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<blockquote data-quote="Aaron L" data-source="post: 7854598" data-attributes="member: 926"><p>I like the distinction between Magic and Psionics as being that Magic comes from without, and Psionics comes from within. I consider Psionics and <em>Ki</em> to be the same energy, like The Force and the Asian concepts of <em>Prana</em> and <em>Ki/Qi</em> that The Force is based on; life energy that is generated by living beings and suffuses the world. While I agree that they are both supernatural powers, I prefer to have them as being two separate <em>types</em> of supernatural power, while maintaining a connection between all of them (the same as how all the different types of electromagnetic energies and other physical Forces are all different, while still being interconnected.)</p><p></p><p>But then again, I like having multiple different kinds of supernatural powers without just labeling all of them "Magic." I like to use David Eddings' <em>The Belgariad</em> as an example; in the universe of <em>The Belgariad</em> and <em>The Mallorean</em> there are multiple types of supernatural powers; Magic: an external power based on the summoning of Demons to serve the user that is used by Magicians; Sorcery: an internal power based on <em>The Will and The Word</em> that is used by Sorcerers; and Witchcraft: an external power based on making deals with spirits that is used by Witches. They are all related supernatural energies, yes, but they are still all distinct, separate types of power. I even like to have the different Schools of Magic being based on separate types of Magical energies; Necromancy uses a different kind of energy than Evocation, and both are distinct from the psychological energies of Enchantment/Charm (the term "Enchantment" itself comes from the root "Chant," or speech.)</p><p></p><p>However, I also use the principle that "An Effect Is An Effect Is An Effect." Despite being activated by different methods, an effect is the same regardless of how it is brought about. A <em>Fireball</em> effect, for example, is the same regardless of whether it is brought about by a Wizard spell, a Sorcerer spell, a Cleric spell, a Warlock spell, a Monk's <em>Ki</em> power, or a Psionic power. The <em>Fireball</em> is still the same preexisting supernatural effect, no matter how that effect is activated; the Wizard's <em>Fireball </em>spell was discovered long ago by developing a process that activated a pre-existing effect, and all of the other spell/powers that create <em>Fireballs</em> all take advantage of that same effect, even though they all activate the same effect by going through a different process to do so. A Psionic/Psychic or <em>Ki</em> power that creates a <em>Fireball</em> effect is merely using Psionic energy to begin the same supernatural process that creates a <em>Fireball</em> effect that a Wizard's <em>Fireball</em> spell creates, achieving the same supernatural process using a different catalyzing energy, but the end result is still the same supernatural <em>Fireball</em> effect regardless of the catalyzing energy that began it; the end effect is the same despite the process used to initiate it.</p><p></p><p>I just don't like having a "Grand Unified Theory of Magic" where every supernatural power is just the exact same "Magic" that everyone uses (similar to how I greatly dislike the 5th Edition transplanting The Weave concept of magic from the Forgotten Realms and shoehorning it into every other D&D world as well. The Weave is a 'Realms concept, and while I <em>very much like</em> the idea of The Weave, <em>for Toril</em>, I don't much like it being inserted into Oerth and Athas.) There are many different Forces in physics; Electromagnetism, Gravity, Weak Nuclear Force, Strong Nuclear Force, etc, and I like having the same thing in regard to supernatural powers.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Aaron L, post: 7854598, member: 926"] I like the distinction between Magic and Psionics as being that Magic comes from without, and Psionics comes from within. I consider Psionics and [I]Ki[/I] to be the same energy, like The Force and the Asian concepts of [I]Prana[/I] and [I]Ki/Qi[/I] that The Force is based on; life energy that is generated by living beings and suffuses the world. While I agree that they are both supernatural powers, I prefer to have them as being two separate [I]types[/I] of supernatural power, while maintaining a connection between all of them (the same as how all the different types of electromagnetic energies and other physical Forces are all different, while still being interconnected.) But then again, I like having multiple different kinds of supernatural powers without just labeling all of them "Magic." I like to use David Eddings' [I]The Belgariad[/I] as an example; in the universe of [I]The Belgariad[/I] and [I]The Mallorean[/I] there are multiple types of supernatural powers; Magic: an external power based on the summoning of Demons to serve the user that is used by Magicians; Sorcery: an internal power based on [I]The Will and The Word[/I] that is used by Sorcerers; and Witchcraft: an external power based on making deals with spirits that is used by Witches. They are all related supernatural energies, yes, but they are still all distinct, separate types of power. I even like to have the different Schools of Magic being based on separate types of Magical energies; Necromancy uses a different kind of energy than Evocation, and both are distinct from the psychological energies of Enchantment/Charm (the term "Enchantment" itself comes from the root "Chant," or speech.) However, I also use the principle that "An Effect Is An Effect Is An Effect." Despite being activated by different methods, an effect is the same regardless of how it is brought about. A [I]Fireball[/I] effect, for example, is the same regardless of whether it is brought about by a Wizard spell, a Sorcerer spell, a Cleric spell, a Warlock spell, a Monk's [I]Ki[/I] power, or a Psionic power. The [I]Fireball[/I] is still the same preexisting supernatural effect, no matter how that effect is activated; the Wizard's [I]Fireball [/I]spell was discovered long ago by developing a process that activated a pre-existing effect, and all of the other spell/powers that create [I]Fireballs[/I] all take advantage of that same effect, even though they all activate the same effect by going through a different process to do so. A Psionic/Psychic or [I]Ki[/I] power that creates a [I]Fireball[/I] effect is merely using Psionic energy to begin the same supernatural process that creates a [I]Fireball[/I] effect that a Wizard's [I]Fireball[/I] spell creates, achieving the same supernatural process using a different catalyzing energy, but the end result is still the same supernatural [I]Fireball[/I] effect regardless of the catalyzing energy that began it; the end effect is the same despite the process used to initiate it. I just don't like having a "Grand Unified Theory of Magic" where every supernatural power is just the exact same "Magic" that everyone uses (similar to how I greatly dislike the 5th Edition transplanting The Weave concept of magic from the Forgotten Realms and shoehorning it into every other D&D world as well. The Weave is a 'Realms concept, and while I [I]very much like[/I] the idea of The Weave, [I]for Toril[/I], I don't much like it being inserted into Oerth and Athas.) There are many different Forces in physics; Electromagnetism, Gravity, Weak Nuclear Force, Strong Nuclear Force, etc, and I like having the same thing in regard to supernatural powers. [/QUOTE]
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