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D&D General other possible elements?

Voadam

Legend
metal is not earth, water is wind and metal is somewhere between light and electromagnetism(it seems to be metal, lightning and light) from my pseudo grasp of Chinese five elemental system.
Maybe so in the Chinese elemental system, I am not that familiar with it.

But while 1e Oriental Adventures had a little bit of fantasy China, (Kung Fu as one of the real world martial arts styles, two of the nations in the two page section on Kara tur countries being historical Chinese fantasy analogues, a few other bits) it was mostly fantasy Japan with Katanas, Samurai, Ninjas, Yakuza, Karate, Jujitsu, two Fantasy Japan countries, races, monsters, samurai honor and clans as the default culture system, wealth and taxes being in the form of rice, the nonweapon proficiencies including things like tea ceremony, Ki instead of Qi or Chi, etc. The consultants were all Japanese players as well and the Introduction mentions the Japanese focus.

I am not familiar with Japanese elemental theory or the inspirations for the Wu Jen class either though so I also can not say whether it is a decent D&D adaptation or not of that and any particular elemental theory. I would guess it is more likely to be Japanese based than Chinese though or maybe even Chinese through a Japanese lens and there may be differences between Chinese and Japanese on specifics for elemental divisions and relationships similar to how I have read Chinese and Japanese dragons are similar but have different specifics like the number of claws or specific animal features and the symbolic meanings of those differences in their specific mythologies and folklore.
 

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Mind of tempest

(he/him)advocate for 5e psionics
honestly, I am looking for four more options that are not boring fusions of elements I want stranger stuff.
wood is a solid choice, metal is had to make easy, void and such is too alien right now.
anyone go three more?
 


J.Quondam

CR 1/8
Maybe something like: Wood, Flesh, Life (positive), Death (negative)? That gets you the base four "constructive" elements, and four more "motive" ones.

Or the four Humors (Blood, Phlegm, Yellow bile, and Black bile) which describe behaviors? In classical medicine, they're already associated with elements, iirc, but you could strip that out and make them into their own motive forces.
 


Tonguez

A suffusion of yellow
Maybe go with Fundamental Forces - Gravity, Electromagnetic, Nuclear, Weak, Magic

Theres also the Reson flavours - up, down, sideways, sex appeal, and peppermint.
 


EzekielRaiden

Follower of the Way
Lightning, Radiance, Cold, Necrosis, Force, Acid, Poison, Fire! n_n
I like to fold Acid, Poison, and Necrotic together into "Corrosive" damage, as that's simpler and also means undead things shouldn't automatically get immunity to it. It also makes for more nice pairings, as "Corrosive" can be opposite Radiant and Force can pair with Psychic. Fire/Cold and Radiant/Corrosive are antagonistic pairings, while Lightning/Thunder and Psychic/Force are cooperative pairings.

That then leaves
Fire
Cold
Lightning
Thunder
Radiant
Corrosive
Force
Psychic

honestly, I am looking for four more options that are not boring fusions of elements I want stranger stuff.
wood is a solid choice, metal is had to make easy, void and such is too alien right now.
anyone go three more?
Wood (growth, nature, cooperation, restoration, etc.),
Metal (constructs, manifesting tools and physical objects, enhancement, etc.),
Flesh (healing and wounding, transformation, physical skill, etc.),
Thought (telepathy, mental skill, mind control, emotion, etc.),
Sound (communication, explosions, vibration, motion, speed, etc.),
Light (divination/revelation, cleansing, illusions, guidance, etc.).

Could even make them in order from most physically material to most abstract.

Metal, Wood, Flesh, Sound, Light, Thought.
 


MoonSong

Rules-lawyering drama queen but not a munchkin
honestly, I am looking for four more options that are not boring fusions of elements I want stranger stuff.
wood is a solid choice, metal is had to make easy, void and such is too alien right now.
anyone go three more?
One actual honest suggestion. (I was kidding with the other one)

Light(Life)-Darkness(Soul)
Crystal-Metal
Sound/Music
 

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