RP Help Compendium

Elemental Magic
Magical Type: Nature
Magical Alignment: Neutral

Magic that harnesses the energy of the physical world, either through the casters surroundings, Ley Lines, Astral Lines, or living things like plants and animals. The commonly seen elements are Earth, Fire, Air, Water, though depending on the demographic, other elements are added (Like metal in Asian element cycles). Often, the standard four can be combined in various ways to create sub-genres of magic, or specializations.
Air Magic (Aeromancy)
Magic Type: Element
Magic Alignment: Neutral (Nature)
Cardinal Direction: East
Season: Spring

Elemental Opposite: Earth
Elemental Partner: Fire
Elemental Neutral: Water

Air symbolizes the soul, the power of the mind, reasoning skills, intellect and communication. As well, it is the personification of youth, freedom, flight, speed, cleansing and life.

Manipulation of the element can have various effects that are dependent on the desires of the caster. Examples can range from causing gale winds and tornadoes, changing the pressure or density of an area, manipulating fog or smoke, the capability of flight and being able to speed up ones movements. Other uses of a less than conventional sense could range from making sonic explosions, pulling the element into a concentrated point in order to hurl it at a target or create a shield, become aethereal (like a ghost) to glide on air currents, or allow one to breath in what would be normally considered a hostile environment (Like creating a rebreather mask in order to swim or traverse a contaminated mine).

Further, if one knows how to channel the element, they can increase their physical speed and kinetic force, or go as far as forcing air into someones lungs, either to resuscitate or to make the lungs implode, or pulling air out to cause suffocation.

As mentioned earlier, the elements can be combined with one another. For example, a storm mage is someone who specializes in water and air magic to create violent electrical discharges, hurricanes or typhoons whereas a generic air mage might only be able to create a tornado.
Fire Magic (Pyromancy)
Magic Type: Element
Magic Alignment: Neutral (Nature)
Cardinal Direction: South
Season: Summer

Elemental Opposite: Water
Elemental Partner: Air
Elemental Neutral: Earth

Fire is the element of duality: It has the power to both create and destroy. It personifies cleansing and rebirth, represents transformation, passion, anger or any such raw emotion. Fire is the energy of strong willpower and creativity.

Fire can be used to cause explosions, create a heat or light source, cauterize wounds, creating a wall of flame, fireballs, etc. Fire is, obviously, the element of war, though like any magic it's uses are as broad as the casters imagination.
Water Magic (Hydromancy)
Magic Type: Element
Magic Alignment: Neutral (Nature)
Cardinal Direction: West
Season: Autumn

Elemental Opposite: Fire
Elemental Partner: Earth
Elemental Neutral: Air

Water is the element of life, compassion and giving, healing and cleansing, of far seeing and of dreams. It is a purifier and personification of the spirit. It is the element of change.

Water can be used to heal wounds, alter currents and tides, create fog and mist, scrying and divination, take control of plant life and even control animals and people through blood. Combine it with air, one could create ice to encase their enemy or fire to create steam so strong it burns.
Earth Magic (Geomancy)
Magic Type: Element
Magic Alignment: Neutral (Nature)
Cardinal Direction: North
Season: Winter

Elemental Opposite: Air
Elemental Partner: Water
Elemental Neutral: Fire

Earth is the element of stability, endurance, strength, growth and cleansing. It is the element of binding, fertility, life, and nature itself.

Earth can be used to create walls of stone, tangle vines and brambles to capture and hold, sink pits or stone armor. It can be used to bend metals and alloys, manipulate crystals or even cause calcification of body parts. Earth magic is often the magic of druids and shamans, and as such they are able to tap into Ley Lines, converse with animals and control plants. Combine it with fire, an earth mage could begin throwing magma. Imagination is key.
Psionics
Magic Type: Mental
Magic Alignment: Varies

Magic involving the mind. Unlike physical magic, psionics involve the manipulation of matter through the power of the mind. While magic is the manipulation of natural energy, psionics is the manipulation of mental energy. An anti magi field will not effect a psionic, for example, while a mental null field will. Psionics can do many of the same things that traditional mages can, the only difference is their methods.
Empathy
Magic Type: Psionic (Mental)
Alignment: Neutral

The magic of emotions. The ability to read, interpret, replicate and manipulate the emotions of others. Empaths have the ability to diffuse a situation by being able to understand people on an emotional level, appeasing to the persons heart rather than their head. However, an empath can create chaos just as easily, making people feel anger or sadness or despair until they react violently.

Empaths can use their gifts to create a chemical reaction in others, as well, sparking people to lust for one another or to cause injuries to appear where there had been none by tricking the body. It can even be used to heal or to allow people to ignore their pain, though the methods vary from empath to empath. Often, people with this gift are burdened by the emotional strain, where it takes years to learn to fully control their powers, prevent their emotions from bleeding on to others as much as prevent themselves from taking on the feelings and sensations of the world around them.
Precognition/ Clairvoyance
Magic Type: Psionic (Mental)
Alignment: Neutral

The ability to see something before it occurs. Often requiring one to be in a dream like state or in deep meditation, precogs have the ability to foresee events before they happen, and thus some have the ability to change the future. However, it is an unreliable ability unless trained. Precognitives can only see the future.

Clairvoyance, however, is the ability to view things, people and events at a distance as they are happening (Present), see the future, as well as view the past. While precognition occurs during sleep or meditation and rituals, clairvoyance can happen at any time, any place. It can be sparked by a sound, a smell, or touching a persons hand.
Generic Magic
Magic Type: Varies
Magical Alignment: Varies

Illusions, crafting, potion making, divination and skrying, etc. Magic that doesn't fit neatly into one category or another, as seen below.
Glamour
Magic Type: Illusion
Magical Alignment: Neutral

An intrinsic element to any creature of Fae blood, (Seelie/Unseelie Sidhe, Elves, pixies, leprechauns, etc.). Creatures whose heritage heralds back to the Fae of Celtic and Nordic myth are innately capable of casting glamour magics, or illusions. Not every fae descendant is alike and not every fae descendant has the same control: Ergo, no two illusions will have the same strength, nor look the same.

Glamour magic is created by the users willpower. The stronger ones willpower, the more fantastic the illusion can be. However, this doesn't necessarily mean it is effective. Glamour, or illusions, however one wants to call it, rely on the belief of the one looking at the illusion. For example, if a fairie conjures fire and throws it at someone, the belief that it burns and can hurt is what causes it to do damage to the targeted individual. Should the person not believe the fire can hurt them, the illusion is broken. Illusion requires subtlety, otherwise they won't break through an audiences mental barriers. Strong illusions take time to form and a great deal of energy, otherwise they will leave markers to signify it being a fake, thereby making it easier to overcome. The more fantastic the illusion, the more energy required. Like all magic, there is a law of equivalent exchange.

Examples of glamour magic can include conjured flame (Fairie fire, will o' the wisps), trapping someone in a dream or nightmare, creating an object from nothing (Not summoning an object, literally crafting it with the power of ones will), creating phantoms to haunt someone, charming someone, altering ones appearance or voice, ghostly music, or even things as incredible as crafting an army to appear. Illusion magic is as boundless as the users imagination.

Glamour magic is Fae specific. A human can not perform 'Glamour'. However, a human CAN perform 'Illusion based magic', which is essentially the same thing as Glamour. Glamour is racially specific, or to use a better term, blood specific. What's more, Glamour abilities are disrupted by iron, much like how fae are hurt by cold iron. The illusions crafted by a human or a dragon, for example, would not break beneath the influence of iron.
Sonomancy (Sound Magic)
Magic Type: Illusion or Air Magic (Depends on methodology)
Magical Alignment: Neutral

The magic of sound manipulation, be it speech, song, the clapping of hands, beat of drum or strum of strings. A mage that can manipulate sound can induce listeners to feel new emotions, feel stronger or even cause fear. A skill typically used by charlatans, rogues and bards, Sonomancy is often considered a form of illusion magic. However, it can be considered a physical art as well where the mage manipulates the sounds frequencies to create a physical reaction in the listeners.

Further examples could be the throwing of ones voice or changing its pitch and timbre, using the beat of a drum to cause anger and spark a confrontation, a song of courage to bolster a friend feeling down on his luck, or even a fast jig played on a fiddle to cause people to feel joy. Sound can also be used to deafen, create a sense of vertigo and illness as well as both cause internal hemorrhaging from certain sound frequencies, or heal.
Equipment Magic
Magic Type: Imbued/ Charmed/ Enchanted
Magical Alignment: Varies

Equipment, such as weapons, jewelry and armor can be imbued with magical properties to great effect, either to boost ones speed, strength or add capabilities to their fighting tactics.

The effect of the equipment varies depending on the type of magic imbued into it during its forging. We'll use a sword in this example. In the hands of a paladin, a sword might be a holy weapon used to combat creatures of an unholy nature. Holy spells were probably imbued into the metal during forging, or maybe sigils were carved into the weapon after.

On the other hand, a blood mage might have a sword with vampiric tendencies, draining the life energy of anyone it strikes.

The effects of magical equipment are wide. A ring might protect the wearer from fire or release a magic missile. A necklace might ward off sickness or imprison a demon.

In some instances, armor and weapons can even be sentient, creatures that were willingly or unwillingly fashioned into a tool. Some have been known to still possess the ability to communicate with their wielder.
Alchemy
Magic Type: Occult
Magical Alignment: Neutral

The magic of transmutation: Creating objects from near nothing, turning water to wine, gold from air, potions, poultices and poisons. Even create new life, though this often doesn't work. Alchemy is the prominent source of golems and how equipment is imbued with magical properties. The difference between an Alchemist and an Artificer is that an Alchemist relies completely on magic whereas an Artificer doesn't.
Artificer
Magic Type: Enchantment
Magical Alignment: Any

Artificers are mages who take a more scientific approach to magic, blending arcane skills with that of technology to create marvels far greater than that of a simple alchemists. Things Artificers are capable of are golemancy (building out of material, not magic), clockwork machines, Magitek machines, and beyond. They work through rituals, magical components, sigils and runes, enchanting their creations with arcane energy be they living or man-made.

For example, an Artificer would be the person to go to should someone need an artificial limb created. A prosthetic limb wouldn't normally have a full range of motion, but in the hands of an Artificer, a clockwork arm would work like flesh and blood. Like Alchemists, Artificers are a prominent method of imbuing equipment with magical properties.
Divination
Magic Type: Seeking/ Psionic
Magical Alignment: Neutral

Scrying magic through the use of palmistry, tea leaves, mirrors, water, spirit walking, clairvoyance, astronomy, fortune telling, etc..
Transformation
Magic Type: Morphing
Magical Alignment: Any

Magic that causes a physical transformation, either in whole or in part. Examples of such could be a vampires ability to turn into a bat, a polymorph spell, a demon hiding as a human or the transformation of a lycanthrope from human to beast. The larger the transformation, the more energy is required. Transformations are not simple, either. In some cases, it is possible for the transformation to cause physical injury, like a limb becoming deformed, sanity or humanity being lost, or being incapable of returning to normal.
Black Magic
Magic Type: Occult
Magical Alignment: Unholy/ Negative Energy/ Sometimes Neutral

Magic of necromancers, liches, warlocks and sorcerers. Magic of this branch ranges from raising the dead and possession to mind control, hexes and curses. The term 'Black Magic' or 'The Black' is used due to the generally harmful nature of such spells, either to the victim or the user. In some cases, the spell user loses a part of themselves as payment, either physical or spiritual. In other cases, some spells, while used for the benefit of the target, can still cause damage due to use.

Some detailed examples are below.
Thaumaturgy
Magic Type: Occult
Magical Alignment: Varies on use

Thaumaturgy is the art of connections. Curses, Hexes, Hoodoo/Voodoo, tracking spells, etc. Being able to control someone over a distance, or to see or hear what someone else sees or hears. This sort of magic requires components, either hair, blood, teeth, etc., from the person that one wants to find or link to. Someone skilled in Thaumaturgy can either find a kidnapped child over a certain distance or seize control of a targets biological functions and make their heart explode.

Often, Thaumatergy is used for nefarious deeds, though that doesn't make the magic itself evil in nature.
Necromancy
Magic Type: Occult
Magical Alignment: Unholy/ sometimes Neutral

Everyone knows this sort of magic. Control of the dead, raising the dead, summoning specters and ghosts, possessing people, animating corpses, speaking to the deceased (With or without a medium). It can go as far as forcing people to switch bodies to the creation of liches, fusing body parts together to make Frankenstein-esque horrors, binding the souls of the dead to items or places, etc..
Demonology
Magic Type: Occult
Magical Alignment: Unholy

The summoning and controlling of demons and devils. Forcing possession, binding demons or devils to places or items, etc..
Psychomancy (Mind Control)
Magic Type: Occult/ Psionic
Magical Alignment: Based on use

The magic of thought control and mind reading (Telepathy). Control someones actions by controlling their thoughts, breaking through mental barriers, damaging their mind, implanting thoughts or visions, completely removing memories, altering someones personality, etc. Psychomancy can also be used to peer into someones thoughts and dreams, either to gain their secrets or help recover memories or information thought long lost. This branch of magic is often used nefariously, though it has been used to help ease suffering or repair mental damage. However, because this sort of magic involves the mind, even the best of intentions can leave damage.
White Magic
Magic Type: Cleansing
Magical Alignment: Holy/ Positive Energy

Magic of priests, healers and paladins. Spells of this variety can range from healing and true resurrection to divine spells and exorcism. Some detailed examples are below.
Anti-Magic
Magic Type: Nullification
Magical Alignment: Neutral

Magic that neutralizes other magics or seals them away. This can be done either with a spell or with talismans to create either a zone where magical spells or abilities no longer work or a personal barrier to nullify magical attacks. Often used to control demons or turn undead.
Warding
Magic Type: Protection
Magical Alignment: Holy/ Neutral

Magic that creates defenses, often through the use of talismans. Shields, crosses, medallions, etc., that protect the caster or wearer from a specific type of energy or being, either by deflection, repulsion, absorption or dissipation. Think holy cross to a vampire or divine talisman to a demon.
Healing
Magic Type: Divine
Magical Alignment: Holy/ Neutral

Magic that heals injuries, knits bones, or even brings life back to the recently deceased. Typically, this magic is of divine nature, meaning the magics energy source comes from the healers deity. However, neutral healing magic exists to the same result and is often exhibited through Druidic magic.