Queshire
Istar
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.
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.