D&D 5E Brainstorming an Elemental Magic System

[Xeviat]

For as long as I can remember, I've wanted to design a different magic system for my home games. This was even before I was playing D&D, when I had ideas of designing a video game or a fantasy novel. Who knows what I'll do in the future. I had always liked magic systems steeped in the four elements, and mind you this was before Avatar and before I had read Codex Alera. It's just a system I like.

In 3E, I used the OA Shugenja a lot to get what I wanted, but time and time again I keep looking to doing something of my own. So, I'm here to do some brainstorming and get some ideas. I'd like to end up doing this within the confines of the 5E system, but I'll probably be designing 4 or 5 new spellcaster classes to replace the primary casters.

I want to use the 4 classical elements (Air, Earth, Fire, and Water), with a fifth (Æther/Void) binding them. I'm also strongly leaning to having paraelements that require additional training to mix elements (perhaps each casting class uses one element, so multiclassing is required to use the paraelements). I imagine lightning as a mix of air and fire, metal as a mix of fire and earth, wood as a mix of earth and water, and cold as a mix of water and air.

In trying to make the elements about more than just the raw elements and what would be considered transmutation/conjuration/evocation of the elements, I need to give alternate effects to each. Healing often goes with Water. I'm leaning towards having Illusions and divination as part of air, emotional enchantments as part of fire, and item enhancements and protection type things as part of earth. I even think of having things like these be aspects of æther mixing with the raw elements, possibly giving a justification for having a more white magic priest using these effects while a more black magic mage just uses the raw elements.

I'm sure others have done stuff like this before me, but I always come back to it and I've got time now to fiddle. What are your thoughts?

 

[Guest 6801328]

I hope you do, and please share the results!

As I've said in several threads, I dislike that "magic" in D&D is just a catch-all for "anything we think might be cool." There's no rhyme or reason or...apparently...any limitation to it.

I'd love to see a magic system that has some kind of underlying explanation, so that it's at least somewhat clear what is and isn't possible, and by which flavors of magic-user.

 

[TwoSix]

General question: Do you want to hit the classic tropes and polish them up (as you said, this is certainly a concept that has previous iterations), or do you want to inject some novelty into the idea?

 

[RangerWickett]

It was for 3e, but did you ever see Elements of Magic: Revised? (The original EOM was a bit less polished.)

Short version:

• There were a variety of spell elements and spell action types. You'd know a limited number of them, such as Attack Fire or Move Water.
• Spells cost MP, but you could assemble a spell by picking various components that had specific MP costs.
• Each caster had an MP threshold based on their caster level.
• You got a certain amount of MP per day.
• You had a small number of 'signature spells' that you could cast just by spending your action, but you could theoretically spend two turns to cast any spell you could assemble.
• Each character picked a specific 'tradition' that detailed what spell elements and action types they got, though they could branch out as they leveled.

So you might know Attack Lightning, Create Air, and Move Air. At low level you'd just be shooting small arcs of lightning a short distance, or shoving people with wind, or gliding a short distance, but at higher levels you could combine effects to use spell to fly into the air and shoot bolts of lightning at everyone around you.

The system is a bit dated by modern standards, but I feel like the general idea of "Spells cost MP, you can combine spells up to your MP threshold, and you have limited MP per day" combined with "Your elemental style gives you a limited number of spells known, but you can learn more later" would fit your goal.

 

[Coroc]

Eventually try the Chinese Elemental system, they got metal, wood, earth, water, fire.

I don't know much of it but the connections are like that:


Wood generates Fire
Fire generates Earth
Earth generates Metal
Metal generates Water
Water generates Wood

so that is one circle with 5 points

and opposed are

Water overcomes Fire
Wood overcomes Earth
Fire overcomes Metal
Metal overcomes Wood
Earth overcomes Water

You can draw that inside like a pentagram.

here is more of it (Fengshui)

Characteristic	Wood	Fire	Earth	Metal	Water
Direction	East	South	Center	West	North
Season	Spring	Summer	change of seasons (last month of each season)	Autumn	Winter
Climate	Windy	Hot	Damp	Dry	Cold
Color	Green	Red	Yellow	White	Black
Shape	Rectangular	Angular	Square	Round	Undulating

Chinese Five Elements Philosophy and Culture

Five Elements Theory is used to describe interactions and relationships between things. The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water

www.chinahighlights.com

I find it quite interesting, and it is something different.

 

[Tonguez]

In some schools of Bhuddist thought Rupa (Matter) arises due to our Concious perception of the Elemental Principles of Attraction-Motion-Energy-Expansion in Space.

These principles are practiced through various forms of Meditation and Healing which you are welcome to go and research or which you can use as the basis of your own Magic system thus:

ELEMENT	EARTH	WATER	FIRE	AIR	AETHER
TERM	Pruthavi-dhatu	Apa-dhatu	Teja-dhatu	Vayu-dhatu	Akasha/Dyus
MANIFEST	Attraction	Motion	Energy	Expansion	Space
SENSED AS	Smell	Taste	Sight	Touch	Sound
PRINCIPLES	Stability, Peace	Healing, Spirituality	Power, Fame	Joy, Movement	Expansion

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Very cool. Looking forward to seeing more.

 

[Xeviat]

General question: Do you want to hit the classic tropes and polish them up (as you said, this is certainly a concept that has previous iterations), or do you want to inject some novelty into the idea?

Mostly classic tropes, but adjusted for game balance. I really want each element to have one solid no elemental effect. The only novelty I'm shooting for is the mixed elements, and that isn't really too novel; though tracking them on a color wheel is fun:

Red - fire
Orange - metal (rust, hot metal)
Yellow - earth
Green - wood
Cyan - water
Blue - cold
Purple - air
Magenta - lightning

 

[Xeviat]

It was for 3e, but did you ever see Elements of Magic: Revised? (The original EOM was a bit less polished.)

Short version:

• There were a variety of spell elements and spell action types. You'd know a limited number of them, such as Attack Fire or Move Water.
• Spells cost MP, but you could assemble a spell by picking various components that had specific MP costs.
• Each caster had an MP threshold based on their caster level.
• You got a certain amount of MP per day.
• You had a small number of 'signature spells' that you could cast just by spending your action, but you could theoretically spend two turns to cast any spell you could assemble.
• Each character picked a specific 'tradition' that detailed what spell elements and action types they got, though they could branch out as they leveled.

So you might know Attack Lightning, Create Air, and Move Air. At low level you'd just be shooting small arcs of lightning a short distance, or shoving people with wind, or gliding a short distance, but at higher levels you could combine effects to use spell to fly into the air and shoot bolts of lightning at everyone around you.

The system is a bit dated by modern standards, but I feel like the general idea of "Spells cost MP, you can combine spells up to your MP threshold, and you have limited MP per day" combined with "Your elemental style gives you a limited number of spells known, but you can learn more later" would fit your goal.

Very interesting. I'll have to check it out. I'm definitely interested in exploring a system that rewards creativity and innovation rather than one that has highly detailed spells.

 

[Xeviat]

Eventually try the Chinese Elemental system, they got metal, wood, earth, water, fire.

I don't know much of it but the connections are like that:


Wood generates Fire
Fire generates Earth
Earth generates Metal
Metal generates Water
Water generates Wood

so that is one circle with 5 points

and opposed are

Water overcomes Fire
Wood overcomes Earth
Fire overcomes Metal
Metal overcomes Wood
Earth overcomes Water

You can draw that inside like a pentagram.

here is more of it (Fengshui)

Characteristic	Wood	Fire	Earth	Metal	Water
Direction	East	South	Center	West	North
Season	Spring	Summer	change of seasons (last month of each season)	Autumn	Winter
Climate	Windy	Hot	Damp	Dry	Cold
Color	Green	Red	Yellow	White	Black
Shape	Rectangular	Angular	Square	Round	Undulating

Chinese Five Elements Philosophy and Culture

Five Elements Theory is used to describe interactions and relationships between things. The five elements are wood, fire, earth, metal, and water

www.chinahighlights.com

I find it quite interesting, and it is something different.

I prefer the western/Hindi/Japanese 4+1 elements over the Chinese 5. Just a familiarity thing.