[UA] those magical paradox thingies

[Liam Astley]

From: Kintaro Oe <kabael at yifan.net>
> How do I get enough of the fantasy feel while keeping
> the paradoxical and obsessive nature of magic in UA? I can use rituals to
> give greybearded and pointy-hatted magi power, but what about the schools
> themselves? How, for example, do I create a paradox that could give rise
to
> an Elemental School of magic, without saying "Um, yeah, well they gain
> control over fire by losing control over it."

maybe you could use the symbolic uses of the element as part of the paradox.
so, for example, fire is traditionally linked to passion and energy. so
pyromancers might be people who denied their passions (perhaps acting like
serene ascetics) in order to harness their fiery magic. similarly, water is
linked to intuition and empathy. so hydromancers might make themselves
objective and withdrawn. if you're doing a link-in with everway, it would
fit in with its whole elemental character thang.

liam


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