10-06-2009, 08:04 AM
Okay it's like this I've been trying to put a decent mana/magic theory together over the past year with a specific focus on magic used as it is used within the Warcraft universe.
I'll let you guys read what I have figured out so far and I hope to debate all this stuff so I might un-stuck myself and finally finish the theory.
Warning: this conclusion is the result of an epic (failure) quest on the internet and other media
and formed by my personal deduction none is obliged to abide by these rules unless enforced by another person but me viewers discretion is advised, do not try to imitate the following procedures at home, I tried and cried for 9 hours because it didn't work making it a total waste of precious time and stuff that my parents use (apparently), that got crushed in the process, do not read below the age of 3.
Magi and Magic,
A small guide to magic and the usage of it within the Warcraft universe.
Magic, we all know it as an entity that allows you to fling torrents of arcane to all that crosses your path,
but what is magic? trough this whole story I'll introduce you to my theory of magic and the usage of it based off of this theory.
First off there are many types of magic fortunately for us blizzard narrowed it down in three categories.
-Arcane Magi
They make up the bulk of the magi scattered all across the face of Azeroth regardless of cultural heritage or which faction you belong to, arcane is without a doubt the most common used type of magic within the realm.
-Elemental Magi
Elemental magi forms the minority within the magic society of Azeroth Lorewise their numbers are few compared to the other two.
-Fel Magi/Warlock
This type of magic is banned from the magic society of Azeroth due to it's foul and corrupted nature, nonetheless it IS and will remain a type of magic, a banned one that is but it still remains magic.
These magi are mostly shunned by the common folk and other magi but there still remain plenty that practice the arts of Fel magic.
We'll have a closer look at these three categories but the basics first.
Mana:
What is mana? Mana is the power source behind your spells and every caster uses it but...what is it exactly?
unless highly concentrated (and I mean really high) mana cannot be seen with the naked eye, it has no smell either nor density.
There are many theories concerning what mana/magic actually is, but for now we'll row with this one:
Magic is everything and everything is magic, therefore you can say that mana is a synonymous for "life force"
What mana actually is is nothing more then a process used to gather small particles from an area as wide as possible, out of trees rocks air even living creatures, arcane magics are an exception to this, Arcane magic tends to extract it's energies from the barrier between worlds.
An example for a fire spell, You don't summon fire or just simply call it to live, but within mere seconds any mage with an ample ability can extract the particles needed from his surroundings or perhaps even himself to create fire and mold it to any shape at will.
The particles needed vary from spell to spell, but one rule is a given: A powerful spell needs a larger variety of particles and leaves little room for mistakes.
This process of gathering particles and shaping/molding them to your will isn't an endless one.
It takes a great deal of concentration and exhaust your body and mind. (Magi tend to get gray hair and look older then they are due to the immense stress arcane torrents put on the body)
Well now those are the basics of this theory, then we move on to a more in-depth part
first we'll take a look at Arcane
Arcane:
The school of Arcane is the most commonly used form of magic and makes up the bulk of the magi walking around on the face of Azeroth, this is not because it is easy or easier to use then the other types of magic but because it can be applied in everyday live together with a few more convenient spells as portals.
Arcane mage are dividable in a few sub-categories:
-Spatial magi
Specializes in creating small tears within reality to pass trough in order to cross distances in mere seconds
an example of this within WoW is blink and portals but even though this is true spatial magic applies on more then humanoids and has far many uses as mere travel though it is one of it's mayor advantages
-Conjurers
Use arcane energies drawn from the surroundings and the dimensional wall to create actual physical items out of nothing. This is the only exception within the arcane section of magic that actually draws particles from the surroundings as well. Example: conjure food/water but can be used for regular items as well as materializing a sword, beware though materializing items with a high density will drain your energy faster then a....erm...whatever!
It's just fast and unless you are an uber kamehameha mage or accidentally happen to stand within an iron mine there will be no way you can conjure a sword without collapsing or dying.
((alternative: create an alternative space with spatial magic and store your weapons in there so you can summon them at will using spatial magic))
-Arcanists
The ones I call arcanists specialize in combat trough means of arcane forces, I assume I don't need to elaborate on this one. Be creative and it'll be allright
Fel Magic:
Fel magic is the most tainted of all, it uses both arcane particles as well as elemental particles and combines them in a way that "upsets" the particles creating a corrupted form of mana.
Usually with mana you try to combine aspects and arrange them accordingly in order to execute a spell.
Fel magic users deliberately aim to throw the spell off balance creating an unstable spell.
This results in the taint and corruption to every single thing it comes in contact with including the caster itself.
This however does not mean death for the caster but it does explain why Warlocks tend to grow mad after a while and the strange demon-like mutations inflicted upon the body when it comes to exceptional powerful Fel energy users.
as far as my theory on Fel energies goes (as it is not finished yet) there are two types of Fel magic users
-summoners
Specialize in destabilizing the dimensional rift for a short while in order to pull trough any creature and rob it of it's will using a spell to put it under their control.
Mostly support their "pets" with curses as those are relatively easy to cast and not as consuming as regular spells, if using their regular spells they might lose focus over their "pets" and get killed by it due to the lack of control
-Warlocks
Specialize in Cursing and Corrupting their surroundings as well as spells using Fel energies, the difference with Spells based on Fel energies is that they are significantly more cruel but not less effective and the only thing you can separate an arcane or elemental based spell from a Fel-based spell is it's effect.
Example:
the guy next to you gets decapitated by a glowing ring around his neck that is arcane
the guy next to you gets frozen and shatters under its own weight that is elemental
the guy next to you screams and his flesh and organs start to fall to the ground as if it was liquid only leaving the skeleton, that is Fel magic
((come to think of it the Fel magic approach actually hurts the most of all as elemental as well as arcane provides a swift death but Fel magic didn't))
Please note that not all fell energy users are warlocks though the summoner class is actually a warlock as well.
A warlock is a mage which uses Fel magic in combat not Fel energy. The difference is that Fel energy is the result of Fel magic and can be used as a source of power although this is addicting and corrupts the body slowly destroying/mutating it.
Elemental magic:
Elemental magic is one of the most simple schools of magic in it's base.
The user draws particles from it's surroundings and balances it out to generate the effect the mage wishes to have
Example: for a fireball you'll be drawing heat particles from your surroundings as well as air particles and particles of earth
What you do as a Mage is simple when it comes to execute a spell, in order to make fire you'll be needing: a source,nourishment and oxygen
when making fire without magic you could use wood, flint and tinder and there is plenty of oxygen all around you.
with that as base you can easily deduct that you will be needing aspects from every element within your surroundings that holds the same structure as wood, the spark that ignited the flame and oxygen, which is air heat and earth. By balancing these aspects out you can create fire out of nothing but the sheer life force which you withdrew from your surroundings.
Easy isn't it? but what makes this art harder to master then arcane or Fel energies is not the method but finding the balance between these aspects as the balance you will need to obtain differs from person to person and from race to race.This basically means that you are on your own in learning elemental magic, there are a few tips and pointers that can be given but in the end you still need to figure the balance out for yourself, and of all schools of magic there is none but the elemental class that reflects it's users personality.
the types of Elemental magi that are mostly seen is without a doubt frost and fire no need to elaborate on that part
stages of magic:
There are a few stages of magic that are used while using it,
-gathering
gathering the needed aspects for the spell
-combining
Combining aspects in a way that it will create the effect you want it to have
-molding
molding the spell into a physical shape, also
-release/control
release: ranged spells like a fireball which you hurl at your opponent
control: spells that need to be maintained like mind control or a fireball which you command
((control needs to be maintained and requires a massive amount of focus from the mage making him or her unable to move or cast an additional spell leaving them open to possible attacks, controlling a "release" spell is possible but holding it for more then 5-12 seconds is unwise seeing as the regular mage is exhausted and rendered useless by constant draining of his or her strength and the somewhat more skilled mage loses somewhat more energy that he or she would like))
casting in general
The caster can use various means to cast a spell but there is always one given, spells above basic rank always need incantation in order to be molded properly, if a spell is not molded properly it becomes unstable and thus the chances of backfiring increase.
other means to enhance the spell or decrease the duration of casting are:
-wand:
The easiest way to enhance your spell by guiding it trough a wand mostly made out of hand picked materials suiting the wizard best, the power of a wand is limited and a basic tool. spells more powerfull then a small surge of arcane or fire frost or Fel will simply destroy the wand and backfire.
-The staff:
A somewhat more advanced way of channeling magic, increases a steady aim as well as magic force depending on the materials it is made with.
-The orb:
Crystals that merely enhance the power of your spells by assembling the aspects before molding it within the orb which purifies the aspects you collected and thus makes it easier to get the result you wanted the spell to have
-spell circle:
Boosts the magic properties of the spell in question an assures a small fail-safe when casting a portal.
it works trough guiding the spell trough the circle first to increase the success rate of the spell.
These circles are mostly made with crushed stones which have magical properties though ink made out of certain herbs which have magical qualities works as well.
the more difficult the spell the more detailed the pattern within the spell circle.
(note
ome circles can store spells)((Source: The last guardian))
-spell matrix:
the casters stand in a formation which contributes to the effect of the spell and the flow of magic between the casters by guiding it trough one or multiple mediators within the matrix to amplify it's effect. If all casters within the matrix chant the incantation as well the spell's casting time will decrease dramatically as well as it's power.
This method requires the people within the matrix to synchronize to one another if not the spell will backfire or won't execute at all or any other effect you don't want to have (like the aim being off)
This method is commonly used since ancient times on large scale battlefields
(source: war of the ancients)
--------------------------------------
That's what I have at the time but I actually want to improve it since I am planning to make this a GHI item, anyone is welcome to use it though if he or she wishes it to.
So any comments to make?
I'll let you guys read what I have figured out so far and I hope to debate all this stuff so I might un-stuck myself and finally finish the theory.
Warning: this conclusion is the result of an epic (failure) quest on the internet and other media
and formed by my personal deduction none is obliged to abide by these rules unless enforced by another person but me viewers discretion is advised, do not try to imitate the following procedures at home, I tried and cried for 9 hours because it didn't work making it a total waste of precious time and stuff that my parents use (apparently), that got crushed in the process, do not read below the age of 3.
Magi and Magic,
A small guide to magic and the usage of it within the Warcraft universe.
Magic, we all know it as an entity that allows you to fling torrents of arcane to all that crosses your path,
but what is magic? trough this whole story I'll introduce you to my theory of magic and the usage of it based off of this theory.
First off there are many types of magic fortunately for us blizzard narrowed it down in three categories.
-Arcane Magi
They make up the bulk of the magi scattered all across the face of Azeroth regardless of cultural heritage or which faction you belong to, arcane is without a doubt the most common used type of magic within the realm.
-Elemental Magi
Elemental magi forms the minority within the magic society of Azeroth Lorewise their numbers are few compared to the other two.
-Fel Magi/Warlock
This type of magic is banned from the magic society of Azeroth due to it's foul and corrupted nature, nonetheless it IS and will remain a type of magic, a banned one that is but it still remains magic.
These magi are mostly shunned by the common folk and other magi but there still remain plenty that practice the arts of Fel magic.
We'll have a closer look at these three categories but the basics first.
Mana:
What is mana? Mana is the power source behind your spells and every caster uses it but...what is it exactly?
unless highly concentrated (and I mean really high) mana cannot be seen with the naked eye, it has no smell either nor density.
There are many theories concerning what mana/magic actually is, but for now we'll row with this one:
Magic is everything and everything is magic, therefore you can say that mana is a synonymous for "life force"
What mana actually is is nothing more then a process used to gather small particles from an area as wide as possible, out of trees rocks air even living creatures, arcane magics are an exception to this, Arcane magic tends to extract it's energies from the barrier between worlds.
An example for a fire spell, You don't summon fire or just simply call it to live, but within mere seconds any mage with an ample ability can extract the particles needed from his surroundings or perhaps even himself to create fire and mold it to any shape at will.
The particles needed vary from spell to spell, but one rule is a given: A powerful spell needs a larger variety of particles and leaves little room for mistakes.
This process of gathering particles and shaping/molding them to your will isn't an endless one.
It takes a great deal of concentration and exhaust your body and mind. (Magi tend to get gray hair and look older then they are due to the immense stress arcane torrents put on the body)
Well now those are the basics of this theory, then we move on to a more in-depth part
first we'll take a look at Arcane
Arcane:
The school of Arcane is the most commonly used form of magic and makes up the bulk of the magi walking around on the face of Azeroth, this is not because it is easy or easier to use then the other types of magic but because it can be applied in everyday live together with a few more convenient spells as portals.
Arcane mage are dividable in a few sub-categories:
-Spatial magi
Specializes in creating small tears within reality to pass trough in order to cross distances in mere seconds
an example of this within WoW is blink and portals but even though this is true spatial magic applies on more then humanoids and has far many uses as mere travel though it is one of it's mayor advantages
-Conjurers
Use arcane energies drawn from the surroundings and the dimensional wall to create actual physical items out of nothing. This is the only exception within the arcane section of magic that actually draws particles from the surroundings as well. Example: conjure food/water but can be used for regular items as well as materializing a sword, beware though materializing items with a high density will drain your energy faster then a....erm...whatever!
It's just fast and unless you are an uber kamehameha mage or accidentally happen to stand within an iron mine there will be no way you can conjure a sword without collapsing or dying.
((alternative: create an alternative space with spatial magic and store your weapons in there so you can summon them at will using spatial magic))
-Arcanists
The ones I call arcanists specialize in combat trough means of arcane forces, I assume I don't need to elaborate on this one. Be creative and it'll be allright
Fel Magic:
Fel magic is the most tainted of all, it uses both arcane particles as well as elemental particles and combines them in a way that "upsets" the particles creating a corrupted form of mana.
Usually with mana you try to combine aspects and arrange them accordingly in order to execute a spell.
Fel magic users deliberately aim to throw the spell off balance creating an unstable spell.
This results in the taint and corruption to every single thing it comes in contact with including the caster itself.
This however does not mean death for the caster but it does explain why Warlocks tend to grow mad after a while and the strange demon-like mutations inflicted upon the body when it comes to exceptional powerful Fel energy users.
as far as my theory on Fel energies goes (as it is not finished yet) there are two types of Fel magic users
-summoners
Specialize in destabilizing the dimensional rift for a short while in order to pull trough any creature and rob it of it's will using a spell to put it under their control.
Mostly support their "pets" with curses as those are relatively easy to cast and not as consuming as regular spells, if using their regular spells they might lose focus over their "pets" and get killed by it due to the lack of control
-Warlocks
Specialize in Cursing and Corrupting their surroundings as well as spells using Fel energies, the difference with Spells based on Fel energies is that they are significantly more cruel but not less effective and the only thing you can separate an arcane or elemental based spell from a Fel-based spell is it's effect.
Example:
the guy next to you gets decapitated by a glowing ring around his neck that is arcane
the guy next to you gets frozen and shatters under its own weight that is elemental
the guy next to you screams and his flesh and organs start to fall to the ground as if it was liquid only leaving the skeleton, that is Fel magic
((come to think of it the Fel magic approach actually hurts the most of all as elemental as well as arcane provides a swift death but Fel magic didn't))
Please note that not all fell energy users are warlocks though the summoner class is actually a warlock as well.
A warlock is a mage which uses Fel magic in combat not Fel energy. The difference is that Fel energy is the result of Fel magic and can be used as a source of power although this is addicting and corrupts the body slowly destroying/mutating it.
Elemental magic:
Elemental magic is one of the most simple schools of magic in it's base.
The user draws particles from it's surroundings and balances it out to generate the effect the mage wishes to have
Example: for a fireball you'll be drawing heat particles from your surroundings as well as air particles and particles of earth
What you do as a Mage is simple when it comes to execute a spell, in order to make fire you'll be needing: a source,nourishment and oxygen
when making fire without magic you could use wood, flint and tinder and there is plenty of oxygen all around you.
with that as base you can easily deduct that you will be needing aspects from every element within your surroundings that holds the same structure as wood, the spark that ignited the flame and oxygen, which is air heat and earth. By balancing these aspects out you can create fire out of nothing but the sheer life force which you withdrew from your surroundings.
Easy isn't it? but what makes this art harder to master then arcane or Fel energies is not the method but finding the balance between these aspects as the balance you will need to obtain differs from person to person and from race to race.This basically means that you are on your own in learning elemental magic, there are a few tips and pointers that can be given but in the end you still need to figure the balance out for yourself, and of all schools of magic there is none but the elemental class that reflects it's users personality.
the types of Elemental magi that are mostly seen is without a doubt frost and fire no need to elaborate on that part
stages of magic:
There are a few stages of magic that are used while using it,
-gathering
gathering the needed aspects for the spell
-combining
Combining aspects in a way that it will create the effect you want it to have
-molding
molding the spell into a physical shape, also
-release/control
release: ranged spells like a fireball which you hurl at your opponent
control: spells that need to be maintained like mind control or a fireball which you command
((control needs to be maintained and requires a massive amount of focus from the mage making him or her unable to move or cast an additional spell leaving them open to possible attacks, controlling a "release" spell is possible but holding it for more then 5-12 seconds is unwise seeing as the regular mage is exhausted and rendered useless by constant draining of his or her strength and the somewhat more skilled mage loses somewhat more energy that he or she would like))
casting in general
The caster can use various means to cast a spell but there is always one given, spells above basic rank always need incantation in order to be molded properly, if a spell is not molded properly it becomes unstable and thus the chances of backfiring increase.
other means to enhance the spell or decrease the duration of casting are:
-wand:
The easiest way to enhance your spell by guiding it trough a wand mostly made out of hand picked materials suiting the wizard best, the power of a wand is limited and a basic tool. spells more powerfull then a small surge of arcane or fire frost or Fel will simply destroy the wand and backfire.
-The staff:
A somewhat more advanced way of channeling magic, increases a steady aim as well as magic force depending on the materials it is made with.
-The orb:
Crystals that merely enhance the power of your spells by assembling the aspects before molding it within the orb which purifies the aspects you collected and thus makes it easier to get the result you wanted the spell to have
-spell circle:
Boosts the magic properties of the spell in question an assures a small fail-safe when casting a portal.
it works trough guiding the spell trough the circle first to increase the success rate of the spell.
These circles are mostly made with crushed stones which have magical properties though ink made out of certain herbs which have magical qualities works as well.
the more difficult the spell the more detailed the pattern within the spell circle.
(note
ome circles can store spells)((Source: The last guardian))-spell matrix:
the casters stand in a formation which contributes to the effect of the spell and the flow of magic between the casters by guiding it trough one or multiple mediators within the matrix to amplify it's effect. If all casters within the matrix chant the incantation as well the spell's casting time will decrease dramatically as well as it's power.
This method requires the people within the matrix to synchronize to one another if not the spell will backfire or won't execute at all or any other effect you don't want to have (like the aim being off)
This method is commonly used since ancient times on large scale battlefields
(source: war of the ancients)
--------------------------------------
That's what I have at the time but I actually want to improve it since I am planning to make this a GHI item, anyone is welcome to use it though if he or she wishes it to.
So any comments to make?
[corners=forumbg forumbg-table][table=tablebg table1][thead][tr=][th=4]Characters[/th][/tr][/thead][tbody][tr=bg1][td=1,]Name[/td][td=1,]Title[/td][td=1,]Status[/td][td=1,]Guild[/td][/tr][tr=bg2][td=1,]Eldrinei[/td][td=1,]Mage[/td][td=1,]Alive[/td][td=1,]N/A[/td][/tr][tr=bg3][td=1,]Illyth Mourningtreader[/td][td=1,]Mage[/td][td=1,]Alive[/td][td=1,]N/A[/td][/tr]
[tr=bg4][td=1,]Grayne Mournwind[/td][td=1,]Warrior[/td][td=1,]Undead[/td][td=1,]N/A[/td][/tr][/tbody][/table][/corners]
[tr=bg4][td=1,]Grayne Mournwind[/td][td=1,]Warrior[/td][td=1,]Undead[/td][td=1,]N/A[/td][/tr][/tbody][/table][/corners]