Alicornutopia

Spreadsheet! Diagram! Context!

As you can see, I don't have much of it pulled together yet. I'm still reading the source material for inspiration. (edit: obviously this is less true now. XD)

You probably should read the witchy sections in the pdf before thinking to much about these suggestions, but here are some:
As I already mentioned. Keep the Elements/Manifest no smaller than 5, ideally 7, unless you want to have *huge* diversity in gifts, than go high, high enough that *no one* can remember what all gifts do. In either case, all gifts are "catalogued" somewhere.

I already had some ideas for the Arcana Evolved witches, that could be adapted, mainly new elements.
Summer – fire and light related powers
Blood – the witch manipulates her own life-force.
Night – Darkness related powers.
Lighting/Storm – Electric powers or weather powers (it can merge with the wind element)

A new manifestation: “Companion” the witch creates a mental link with a creature, becoming a sort of familiar, said familiar gains a power/trait depending on the element. Sea witches could get a aquatic steed or something for example.
Witches that trade gifts can only trade in a specific type of manifestation, they aren’t allowed access to more than two elements through trade. The only exception are “Sword Witches” who use the blade manifestation to fight and because they only need two summon two blades at same time, so it is a tactical advantage.

What do you mean by "they aren't allowed to access more than two elements through trade"?

Is the trading thing described in the pdf? I can't seem to find it there.

This magic system makes me think of the one in Eternal Darkness, which I was always a big fan of.

I don't have any ideas for elements, except to say that I like it when they follow some theme. However, here's some ideas for manifestations:
Shroud (Manifestation) - engulfs target in the element
Bridle (Manifestation) - allows control over pre-existing element
Book (Manifestation) - provides knowledge pertaining to element

Kappa wrote:What do you mean by "they aren't allowed to access more than two elements through trade"?

Is the trading thing described in the pdf? I can't seem to find it there.

Ops, sorry. My explanation wasn't clear and didn't make sense anyway.

Revised suggestion:

The whole trade thing is my idea. There is a ritual that allows two witches to trade gifts. The ritual works no matter the gifts involved, but I was thinking that witches have a organization that monitors they and doesn't allow too much variety between elements x manifestations (it increases their power). So if a Witch wants to make a trade legally, it has to register and pick a manifestation type that they already have and keep the gift with it. Sword Witches don't have to keep their original "blades".

Example: IronWitch!Sherlock gift set: Iron Blade (Iron+Blade), Armor Song (Iron+song) and Word of Repair (Iron+Word). Sherlock wants to become a Sword Witch so she trades the Iron Blade and Word of Repair for Ice Blade and Mind Blade. As a result, Sherlock is now stronger than she was before.

I've actually managed to come up with almost seven elements already! Thank you for Summer and Night, Bluelantern! :D

Here's the idea that led me as far as I've gotten: The elements form a circle, with each one allied/connected to the two elements next to it and opposing/complementing the two across from it. So far I have Spring, Summer, Iron, Autumn, Winter, and Night, and what I'm missing is the one that comes between Night and Spring. The idea is that connected elements should share something - for example, Summer and Iron are both related to heat, and Winter and Night are both related to darkness. I haven't quite figured out what they all represent, but I'm very pleased with including all four seasons. Suggestions for the seventh element, anybody?

I am extremely fond of the trading idea, so congrats on designing it! :D I was kinda fond of the original restriction you mentioned, though, where they could only exchange gifts within the same manifestation - a Blade of one element for a Blade of another, or whatever. But I think I also like an idea I just thought of, which is that when two witches trade gifts, neither of them loses one - if you trade your Night Blade for your friend's Iron Blade, you will end up with both an Iron Blade and a Night Blade and so will your friend.

Kappa wrote:I've actually managed to come up with almost seven elements already! Thank you for Summer and Night, Bluelantern! :D

Here's the idea that led me as far as I've gotten: The elements form a circle, with each one allied/connected to the two elements next to it and opposing/complementing the two across from it. So far I have Spring, Summer, Iron, Autumn, Winter, and Night, and what I'm missing is the one that comes between Night and Spring. The idea is that connected elements should share something - for example, Summer and Iron are both related to heat, and Winter and Night are both related to darkness. I haven't quite figured out what they all represent, but I'm very pleased with including all four seasons. Suggestions for the seventh element, anybody?

I am extremely fond of the trading idea, so congrats on designing it! :D I was kinda fond of the original restriction you mentioned, though, where they could only exchange gifts within the same manifestation - a Blade of one element for a Blade of another, or whatever. But I think I also like an idea I just thought of, which is that when two witches trade gifts, neither of them loses one - if you trade your Night Blade for your friend's Iron Blade, you will end up with both an Iron Blade and a Night Blade and so will your friend.

what Autumn does? It is a little weird that we have seasons and then Night and Iron, but not that much. Another idea: The Elements' name can change in different cultures, so "Night" could be called "Darkness" in a place or get the name of a night god in another.

Night and Spring... maybe "Blood"? Blood and Spring relate to Life, and Night and Spring relate to "sacrifice" or "scary-stuff" >.>

I'm a big fan of circular systems with adjacent alliances and complementary opposites :D

In order to suggest a seventh element I think I'd have to know more about the symbolism/themes/domains of the current ones (I agree that it seems a bit odd to have 4 seasons but then "Iron" and "Darkness" with no obvious connection). So like, if we have a seven-sided figure, there's one side that represents "Heat" elements, connecting the "Summer" and "Iron" vertices, meanwhile there's a "Dark" side connecting the "Winter" and "Night" vertices. So throwing out the first ideas that come to mind for the 7th element and each of the "sides" of the figure, it could go: Spring-[Blooming]-Summer-[Heat]-Iron-[Harvest]-Autumn-[Withering]-Winter-[Dark]-Night-[Dream]-Dew-[Dawn]-Spring, ie:

Spring opposes the Withering side (Autumn and Winter)
Summer opposes the Dark side (Winter and Night)
Iron opposes the Dream side (Night and Dew)
Autumn opposes the Dawn side (Dew and Spring)
Winter opposes the Blooming side (Spring and Summer)
Night opposes the Heat side (Summer and Iron)
Dew opposes the Harvest side (Iron and Autumn)

Circular systems with adjacent alliances and complementary opposites are the best :D

Originally I was going to have Iron oppose Night and something-else because Iron is concrete and Night is abstract, but the more I think about it, if Iron and Summer are connected by heat then Winter should probably oppose that pair. But I do like your Withering for Autumn and Winter... hmmmm...

Okay. So:

Spring (nature, healing, renewal) opposes the Autumn-Night pair, which I haven't named yet.
Summer (fire, light, energy) opposes the Night-Winter pair, which I have designated Sleep.
Iron (metal, engineering, durability/solidity) opposes the Winter-?? pair, which I haven't named yet.
Autumn (characteristics unknown) opposes the ??-Spring pair, which I haven't named yet.
Night (darkness, dreams, death) opposes the Spring-Summer pair, which I have designated Life.
Winter (cold, something something?) opposes the Summer-Iron pair, which I have designated Heat.
And the mystery element opposes the Iron-Autumn pair, which I have designated Strength, but I might change that if I figure out any characteristics for Autumn.

Here's a link to my scratch work.

I don't think "Dew" works anymore for the mystery element, but I do know I want to hide some traditional elements in among the specialties of this set - like fire under Summer, metal under Iron, nature (i.e. some interpretations of earth) under Spring... I wonder if there are particularly good places to put air and water? Autumn or Winter have room to take some, and I suppose it makes sense for Winter to take ice... hmm hmm. Thoughts, anyone?

Actually, what am I saying, water should totally go to Spring. It's even a pun! So Spring is now nature/healing/water ('renewal' was basically redundant anyway). So that opens up some more options for things Night and Autumn can share, I guess - note how Summer's 'energy' aspect complements Sleep, Night's 'death' complements Life, and Winter's 'cold' complements Heat; I like things to line up nice and tidily like that. Presumably the mystery element has an aspect that complements Strength, unless I can't figure one out, in which case I guess Iron and Autumn can share something else.

edit: I have now designated Autumn/Night as Fear, opposing an aspect of Spring's 'healing'. And I gave Autumn "work, wealth, spirits" as aspects, but I don't really like the words; I don't think they encompass what I was going for. ('Work' as in the labour of the harvest - accomplishing physical tasks. 'Wealth' as in the bounty of the harvest, extended to the general concept of material goods. 'Spirits' as in the common concept that the autumnal equinox is a time when you get to talk to dead people. Spirits is the weakest, I think, but it's also the link I'm making to Night through Fear, so... idk? Can anybody dig me out of this?)

Maybe we shouldn't work on the direction of name > properties, but the other way around? And make it kinda like Magic Gathering. Where "Red" is linked with fire, but also ice? pick a portfolio that is "balanced" and afterwards we can pick names that can even sound weird, as long the portfolio itself makes sense?