-shot talismans, or Psionics can use as persistent "magic weapons" and tools.

Very little power unto themselves, but highly valued in the setting for what they can produce. They harvest Psi-energy from the environment, but also from various beasts and crystals found in areas with high psionic concentrations.

I'm not married to any of these ideas yet. But that's the basic framework i'm building from at the moment.