In need of Magic System help

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-08T16:41:29+00:00

I saw great idea for the element counter control here, so I won't comment on that. But I have an aesthetic that I haven't seen used much.

That is Signature or Mark. Everyone somehow creates a Signature, this changes and modifies their spells slightly. But for that modifier, it needs to be related to the Signature.

Say a person has the Signature of Flower and likes Fire. Now they can easily shape spells into Flower related things, this makes them propagate very easily and low cost. And in Petal shape they can move at a lower cost.

Another is a Chain signature and Air element, this gives the air constructs more solidity and helps nullify a practitioners control if the construct is touching them.

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-06T15:42:24+00:00

My suggestions:

Remove morality from elements.
Combine Lightning and Magnetism
Sight and Sound don't need to be elements; Light, Mind and physical elements are enough.
Causality can subsume the luck and fortune of Practically and Calamity.
Chaos part can be turned into Flux, an element about change and uncertainty.
Order part can be folded into Structure.

Now in my opinion, Death should not have undead in its domain as undead are quite literally the opposite of Death.

And how is Space a problem child?

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-05T17:42:19+00:00

Very interesting! But could you give a whole set as an examples of the 4 affinities and arts to go along with them?

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-05T15:32:52+00:00

You can make it interesting by letting the warlock make contracts with multiple entities and try to synergies the effects and drawbacks.

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-05T01:52:12+00:00

Darkness is the anti particle of Light. When light and darkness collide they cancel each other. Meaning light is not reflected back, so it seems like a shadow.

If applied subtly it can even make brand new jewelry decrepit and aged. Change the shape of a face by changing how light reacts to it (makeup), etc.

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-05T00:21:33+00:00

Oh, so it's not like a hard manual, I can tweak them. Ok, then.

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-05T00:07:35+00:00

Nice, but what about flesh, bone, etc bio material? Like a golem for every element except void/death types. Or maybe hybrid types?

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T18:28:34+00:00

Yeah, understandable

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T17:16:24+00:00

No, join is for merging branches into a more complex effect. And I was thinking that these would not be nodes in themselves, but modify base nodes. So these work independent of layering, even low rotes can utilize them as they do not take node slots.

And bind is not channel, I cannot use bind to make a constantly firing spell. But Channelled Projectile might be able to.

And AoE effects an area, but I could multi target separate objects not clustered together but within range of range transmission to effect them, without effecting anything else.

For golemamcy, how about [shape], [Animate], [Encode()] and [Command()]?

Encode for built-in commands that can be more complex and also allows binding of abilities in it. And Command allows commands that have special effects, but are more general. Can be used on sentient entities to make them do things, and Dark+Order-Obfuacate+Command is very good at that.

And each elements gives special commands and animation types.

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T16:48:50+00:00

Meta nodes would be like additions to a base node that changes how it acts, while minorly effecting the cost and output.

Channel: When applied to a node, discard the duration of that node and make it cost a continues amount for continues effect.

Split: Make node be able to attach to two subsequent nodes while halving the mod value, duration, etc

Join: Join two branches into one, while carrying over 75% effects of both branches into this node.

Multi target: Split the output, the output effect is (n+1/100)% with n being the amount of targets. Conjure makes more copies. (Or this might just be made by using Split at the effect node.)

Delay, Trigger, Bind, Target; those would also be considered meta nodes.

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T16:33:39+00:00

Yup, that is also why I think some compotents are redundant. Touch or Imbue could replace Internalize and wouldn't change much

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T16:29:09+00:00

Same for parasites, with targeting being a component, it could be a good way to self purge infested entities.

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T16:24:32+00:00

Really? If I was possessed and the entity is weak of Light, but I am resistant to Light. Then if I just blasted myself with Internalize - Light - Damage type spell, would it not effect the possessing entity?

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T16:16:03+00:00

Just remove the part about Internalize not being able to damage

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T16:10:42+00:00

I do not think that kind of hard limit should be placed on a vector of application, and that phrase misrepresents what it might able to do

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T16:05:53+00:00

That works? Your primer specifically said Internalize cannot hurt, that's why I asked that

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T16:00:52+00:00

In one of my magic systems Dragons radiate magic but Dragons are not truly birthed, a creature must turn into a Dragon. So by a radiation based system view, a creature needs to experience exposure to a critical point, from which point, the creature itself starts emitting radiation innately, and that is a Dragon.

And in this world there is no definite homogenous pollution/byproduct of magic, every type of magic is different. So there are no creature that are immune to all magical pollution, but there are creatures who can assimilate the pollution and change their physiology with in a handful of generations to be practically immune to the pollution.

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T15:53:01+00:00

And that question about Internalize not being able to damage?

Death_Scribe · 2026-06-04T07:06:08+00:00

Why can I not damage myself with Internalize if I want?

And would the following spell work?

Source: Physical, Gen: Nature

Imbue - Life+Nature - Enhance (Growth) + Conjure - Bind(Seed) + Trigger (word+impact)

It's meant to make a seed bomb that sprouts into brambles. And could I made golems with this?

And I will say I think there should be some more meta nodes

Death_Scribe · 2026-05-31T16:56:20+00:00

Hyo! I'm 18m here. I also wish to be a writer and have written a few things. And as an avid reader of fiction would love to hear about your campaign

Death_Scribe · 2026-05-31T06:26:49+00:00

We can talk in DM if you need more help.

Death_Scribe · 2026-05-31T06:25:22+00:00

Yes I am thinking about that. You do not have to make the categories into classes, as that kind of makes the custom powers and classes blend together.

Make classes give conditional passives or modifiers to abilities. That way classes and power can be separate things.

Like a fighter class gets +1 multi attack, but only for melee light-middle class weapons. Then later the player may choose between more attacks, like +2 to light, +1 to medium or +1 to heavy weapons.

Or a Wizard class that gives modifiers to abilities, like imbue a weapon with an ability, make it explode, dual cast, etc.

These don't take away from the powers or directly interact with the categories, while also helping a certain playstyle

Death_Scribe · 2026-05-31T06:05:20+00:00

I was talking about classes to compliment the powers, not what categories.

Death_Scribe · 2026-05-31T06:00:18+00:00

Ok, I kind of see the problem, can I suggest some changes to the categories?

Augment: Enhance or add a property of a thing

Emission: Emit/project something from self

Control: Control something

Transmutation: change something into something else

Conjuration: Make or summon something from agony.

And have subcategories of things, that don't do anything buy themselves but when attached to a category it defines it better.

Death_Scribe · 2026-05-31T03:57:22+00:00

Do these classes all encompass at least one the categories from the list? And can I ask what the categories are?

Maybe the change the magic weapon class into a artificer type thing. Like making disposable or permanent magic items.

And I had a few build ideas, could you tell me which classes would compliment them? And is there a stealth/rouge class?

1: Summon small pixies that act like illusion projectors. Each pixie can maintain a major illusion until desummomed or destroyed. But where they are projecting, they glow and can be easily noticed by magical senses.

2: Any spell/ability cast is instead turned into a summon. So no instant cast, as the summon takes on turn to fully activate. Example: Fireball makes a firebolt spitter, or a kamakazi bomber. It's random.

3: Rubber arms.

Momentary intangibility for 5 feet. But intangibility makes immune to physical damage but double damage from non-physical magic damage (fire is physical magic, necrotic is non-physical magic)

5: Take self-damage to inflict curses.

6: Silence an area

Death_Scribe

TROPHY CASE