Chandrian

Is the Discord still around? I'd be interested in joining.

That could potentially work. I was planning upon comprehension being an important aspect in the system as well, Tiers merely increasing what has the potential to be achieved, not what will be. I may heighten the importance of using it, though. I was also toying with near death and physical pain inflicted upon oneself having the potential to boost one's Tier. That would lead to some dark initiation rituals to cetrain groups. It doesn't result in weakened Proficiency, persay, but a sudden, total loss around 15. This makes killing Shadows if you have powers something you do only if absolutely necessary. Plenty of societies have burial pits to contain Shadows, and most do anything they can to avoid them. Someone without Proficiency can use Soulbearing. Some do. There is the added side effect of a gradual loss of sanity and disfigurement. A bearer of enough souls will regress to an almost bestial state of mind, and sport mottled skin, having traits bordering upon that of a Shadow. You can't regain Proficency after losing said souls. You hit the removal limit, and it's gone. Period. This makes Shadows far more threatening as no one with Proficiency wants to kill them. If you kill someone bearing a significant amount of souls, their Shadow will be incredibly dangerous. Fast, strong, flexible, massive and ridiculously hard to kill. The math on the tier thing was me making a silly math error. I'll change that. And yes, I need revisions to gaining Tiers. That's a fair portion of the reason I put up this thread. I was thinking of that being a practice performed by more primitive or militant societies i.e. The Spartans. It would also probably be a major aspect of the criminal underworld. You could understand the appeal of Flesh Proficients as slaves for a multitude of reasons, if you see what I'm getting at... Sorry, all for my lack of promptness in responding. It's been altogether a busy week. Give me any more commentary or questions you have, and if anyone has proposals for how to gain Tiers, I'd love to know them!

I've been working on worldbuilding for the last few months to stave off boredom in numerous situations. What I'll use said world for is still a matter of debate, but it may be a Roleplay. I've come up with two systems of magic which I plan to implement, and am greatly in need of others insight upon the matter. As they haven't been named, I'll merely refer to them as my current terminology: Proficiency and Soulbearing. Proficiency: This is my version of the older-than-dirt elemental magic cliché. Magic will be divided into 5 primary aspects, and each one is attributed to a certain proficiency and requires a certain input. Along with this, there are fifteen secondary aspects. The base elements are air, water, earth, fire, and life. Every person is born with affinity to one of the five based randomly upon whatever their parents have. It is expressed through markings upon the lower dominant arm. Ambidexterous people have markings on both arms. If your arm is severed within 5 inches of the elbow, you lose your powers. Growing stronger: Every 5 years, a person gains one "tier" of proficiency. Directly killing another (i.e. stabbing, strangulation, pushing down stairs) even accidentally grants you another tier of proficiency for every multitude greater than you they were, rounded down but excluding one. For example, killing someone of ToP 32 at ToP 5 will grant you 6 ToP's, more than doubling your strength. However, killing someone with ToP 6 at ToP 7 will only grant you ToP 8. Tiers are recognizable via markings on the arm, as are elements. There are no indicative symbols other than increasing complexity, but one simply knows by looking. This has leaf yo the social preference of longer sleeves and wrist wrappings. Requirements and boosts given by elements: Water manipulation uses body heat and can be used with more precision the stronger one grows, allowing for nearly artistic precision at high Proficiency. Fire manipulation uses hydration and can be used with greater power the stronger one grows, allowing for one to achieve unbelievable heat and speed of use at high Proficiency. Air manipulation uses wakefulness and can be used with greater ease the stronger one grows, allowing for practically subconscious use at high Proficiency. Earth Manipulation uses stamina and can be used to greater scale the stronger one grows, allowing for the movement of multi-tonne objects at high Proficiency. Life magic has the temporary drawback of poisoning onself, leading to a state similar to drunkeness after extended use. Doing so for long enough causes a number of permenant effects upon health and gradual withering of stature. Those with life magic grow more in tune with other things the higher their Proficiency, allowing for stronger use of their magic. Secondary Elements: One chooses their secondary element at 15 years, and it can be one which their parents had. If only one parent was metal and another vapor, they couldn't be dual water, as only one had a water-based power. If someone kills another before their 15th, the dead person's power will latch onto theirs, assigning them an element without them choosing. Ice (water and air): Can control and freeze water and other fluids at a moderate temperature range and below. The heat removed must be redirected somewhere else, and there must be a significantly colder object to start. This power emphasizes working easily in a detailed manner. Steam (water and fire): Can control vapor (including smoke) and fluids of a moderate temperature range and below, along with heating said substances. The heat added must be pulled from surroundings. This power emphasizes working with powerful, fast, and dramatic percision. Clay (water and earth): Can control stone, water, and most forms of damp earth. Given enough time, they can meld water with stone into clay, often on a massive scale in an elaborate manner. This power emphasizes intricate work on a large scale. Plants (water and life): Can control plant life and how it grows and interacts, along with modifying oneself to a minor degree with features like poisonous blood or the ability to photosynthesize. This power emphasizes complex, but often subtle changes to oneself and their surroundings. Metal (fire and earth) Can control most concentrated metals in a solid or liquid state, but can only melt them given a catalyst of intense heat (difficult for anyone without very high Proficiency). The only advantage to melting them is their heat and fluid nature even when not being controlled. This power emphasizes fast control over large quantities of materials. Lightning (fire and air): Can control and generate lightning. This can be within a wide range of strengths from the power to stun people (low Proficiency) to cooking someone on contact (high Proficiency). This power is hard to work with in a cold environment with minimal movement of energy i.e. lack of friction, wind, or burning. This power emphasizes powerful, instinctive manipulation, using lightning reflexively if needed. Flesh (fire and life): Can control and alter one's own body temporarily and permenantly. Temporary changes operate in a way similar to physical metalminds, and permenant ones can change anything from hair color to organ placement and bone density the stronger one is. This power emphasizes drastic changes to ones own physique. Dust (air and earth): Can control dust, dirt and sand, creating a temporarily solid substance in enough density. Using this, one can create bludgeons and barriers from mundane materials. This power emphasizes being able to do things of large scale with little effort. Beasts (spirit and earth): Can control animals of the surface and mimic animal traits, such as claws, teeth, and night vision. This power emphasizes large scale control with connectivity to what one does. Avians (spirit and air): Can control animals of the sky and mimic avian traits, such as feathers, talons, secondary sets of lungs, and wings. This power emphasizes forming close bonds, allowing easy control. The other five powers are the base 5, coupled the same power a second time: double air/fire/earth/water/life. Life allows for mental persuasion, great understanding of the actions of others, and heightened senses. In Summary: Every person is born with Proficiency in one of the five elements. This is represented by a marking on the dominant arm. If the dominant arm is removed, they lose their powers. One becomes gradually more powerful every 5th year, or by killing another. At 15, every person picks their second Proficiency, which combine into an alternate one (vapor, lightning, metal, flesh, avians, beasts, plants, ice, clay, dust, and each of the initial 5 at a greater strength). An ambidexterous person has two secondary Proficiencies. I'm considering adding the sixth element, which I'll refer to as "force". The abilities of force would be friction, tension, sound, light, and bacteria. Soulbearing: This is a far more simple power which is much less common. In my world, when anyone dies, a "shadow" of their existence forms 12 hours later. This shadow generally resembles the person the moment before death, only an opaque greyish color. Those with greater proficiency will often have unnatural shadows, with unnaturally long and angled appendages and great physical skills. They're violently inclined to kill humans who intrude upon their territory, but work in packs with other shadows. They immediately recover from all wounds inflicted, except those inflicted with an item made of or plated in gold. Killing a shadow infuses one's body with a portion of its energy. Doing so about 15 times results in a complete loss of Proficiency. This has caused killing shadows to be viewed as a great sin by some religions. By absorbing souls, one gains the ability to perform incredible feats at the expense of one soul each. These include becoming temporarily incorporeal, moving with incredible speed, amplifying healing, teleporting short distances, and a handful of other things. Gaining hundreds of souls gives one the ability to kill shadows with anything, and to regrow lost limbs with an inky blackish substance. Enough souls manifests in black eyes and veins. So that's all for my systems, pending revision, quantification, and fine-tuning. Give me any advice or thoughts you have upon the systems, and thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I'm only posting here because it's basically the most viewed Role playing message board. I want to get a gauge on how popular a free form role play in a completely original, global-scale environment would be. I have the base concept of a setting fleshed out, but am in need of aid creating a plot and refining systems of magic, assuming anyone takes intrest. Culture, lore, flora, fauna, and such could be constantly added by players to a (potential) grand atlas. Even of you aren't interested in creating things, let me know if playing in that environment sounds interesting.

Girls and boys, I hereby declare the status of the Wastelands un-dead!

Western Australia, Day 7 Afterglow The Mayor of the town circled a segment of the map with his ballpoint pen. “This area is where Bushfire is supposed to be. Hunters have reported seeing members of her group out there on occasion. You'll know you're getting closer to her territory when you see burned patches of earth scattered about” Charisma took the map back from the man. “This will be of aid to us. I think we could compensate you a bit, seeing the dire state of your town. I believe a few guns are in order, could you get them Afterglow?” Afterglow gestured to the soldiers to grab several rifles from one of the vehicles. She still kept up the facade of Charisma leading. Her time before him had been far enough away for locals to not know otherwise. The guns were inferior to what her people had, but were military-issue, and therefore a boon for the town. It's not as if they had many bullets, though - even the guns her people carried were for intimidation rather than use. A vanilla mayor, Afterglow thought, it’s a miracle another Epic hasn't come along yet. She likely would have razed the town herself had it not been one of her only clients in almost 50 kilometres. Charisma The two Epics faced each other, sitting in padded armchairs in the armored van. Afterglow stared at various objects, clearly trying to avoid eye contact. Charisma drummed his fingers along the rim of his wineglass, keeping the silence between them at bay. “Just say it already” Charisma said, causing her to look him in the eyes. “Excuse me?” She asked. “You clearly want to ask me something, and you're trying to dodge it. I'm guessing it's a favor, you never like being in debt to others.” He gestured towards her. “Ask away.” Afterglow stared at him with a steely gaze. “I just want to make it clear what happens if you run.” “Excuse me?” “We're in this for a small fortune. I've gotten to know you well enough to realize you may very well reap the rewards of our work and run. If you want to get out of this godforsaken hellhole where we live, you need me.” He snorted, the hint of a smirk crossing his face. “Nine months and you still treat me like we've just met. I won't bolt on you, but not because you're my only option. Someone would take me in if I ran, I'd find a way out eventually. You, however” He annunciated by waving his index finger at her, “would chase me down to the ends of the Earth. Then you'd probably spend God knows how long maiming me. Not a pleasant outcome by any means.” Afterglow scowled again, he'd noticed how touchy a subject her activities on the side were. They sat in silence once again, as these rides usually went. Charisma had little care of how the upcoming fight went, he merely hoped he wouldn't be once again the trophy passed between those stronger than him. If things did work out for them, he may not even join Afterglow in attempting to leave the country. With that kind of money and equipment . . . King Charisma he thought to himself. That does sound very nice He let idle fantasies of power and luxury distract him the rest of the way to their camp. A camp, he hoped, would soon give way to penthouses and mansions. The high life.

What would be interesting would be for him to turn every power he copies into a Curveball-level ability, regardless of its original strength.

Prime Invincibilities on a first character are generally disallowed. I'm not an admin, but I thought I'd let you know.

I just got my hands on a copy and read the book, and I have to say I'm pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a shaky, implausible, very non-Sanderson work, but I was proven wrong. Despite being only volume one, I already feel very engaged in the characters and world. I strongly enjoy the sort of colonial/19th century imperial vibe the Darksiders give off.

Wow, I realized how Epic the proportions of my hiatus were. (Get it? Epic! I'm here all night, folks.) I was on like a month long vacation, and completely forgot about finishing my post which should've been up in June. I'll try for tonight.

Deus Ex Machina?

The question is, though, would stripping them of their emotions make them docile or more dangerous. Taking emotions from someone might make them utterly remorseless and merciless. If they realize what's happening to them is inherently wrong, they could potentially be an incredible threat to Empathy.

She may not be able to avoid succumbing to darkness, but she could use the emotions of others to emulate normality. Doing so would likely leave others empty husks, but it would be more interesting that way! On an unrelated note, I hope to get a Wastelands post up, making it officially un-dead.

The characters are interesting, but nine of them seems excessive to me. Unless you wanted to join The Wastelands (which is kind of dead at the moment), I'd say nine is too many for any given area at once. Just my opinion though.

Just throwing s guess out there, is it Grasshopper Jungle?

Please, do yourself a favor and don't watch that film. It spits in the face of the entire series with its plot and characters. If you've read The Lightning Thief and then watched the movie, you understand what I mean. This is that situition on another level.

Well done! You guessed it. Book one invloves him being tricked into feeding an imprisoned witch "cake" from her family. The cake contains ingredients of raw magical power, which allow her to escape and attempt to murder his master.

No. The author's initials are J.D. His books inspired a movie that's about a year old.

1. Said woman is a witch 2. Said internship is an apprenticeship. 3. Said cake contains questionable ingredients.

So, any guesses on mine?

What could be interesting would be for him to only imitate a power he's aware of or has witnessed, even if he doesn't know it's parameters.

What could make things really interesting would be to make him require relative proximity to keep the power. In that scenario, it would either be consensual with the other Epic, or lead to outright violence.

A teenage boy puts his boss in great danger after feeding cake to a woman at his internship. This is the first book, but you can name the whole series if you'd like.

The Heroes of Olympus? Edit: 100th post!