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Togath
2012-10-24, 07:58 AM
While trying to come up with a setting for an rpg I decided to have magic/supernatural abilities separated into multiple categories, but I'm having trouble coming up with names for them.
In the setting any class/character/monster could gain at least a few magic/supernatural abilities, and none of the effects are distinctly good or evil to the setting.

The types I have so far are;

Traditional magic(this represents the standard role of magic in most rpgs):
unique due to having spells, which can be used to create elemental effects, life giving effects, life draining effects, or move objects or beings

-subcategories of it;
-Elemental(summoning energy, summoning literal elemental beings is a different category generally)
-healing/life draining(focuses on buffing phsyical or mental abilities, as well as healing and draining/removing life force, does not include creating undead or talking to spirits)
-Force manipulation(moving objects through magic, as well as teleporting, creating barriers, and some divination effects)

Binding magic(things such as creating golems or undead, talking to spirits, summoning, things that effect souls/ghosts, and making pacts with supernatural spirits/beings)
This category lacks standard spell style effects, and generally uses either summoned beings, constructs, or abilities gained from pacts.

-subcategories of it;
-Making constructs(creating things such as golems and corporal undead)
-Spirit magic(talking to spirits, as well as conjuring them to grant some sort of buff, or summoning things such as ghosts or wraiths, also includes abilities/effects which effect creature's souls, or effect incorporeal undead)
-Summoning(summoning creatures/beings, either as a short duration effect, like summon spells in dnd, or a long term effect, acting as a companion/pet/ally)
-Pact magic(one of the two I have a set name for already, focuses on making pacts with spirits, fey, otherworldly creatures[of any type], and elemental forces. meant to be similar to dnd binders, or like the personas in the shin megami tensei persona series, and it seems like an uncommon style of magic in general in rpgs)

Psychic Abilities(the other one I have a name for, this category focuses on mental abilities, effects which effect the mind, mind reading, reactive effects[usable instantly, and mainly as a reaction to someone else’s actions], as well as more traditional psychic themed effects, it also has no sub categories)

Scientific Magics(things such as alchemy, or making magical clockwork things, or transmuting materials)
This category is mostly for things such as mystic clockwork devices, magitech, making alchemical substances, as well as transmutation[in this case both standard traditional style{lead into gold etc.}, making chimeric beings, as well as flesh golems, and also large scale, including moving things to an extent{sort of like in avatar the last airbender, or full metal alchemist)

-subcategories of it;
-Magitech(things such as the mystic clockwork devices, and miscellaneous magitech)
-Alchemy(potions elixers, and magic chemicals and substances, as well as flesh golems and homunculi, and small scale transmutation)
-Transmutation?(things such as chimeric beings/creatures, as well as more violent large scale transmutation)



All four categories are meant to be distinct from each other, in the sense that a creature or object immune or resistant to one may be vulnerable to others, and they all have separate style of gameplay and mechanics)

Togath
2012-10-26, 04:25 PM
Would this do better in the homebrew or world building forums?, I was mostly trying to come up with names that people wouldn't feel too silly saying out loud at a gaming table, or names that don't have contradictory associations(as an example; by it's original meaning, necromancy would be a fairly good name for the spirit magic, since it relates to talking too and contacting the dead, but nowdays it’s associated with making undead, and casting curses and life draining magic)

Kelb_Panthera
2012-10-26, 04:52 PM
Yes, this does belong in either homebrew or world-building.

It only needs to go in world-building if you intend to build an actuall campaign setting to go with this new magic setup.

Togath
2012-10-26, 11:28 PM
Ok. (I'm also building the main setting seperate so I'll see if I can get this moved to homebrew)

ReaderAt2046
2012-10-27, 05:44 PM
I'd say Summoning, Alchemy, and Transmutation are perfectly good names for their respective categories. I'd call the "making constructs" category Forging, and the healing/life draining I'd call Soulshaping.

Togath
2012-10-27, 09:59 PM
Aye I had been thinking of keeping summoning and alchemy ones, though I hadn't been 100% sure of transmutation.
Forging could fit with some golems, but the "golem making" school of magic also makes things such as stone, wood, bone, or clay golems, as well as the metal or baked materials(such as pottery or bricks) which would be the ones that seem like "forging" seems like it fits. it also includes many types of corporal undead(such as zombies and skeletons, as well as possibly wights, ghouls and hopping vampires), so "animation" perhaps? I do really like the sound of soul-shaping though, and it seems like a nice neutral(in the good vs evil sense) term.

Trekkin
2012-10-27, 11:04 PM
Perhaps a good name for the binding magic, would be Vivitheurgy, if you want Soulshaping to be the healing school. It highlights the pact-based nature of it.

It's slightly silly, but could scientific magic be Thaumatology?

tbok1992
2012-10-28, 12:43 AM
Well, I know that the stuff from the Tome of Battle should be known as Muscle Wizardry, as that's what it is. And that is awesome. IRON HEART SUUUUUUURGE!