Post by Admin on Jan 28, 2012 21:45:41 GMT -5
Call it energy. Call it life-force. Call it chi. Call it chakra. Call it the soul. Call it whatever you want, but it's this force - the animating, life-giving force - that allows a person to go beyond their physical limitations. All living creatures - and even a few unliving ones - have it. For most, it's just too weak to be felt or utilized.
It takes special training or a naturally strong soul to be able to use what is known by most cultures as magic. Wizards, sorcerers, priests, witch doctors, shamans - there are many names such people can go by, but the best thing to call them is simply by what they are: magic users, or for short, mages.
The Tiers -
In the same way that not all people are mages (and in fact, most aren't), not all mages are as strong as each other. There is a relatively clear delineation of power that mages can be categorized into, though these are functionally averages. Two mages of the same tier may in fact have quite different power levels if one has almost risen to the tier above and the other has just risen from the tier below.
It's also good to note that because one's magical energies are tied to one's lifeforce, the stronger a mage becomes, the more longevity they have. Some of the most powerful mages have lived centuries longer than others of their race, remaining young and strong well beyond their actual youth.
Tier 0 - "Nonmagical"
This is the stage most people, animals and monsters are at. They have little to no magical abilities of their own, but some Tier 0s can be trained to use magic by another mage. Even without magic, however, some nonmagicals can be quite knowledgable on the subject, and there have been many great leaders and warriors who never showed an ounce of magical aptitude. There are some creatures whose natural abilities can even outpace magical benefits, so don't discredit a Tier 0 from being a threat.
Tier 1 - "Beginner"
This is the first stage of a mage's progress, when one has just started on the path to manipulating magic. Natural-born mages are born to this category but usually can't perform magic till some time in puberty. For those who are being taught, this is a relatively short period of time, ranging from a few months up to a year or two.
Spoken magic lasts a few seconds when cast.
Material magic includes things like common gems and herbs with special properties.
The largest area a spell can cover is a room.
Tier 2 - "Apprentice"
At this point, the person is a real magic user. They've got some training under their belt and a good grasp of their powers and abilities. Most mages not only fall into this category, but for one reason or another, will just simply not rise above it. For that reason, older mages of this tier are sometimes called "Journeymen" instead. Those who do become stronger usually spend several years or even decades at this tier.
Spoken magic lasts a minute when cast.
Material magic includes things like rare herbs, certain minerals and crystals.
The largest area a spell can cover is a house.
Tier 3 - "Trained"
A magic user that stands out from the crowd, Tier 3 mages represent the point at which a person is functionally a master of their specific styles. Tier 3 mages are proficient and knowledgeable enough to make good magic teachers themselves, should they care to do so. Such a person is likely to be the strongest magic user most people will ever see.
Spoken magic lasts a few minutes when cast.
Material magic includes things like rare animal parts, like hide, hair, or pixie dust.
The largest area a spell can cover is the size of a building.
Tier 4 - "Advanced"
Mages at this stage are better than great. They're flat out incredible. Getting to this point is one part talent, one part hard work. Their numbers are few, somewhere in the triple digits, but each one has the power of a small army. Each is a person of interest and it's not uncommon for such mages to be watched - if not outright approached for membership - by governments and other major organizations.
Spoken magic lasts a day when cast.
Material magic includes things like precious jewels, rare metals, and the blood of Greater Races.
The largest area a spell can cover is the size of a city block.
Tier 5 - "Master"
Miracle workers each, a Tier 5 mage has powers that others - even other mages - can only dream about. They take magic as far as their powers will allow, and then push it a little farther. Some of them can even bring the dead back to life. In the entire world, the number of Tier 5 mages number only in the double digits, with an exact figure impossible to tell. Half of them take up residence in the primal corners of the land, trying to avoid the civilized world. Half of them run the civilized world.
Spoken magic lasts a few days when cast.
Material magic includes things like the body parts of Greater races and extremely rare magical beasts, such as the unicorn, phoenix and dragon, as well as legendary plants.
The largest area a spell can cover is the size of a few miles.
Tier 6 - "Legend"
There is no such thing as a Tier 6 mage, but Tier 5 mages can push some of their powers to this level through specializations or other means. Tier 6 magic borders on the powers of a god, and many confident mages have been killed for attempting to stand against it. When a mage with this much power goes to war, the whole world pays attention.
Spoken magic lasts a few weeks when cast.
Material magic of this tier cannot be found normally. It can only be made from a combination of lower tier Material magic, or from something with a divine trace.
The largest area a spell can cover is the size of a town.
It takes special training or a naturally strong soul to be able to use what is known by most cultures as magic. Wizards, sorcerers, priests, witch doctors, shamans - there are many names such people can go by, but the best thing to call them is simply by what they are: magic users, or for short, mages.
The Tiers -
In the same way that not all people are mages (and in fact, most aren't), not all mages are as strong as each other. There is a relatively clear delineation of power that mages can be categorized into, though these are functionally averages. Two mages of the same tier may in fact have quite different power levels if one has almost risen to the tier above and the other has just risen from the tier below.
It's also good to note that because one's magical energies are tied to one's lifeforce, the stronger a mage becomes, the more longevity they have. Some of the most powerful mages have lived centuries longer than others of their race, remaining young and strong well beyond their actual youth.
Tier 0 - "Nonmagical"
This is the stage most people, animals and monsters are at. They have little to no magical abilities of their own, but some Tier 0s can be trained to use magic by another mage. Even without magic, however, some nonmagicals can be quite knowledgable on the subject, and there have been many great leaders and warriors who never showed an ounce of magical aptitude. There are some creatures whose natural abilities can even outpace magical benefits, so don't discredit a Tier 0 from being a threat.
Tier 1 - "Beginner"
This is the first stage of a mage's progress, when one has just started on the path to manipulating magic. Natural-born mages are born to this category but usually can't perform magic till some time in puberty. For those who are being taught, this is a relatively short period of time, ranging from a few months up to a year or two.
Spoken magic lasts a few seconds when cast.
Material magic includes things like common gems and herbs with special properties.
The largest area a spell can cover is a room.
Tier 2 - "Apprentice"
At this point, the person is a real magic user. They've got some training under their belt and a good grasp of their powers and abilities. Most mages not only fall into this category, but for one reason or another, will just simply not rise above it. For that reason, older mages of this tier are sometimes called "Journeymen" instead. Those who do become stronger usually spend several years or even decades at this tier.
Spoken magic lasts a minute when cast.
Material magic includes things like rare herbs, certain minerals and crystals.
The largest area a spell can cover is a house.
Tier 3 - "Trained"
A magic user that stands out from the crowd, Tier 3 mages represent the point at which a person is functionally a master of their specific styles. Tier 3 mages are proficient and knowledgeable enough to make good magic teachers themselves, should they care to do so. Such a person is likely to be the strongest magic user most people will ever see.
Spoken magic lasts a few minutes when cast.
Material magic includes things like rare animal parts, like hide, hair, or pixie dust.
The largest area a spell can cover is the size of a building.
Tier 4 - "Advanced"
Mages at this stage are better than great. They're flat out incredible. Getting to this point is one part talent, one part hard work. Their numbers are few, somewhere in the triple digits, but each one has the power of a small army. Each is a person of interest and it's not uncommon for such mages to be watched - if not outright approached for membership - by governments and other major organizations.
Spoken magic lasts a day when cast.
Material magic includes things like precious jewels, rare metals, and the blood of Greater Races.
The largest area a spell can cover is the size of a city block.
Tier 5 - "Master"
Miracle workers each, a Tier 5 mage has powers that others - even other mages - can only dream about. They take magic as far as their powers will allow, and then push it a little farther. Some of them can even bring the dead back to life. In the entire world, the number of Tier 5 mages number only in the double digits, with an exact figure impossible to tell. Half of them take up residence in the primal corners of the land, trying to avoid the civilized world. Half of them run the civilized world.
Spoken magic lasts a few days when cast.
Material magic includes things like the body parts of Greater races and extremely rare magical beasts, such as the unicorn, phoenix and dragon, as well as legendary plants.
The largest area a spell can cover is the size of a few miles.
Tier 6 - "Legend"
There is no such thing as a Tier 6 mage, but Tier 5 mages can push some of their powers to this level through specializations or other means. Tier 6 magic borders on the powers of a god, and many confident mages have been killed for attempting to stand against it. When a mage with this much power goes to war, the whole world pays attention.
Spoken magic lasts a few weeks when cast.
Material magic of this tier cannot be found normally. It can only be made from a combination of lower tier Material magic, or from something with a divine trace.
The largest area a spell can cover is the size of a town.