Elements

[Wryneck]

Which element cycle does everyone use when they're implemented into the roleplay?

I'm pretty partial to Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, and Shadow myself.

 

[Sidhe]

Usually Ice. I live in a very snowy part of Canada and I've always just felt affinity towards Ice as an element. I don't know what that says about me as a person haha. Lately, however, I've been gravitating more towards Earth/Nature!

 

[Sir Basil]

Periodic table of elements , of course ! Summon yourself an element made of Chlorine - or better yet, Uranium.

In all seriousness , I like using the 4 Humours - Sanguine, Chloeric, Melancholic, and Phlegmatic as elements to draw upon for my magic. Although the game I'm currently running works upon an entirely different magic system - I've always like the idea of the balance of the 4 Humours, which correspond to black bile (Greek: μέλαινα χολή, melaina chole), yellow bile (Greek: χολή, chole), phlegm (Greek: φλέγμα, phlegma), and blood (Greek: αἷμα, haima) determining the way that magic works within the world.

I play a lot of gross characters.

In terms of more traditional elements , it's the classic 5 elements: Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and Aether all the way. :)

 

[Wryneck]

@Sir Basil, I'm guessing Aether is, in a sense, "space"?

 

[Sir Basil]

@Sir Basil, I'm guessing Aether is, in a sense, "space"?

Aether isn't so much "space" as it is "divine." Although it fills the space above the earth , it is ultimately rooted in the classical ideas of an other world, or something divine. It is located in the celestial regions and heavenly bodies: but doesn't behave like a classical element , or a periodic one for that matter. It's neither hot nor cold, neither wet nor dry.

It doesn't behave according to physics , and it moves naturally in circular patterns. It's also called "quintessence", and is associated with late medieval / early modern alchemy ; like the philosoper's stone. Aether is almost like magic -- but not quite.

 

[Crow]

I simply shrug my shoulders and say 'Because magic'.

@Sir Basil, I'm guessing Aether is, in a sense, "space"?

Aether isn't so much "space" as it is "divine." Although it fills the space above the earth , it is ultimately rooted in the classical ideas of an other world, or something divine. It is located in the celestial regions and heavenly bodies: but doesn't behave like a classical element , or a periodic one for that matter. It's neither hot nor cold, neither wet nor dry.

It doesn't behave according to physics , and it moves naturally in circular patterns. It's also called "quintessence", and is associated with late medieval / early modern alchemy ; like the philosoper's stone. Aether is almost like magic -- but not quite.

Kinda funny how in a recent to-come RP of mine, I'm using 'Aether manipulation' to create wormholes, black holes, supernovas and all that shit.

Probably a few galaxy shurikens. Magic is pretty cray cray.

On a more related note, I think I might take an interest in grabbing Granblue Fantasy's element wheel, if I do want to use the system eventually. Water douses flames, flames consume the winds, wind erodes earth, and earth beats water because...

... because.

And light and darkness are extra effective against each other.

In this system, additional elements are classed under where these main ones are. There's the obvious Ice under Water, Poison under Darkness, Lightning under Light...

Also, in Mushoku Tensai's elemental magic system, Lightning spells are of the Water Element. How in god's name does that work?

 

[Jorick]

I'm perfectly happy with just the classic 4 most of the time. I also like going Captain Planet style and having those plus a fifth that seems a little off, usually Spirit or something like that rather than straight up ripping off Heart as the 5th thing. Having that extra one makes it simpler to bullshit healing or life manipulating magics because you don't have to come up with nonsense like "water and earth together make healing magic because... reasons."

 

[Greenie]

I'm perfectly happy with just the classic 4 most of the time. I also like going Captain Planet style and having those plus a fifth that seems a little off, usually Spirit or something like that rather than straight up ripping off Heart as the 5th thing. Having that extra one makes it simpler to bullshit healing or life manipulating magics because you don't have to come up with nonsense like "water and earth together make healing magic because... reasons."

I usually have the 'fifth' element as a healing ability. ^_^

For the most part, I like to use the earth element these days, though I used to be more partial to fire for years, and then water. After watching Avatar TLA and LoK, however, I like to think earth is the most... >.> down to earth ability, pun unintended. It's also easier for me to write.

 

[junebug]

I broaden the classic elements out to darkness, light, shadow, aether, and other things. I don't like having limitations, so I do whatever I feel fits my character and the world best.

 

[Mami Tomoe]

If I'm making a really in-depth fantasy roleplay, I'll usually include more elements.

I'll have the standard--Water, Fire, Earth, Air, Electricity. I count Ice as apart of water. However, most elements are counted as "Black" or "White Magic". Water, Air, Earth, and Healing are White Magic. Fire, Electricity, and Status Ailments are Black Magic.

Alongside that, I sometimes include miscellaneous elements called "Odd Magic" which don't fall into either category. Here, I might use Sand, Glass, Crystal, Space and Time.

 

[Dark_Psycho]

As all others I use the original 4 well 5 I consider their to be original 5. Such as Water: included would be Ice, steam, fog,salt water, fresh water, and anything water related, Fire: included Lava, heat, and anything to do with fire, Earth: Basically any element that has a earth esque to it, Wind any element dealingredients with wind, Last but not least Spirit. Darkness shadows dark magic spirits ghosts the dead.

Those are the elements I use

 

[Kagayours]

I admit, usually I'm not imaginative enough to think beyond the basic 4. XD BUT, I do like what I've done with my Altera Arcana RP, where characters can be aligned with one of the 4 basic elements, but they're also aligned with one of four "persuasions" -- wands, swords, cups, and pentacles.

The persuasion names were based off of the suits in a tarot card deck, and they're more like personality types rather than magic types. But, each persuasion usually aligns with a particular element, and is most closely associated with that element, although there are exceptions. And an odd alignment means that a character would be more likely to use their element in a more unconventional way. For example, wands and fire usually go together -- this makes sense, as wands is the personality type that you would most expect from fire (passionate, strong-willed, determined, aggressive), but, if a character's alignment is fire and pentacles (a persuasion that is more concerned with tangible results and practical uses for things), then they might focus more on the practical uses of fire as a source of power, heat, and light. If a character is fire and cups (emotional, nurturing, sentimental), then their use of fire might manifest as more of a comforting warmth.


I suppose this is all a bit tangential to the thread topic, but, I thought some people might find it interesting.

 

[The Mood is Write]

I usually don't get super complicated with element-based stuff (I lied, I do).

Typically, I go for something like this, and then the elements combine and mix to create the effects based on sigils or other directive forces/objects. The elements I list are based purely on presence rather than absence—the lack of fire does not mean something is ice. The lack of order, commonly called chaos, isn't really it's own element, but instead just "hey, your shit is gonna explode in your face."

Fire (energy)
Earth (solid)
Water (liquid)
Air (gas)

Order
Movement

The four common names (fire, earth, water, air) would be how people are taught in the most simple manner. The second names are what the serious studies of magic would realize is closer to the truth of magical elements. This, paired with alchemy games online, helps me find the path to combine into a desired effect, and then the element of order is an adjustable variable, where reducing it will give more wondrous effects, but make the magic more unstable, and increasing will lead to more mundane effects, but increased stability.

Movement, like Order, is another variable. At low amounts, an effect may resist being moved. At high amounts, it may move with impossible ease (and likely too much), so you ned to balance this as much as you do Order.

Want to make a hovering light source that follows you? Movement should be medium and aimed toward your hand. Use Fire to create heat and light. A barrier of earth+water may create a glass-like effect that keeps the heat in, and air could be used to keep the magic airborne. For order, you might want to set it to a high amount, because the spell doesn't need to be miraculous, but it does need to be very stable.

Finally, to make the magic happen, you'd have to channel those elements either from your own body or from your surrounding area. Most might use a pre-programmed item to create such a spell. Some might use markings or movements to help channel the elements to create it. It depends on the setting and characters from there.

A magic user who has learned efficiency could take an object and use Fire to make it glow and Air to lift it, then just adjust Order and Movement to make it hover by them.