Elemental Dynamics (AKA Type Effectiveness) - Looking for Critique

[DiceyUK]

In my homebrew setting, I'm using a vague elemental system. I have twelve elements, at least one breed of dragon for each and a god-like holder of each domain. Each element is used as a metaphor for all the domains they pertain to (For example, Fire also pertains to Rage, Passion, Destruction etc and Sand to Suffering, Rust etc)


Air (Movement, Freedom, Chaos
Blood (Disease, Seduction, Family
Bone (Undeath, Endurance,
Darkness/Death (Death, Sorrow, Evil, Fear
Electricity (Excitement, Joy, Wrath, Lightning, Drama
Fire (Rage, Passion, Warmth, Pain
Ice (Sloth, Cold, Apathy
Life/Light (Life, Beauty, Healing
Metal (Stars, Willpower,
Sand (Suffering, Rust, Surrender
Water (Erosion, Ocean, Cleanliness, Peace
Wood (Nature, Woodland, Poison, Acid


I'm aware that my choices are unpopular. As such, I'm looking to get a wider range of opinions, as well as some nice examples of elemental divisions and effectiveness in other games and settings.

I'm still working on the complete effectiveness chart. In the final revision, I want to have something that can be displayed clearly and simply.

[JBPuffin]

The exacts of the math will depend on your actual dice, but I don't see any problem with the elements in question. Maybe explain a little better what you're intending to have answered? I'd be glad to help out beyond that.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

That is certainly a weird (and in my opinion awkward) set of elements. What made you pick those specifically, and why so many (most "elemental" concepts seem to run between 4 and 7)? Knowing a bit more about your rationale will help me get a better idea of what to recommend to help tighten up the concept

[DiceyUK]

Thank you both for your responses.

My setting has a long history woven into it and these twelve seemed to nicely capture the 'powers that be'.

Some elements are more closely associated with evil beings (For example, Ice, Sand, Darkness etc) and some more with good beings. I think that's the core reason why there's so many with some being very similar (Ie, Wood, Sand, Metal could be summed up as 'Earth').

I also like the number twelve for it's divisibility, which I feel might help when balancing effectiveness.

I suppose I wanted to gauge myself against other systems and see what I could do with it.

(I also have the elements loosely tied to schools of magic in my setting but I think that's irrelevant here.)

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

My setting has a long history woven into it and these twelve seemed to nicely capture the 'powers that be'.

See, that doesn't really say Elements to me. It almost seems more like Circles of Magic, or Domains, or something similar.

Elements as they appear in most fantasy settings are primal forces, usually associated with magical attacks. In real-world philosophy, elements are often believed to be the core materials from which everything else is created.

What you have seems closest to the ideas of the Seven Chakra (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_element) (look under India in that link), where these chakra are representative of both elemental forces and other (somewhat) associated things. Note that there's still a layer of the classical elements composing all things in even this concept.

In yours, the ones that stand out as out of place to me are as follows: Bone, Blood, Sand, Light/Life, Darkness/Death.

[Temotei]

Well, you could go with an obvious one type = one weakness = one strength system but it seems you're going for something more complex...in which case, I'll give a shot at what I would do with these elements if I were to use them.

Associations would be sort of complementary types, ones that work together well when combining them in spells or techniques, alchemical ingredients, and so on. Advantage defines what an element has power over with regard to the other elements, and vulnerability defines what an element is overpowered by with regard to the other elements.

This could create an interesting dynamic when combining elements that are associated while one has power over the other, or in combining more than two elements (a spell that raises a volcano might have fire, sand, water, and possibly metal associated with it, for example).

You could also take it a step further by making "disassociations," which would just be the opposite of associations. Fire and Ice likely would not play well together in most cases, for example.



Element
Association
Advantage
Vulnerability


Air
Fire, Electricity, Life/Light, Water, Wood
Ice
Wood


Blood
Bone, Darkness/Death, Life/Light, Water
Bone
Ice


Bone
Blood, Darkness/Death, Life/Light
Electricity
Blood


Darkness/Death
Blood, Bone, Ice, Sand
Life/Light
Life/Light


Electricity
Air
Metal, Water
Bone, Wood


Fire
Air, Life/Light, Metal
Ice, Wood
Sand, Water


Ice
Darkness/Death, Water
Blood, Water
Air, Fire


Life/Light
Air, Blood, Bone, Fire, Water
Darkness/Death
Darkness/Death


Metal
Fire, Sand
Wood
Electricity


Sand
Darkness/Death, Metal
Fire
Water


Water
Air, Blood, Ice, Life/Light, Wood
Fire, Sand
Electricity, Ice


Wood
Air, Water
Air, Electricity
Fire, Metal



It's interesting that you separate blood and life but put life and light together, for example. I'm curious as to how these elements came about. Maybe you could give some examples of the forces that inspired this list to help us out a bit if this isn't exactly what you're looking for?