Naming schools of magic

[yougi]

So I'm trying to create schools of magic for this 3.5/4E mesh I'm trying to design, and here is what I've got:

• Hex Magic includes debuffs and DoT spells (Slow, Hold Person, Confusion, Acid Arrow, Burning Blood)
  
• War Magic includes AoE damage and terrain modification (Wall of Stone/Iron/Fire, Fireball, Grease, Web, Lightning Bolt)
  
• Holy Magic includes divination and buffs (Haste, Prayer, Shield of Faith, Augury)
  
• Mind Magic includes illusions and enchantments (Charm Person, Dominate, major image)
  
• Elemental Magic includes direct damage and summons (Summon Monster I-IX, Scorching Ray, Magic Missile)
  
• ______ Magic includes movement and short range damage (Shocking Grasp, Fly, Dimension Door, Burning Hands)

So far, the best name we found for that last one is Ki magic, but that sounds off. Can the playground help me brainstorm something better than that?

PS: Shameless plug: if you want the full story behind these names, or behind this mesh, link is in my sig.

[Radar]

The missing one might be considered as connected directly to the caster, so maybe call it Inner Magic or Body Magic?

[yougi]

Indeed, I like the sound of Body Magic. Also on that line of thought:

Self
Inside
Soul
Heart
Intra
Confidence
Human
Auto
Guts
Organ
Muscular

Hmmm, nothing better than Body Magic, and I really wouldn't want to be a specialist caster of Organ casting... So good idea, thank you. Still, I'm always up for more...

[Frozen_Feet]

My two cents: if you have to repeat the word "magic" for each school, you're doing something wrong. "Divination" and "Necromancy", to give an example, are much better names than "Sensory magic" and "death magic".

Also, your schools are all over the place. They are mostly defined by in-game effects you want them to do, not any thematic or methodological connection. Such "schools" will not make a lick of in-game sense and it is very hard to think of fitting names for them. For example, you include AoE elemental damage spells in "war magic", yet include elemental direct damage spells in a school called "elemental magic". Err, what?

But, suggestions for your initial six:

Curses (duh)
Martial thaumaturgy (literally "warrior's miracle-working")
Theurgy
Mentalism
Elementalism
Atomokinesis (literally "movement of atoms") or Translocation

[yougi]

My two cents: if you have to repeat the word "magic" for each school, you're doing something wrong. "Divination" and "Necromancy", to give an example, are much better names than "Sensory magic" and "death magic".

Also, your schools are all over the place. They are mostly defined by in-game effects you want them to do, not any thematic or methodological connection. Such "schools" will not make a lick of in-game sense and it is very hard to think of fitting names for them. For example, you include AoE elemental damage spells in "war magic", yet include elemental direct damage spells in a school called "elemental magic". Err, what?

But, suggestions for your initial six:

Curses (duh)
Martial thaumaturgy (literally "warrior's miracle-working")
Theurgy
Mentalism
Elementalism
Atomokinesis (literally "movement of atoms") or Translocation

I am still not convinced that the ____ Magic repetition is wrong. I mean, Divination and Necromancy are indeed better than Senses magic and Death magic, but this is not proof that one should not use names that all end in the word Magic. That being said, in my case, there is a reason for this formulation: because each school of magic will be associated with a skill, I want to keep the "Magic" appellation to set these skills apart.

And I don't see the schools as being all over the place. Each school serves a particular type of strategy: a War Mage's strength lies in large-scale battles (hence War), where he can limit his opponents' movements to group them, and then hit them with an AoE to maximize damage; an Elemental Mage can either summon himself a "tank", and then stay back and use his damage spells to support his summon, or have an elemental to aid him in his mailman damaging; a Ki Mage can use his travel spells to get close to his opponents to then use his touch/short range spells.

This being said, thank you for your input.

[Xefas]

How about something like "Kinetic Magic" or "Vital Magic"?

[Arkhosia]

I personally like kinetic magic
How about Warp magic (you warp the world around you to move with ease, and warp the inflictions you can provide with just a touch)?

[KillianHawkeye]

I didn't see healing on the list. Is it filed with the buff spells under Holy Magic?

My suggestion for the last category is "Chakra Magic."

[jaybird]

How does Elemental differ from War? Better yet, how does the unnamed school differ from both? I can see an argument for Scorching Ray and Fireball being different, but there's much less of one for Fireball and Burning Hands being separate.

[Arkhosia]

How does Elemental differ from War? Better yet, how does the unnamed school differ from both? I can see an argument for Scorching Ray and Fireball being different, but there's much less of one for Fireball and Burning Hands being separate.

I think it would sort of make sense if each magic school overlapped in someway if taught, at least. Would it be sensible for a spellcaster to be an expert in debuffing and doing DoT, But have no idea how to cast a magic missile?

For example: a hex magic expert would know a few buffs from holy magic that boost DoT length, a couple attacks from war magic that prevent someone from moving farther than 10 ft, from mind magic some enchantments that prevent a enemy from dodging, attacking, etc, elemental magic that turns something into a living torch, and ____magic that teleports opponents to disadvantageous positions or using paralysing, dominating, slowing, etc. touch spells.

[jaybird]

I think it would sort of make sense if each magic school overlapped in someway if taught, at least. Would it be sensible for a spellcaster to be an expert in debuffing and doing DoT, But have no idea how to cast a magic missile?

For example: a hex magic expert would know a few buffs from holy magic that boost DoT length, a couple attacks from war magic that prevent someone from moving farther than 10 ft, from mind magic some enchantments that prevent a enemy from dodging, attacking, etc, elemental magic that turns something into a living torch, and ____magic that teleports opponents to disadvantageous positions or using paralysing, dominating, slowing, etc. touch spells.

Okay, so your system is categorized by WHAT is being done, not HOW it is being done. In that case, I strongly suggest looking at how Genius: the Transgression categorizes its Axioms.

[Aron Times]

Vampire blood sorcery in the New World of Darkness has five themes (basically schools of blood sorcery):

Creation - Allows you to conjure or create stuff out of nothing. At lower levels, you can create illusions and dead vegetable material, while at higher levels, you can create precious materials, summon creatures (which don't have to be real-life animals), or even change the weather.

Destruction - Allows you to harm or destroy something or someone. For example, you can directly damage someone from afar, or you can make your weapons deal terrible, terrible damage. Also allows for the creation of poisons.

Divination - Information gathering.

Protection - The opposite of Destruction, this allows you to protect the target from mundane or magical attacks, or even heal others. In Vampire: The Requiem, this can only heal other vampires, but in your game, it might be more versatile. Basically Abjuration in D&D, with a dash of Conjuration (Healing).

Transmutation - Transforms one subject into another form, or animate otherwise inanimate objects. Similar to Transmutation school in D&D.

[meschlum]

Duel magic?

The entire point seems to be for close up, one on one clashes, with a mixture of acrobatics and focused tricks.

[Ashtagon]

http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=556

I went for "College of xxxx" (and "xxxx wizard")as the naming scheme for my specialist wizards. It works for me. The exact details of the spells available to each college have had some revision over time; what's posted there represents an early draft.

[yougi]

First, I'll say thank you all, and confirm that I really like the names Kinetic, Warp and Duel. That's been very helpful.

I didn't see healing on the list. Is it filed with the buff spells under Holy Magic?

Healing will actually not be spells, but class abilities (like a 3.5 Paladin's Lay on Hands). That way, healing won't cost you your precious spells.

How does Elemental differ from War? Better yet, how does the unnamed school differ from both? I can see an argument for Scorching Ray and Fireball being different, but there's much less of one for Fireball and Burning Hands being separate.

From a design standpoint, they each represent different tactical points, different advantages and disadvantages. From an in-world standpoint, Elemental is control of the elements of the world around them, either by controlling monsters made of it or sending it in controlled forms (Rays, missiles, orbs); War is exciting those elements so they'll go wild (fireballs explode, lightning bolts... lightning boltify?); Finally Kinetic/Warp/Duel magic is using the energy from within to create effects, hence why they don't have much reach.

Now, these three explanations were kind of written on the fly, without prior idea. Does that make sense to you? ;)

I think it would sort of make sense if each magic school overlapped in someway if taught, at least. Would it be sensible for a spellcaster to be an expert in debuffing and doing DoT, But have no idea how to cast a magic missile?

For example: a hex magic expert would know a few buffs from holy magic that boost DoT length, a couple attacks from war magic that prevent someone from moving farther than 10 ft, from mind magic some enchantments that prevent a enemy from dodging, attacking, etc, elemental magic that turns something into a living torch, and ____magic that teleports opponents to disadvantageous positions or using paralysing, dominating, slowing, etc. touch spells.

Actually, I believe that it does make sense for a Hex master to have no clue how to shoot a Magic Missile. However, spellcasters are not limited to one school: since each school is a skill, they'll be free to split their skill points amongst them like they want: an overspecialized caster will be very powerful, but not so versatile, while a generalist caster will know low level spells from all schools.

Okay, so your system is categorized by WHAT is being done, not HOW it is being done. In that case, I strongly suggest looking at how Genius: the Transgression categorizes its Axioms.

Thank you, I'll look into that.

http://www.thepiazza.org.uk/bb/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=556

I went for "College of xxxx" (and "xxxx wizard")as the naming scheme for my specialist wizards. It works for me. The exact details of the spells available to each college have had some revision over time; what's posted there represents an early draft.

Hmmmm, interesting. I like how you named many of them after gems. Thank you for the link!