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The Rose Dragon
2011-03-07, 05:59 AM
So, in my homebrew project, there is a unobtanium called empedoclium (which is not really an element, but a synthesized compound of non-chemical matter, but it is named like an element anyway) which is used in certain phenomena (such as graviton generation, as part of certain super-alloys and to create energy cells and empedoclium cores). One of its peculiarities is that, if a human survives exposure to otherwise lethal amounts of empedoclium through sheer fortitude and dumb luck, he can develop nodules of the material across his body and gain superpowers of some sort. To make it easy for me, I decided to develop them after psychic powers that map onto the classical elements as defined by Empedocles (plus aether).

The problem is, I don't have quite the idea what could map onto which element, and what could be scientifically justified, even on the flimsiest of grounds. So far, since graviton generation is one of the uses of empedoclium, I associated gravity control with earth, and since fire has pyrokinesis, that went there. But I'm not sure what to do with the others.

So, I welcome any ideas.

sonofzeal
2011-03-07, 07:28 AM
Air
Flying
Invisibility
Electricity

Earth
Physical resistance
Gravity
Strength

Fire
Fire
Speed
Chemistry

Water
Healing
Body-morphing (especially stretching/squeezing)
Ice

supermonkeyjoe
2011-03-07, 07:45 AM
So kind of like an elemental version of Element zero (eezo) from the Mass Effect series? Check that out for some pseudo-science justifications of the powers

The powers of the fantastic four fit the elemental mould perfectly

Mr Fantastic (Water) elasticity, malleability

Human torch (Fire) Fire, flight

The Thing (Earth) Toughness, strength

Invisible woman (air) Invisibility, force fields

not sure about aether, powers over life and death maybe?

Yuki Akuma
2011-03-07, 09:16 AM
Non-chemical matter?

... What?

DeadManSleeping
2011-03-07, 10:19 AM
Non-chemical matter?

... What?

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AppliedPhlebotinum

The issue I have is a non-chemical COMPOUND. If it's non-chemical, then it doesn't have chemical interactions. Which should really preclude it from doing anything other than having a gravitational effect (like dark matter), but honestly, that's when you just say "shut up it's science-magic" and leave it. But never use the phrase 'non-chemical' in conjunction with 'compound'. That's just not right.

Psyren
2011-03-07, 01:43 PM
Well, knowing you, this has nothing to do with D&D or even d20, so there isn't a whole lot of advice I can give mechanics-wise. :smalltongue:

I do have one (thematic) suggestion though - come up with a list of effects you want this thing to have. Don't worry about mapping them to elements until you're done. Throw on a paper things it enables like "flight," "mind control," "self-healing," "healing others," "protection," "resurrection," "invisibility," "super-speed" etc. Once you have all that, then start matching them to elements.

You'll probably find that a lot of (if not all) powers can fit more than one element. When that happens, you have to decide how much, if any, redundancy you want in your system, and whether combining will be possible or even encouraged. Can both Fire and Air guys make lightning, or only one? Do you have to mix nodules or even get two of them to cooperate do it? Can both Air and Water get "water-breathing," or only one? can Nature/Life get it a different way by emulating gills?

Another_Poet
2011-03-07, 02:08 PM
Well, here is the best "scientific sounding" mapping of powers to elements I can offer you.

"So, this stuff lets you modulate gravity, which is its Earth power, and generate heat or light which is its Fire power."

"So what does it do for Wind and Water."

"Nothing."

"What?"

"Yeah, the material was named after Empedocles, and he did kind of start the whole earth/water/fire/wind thing. But you know, we just named it after him is all. It's not like he was right, or knew anything about engineering metamaterials."

"So, it doesn't have any other powers?"

"Yeah, it does, we just call them all Aether powers because they aren't very Water-like or Wind-like."

"Huh."

Kind of like how an atom (which means "un-cuttable"; the smallest unit of matter) can actually be divided into smaller particles. Or how the sun isn't a planet, even though astrologers call it one.

Science is willing to use cool names derived from ancient people who were wrong. Empodoclium sounds like a good fit for that. But just because they named it after him doesn't mean it coincidentally gives five categories of powers that roughly correspond to his four elements plus Aether.

The Rose Dragon
2011-03-08, 07:14 AM
Science is willing to use cool names derived from ancient people who were wrong. Empodoclium sounds like a good fit for that. But just because they named it after him doesn't mean it coincidentally gives five categories of powers that roughly correspond to his four elements plus Aether.

Of course, the problem is that empedoclium is the third name given to the compound, after its current known traits were discovered. It was previously called "dark calcium", because its molar weight was the same as calcium.

sonofzeal
2011-03-08, 08:09 AM
If it allows you to alter gravity, and alter heat, then like Maxwell's Demon it should be able to have both effect. For example, "Fire" could borrow ambient kinetic energy from the vicinity and localize it on the target, while "Ice" could borrow kinetic energy from the target and distribute it evenly around the larger vicinity. Same with "Earth" and "Air"; rather than separate phenomenon, they can be mere logical extensions of the other.

Another_Poet
2011-03-08, 05:33 PM
Of course, the problem is that empedoclium is the third name given to the compound, after its current known traits were discovered. It was previously called "dark calcium", because its molar weight was the same as calcium.

Well then, that's a different story :)

Okay here is an idea.

Wind: levitation, essentially the opposite modulation of gravity as sonofzeal said.

Water: Alter Friction. Modulate the effectiveness of friction, causing the area to become extremely hard to pass through (air is like a wall of sand; the ground is practically welded to your feet) OR extremely low-friction, worse than ice - holding onto things doesn't help and you slide almost endlessly. Either form makes breathing difficult (and painful in the case of high-friction) and prolonged exposure to either form causes severe breakdown of living tissue.

This doesn't directly relate to water other than in the sense of "fluid friction," but it is cool.