# Chemical-Based Magic System



## KorbentMarksman (Jul 13, 2013)

Here's another magic system thread, go ahead and shoot me.

In my universe, magic is accessed by ingesting or injecting chemicals into the body. These chemicals travel to the brain, and allow for manipulation of the outside world, in different ways depending on the ingredients used. These mixes are called toxauments (or colloquially 'claps') and their usage and creation is highly restricted all over the continent of Kangara.

Every few years, there is a consensus throughout the outer towns of the city-state of Calas. Every child below a certain age is made to bend over and to have a small amount of toxaument injected directly into their spine. Depending on the makeup of the child's brain, they may or may not reject the chemical. If they reject it entirely, there is a very high chance they may die on the spot. The more they accept it, the more powerful their magic will be. Children with very high potential are taken in by the military (who run the consensus) as mages. High-ranking mages are essentially government-paid drug addicts. Depending on the toxaument used, several negative side-effects can be felt by the user. 

There is a thriving criminal underground in Kangara that can be found taking and dealing toxauments. The problem has become so bad that drug busts are made almost every week.

Below is an incomplete list of the types of magic that can be achieved using toxauments.

*Magnokinesis* — Much more effective at short range than long, the manipulation of metal via magnetism is one of the easiest to perform yet hardest to learn forms of magic. Using this, the mage can disarm an opponent, significantly slow arrows/spears/knives in midair or even control his enemy like a puppet, but this has to be at very close quarters and is only for the most trained warlocks.

*Alchemy* — A non-combat sort of magic, also known as Alteration. Using alchemy, a mage can convert small amounts of matter into a different element. Materials such as steel can be alchemically changed into a flammable substance. In the same way, armour can be altered to not conduct electricity. Alchemy is famously known for turning items into gold, but alas this is tedious, as the denser the matter you are trying to create the longer it takes, and most currency companies have an arcane filter that detects fraud gold.

*Pyrokinesis* — The vibration of air or matter to create heat and/or fire. This is almost equally powerful at a long distance or close up, as it is quite a simple exercise. Usually, a material has to be seen to be hit with pyrokinesis, as the mage has to visualise the material in his mind. Pyrokinesis can be used to remotely detonate explosives, start fires and some mages combine it with wind control (below) to create a flamethrower-like effect. A popular pyrokinetic move is the fireball, where compression (see below) is used to compress dust from the air, dirt from the ground or simply a small object, and then the entirety of the object is vibrated with pyrokinesis. The object becomes very unstable, and is expelled (see below) from the hands, where it explodes violently. Once properly learned, this is very effective. 
Sidenote: mages can protect themselves from heat by creating a fireproof barrier around their hands with alchemy (see above.)

*Wind Control* — Mages can use wind control to change the way air flows. At long ranges, this can be used to retrieve an object, billow a sail or play a prank. At close range, wind control magic can tear a man apart, create a constant wind shield from projectiles and send someone flying. This is known as one of the most dangerous and unpredictable types of magic, and can be combined with pyrokinesis (see above) to perform a flamethrower effect.

*Compression* — Compression is very much a close-quarters art, being completely impossible at range. It can be used to create fireballs (see above,) break bones, smash windows/doors or completely crush small objects. It can weaken structures, paralyse living things and in very large groups, well-trained mages can create a black hole due to the sheer amount of force, but that is a very, very bad idea.

*Expulsion* — Expulsion is different to wind control (see above) in the way that the item must be physically touched to be expelled, and also of quite a small size. Expulsion is often used in hunting parties with bullets, arrows and even stones as a very powerful but hard to aim weapon. Expelled materials can reach speeds in excess of Mach 2, and a stone that would normally cause a bruise when thrown could turn bones to powder.

*Cryokinesis* — Strangely more powerful at long ranges than short, Cryokinesis is the section of magic devoted to removing heat from objects, living things or the air. Cryokinesis tears the heat from the substance, leaving nothing but cold. This can be combined with compression to create solid balls of ice, and in rare cases, ice weaponry. Much like the flamethrower effect achieved with wind control and pyrokinesis, a blast of cold air can be used to slow someone down immensely. In combat, Cryokinesis is used to weaken building structures, combine with expulsion to create deadly ice missiles, freeze swathes of soldiers dead (literally) in their tracks, and turn the roughest lakes into passable ice and snow.

*Restoration* — Restoration magic is also known as healing, and is one of the hardest-to-learn but by far the most important type of magic. It must be performed at a very close range, and if the healing mage does not have sufficient knowledge of the body they are mending things could go horribly wrong. Because of this, as a general rule healers have to study for many years at universities to be qualified for work in a battle zone or hospital. Some healers prefer healing animals, but they are frowned upon as many say that they should spend their precious gifts on prolonging the human race.

*Necromancy* — Necromancy is frowned on heavily in Kangara and can fetch you a jail time of twenty years, permanent magical suppression and possibly execution. Common among gangster and drug circles around Skander, big gang leaders will surround themselves with reanimated corpses for intimidation factor in deals and standoffs. Necromancy is essentially the act of making a corpse into one’s puppet using some twisted relative of healing magic by artificially moving muscles and limbs.


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## skip.knox (Jul 15, 2013)

I like the ideas here. But I'm a story teller, so what matters to me is the execution, not the architecture. I'd love to see this system implemented in a story.


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## Addison (Jul 19, 2013)

Sounds like an awesome, incredible science-fantasy in the making.


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## Mathias (Jul 19, 2013)

This sounds fascinating, I can't wait for it to be a story. I think you can go a long way with combining magic with science. For example will the military use this magic to create powerful war machines that when used threaten the existance of the land, maybe the government will perform tests on people to make a human that could withstand multiple 'claps' at once making them an ultimate fighting soldier. You could even sympathsize with the underground criminals, the government has abused their power in controlling claps so much that ordinary people are forced to get ahold of these drugs and inject themselves just so they can defend themselves. Also the side affects has huge potential, what is the price for having magical powers? Also how much do these claps cost, maybe only the ultra rich in this society can buy them giving them dominance over lower income.

Anyways sorry for the ramble but this a a really interesting idea, it has a tone of potential and could make for a very dark, very realistic science fiction novel.


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## Scribble (Jul 19, 2013)

Very cool system. I have one element out of all that which is kind of similar, in a project I am working on. It involves only alchemical "magic", one aspect of which is a kind of arcane chemistry. Tinctures associated with different metals have varying effects on the body, some short term, some are long term transformations. Some are physical, some are essentially meta-physical.

I like this fusion of pseudo-scientific elements with fantasy. I'd be interested to read.


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## KorbentMarksman (Jul 20, 2013)

Well, the reaction to my idea has been surprisingly positive. Thanks for the feedback guys, I've taken all of your points into account.


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## Lunaairis (Jul 20, 2013)

I really really really like this.


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## SomethingToPonder (Jul 25, 2013)

Yes i have no idea why anyone would want to shoot you, It sounds like a new take on magic which you could imagine seeing in a modern sci-fi movie. 
I would also love to see this implemented into a story, this definetely is a brand new fascinating idea.


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## Lucifer (Jul 26, 2013)

Whenever I try to implement magic into a story, I keep in mind how to make it somewhat realistic. I deeply enjoy your breakdown.


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## shangrila (Jul 27, 2013)

My only suggestion; change the name "claps". My first thought was the clap, which is an STD (I think, I wouldn't know personally).

Aside from that, I think it's a good system.


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## Asterisk (Aug 1, 2013)

Incredible. You put a lot of work into this... I can tell!


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