# Colors of Magic



## Queshire (Oct 5, 2017)

So, if you know me you know that I'm a fan of Final Fantasy, and a big part of Final Fantasy is their magic system. I wanted to do an expy of their system, but put my own twist on it and extend it. Here's what I have;

*Mages:* A mage is known as a Black Mage, Red Mage, etc and so on, based off of their natural affinity to begin with, but they can change their affinity to a different type through training. Affinities generally run in families and there's various clans known for producing particular types of mages. Mages find the magic they have an affinity for easiest to learn, but can learn other types at reduced efficiency. There's a level of overlap between the different types of magic and most naturally end up learning a scattering of spells from various types of magic but just because you're a Black Mage who knows a single healing spell doesn't mean you would be recognized as knowing White Magic. You need to actually study it.

*Black & White Magic:*

Black and White Magic are considered the base types of magic. They deal with how magic energy is manipulated and the other colors use a combination of both. Having an affinity in Black or White magic is the most common form of affinity to be naturally born with. 

*Black Magic:* The color Black absorbs all other colors and like that Black Magic focuses on drawing in magical energy and mixing it up together into new types. Pure black magic is known for its elemental effects because drawing in elemental energy from the surroundings is the easiest expression of it. Black Magic generates mana by drawing it in from the surroundings.

*White Magic:* The color White reflects all other colors and like that White Magic focuses on purifying and refining stuff. Pure white magic is known for its healing abilities and ability to cure magical or natural afflictions via removing impurities. High level users of White Magic are capable of super strength, super speed, etc by purifying the mana in their body and aligning it all to help them run, punch, whatever instead of just sloshing around like most people's mana. White magic "generates" mana by purifying what mana the body naturally generates so that they can do more with what they already have.

In advanced magic they commonly use black magic to draw in mana & mix it into the form they want then use white magic to purify and refine that before releasing it.

*Red Magic:* Red Mages generally end up as Jacks of All Trades by learning various other types of magic as well. This is because Red Magic can't do anything on its own. Red magic focuses on altering other types of magic. Part of this enables Red Mages to learn other types of magic more easily than other forms of Mages, but they're also able to launch several instances of a spell with a single incantation, combine spells or cosmetically alter spells. The most famous users of Red Magic are Magic Knights who use it to effectively "wear" their magic. They could cast a powerful fire spell in advance, wrap it around their sword and use their now flaming sword to attack until the opportune time comes up to launch the spell. Red Mages study the nature of magic itself.

*Orange Magic:* Orange magic studies magic like Red Magic, but instead of altering magic they focus on anchoring it. Orange magic is capable of extending other magic, but it's best known for creating magic items. Orange Mages are capable of making magical items, runes, create wards around locations and so on. Orange Mages are the most common form of advanced mage and form the industrial back bone of mage society.

*Yellow Magic:* Going from the idea of anchoring magic of Orange Magic, Yellow Magic focuses on the natural magic flowing through the world. Geomancers and Shamans, they study Ley Lines, Dungeons and Nexi of magical power. In combat their spells are the slowest but most destructive as they call upon earthquakes, tornados and other natural disasters. Outside of combat they ensure the infrastructure of mage society keeps working. They're the ones that keep the roads smooth, the magical plumbing running and help construct wizard towers.

*Green Magic:* Green magic gets more... abstract than Yellow Magic. Both study the cosmos, but while Yellow Magic focuses on Geomancy, Green Magic focuses on the movements of dimensions and the magical underpinnings of reality. Green Mages can create portals, build demi-planes and make areas of warped time and space. They have a stereotype of being rather... odd which is unsurprising considering the type of stuff their magic studies. Most are researchers and philosophers, but on the battlefield can masterfully control the pace of battle by teleporting forces around and setting up areas of warped time and space.

*Blue Magic:* Blue magic continues the focus on the abstract that Green Magic has, but scales it down. It focuses on Souls. Blue Mages are known as wanderers. Even non-combat mages are expected to travel and experience different view points and souls. They do have necromancy, but rarely use it. They deal with madness, possession and other afflictions of the soul. In combat they are known for draining life and magic from their foes and most dramatically can consume the souls of those they kill to use their abilities. As evil as that sounds, pretty much all Blue Mages due it, though they reserve it to steal the abilities of monsters instead of other people.

*Indigo Magic:* Indigo magic twists Blue Magic's focus on souls to study the creation and control of monsters. Normally monsters are made when magic stagnates or goes wrong. It twists something already existing to create the monster or forms a body for the monster out of the magic itself. Indigo Magic focuses on doing on purpose what otherwise happens accidentally. They're summoners and at high levels can turn themselves into a monster form without losing their mind.

*Violet Magic:* Violet Magic takes Indigo Magic's focus on twisting magic and combines it with Red Magic's focus on studying magic. Simply put, Violet Magic focuses on breaking magic itself. Anti-magic experts and, while lacking the sheer scale of destruction that Yellow Magic can pull off, the most singularly destructive type of magic. Violet Mages are capable of calling upon the power of the abyss. Naturally, the other Mages think these guys are creepy.


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## Vaporo (Oct 5, 2017)

Seems creative enough, but the system you've described doesn't seem all-encompassing enough if you're looking to parallel the Final Fantasy games (Which I've admittedly never played, but I do know about them). You seem to focus heavily on summoning and making things and the like. Where would a fireball or telekinesis spell fit in all of this?

Also, consider recoloring indigo and violet? Indigo doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely as the other one or two syllable colors and, to me, indigo and violet are both just variants of blue and purple and do not deserve a place with the other "primary" colors. Perhaps purple and brown?


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## CupofJoe (Oct 5, 2017)

I think Indigo and Violet are there because of the "seven" colours of the rainbow and no other reason


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## Queshire (Oct 5, 2017)

Yep, Joe got it right. Roy G. Biv, the colors of the rainbow.



Vaporo said:


> Seems creative enough, but the system you've described doesn't seem all-encompassing enough if you're looking to parallel the Final Fantasy games (Which I've admittedly never played, but I do know about them). You seem to focus heavily on summoning and making things and the like. Where would a fireball or telekinesis spell fit in all of this?
> 
> Also, consider recoloring indigo and violet? Indigo doesn't roll off the tongue as nicely as the other one or two syllable colors and, to me, indigo and violet are both just variants of blue and purple and do not deserve a place with the other "primary" colors. Perhaps purple and brown?



Honestly, most things can be done by multiple types of magic. A basic fireball would be Black Magic, but you could also use Yellow Magic for a mini-erruption, violet magic for a hellfire fireball, or blue to use a dragon's breath attack.

Pure TK would be easiest with Green, but both Black & White can do it. White by producing pure force, Black by extending its ability to draw & mix to manipulate what it's drawing from.

EDIT: I might add Grey Magic as stuff which, technically, falls under the other types of magic, but are just the sort of basic utility magic any self respecting mage should know that most don't consider it a part of the other types.


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## TheCrystallineEntity (Oct 5, 2017)

This is a pretty awesome idea. I like Final Fantasy, too [VII in particular], and I've been thinking of making a magic system kind of like that. I'll see if I can make it so it isn't completely like your idea.


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## Annoyingkid (Oct 5, 2017)

What is mana?


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## TheCrystallineEntity (Oct 5, 2017)

^Mana is usually depicted as life force of some kind; the name might come from the Old Testament.


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## Michael K. Eidson (Oct 5, 2017)

The Old Testament term is manna, and refers to a miracle food.

Mana is a Polynesian word that refers to a pervasive supernatural or magical power.


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## TheCrystallineEntity (Oct 5, 2017)

^Shows how much I know. Some mythology/etymological expert I am.


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## Queshire (Oct 5, 2017)

Yep. Mana is a pretty common term for the energy that powers spells.

Mana - TV Tropes


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## Annoyingkid (Oct 5, 2017)

Queshire said:


> Yep. Mana is a pretty common term for the energy that powers spells.
> 
> Mana - TV Tropes



I was talking in the context of your work specifically, not it's generic meaning, I know its a thing that powers spells, but thats vague. I'd expect written fiction to be alot more specific than a game, where it doesn't need to be defined beyond a blue bar.


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## Queshire (Oct 5, 2017)

Well, I like making systems so, yes, given a bit to think more about it I could come up with lore about it, but if you look at, say, Harry Potter, I could just have an impression of a system while not having it actually be more than a blue bar.


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## TinyHippo (Oct 22, 2017)

I really like these kinds of class-based magic systems. I always read them and cross my fingers, that maybe this time, I will be blessed with a great idea. This one was a good one. Gotta say that.

For the comments about the term mana/manna. I just wanna clear up. I have had a year long discussion with a friend of mine on this one. 
Mana derived from the word manna, which is described in the bible as an endless supply of heavenly fallen fruit.
It is also the name of the seeds of an elm tree, which slowly falls from the sky in the fall. This is the true origin.


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