Jack7
First Post
A buddy of mine sent me this article on Weaponizing Ball Lightning. (We often exchange research and articles on advances in R&D on new weapon and new non-lethal weapon systems.)
After reading the article and ruminating on the real world applications for awhile it also occurred to me, well, what would be the possible game applications?
So I had this idea. Suppose you could develop a series of spells, or even a sub-system or fully developed system of magic which, in effect, amplified, altered, or changed normal physical processes?
Suppose you could control or use magic that transformed already existing real world phenomena into basically controlled systems for magical purposes?
Now I personally am not real big on "scientificating" magic. Magic isn't made for creating lightsabres, its made for creating magical swords. I'm not a big fan of technical magic either, or of magic acting as merely a form of "technology."
Then again just because you took control of natural processes doesn't mean you'd have to control or use them in a "technological fashion." Either by process or by effect.
But the ideas the article stimulated in me made me consider these potential ideas, which could be used in either a lethal or non-lethal fashion. The main point of such magic would not be to "create things" but to take control of already occurring natural processes, forms of energy, events, objects, etc. I'm gonna describe these things in pseudo-scientific terms (so they can be easily understood by both Geeks and Nerds and so they won't have to be over-explained) but they wouldn't have to appear or operate in that manner, and me personally, that would not be my approach in game terms anyway, if I had my druthers. (I would not render them as mere "technological effects.") Now I thought that many of these "magic-types" would be good for Wizards, but some might be good for Druids and other classes of Naturalistic magic users as well.
Weaponized Natural Processes - as per the article, but it might also disrupt other magics, stun enemies, etc. It might even work in reverse to "draw energy" from other objects, maybe even magical ones. Another example would be glass. A person is holding glass which immediately melts into its superheated liquid form and it then quickly coats or glazes the holder's hand with the melted glass. Ceramics and metals would be likewise very dangerous when subjected to such high-level magics. Such WNP effects could occur at the chemical, molecular, atomic, or even quantum level.
Conditional Recurrences - a person or creature has an already existing condition, such as a weak heart. This spell or form of magic would rapidly "scan the body" and then exploit already existing weaknesses. If it was a weak heart it could cause a massive heart attack, or maybe something like an irregular and debilitating heartbeat. If a person had suffered a severe internal wound then the spell could cause the old wound to tear open again and cause internal bleeding, or organ failure.
Pathogenic Recombination or Reinfection - a disease organism or infection that lies dormant in the body of a creature or a person is caused to violently replicate in moments, causing a near instant severe reinfection of a serious disease. Or several minor disease organism are caused to mutate quickly and recombine themselves into a single pathogen thereby creating an entirely new disease organism.
Process Re/Deconstruction - An object is composed of an alloy, or is made from a complex process. The spell could reverse the process, or speed up decay. Armor would rust almost instantly, or would fall to the component pieces. If an alloy then the alloy would decompose back into the constituent elements. Maybe the pattern of melding, tempering, or fitting would disintegrate. Armor would fall to pieces,. Paper would revert back to pulp. Woven materials would unravel, etc.
Focused Redeployment - An energy form, such as light, is focused or refocused in an unusual way. For example, during a sunny day magic of this type could bend the water and/or gases in the atmosphere to create a naturally occurring atmospheric lens or series of them that could create a focused light beam with a potential strength ranging from that of a large magnifying glass to a laser aperture. Sonics could be hyper amplified or sub-sonically refocused and then used as a weapon.
Catalytic Reactions - Amplifying catalytic reactions, or perhaps triggering them by causing substances to react as if under pressure or heat. For sentence powdered aluminum is splashed upon iron chainmail which has started to rust over time and is then heated till it ignites by the same spell. Creating primitive thermite. Or maybe even suppressing or preventing catalytic reactions, such as the chemical reactions that cause a dragon's breath to flame and catch fire. Acids and bases could be created, improved, or destroyed using magical rather than physically catalytic reactions.
Biological Communications - Part of the body of a man or a creature could be rearranged in such a way that a certain user could recognize that section of the body as a secret or hidden code. A line of ants could be used to spread a message for miles, from a sender to a recipient, like a telegraph or telephone line. The blood of an animal or monster might "speak" if certain magics are worked on it. Hair or fur might twist into recognizable patterns or form into a readable map. Bones might shift into readable letters or symbols.
I'm still thinking about both possible real world and gaming applications for such processes. The point would be to take control of natural processes, alter how they function, and then exploit those processes for specific or best effects.
Anyways, if you've got ideas of your own then feel free to list those as well.
After reading the article and ruminating on the real world applications for awhile it also occurred to me, well, what would be the possible game applications?
So I had this idea. Suppose you could develop a series of spells, or even a sub-system or fully developed system of magic which, in effect, amplified, altered, or changed normal physical processes?
Suppose you could control or use magic that transformed already existing real world phenomena into basically controlled systems for magical purposes?
Now I personally am not real big on "scientificating" magic. Magic isn't made for creating lightsabres, its made for creating magical swords. I'm not a big fan of technical magic either, or of magic acting as merely a form of "technology."
Then again just because you took control of natural processes doesn't mean you'd have to control or use them in a "technological fashion." Either by process or by effect.
But the ideas the article stimulated in me made me consider these potential ideas, which could be used in either a lethal or non-lethal fashion. The main point of such magic would not be to "create things" but to take control of already occurring natural processes, forms of energy, events, objects, etc. I'm gonna describe these things in pseudo-scientific terms (so they can be easily understood by both Geeks and Nerds and so they won't have to be over-explained) but they wouldn't have to appear or operate in that manner, and me personally, that would not be my approach in game terms anyway, if I had my druthers. (I would not render them as mere "technological effects.") Now I thought that many of these "magic-types" would be good for Wizards, but some might be good for Druids and other classes of Naturalistic magic users as well.
Weaponized Natural Processes - as per the article, but it might also disrupt other magics, stun enemies, etc. It might even work in reverse to "draw energy" from other objects, maybe even magical ones. Another example would be glass. A person is holding glass which immediately melts into its superheated liquid form and it then quickly coats or glazes the holder's hand with the melted glass. Ceramics and metals would be likewise very dangerous when subjected to such high-level magics. Such WNP effects could occur at the chemical, molecular, atomic, or even quantum level.
Conditional Recurrences - a person or creature has an already existing condition, such as a weak heart. This spell or form of magic would rapidly "scan the body" and then exploit already existing weaknesses. If it was a weak heart it could cause a massive heart attack, or maybe something like an irregular and debilitating heartbeat. If a person had suffered a severe internal wound then the spell could cause the old wound to tear open again and cause internal bleeding, or organ failure.
Pathogenic Recombination or Reinfection - a disease organism or infection that lies dormant in the body of a creature or a person is caused to violently replicate in moments, causing a near instant severe reinfection of a serious disease. Or several minor disease organism are caused to mutate quickly and recombine themselves into a single pathogen thereby creating an entirely new disease organism.
Process Re/Deconstruction - An object is composed of an alloy, or is made from a complex process. The spell could reverse the process, or speed up decay. Armor would rust almost instantly, or would fall to the component pieces. If an alloy then the alloy would decompose back into the constituent elements. Maybe the pattern of melding, tempering, or fitting would disintegrate. Armor would fall to pieces,. Paper would revert back to pulp. Woven materials would unravel, etc.
Focused Redeployment - An energy form, such as light, is focused or refocused in an unusual way. For example, during a sunny day magic of this type could bend the water and/or gases in the atmosphere to create a naturally occurring atmospheric lens or series of them that could create a focused light beam with a potential strength ranging from that of a large magnifying glass to a laser aperture. Sonics could be hyper amplified or sub-sonically refocused and then used as a weapon.
Catalytic Reactions - Amplifying catalytic reactions, or perhaps triggering them by causing substances to react as if under pressure or heat. For sentence powdered aluminum is splashed upon iron chainmail which has started to rust over time and is then heated till it ignites by the same spell. Creating primitive thermite. Or maybe even suppressing or preventing catalytic reactions, such as the chemical reactions that cause a dragon's breath to flame and catch fire. Acids and bases could be created, improved, or destroyed using magical rather than physically catalytic reactions.
Biological Communications - Part of the body of a man or a creature could be rearranged in such a way that a certain user could recognize that section of the body as a secret or hidden code. A line of ants could be used to spread a message for miles, from a sender to a recipient, like a telegraph or telephone line. The blood of an animal or monster might "speak" if certain magics are worked on it. Hair or fur might twist into recognizable patterns or form into a readable map. Bones might shift into readable letters or symbols.
I'm still thinking about both possible real world and gaming applications for such processes. The point would be to take control of natural processes, alter how they function, and then exploit those processes for specific or best effects.
Anyways, if you've got ideas of your own then feel free to list those as well.
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