Half Hope and Half Des-bear
How would you depict a Counter Spell being put into action visually?
Too old for this
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
It could depend on the spell it is countering. A general idea would be to have some ripples appearing in the air that wash over the effects of the spell it counters and seem to erase them (if they were visible). A noise similar to static could also be heard, blanking out the sound effects (if there are some) from the countered spell.
Half Hope and Half Des-bear
Alright, I have a Mage Killer Swordsman who has four blades.
One is simply the most normal blade, being Unbreakable and the physically strongest.
One has Anti-Magic, by being able to breakdown Magic into component particles and dispersing and scattering them.
One has a variant of Anti-Magic, by being able to “take” and “shroud” the magic it makes contact with, which lets the wielder have control over it, by binding it to the blade itself.
What powers do you think would go with the fourth blade thematically, while not stepping on the toes of the other three?
The ability to bestow a random magic upon whoever it stabs, giving the mage killer an "excuse" to kill those that where formerly "muggles" with his other three swords.
(And knowing how it would come across to others, he has basically sharpened and shortened this sword to the point it has become a dagger in the present day and made it so much easier to hide under his clothes and on his person than the other three blades can be.)
(The dagger itself is non-lethal though, due to its ability to bestow magic upon others and ensure that they survive the stabbing with 100% certainty. It can't even kill a fly even if the user tried repeatedly to nail one on its tip.)
Edited by TitanJump on May 16th 2022 at 10:21:50 AM
I don't know if this idea would work, but... Maybe he could have a magic sword that only hurts magic-users, and leaves normal people unharmed. That way, he could use it to detect any magic-users even if they're trying to hide their powers.
Perhaps the fourth blade could work as a Power Nullifier. If the fourth blade is stabbed into a magic-user, it could cancel out any spell they are trying to use and render them actually unable to use any other ones. In other words, they are Brought Down to Normal as long as this sword's blade is within their flesh.
Edited by Swordofknowledge on May 16th 2022 at 12:35:09 PM
Fear is a tyrant and a despot, more terrible than the rack, more potent than the snake. — Edgar Walllace
Otaku
I have a character in a Psychological Thriller whose power is 'Synchronicity'. It's a type of extrasensory perception that intertwines her consciousness with another individual's consciousness, allowing her to perceive with limited interaction of the physical environment through the individual's consciousness. This ability only activates whenever she falls asleep and enters REM sleep.
How do you make this ability interesting without relying on excessive telling in a visual medium?
she/her friend to the hooved
That would take a degree of 'telling' no matter what, if you want to get into the nitty-gritty of how it works. Perhaps the nature of what's going on could be alluded to, with say an immediate cut between her eyes closing and the other person's opening + pull a reverse Quantum Leap and have her see herself whenever they look in mirrors to indicate that she's along for the ride.
Edited by Chortleous on May 17th 2022 at 2:09:23 PM
Half Hope and Half Des-bear
How would you adapt the concepts of Feng Shui into a superpower? At the very least, it would be something along the lines of Domain Holder.
The power to induce the concept of "sleep" into anything.
And the affected party won't wake up until the need for sleep is no longer needed in them.
(For how horrifying it can be used, such as assassinations, at least that sleep will be the best one they ever had right before getting sent off into the afterlife...)
Edited by TitanJump on Jun 6th 2022 at 6:01:21 PM
Half Hope and Half Des-bear
I’m making a Magic System involving the manipulation of Mana as an energy source used for spells.
There’s a specific part I want to touch on, which is referred to here as the Elemental Alignment, but it is not the manipulation of the Classical Elements, but rather, a description of the nature of how best they manipulate Mana.
For example, Having the Elemental Alignment of Earth refers to the permanency of your spells, how well they withstand entropy. Having this alignment means your spells, which are made of your Mana, lasts a very long time.
Having the Elemental Alignment of Water, refers to a proficiency in transforming your spells into different forms, such as turning a Fireball Spell into a Wall of Flames, with ease.
Having the Elemental Alignment of Fire, refers to how well you can burn the least of Fuel, into getting best of results.
I don’t have an idea for what an Elemental Alignment of Air would look like, so any ideas?
Too old for this
The spells could cost less Mana and be overall less taxing to cast.
Alternatively, their effects or even their casting could also be more stealthy, meaning it would be harder to detect someone using magic with this Alignement.
Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
Half Hope and Half Des-bear
The One where it costs less is already taken by the Fire Elemental Alignment.
After thinking about it, I decided to make it more so that the Elemental Alignment of Air determines the speed in which one is able to bring up their Mana and mold it into a spell.
Though, I’m also thinking of including an Elemental Alignment of Lightning as well.
Half Hope and Half Des-bear
I figured it out.
Tinkering with something
Elemental Alignment of Spells
The Elemental Alignment of Spells refers to the degrees of quality regarding one’s Spellcrafting.
Despite its name, it does not refer to the actual manipulation of Elements, but rather is a description that refers to the attributes ascribed to the Spells, likening those attributes to the Elements, and how they were crafted. When a Spell is Crafted, all five Alignments are present.
The Elemental Alignment of Earth refers to the durability of a spell and the its resilience when an outside force tries to interpose upon it.
The Elemental Alignment of Water refers to the malleability of a spell, the Spell Crafter transmuting it into different shapes for a variety of purposes, such as turning a ball of fire into a wall of flame.
The Elemental Alignment of Fire refers to the efficiency that Mana is consumed while Crafting a Spell, achieving a great result with minimum resources used.
The Elemental Alignment of Air refers to the speed in which Mana called forth and Crafted into a Spell, and the speed in which the spell is released.
The Elemental Alignment of Lightning refers to the self-sufficiency of a Spell, independent of a continuous source of Mana.
In addition, there are three qualities that can be ascribed to the Mage’s Elemental Alignment: Proficiency, Neutral, and Deficiency.
A mage can be Proficient in one Alignment, Neutral for Three, and Deficient in One, which determines the quality of their Spell Casting. For Mages who are Proficient in all Alignments, they are dubbed “Equilibrium”.
Edited by SkyHavenPath13 on Jun 17th 2022 at 2:40:03 PM
Samurai Troper
Tinkering with the idea of lightning powers and how they can be used as body enhancement. I'm running with the idea that the brain and nervous system are controlled by electrical impulses through nerves, and with (careful) study, a user of lightning magic could learn to tweak the sensitivity of sensory organs, increase reaction/movement speed, neuromuscular efficiency/strength, etc. Of course if you get this wrong, you could either die from shorting your own brain out or weeak other havoc on your nervous system. In short, Kaioken. Does this seem like too broken an ability?
Swordplay and writing blog. Purveyor of weeaboo fightin' magic.
Nope.
In fact, it is one of the worthless superpowers in existence.
Why?
Because no matter how sharp the senses can be tuned up, it means nothing due to the simple fact that if the body can't keep up with those senses, it renders you incapable of reaping the benefits of that power at all.
In short, it is a Z-list ability.
And applying lightning-magic onto the human brain while thinking the spark in there is the same is the same as lightning?
Big mistake.
It would be like trying to put a light-bulb straight to a high-power electric power cord and expect it to only lit up and not outright explode the moment it touches the current.
Approach this like this.
The Human brain = light-bulb.
Goal = Make the room brighter than it already is using the light-bulb.
Now, how will you solve this problem?
After finding the answer, translate the solution to the character and the superpower itself for a reasonable approach to this power.
For example, the guy would be better off trying altering the currents in the lightning so it comes with additional effects when cast instead.
Blue = Adds hail of different size to the bolt.
Red = Adds rain to the bolt.
Yellow / Orange = Adds dust following the bolt.
White = Turn the air within a certain vicinity dry as a desert when cast.
Purple = Turn the air within a certain vicinity heavy due to the amount of moisture in the air, that it becomes difficult to breathe it for long periods of time (Think rain-forest levels after a monsoon to get the idea...)
If you can't amp yourself up to get above everyone else's level, then slow everyone else down to beneath your level instead.
Edited by TitanJump on Jun 28th 2022 at 5:47:05 PM
Too old for this
Superpowers are, by nature, impossible, so I'm not sure applying hard science to them is the right way to do it. I'd say it is a matter of setting.
Is it aiming for realism and explaining, say, electrical powers with a mechanism similar to electric eels, in a universe where Magical Defibrillator is averted and all superpowers have hard science explanations ? Then I'm really not sure electrical powers can be used for any kind of body improvement (apart possibly from stopping an epilepsy seizure).
If, on the other hand, your universe involves superpowers that work because some Technobabble explanation, then I'd see no issue in explaining that electrical powers are used to increase the speed at which nerve impulses are transferred, for instance. Although, if memory serves, I think nerve impulses travel at around 130 kph (80 mph), so I'm not quite sure how beneficial it would be to increase that speed when they have to travel 2 metres (6 feet) at worst, but you could definitely claim to improve the conductivity of the brain to become more clever or something.
TL;DR: To me, it is a matter of how realistic the setting is. If it is realistic, no buff from electricity. If not, go for it.
Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
Any ideas as to how I can make angelic power on a cosmic horror scale?
Albedo
Like Light Is Not Good? I would put angelic horror in the These Are Things Man Was Not Meant to Know category, possibly by corrupting said viewer.
“You carry the aura of the stars, interesting...”
No need.
"Angelic" power is classified as an "Eldritch" category so whatever they have, is something worthy of a Cosmic Horror Story already.
Agent JC(Just Collateral)
I thought about the superpower which are deemed to "villainous" for any kind of hero. But then, I remembered both Prof. Xavier and Jean gray had literal mind control/brainwash power while being hero. Would there be a definite "villainous" power?
Does that mean I don't get the job?
she/her friend to the hooved
Necromancy/reanimation would come close. Less because anyone using it would have to be inherently evil and more because it raises uncomfortable questions regarding souls and funerary rites and desecration of the dead and whatnot, especially if it's used on the corpses of sapients. Hardline 'good' types would have severe qualms about using it in that capacity unless they absolutely had to.
Edited by Chortleous on Jul 25th 2022 at 1:41:23 PM
Too old for this
Even then, these powers could be used in a good way, for instance to ask question to a dead person about their killer (pretty sure I've seen Doctor Strange or Constantine do that), or keep a willing friend around as a zombie to allow them to keep helping (as Madam Gogol does in Witches Abroad). I'm not convinced there is such a thing as a purely "villainous" power, in the same way there is no such thing as a purely "good" power - it all depends on the use that is made of them.
Though I'd say the power to make people catch an incurable disease (and no way to reverse it) comes pretty close to have no "good" uses, no matter how you stretch it.
Edited by C105 on Jul 26th 2022 at 12:22:48 PM
Whatever your favourite work is, there is a Vocal Minority that considers it the Worst. Whatever. Ever!.
The power to "Kill anything you look at for longer than ten seconds", maybe?
Or you just have to rewrite the villain so he isn't as broken OP as he currently is and add limitations to his powers, like his explosive abilities relies on his body's stockpile of "Vitamin C" or something similar.
And overdoing the explosives, leaves him with a severe Vitamin-C deficiency and all the bad effects to his health from it the more he does it.
And this is a severe limiter, since Vitamin C can't be produced or stored in the human body, forcing him to manually ingest all that vitamin C that his power needs to make all of those explosives. (Imagine him binging on oranges or foods rich in vitamin C and you get the idea... and no, he is not immune from the effects of overdosing on vitamin C either.)
No Vitamin-C in the body = No "boom-boom" for him.
(And it has to be natural Vitamin-C, not the artificial one, which only can satisfy the needs of his human body, but can't fuel his powers in the slightest, which would be the way to keep him in jail without exploding at will. Feed a daily does of artificial vitamin-C to keep him healthy and alive, but "defused".)
Just a suggestion.
Edited by TitanJump on May 9th 2022 at 4:59:34 PM