Advice/Help What's your favourite magical power to rp?

[theoscout]

I've noticed that across the entire site, people really love magical/ super powers. I'm writing a setting where people having powers isn't really common, and NGL powers seem out of place for the setting. However, the setting is still under development, so I'm aiming to have that fixed! This thread is a survey to see which are the most common answers.

 

[Lorsh]

Undeath, if that counts

 

[DragonSlayer57]

I've noticed that across the entire site, people really love magical/ super powers. I'm writing a setting where people having powers isn't really common, and NGL powers seem out of place for the setting. However, the setting is still under development, so I'm aiming to have that fixed! This thread is a survey to see which are the most common answers.

i like quirks because they give a lot of space for you to play around with. Same thing with pokemon. In a rp i like my oc to develop like a lot

 

[Jannah]

Honestly, I like things like shapeshifting simply due to how dynamic it can be. That can be so many different things depending on the nature of the story.

Flashy elemental powers like pyromancy are cool too.

 

[Fluffy Cookies]

I love rping with the power to control and manipulate water, like freezing it and stuff.
I also love to rp the power of seeing into people's memories.

 

[DragonSlayer57]

I love rping with the power to control and manipulate water, like freezing it and stuff.
I also love to rp the power of seeing into people's memories.

“MY CABBAGES!!”

 

[Steve Jobs]

Psychic anything is my jam. Telekinesis, tarot, future sight, telepathy etc. I also enjoy magic due to the versatility behind it.

 

[nikoru]

water controlling lmao

 

[FullMxtal]

Essentially what Fluffy Cookies already said in their post, but with the addition of shapeshifting and/or illusions. I find that characters who have those abilities are always fun to mess with character's perspectives or even that of your Roleplaying partner (if given permission, of course).

 

[theoscout]

Ah, I see for everyone now!

I’ve been working on an explanation for why magical powers exist, and so far I’ve come up with people who can telepathically command insect hives by hijacking their queen. As for the rest, how do these power variations sound? Different breeds of insects have different powers btw

Lorsh Insects that can control corpses by infesting them and sending electrical jolts to the corpse to move its muscles

DragonSlayer57 a character who is collecting colonies to command?

Jannah FullMxtal shapeshifting is already kind of a thing thanks to mutant viruses infecting biological beings and giving them strange, mallable flesh. Still can’t break the law of conservation of energy and size shift, unfortunately, but there’s portals!

Illusion ‘magic’ also exists in the form of ai generated holograms that can follow commands, though those are considered dangerous weapons you need a license to use, like guns. Your character can still be unique by using that technology in the setting though, because those things are hard to get.

Flamethrowers and fire proof suits certainly exist. So do flammable ferrofluids!

Fluffy Cookies nikoru I can’t really think of many things to stand in for water manipulation, so how does commanding a swarm of fire proof worms sound? Or a bunch of pressure resistant bugs who can manipulate ferrofluids via their electromagnetic organs?

Steve Jobs Unfortunately I kind of nerfed telekinesis because I felt like it was too op in many settings, including this one, so would you settle for a bunch of bugs lifting things and doing things that telekinesis would have done? Precognition already exists and it’s too difficult to study, and telepathy can be done via having a phone lmao


Going off all of these answers, would you be happy with the setting if these were your power stand ins?

 

[Crow]

Versatility in the form of having more than one is great, but if I had to pick but one, my money's on...

... the general elemental stuff, but since you've addressed that I think I'd go for a form of superintelligence that is usually accompanied by technopathy and technomancy. All in all a character who whips out the big deal gadgets.

 

[Steve Jobs]

Ah, I see for everyone now!

I’ve been working on an explanation for why magical powers exist, and so far I’ve come up with people who can telepathically command insect hives by hijacking their queen. As for the rest, how do these power variations sound? Different breeds of insects have different powers btw

Steve Jobs Unfortunately I kind of nerfed telekinesis because I felt like it was too op in many settings, including this one, so would you settle for a bunch of bugs lifting things and doing things that telekinesis would have done? Precognition already exists and it’s too difficult to study, and telepathy can be done via having a phone lmao


Going off all of these answers, would you be happy with the setting if these were your power stand ins?

I mean, every suggestion here is just controlling a type of bug. There isn't anything wrong with that per se, but none of these alternatives feel like the power proposed.

While bug lifting still allows for objects to be moved, it is aesthetically very different and I am not sure how it would be distinguishable from bugs with super strength or just controlling bugs in general.

Telepathy...what do you define that as? The biggest points of telepathy are that you can peek into someone's mind without them knowing or project thoughts into them. I can't imagine any of those being possible with a phone unless there's some technology in this world that allows non consensual thought sharing? Or implanting thoughts?

Really, the crux of the issue with my favored powers is that they are rooted in fantasy/supernatural elements (all of this feels sci-fi) and that we, as characters, do not actually wield actual powers in this setting;the bugs do the work.

If I were in a scenario where I submitted a character and told these were my options, I would not be satisfied because I just don't see it the spirit or aesthetic of the power being translated.

Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the concept. It's that if had I known that this was the magic system, my answer would be different. Some examples would be: charging objects with explosive energy, blood manipulation, poison, creating barriers.

 

[Crow]

Since you're looking for some kind of 'feasible'/'grounded' alternatives for these superpowers, and equipment is on the table, I do think controlling elements could be reduced to something as simple as spewing them and having a means to refuel the fuel used to launch them on the go. You're already nerfing high almighty powers, so this wouldn't be so bad.

(E.g. for hydrokinesis, something is generating water molecules from air. For pyrokinesis, something is generating flammable gases from air, etc.)

Spew from supply chamber, planting bombs filled with said element one could detonate...

But if you're bent on the bugs, well, sure, expand on the bugs I guess.

 

[Cogwork]

Personally I prefer powers that work similar to combat clairvoyance.

I'm writing a setting where people having powers isn't really common, and NGL powers seem out of place for the setting. However, the setting is still under development, so I'm aiming to have that fixed!

On an unrelated note, why would you need to "have that fixed"?

 

[theoscout]

Personally I prefer powers that work similar to combat clairvoyance.


On an unrelated note, why would you need to "have that fixed"?

Because otherwise people might be less interested in the roleplay

 

[Crow]

Because otherwise people might be less interested in the roleplay

If you feel a thing doesn't fit your setting you don't really need to try to find a way to fit them. You seem pretty fine with compromising certain abilities with usage of technology, and there's a certain charm in that over using actual superpowers.

 

[DragonSlayer57]

Ah, I see for everyone now!

I’ve been working on an explanation for why magical powers exist, and so far I’ve come up with people who can telepathically command insect hives by hijacking their queen. As for the rest, how do these power variations sound? Different breeds of insects have different powers btw

Lorsh Insects that can control corpses by infesting them and sending electrical jolts to the corpse to move its muscles

DragonSlayer57 a character who is collecting colonies to command?

Jannah FullMxtal shapeshifting is already kind of a thing thanks to mutant viruses infecting biological beings and giving them strange, mallable flesh. Still can’t break the law of conservation of energy and size shift, unfortunately, but there’s portals!

Illusion ‘magic’ also exists in the form of ai generated holograms that can follow commands, though those are considered dangerous weapons you need a license to use, like guns. Your character can still be unique by using that technology in the setting though, because those things are hard to get.

Flamethrowers and fire proof suits certainly exist. So do flammable ferrofluids!

Fluffy Cookies nikoru I can’t really think of many things to stand in for water manipulation, so how does commanding a swarm of fire proof worms sound? Or a bunch of pressure resistant bugs who can manipulate ferrofluids via their electromagnetic organs?

Steve Jobs Unfortunately I kind of nerfed telekinesis because I felt like it was too op in many settings, including this one, so would you settle for a bunch of bugs lifting things and doing things that telekinesis would have done? Precognition already exists and it’s too difficult to study, and telepathy can be done via having a phone lmao


Going off all of these answers, would you be happy with the setting if these were your power stand ins?

So basically a drafter? That’s fine with me ngl “war time!”

 

[theoscout]

I mean, every suggestion here is just controlling a type of bug. There isn't anything wrong with that per se, but none of these alternatives feel like the power proposed.

Yeah... I kind of wanted to give people an imitation of elemental powers while keeping minimal changes to pre established lore. The lore and physics of the universe is a key point in the plot.

Telepathy...what do you define that as? The biggest points of telepathy are that you can peek into someone's mind without them knowing or project thoughts into them. I can't imagine any of those being possible with a phone unless there's some technology in this world that allows non consensual thought sharing? Or implanting thoughts?

I consider telepathy and mind reading to be two different things. Telepathy is mind to mind long distance contact, mind reading is forced. Mind reading can be forced if a person is hooked into a machine to display their thoughts, but it's otherwise non existent.

After reading your other points, I don't think you may be in the target audience for this roleplay. But that's okay, even if you don't find interest in this one, I hope all your future endeavors are successful!

 

[theoscout]

If you feel a thing doesn't fit your setting you don't really need to try to find a way to fit them. You seem pretty fine with compromising certain abilities with usage of technology, and there's a certain charm in that over using actual superpowers.

Yeah, that's the plan! Some of it.
Also, there are weird reality-breaking aliens in the canon, so if someone wants to go and have flight or something, they can domesticate a flying alien they can ride.

 

[theoscout]

Since you're looking for some kind of 'feasible'/'grounded' alternatives for these superpowers, and equipment is on the table, I do think controlling elements could be reduced to something as simple as spewing them and having a means to refuel the fuel used to launch them on the go. You're already nerfing high almighty powers, so this wouldn't be so bad.

(E.g. for hydrokinesis, something is generating water molecules from air. For pyrokinesis, something is generating flammable gases from air, etc.)

Spew from supply chamber, planting bombs filled with said element one could detonate...

But if you're bent on the bugs, well, sure, expand on the bugs I guess.

I was writing lots about the bugs because imo people play powers because they want to have mental control over something, and I wanted to find a scientific way to explain that, while also not having it be game breaking. I have a lot of rules written planned for the bugs, just not here.

The technology for the other stuff exists, it's just kind of rare and expensive and you probably need a license to operate a bunch of it

 

[CurryFlurry]

I love writing out Elemental powers, SPECIFICALLY earth elemental powers. I like the idea of a second hardened like shell like skin for most earth based powers. And acting like a shield is just my forte when rping such things. I do also enjoy gravity manipulation, it's a fun one to write out from time to time.

 

[skydude808]

I enjoy powers with some kind of drawback, a pyromancer who has small chunks of their body slowly turning to ash as they use their power would be an example. I feel like it creates opprotunities to write about the characters relation to their power and what risks they are willing to take with it to achieve goals.

 

[Caroline1539]

Honestly? Reality Manipulation. Hypnosis. Messing with people's perception of reality, really overpowered nonsense.

 

[Rowan Doll]

I love non-stereotypical powers like Dimension creation, or oddly specific powers, but my favorite is shape shifting!!!

 

[Noella]

Going off of when I was a kid: Waterbending XD
Going off of being an Adult: Telepathy.