Uses for goo

[Queshire]

In my story, the main character is a mage, but he sucks at magic. Everytime he tries to cast a spell he just ends up creating goo (ectoplasm). Instead of having that getting him down, he takes advantage of his magical handicap and finds new ways to use his goo which lets him fight as an equal to genius mages. That said, I would like some help brainstorming interesting ways to use the goo.

Oh, and as a background element, most mages when they just start developing their power accidently create goo when they try to cast spells, but quickly stop once their powers settle. It's almost considered the mage equivilent of wetting the bed. The main character is far past the age where it's considered socially acceptable.

Here's the rules for his power;
-He can set the position and velocity of the goo when he creates it, but can't control already created goo. So he can fire goo balls but no creating goo monsters.
-He can destroy goo he's summoned, it harmlessly evaporates.
-He can manipulate the properties of the goo he creates just so long as it remains goo. The bigger the change the harder it is to do and it takes him awhile to discover this.

Here's some uses I came up with;
-Create a giant blob of goo to act as a shield from enemy attacks

-Create a giant blob of goo to act as a cushion to protect from falling

-Stuffing a monster so full of goo that it bursts just like injecting too much creme filling into a donut.

-Walking, or really running, on water by creating a thin layer of non-newtonian goo over a body of water. (I'm not 100% sure if that's the right term, but basically it's a fluid that momentarily becomes solid when hit with something going at relatively high speeds, I saw it on mythbusters)

-Cause enemies to trip by making a layer of slippery goo under their feet.

-Move faster by skating on a layer of slippery goo under your feet.

-Cut things by creating a thin, high pressure jet of goo. (They do this with water I think)

-Sticky goo web.

-Goo trampoline.

-Goo bean bag chair.

-Flat out drowning someone in goo.

-Goo Geysers

-Goo Bombs

THE FOLLOWING ARE USES I'M STILL CONSIDERING WHETHER OR NOT TO USE; (capitalized so they stand out)

-Create a makeshift submarine by making the goo hyperoxygized (ala the goo from Neon Genesis Evangelion) and able to withstand crushing pressure. (Does this risk breaking willing suspension of disbelief?)

-Eventually learning to manipulate existing goo, so yes, possible to make goo based mecha

-Imbuing the goo he creates with elemental properties such as fire, electricity, and ice.

-The goo able to dissolve other magic just like water dissolves most things. (This would be because creating goo is the purest, most basic use of magic there is) however I'm worried this might be too over powered.

IN CONCLUSION;

1) Do you guys have any other ideas for uses of goo?

2) Do my uses of goo make sense?

3) What are your thoughts on the various uses that I'm still on the fence about?

Thank you for your time.

 

[Penpilot]

1 - You've got a nice range. Something to think about, is a speed of casting a spell a factor in confrontations? Maybe goo cast is faster than normal casting. SO smack a normal mage in the face with goo before they can complete their spell casting.

2 - For the most part yes.

3 - I'd keep away from the fence stuff. It's turning the mage into Green Lantern. Too powerful. Just my opinion, but I'd think the use of goo should be steered in the clever use side of its basic properties rather than an escalation of it's power. Otherwise it becomes less unique and the mage might as well be wielding fire, ice, or stuff like that.

My two cents.

 

[T.Allen.Smith]

This story sounds like humor will play a large part. As far as the goo goes I think it would be interesting if each aspect had a positive & negative.
For example, you mentioned goo as a sticky adhesive... A converse of this could be glue as a super lubricant. Both could be used as a tool or weapon.
Maybe, because he sucks at magic he's never quite sure if he's going to get the positive or negative aspect... Could be interesting.

 

[Zephon]

What about contact with the goo, or more specifically his goo, negates all other magic? I think this was sort of mentioned in the goo's defense capabilities, but depending on the world it could be a VERY powerful substance.

Like TAS said above humor could certainly play a large part in goo's usefulness and power.

Why couldn't the all-powerful Dark Lord take over the land?
----Some dumbass mage flung some weird goo at him, rendering his power useless.

It's goofy but with the right writing it could work logically while maintaining suspension of belief.

 

[Ireth]

This reminds me of a Harry Potter computer game that had ectoplasm as an obstacle at various points. It could be gotten rid of through a specific spell, but if Harry fell in it or tried to walk through it, he'd get stuck and quickly lose his stamina, mostly until he fainted.

 

[BeigePalladin]

hmmmm, goo. well, you outlined a number of uses, I'm just going to ask a question:

you said the goo was a product of failed spells, that this inept mage had learnt to utilize, which allows him to overcome non-inept mages. why in heaven's name is th product of a failed spell better than a successful one, and following on from that If the goo is a product of failing a spell, then surely the non-inept mages where capable of figuring out the goo is superiour and be using that themselves - and since they're not inept, they'd probably be able to outgoo the inept guy, no?

from that, I'd recomend making the goo not a failed spell, but something only he could do, a normally high leveled spell he for some reason has a grasp on, or a unique talent. throw in a few caltrops, but let all his high-power spells fizzle and misbehave. Making the ultimate weapon the result of failing something is kinda lame, and really would have no excuse for being able to beat someone else

aout the fence abilities, well, is that something non-inept people in the setting could ever hope to acomplish? If the only person able to create a giant mecha doom warrior is "inept", well, his name's marty stu, put simply. so for those question, my reply is this; would other people be able to do something to the same effect, or would it be purely the premise of the inept guy?

 

[Queshire]

First, it's less that he's actually inept as society views him as inept for only being able to create goo instead of any real spells.

See, when mages first start developing their powers, their power is unstable. When they try to use their magical ability they might do it, or randomly create goo instead. Their power normally quickly stabalizes on whatever their personal magical power is, fireballs, summoning, etc. The MC never left that unstable stage, though it might be better to say his powers immediately settled on making goo. For most mages, the goo is considered just the useless byproduct of failed magic, worthless compared to their real magic. The MC is the only one to discover some of the more interesting properties of it.

The goo isn't superior to a successful spell, except for the ability to dissolve magic (which I'm liking more and more, and which only the MC would discover as he's the only goo mage) it's not that impressive. It's how the MC uses it that allows him to be equal to a guy that can create a nuclear explosion with his brain or the girl able to turn the statue of liberty into a golem (both of those being on the high end of what they can do though)

As for the fence abilities, all of those would just be cheap knock-offs of things that could be done easily by other mages, though most other mages wouldn't be able to do all of them, perhaps just one or two.