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Old 05-07-2022, 07:28 PM   #1
Pbuckley
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Default Worldbuilding/Magic Help

So I am working on a setting where I am taking quite a few concepts from different settings and trying to mesh them together in some manner of mild harmony. What's relevant here is Norse Cosmology and Micheal Moorcocks Order vs. Chaos concept. This setting was created when the realm of Primordial Ice and Order, and the realm of Primordial Fire & Chaos met. For our current purposes, this created 5 Elements.

Fire: Which is elemental Chaos.
Ice: Which is elemental Order.
Water: Elemental Balance, also the source of all Life.
Earth: "Flames" from the realm of Chaos, "frozen" by ice from the realm of Order.
Air: "Ice" from the realm of Order, evaporated by the realm of Chaos.

Up until now this has been mostly fluff, however one of the "sub-settings" in this cosmology, and the first one I intend to run, ended up with a kind of Elemental Powers theme... So now I am trying to figure out how to divvy up the different schools of magic in a way that is roughly fair between these 5, and was hoping I could get some help. I have particular problems with the fact that Water and Ice are distinct here which makes sense in the cosmology, but presents some major issues with the magic system. Also having some problems deciding what spells to link with "Order" and which to Link with "Chaos".
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Old 05-07-2022, 07:51 PM   #2
Dalin
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Default Re: Worldbuilding/Magic Help

Off the top of my head, if you need to split water from ice, you could combine water and plant spells (“life”). Ice could be combined with necromancy perhaps.
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Old 05-08-2022, 01:21 AM   #3
Pbuckley
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Default Re: Worldbuilding/Magic Help

Ok, so I figure I can give more of an example of what I have so far. This is mostly just me wanting some feedback on how useful/cool each one appears to be, as well as suggestions for how to divide spells a bit better for this. Especially knowing that I can't necessarily go for a one two one on all of them.

Water (Life/Balance):
  • Water (No Ice Spells)
  • Plant
  • Animal
  • Healing
Options:
  • Body Control?

Fire (Chaos)"
  • Fire
  • ???
  • ???
  • ???
Options:
  • Light & Darkness?
  • Communication & Empathy?
  • Illusion & Creation?

Ice (Order):
  • Ice (Only Ice Spells)
  • ???
  • ???
Options:
  1. Necromancy?
  2. Mind Control?
  3. Anti-Magic?

Earth (Substance?):
  • Earth
  • Making & Breaking
  • ???
  • ???
Options
  • Enchantment?
  • Body Control?
  • Metal?

Air (Motion?):
  1. Air
  2. Whether
  3. ???
  4. ???
Options
  1. Movement?
  2. Sound?
  3. Warning & Protection?

Last edited by Pbuckley; 05-08-2022 at 01:25 AM.
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Old 05-09-2022, 05:50 PM   #4
Dalin
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Saint Paul, MN
Default Re: Worldbuilding/Magic Help

This definitely creates a different flavor for wizards. I like the idea that the elements are associated with a wider variety of spells.

I might finish it up this way:

Water (Life/Balance):
  1. Water (No Ice Spells)
  2. Plant
  3. Animal
  4. Healing
  5. Food

Fire (Chaos):
  1. Fire
  2. Light
  3. Illusion & Creation
  4. Communication & Empathy
  5. Mind Control

Ice (Order):
  1. Ice (Only Ice Spells)
  2. Darkness
  3. Necromancy
  4. Knowledge
  5. Meta
  6. Enchantment

Earth (Substance?):
  1. Earth
  2. Making & Breaking
  3. Body Control
  4. Protection & Warning

Air (Motion?):
  1. Air
  2. Weather
  3. Movement
  4. Sound
  5. Gate

I would split light/darkness the same way you'd do it with water/ice. Earth has the fewest colleges, but they seem pretty robust. I could see sliding something else into that portfolio, but I couldn't quite wrap my head around it. Maybe enchantment?

Edit: Or Necromancy. I liked the idea of ice being associated with necro, but "Substance" might make more sense and seems to fit with the idea of Body Control being part of their portfolio.
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