The Shadows Of Middlemarch OOC (Dark Fantasy, Magical Academy RP)

[Lovejoy]

Maybe it can simply be a matter of preference? Perhaps magic can be channeled in a variety of ways. Maybe there are ancient words that magi first used, then they found a way to channel magic through gestures, and basically, different magi use different methods?

Also, I wanted to talk about the limitations of magic. I always found it weird how in Harry Potter people could just summon like, stew out of nowhere and then conjure up a bowl and spoon too! I'd prefer it if in this world, you can't just summon physical objects out of nowhere. You can however magically create stuff if you have the proper elements and materials to do so. Like maybe a really powerful alteration magi can create a stone gate by using the masonry from a nearby wall or something. What do you guys think about that?

Antonkun, you mentioned elements. I'm thinking that elemental magic (like fireballs or ice spears or what have you) are conjured, so that would fall under the School of Summoning. Unless you want to make it so that you need to be near an element to use it magically, which I think would be too big of a limitation. As for affinities, maybe magi can have stronger connections to different elements, like Ezrain being good with fire.

Oh, and I really want to make it so that extremely powerful magic requires way more mana than a normal body and catalyst can hold, so, in order to call down these powerful spells, different methods are required, like sacrificial rituals and the like. This is only for the most crazy and powerful magic, like the world-wide memory erasing spells that the magisters use when someone's broken their First Oath.

[Antonkun]

Antonkun, you mentioned elements. I'm thinking that elemental magic (like fireballs or ice spears or what have you) are conjured, so that would fall under the School of Summoning. Unless you want to make it so that you need to be near an element to use it magically, which I think would be too big of a limitation. As for affinities, maybe magi can have stronger connections to different elements, like Ezrain being good with fire.

Yes, more like different kind of connections to elements. I think it would be strange for... let's take Luna as an example to be able to use strong light magic, but also be able to summon darkness, set things on fire, freeze objects and electrocute people.

For the summoning limitations, I think it's good to require some kind of material to use - it would be strange, as you stated, to be able to summon objects, basically atoms, out of nowhere. Of course, it would be ironic to say that it is physically impossible, since we're dealing with magic here, but still, there are some physical laws we still obey here. xD

[Adjectives]

I was thinking that perhaps Necromancy performed on humans wouldn't be legal and as a school of magic as it might be quite controversial in the Obscured World. Perhaps some consent would be needed from another Magi in order to revive them from the dead, otherwise it would be quite inhumane for obvious reasons. It could be used by whichever law enforcement exists in the Obscured World in order to revive the murdered and such to solve crimes, providing they have the right level of authority.

I imagine that if a Necromancer is able to steal the life force of other creatures, that this would permit them indefinite life if they had access to animals; would it be illegal to attempt to sustain ones life indefinitely?
I kept this as the main power for my character, but if characters are to be accepted to the school based on their unique talents, then this might have to be a rare ability for a Necromancer. Maybe one usually performed through prolonged rituals or lengthy incantations, to which my character would be the exception.

As far as beginners spells go, I suppose a sense of recent death would be quite simple, and would offer clues of where to find the nearest dead.
For intermediate Necromancers, I'd suggest being able to speak to the dead, but this might infringe on the School of Divination. Also reanimation of smaller life forms / giving life force.
As for experts, anything from reanimation of large mammals, taking life force. I suppose at some point a Necromancer could take on the undead body of another creature, like a Lich.

[Celowein]

element-wise, I think we should just use common sense. It makes sense for things like light, electricity, and fire to be summoned "from nowhere" since they're just energy. maybe spells that affect water or earth (like aforementioned icicle spears or maybe some rock throws) would probably require a source.

then for the other half of summoning, like spirits and stuff....I think we would need charms or something. or maybe when you summon something, it's fueled by a part of your character's overall magic. this would be a good limitation on what can be summoned and what the magus can do once all the little spirit-monster-things are out running around.

[DotCom]

Would it suffice, at least initially, that we agree that most acts require some type of verbal, gesture, or material component and that more sophisticated effects require more sophisticated components? Each of us, then, would be required to act consistently in our character's use of magic. For instance, if one uses gestures a majority of the time, they couldn't simply switch to verbal because their hands are in their pockets. They might, however, be able to achieve a significantly reduced effect that way, depending its nature.

I like the 'or' here. I'd certainly understand, particularly with summoning, abdjuration, or even necromancy the use of gestures and words, while divination, like you said, might depend more on tea leaves and scrying. Maybe I'm just being selfish, but in my mind, since my character is performing...illusionary magic almost 100% of the time, it'd be nearly paradoxical to have her whip out a magic wand every time she meets someone new.

But, then maybe that's something else to be discussed once we've a framework.

Maybe it can simply be a matter of preference? Perhaps magic can be channeled in a variety of ways. Maybe there are ancient words that magi first used, then they found a way to channel magic through gestures, and basically, different magi use different methods?

Also, I wanted to talk about the limitations of magic. I always found it weird how in Harry Potter people could just summon like, stew out of nowhere and then conjure up a bowl and spoon too! I'd prefer it if in this world, you can't just summon physical objects out of nowhere. You can however magically create stuff if you have the proper elements and materials to do so. Like maybe a really powerful alteration magi can create a stone gate by using the masonry from a nearby wall or something. What do you guys think about that?

Antonkun, you mentioned elements. I'm thinking that elemental magic (like fireballs or ice spears or what have you) are conjured, so that would fall under the School of Summoning. Unless you want to make it so that you need to be near an element to use it magically, which I think would be too big of a limitation. As for affinities, maybe magi can have stronger connections to different elements, like Ezrain being good with fire.

Oh, and I really want to make it so that extremely powerful magic requires way more mana than a normal body and catalyst can hold, so, in order to call down these powerful spells, different methods are required, like sacrificial rituals and the like. This is only for the most crazy and powerful magic, like the world-wide memory erasing spells that the magisters use when someone's broken their First Oath.

If it's a matter of preference (which I like), would one channel be given more influence, so to speak, than another? For example, if someone used both verbal and physical commands, would it overpower the same command given with just a gesture?

I was thinking that perhaps Necromancy performed on humans wouldn't be legal and as a school of magic as it might be quite controversial in the Obscured World. Perhaps some consent would be needed from another Magi in order to revive them from the dead, otherwise it would be quite inhumane for obvious reasons. It could be used by whichever law enforcement exists in the Obscured World in order to revive the murdered and such to solve crimes, providing they have the right level of authority.

I imagine that if a Necromancer is able to steal the life force of other creatures, that this would permit them indefinite life if they had access to animals; would it be illegal to attempt to sustain ones life indefinitely?
I kept this as the main power for my character, but if characters are to be accepted to the school based on their unique talents, then this might have to be a rare ability for a Necromancer. Maybe one usually performed through prolonged rituals or lengthy incantations, to which my character would be the exception.

As far as beginners spells go, I suppose a sense of recent death would be quite simple, and would offer clues of where to find the nearest dead.
For intermediate Necromancers, I'd suggest being able to speak to the dead, but this might infringe on the School of Divination. Also reanimation of smaller life forms / giving life force.
As for experts, anything from reanimation of large mammals, taking life force. I suppose at some point a Necromancer could take on the undead body of another creature, like a Lich.

This reminds me of Garth Nix's use of necromancy in his Abhorsen series, where it's easier to speak to/control the more recently dead. Of course, then you have to 'cross over' and stand in some scary water, but that's neither here nor there...

[Lovejoy]

@Dot, I don't think we should complicate the verbal incantations/physical gestures thing too much. I propose that people can choose how they want to cast magic, and one method (or both methods combined) shouldn't be any more powerful than the other.

As for necromancy, I always envisioned it as something that even at basic levels, is incredibly powerful, so just having a "beginner's grasp" of it would make one notable enough to be accepted into Middlemarch. One thing that I'm against is resurrection, as I really hate it when characters are brought back to life. I'd prefer it we did it in the following way-- Souls cannot be brought back, but the corpses of once-living things can be reanimated by magic. This can allow zombies, skeletal minions and things like that to exist, but they wouldn't be "sentient". A powerful necromancer would be able to control them, but they wouldn't have any intelligence or anything like that. Maybe how it works is that necromancers temporarily put their own souls into whatever they reanimate.

Oh, and I do think that necromancy should be a kind of highly feared form of magic, as it can be incredibly difficult to control and to master. Necromancers should require some kind of license to practice their profession, and are forbidden from doing anything "too crazy".

The ghosts of the dead (i.e souls) however cannot be returned to the world of the living, at least by traditional methods. They can however be spoken to from beyond the grave by expert diviners. Maybe novice diviners can hear the voices of the dead, and have trouble controlling this, but as they get more powerful, they're able to master this communication.

What do you guys think?

[LJCOMICS]

Might I suggest we use a slightly edited version of the D&D magical schools? As they have just about anything you could categorize nailed down. Here's a quick copy/paste job.

Abjuration
This school is focused on protective spells, as well as spells which cancel or interfere with other spells, magical effects or supernatural abilities, such as Break Enchantment, Dimensional Anchor, Dispel Magic or Remove Curse. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Abjurers.

Transmutation
Spells in this school alter the properties of their targets. Examples include Bull's Strength, Fabricate, Polymorph, Plant Growth, Move Earth, Water Breathing. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Transmuters.

Conjuration
Conjuration is divided into five subschools: calling (spells which physically transport extraplanar creatures to the caster, as well as granting them the ability to return to where they were called from), creation, healing, summoning (teleporting objects to the caster's location and / or causing creatures to physically manifest at the caster's location) and teleportation (instantly transporting creatures and / or objects). Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Conjurers.

Divination
This school is focused on acquiring information. Examples of spells include Detect Magic, Identify and Read Magic. Divination has one subschool: scrying, spells within the scrying subschool create invisible magical sensors which provide the caster with information, these sensors can be detected and dispelled. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Diviners.

Enchantment
Enchantment is divided into two subschools: compulsion and charm. Charm spells, such as Charm Person or Symbol of Persuasion, affect the targets' attitudes, usually making them act more favorably toward the caster. Compulsion spells such as Confusion, Dominate Monster, Feeblemind, Sleep, Suggestion or Zone of Truth, can force the targets' to act in a certain way or avoid certain actions, affect the targets' emotions or affect the targets' minds in other ways. The Compulsion subschool also includes buffs, such as Aid and Heroism. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Enchanters.

Evocation
Evocation is focused on damaging energy-based spells such as Fireball, Lightning Bolt and Cone of Cold. It also includes conjurations of magical energy, such as Wall of Force, Darkness, Light, Leomund's Tiny Hut and the Bigby's Hand spells. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Evokers.

Illusion
Illusion is divided into five subschools: figment, glamer, pattern, phantasm and shadow. Figment spells create artificial sensations with no physical substance. Glamer spells alter the target's sensory properties, and can cause invisibility. Pattern spells create insubstantial images which affect the minds of the viewers, pattern spells can inflict harm. Phantasm spells create hallucinations which can be harmful. Shadow spells use magical shadows to create things with physical substance. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Illusionists.

Thaumaturgy
Thaumaturgy is focused on harnessing Positive and Negative energy to induce very powerful or unique effects, and is an especially difficult school to master. Positive energy empowers the living and repels the undead and unholy, whereas Negative energy can raise the dead (usually referred to as Necromancy), strengthen the unholy and harm the living. Examples of spells include Animate Dead, Disrupt Undead, Enervation, Vampiric Touch, Regenerate and Cure Serious Wounds. Wizards who specialize in this school are known as Clerics, Necromancers or Thaumaturgists.

[Lovejoy]

By the way, I've decided to accept two more characters:

Luka Maksimianovich Drevni (LJCOMICS) and Katilina Rörschaften (KrimpetyCatcher).

Man, my character limit has seriously imploded haha.

[PlayItPerfect]

The more the merrier? XD

I for one kind of like the current schools of magic D: I feel like they encompass enough so that we can fit what we want our characters 'specialty' to be into one of the schools, but are vague enough as to not be restricting at the same time?

I like the idea of leaving the gestures/vocal/combined thing relatively free-form, although I wonder how that will work for those who choose the vocal route? Would there be a set language, or just a few 'command words' that each magus could use to form their spells? I'm not sure I'm explaining this very well.

Also I like the idea of Necromancers temporarily using their own soul to reanimate things. It sounds creepy and awesome.

[Adjectives]

@Dot, I don't think we should complicate the verbal incantations/physical gestures thing too much. I propose that people can choose how they want to cast magic, and one method (or both methods combined) shouldn't be any more powerful than the other.

As for necromancy, I always envisioned it as something that even at basic levels, is incredibly powerful, so just having a "beginner's grasp" of it would make one notable enough to be accepted into Middlemarch. One thing that I'm against is resurrection, as I really hate it when characters are brought back to life. I'd prefer it we did it in the following way-- Souls cannot be brought back, but the corpses of once-living things can be reanimated by magic. This can allow zombies, skeletal minions and things like that to exist, but they wouldn't be "sentient". A powerful necromancer would be able to control them, but they wouldn't have any intelligence or anything like that. Maybe how it works is that necromancers temporarily put their own souls into whatever they reanimate.

Oh, and I do think that necromancy should be a kind of highly feared form of magic, as it can be incredibly difficult to control and to master. Necromancers should require some kind of license to practice their profession, and are forbidden from doing anything "too crazy".

The ghosts of the dead (i.e souls) however cannot be returned to the world of the living, at least by traditional methods. They can however be spoken to from beyond the grave by expert diviners. Maybe novice diviners can hear the voices of the dead, and have trouble controlling this, but as they get more powerful, they're able to master this communication.

What do you guys think?

Oh I like that! It would give my character a reason for being accepted, haha. And it would be bad for the story if people could be reanimated with their souls intact, yeah. I quite like LJComic's idea for grouping Necromancy in with Thaumaturgy, it seems to make sense.

Would a Necromancer be reanimating a body using mana alone or would there be some transfer of life force to the body?