McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft
The Stoicist - Building a Magic / Ability System
kingaling:
Wow! Thanks everyone for giving me some excellent questions. Haru, you'll find that alot of your statements have answers in the first few questions. I did comment on one of your statements though.
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Is there any added benefit to taking more permanent damage? Like could a stoic lose an eye but get some kind of 3rd sight Odin-style? Or maybe full blinding to make a prophet/seer? You have to remember that the whole idea behind the stoicists power is that they have to be stone faced upon pain. I'm not sure even my most powerful Stoicist could hold it together long enough to get any power off of something as traumatic as losing an eye, or both.
What about if got his hand doused in lava, could he loose the hand but get some more permanent fire powers? The relationship of stoicistic power has nothing to do with the type of pain they're given. It's the amount of pain that is thrown at them that determines how big or small their reaction or stored energy is. If someone has the ability of fire, and they get doused with lava and loses a hand, but remains stoic about it, then the energy from losing his hand is stored in its usual form (band-aid, scar etc) And then once that energy has been used up later, then it's used up.
And if they took some permanent emotional or psychological damage (death of a spouce/child for example) would it give a lasting power of some kind? That's an interesting one and something I've been playing around with. Now, as something like this is traumatic in a mindset, we get into the realm of emotional and mental stoicism. These horrible feelings can be bottled up and stored to a massive extent, but there's a cost. It feeds off of your battle scars. And if you don't have any, then it just feeds off of your life force. The one postive thing that comes out of this doesn't cost energy at all, is resolute. I.E. remaining stonefaced through almost anything. Some stoicists have managed to use their torturous pasts to gain resolute, and then let go. And as a bonus, stoicists that move past their emotional and mental pains get to keep resolute.
And I know you said self-inflicted damage doesn't grant power, but I had an image of wandering ascetic Saints, gaining power from vows of poverty, chastity etc as a form of spiritual stoicism. Yeah, still self inflicted, interesting idea though.
If a stoicist finds himself crossing a dessert and there is no food or water, will he gain power? It takes a cunning stoicist to realize that the scorching heat of desert sun is an exterior source of pain, but damned if you can find one that can remain stone faced throughout it. Hunger and thirst is a self caused pain so no power granted.
How about just being locked up in prison? It would be funny for stoic prisons to be like lush spa resort, that do there best to prevent any inflicted hardship, just to keep power opportunities from arising. I have thought of this same thing. I was going to do it, but then I realized even if they got hurt, it wouldn't grant them power. In the enemy prisons everyone is locked up and fastened tight. They don't bring anyone alive unless they haven't exponged all of their powers and have information. There's no one that harms the inmates. Just interrogation and immediate execution.
How about someone who has pins and plates in their limbs? Actually I have a character whose at rest power is stored this way.
How about someone suffering from a disease like arthritis? As much as it sucks, arthritis is still pain from ones own body and therefore negates power granting.
I like the idea, it has a lot of potential. Thanks!
As others already said, using physical pain should provide physical powers. Physical pain isn't what provides the power, it's the ignorance of it.
Darkshore:
Just stumbled upon this, seems like a good idea but... Why would there enemies ever attack them? If I personally wanted to kill a Stoicist I would lay in wait until I knew the one shot, stab, etc. I had would kill them. Otherwise your just making them more powerful.
Nicodemus Carpenter:
Is this going to be the only magical system explained in your story?
You mentioned you liked the idea of someone stealing their power by healing them. Would that be a separate magical system or just an inverted application of Stoicism?
If there are multiple magical systems, is it possible to practice multiple magical systems, or would it be something akin to matter/antimatter?
Obviously Stoicism requires great focus and training, but is that all just training and aptitude, or is there something akin to a mutant factor that determines whether one can actually practice the art at all?
Love the concept btw. Far more creative than anything I've come up with yet.
A question for the thread as a whole. Does anyone mind if we turn this into a generic support thread for multiple authors creating magical systems or do you want to keep the topic on Stoicism here and simply create another thread for broader discussion?
kingaling:
--- Quote from: Darkshore on May 15, 2011, 04:39:03 PM ---Just stumbled upon this, seems like a good idea but... Why would there enemies ever attack them? If I personally wanted to kill a Stoicist I would lay in wait until I knew the one shot, stab, etc. I had would kill them. Otherwise your just making them more powerful.
--- End quote ---
I actually answered this one earlier in the thread. Their enemies don't attack them outright, any "attack" is a botched assassination. If they do wind up in a fight with a stoicist they do have the means to fight them off, and expertly so, but it'd be far easier and smarter to eliminate them from a distance.
Is this going to be the only magical system explained in your story? Yes
You mentioned you liked the idea of someone stealing their power by healing them. Would that be a separate magical system or just an inverted application of Stoicism? It is an inversion of Stoicism.
If there are multiple magical systems, is it possible to practice multiple magical systems, or would it be something akin to matter/antimatter? There are only Stoicism and it's inversion, it is very much matter/antimatter.
Obviously Stoicism requires great focus and training, but is that all just training and aptitude, or is there something akin to a mutant factor that determines whether one can actually practice the art at all? It is more than sheer will and determination, though that is a big factor, there is in fact a "mutant" factor. Like everything, it's in the blood.
Love the concept btw. Far more creative than anything I've come up with yet.Appreciate it, thank you!
A question for the thread as a whole. Does anyone mind if we turn this into a generic support thread for multiple authors creating magical systems or do you want to keep the topic on Stoicism here and simply create another thread for broader discussion? I should have thought of that before I posted it as "building a magic/ability system" I think I let a lot of people down. I would prefer to keep this focused on Stoicism, if you don't mind. I will change the name however, and you could create a new one :).
Nicodemus Carpenter:
--- Quote from: kingaling on May 16, 2011, 04:36:46 AM --- I think I let a lot of people down.
--- End quote ---
Not at all yo.
--- Quote ---I would prefer to keep this focused on Stoicism, if you don't mind.
--- End quote ---
Your thread, your rules.
What kind of stuff can a Stoicist do:
When he/she just received a hit from ambush (his only power thusfar) and he's reacting to a single untrained attacker? And trained? How about 3 untrained attackers? Trained? How about a dozen untrained? Trained? Middle of a battle?
What about when he/she is full to bursting with power?
What non-combat things can stoicists do with their power? They can heal themselves, can they heal others? Does the healing process cost them power? How does the healing occur? Do they have to understand the principals of medicine and anatomy, or does the body simply place itself back in order utilizing the power stoicism provides?
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