![ZLXZR_f-maxage-0[1].gif](https://i.imgur.com/Ca6Z9r2.gif "ZLXZR_f-maxage-0[1].gif")
The mystical energy permeating creation is the same stuff that your soul is made out of; there is no other unidentified "arcane energy," or, "mystical force," floating around that can be manipulated to make fire or animate golems.
In-setting most people aren't even convinced they have a soul, unless they belong to a religion that tells them they do, are of the superstitious type, or they've dabbled in mysticism. To this end, there is no wizard guy, not of the contemporary notion, who says a few words and makes lightning fall out of the sky. Not to say that it's a low-magic setting; indeed it's arguably on the low end of what could be considered high fantasy, but it's not D&D-derived say a few words, throw a dead lizard in the air, and then that lizard will explode into a shower of hail that damages your enemies "because magic." Instead various peoples have derived diverse ways of tapping into the arcane energies of creation, and to which end have yielded magical effects to various ends through different means.
> tl;dr: no "because magic," magic
In this context
Class A (currently named Sorcerers) - Pacts with greater beings, bind lesser beings, exercise unwanted beings.
Class B (currently named Alchemists) - enchanting items, brewing potions/elixirs/poisons, curing diseases and curses alike with draconian apothecary skills
The last concept, which has no name and is the reason I stared this thread; currently the Medium, but I'm unhappy with that name: Class C - manipulates the souls of themselves, others, and even the dead, to divine knowledge and impose or impart beneficial or detrimental effects to others via mental linkage. A psychic on the surface, but operating on a different level; communicating not with minds but through soul energy, to other living beings and the dead. It would be like playing a lesser Psionic in D&D but with bonus Abjuration/Divination-like abilities.
I'm also open to ideas for ways to do magic that's not "because magic," magic.
>>48217468
Maybe "channeller" instead of medium.
![alchemy_symbol_strong[1].gif](https://i.imgur.com/1ZUQeDz.gif "alchemy_symbol_strong[1].gif")
>>48217468
One thing I've considered is re-naming Class A Warlock, and then naming Class C Sorcerer.
>>48217527
Perhaps. On a literal level that's pretty much what it does, but part of me is concerned the name Channeler suggests that they work with ghosts and spirits exclusively, when that's really like one half of what they do; a sort of divination and access to a lesser level of exorcising (when compared to the warlock/sorcerer).
Really Channeler would be just as good a name for class C as it would be Class A.
>>48217744
Maybe Class C could be called "Walker"? Like, being able to walk with spirits seems to be the gist of it, and exist with them, in a way? I'm not too sure if that would be a good interpretation of what you're describing, though...
>>48217961
Channeler honestly is a good idea, but I'm not uncertain if it would fit A better than C or not.
A's only been Sorcerer since last week, and I've been considering switching it over to Warlock and calling C Sorcerer, but now there's Channeler, which is also appropriate for both.
Romantic isn't the best word, but I can't think of another for why I'm not super-down with Walker. It's like naming the ranger-class Forest Runner or something.
The key differences between A and C is that A/Sorcerers use their powers to call out ethereal beings from dark corners and distant planes to either make a deal with them or bind them to charms so they can make them do stuff for them latter.
C/Unnamed uses similar powers, but theirs is more of an introspective thing; where A/Sorcerers reach out, C reaches inward, and hence can resonate theri soul with the souls of other living beings (producing effects commonly associated with being psychic) and the restless dead (allowing them to divine wisdom by asking questions or watching echos, and/or asking the more complacent ones for small favors. Not like what the Sorcerer does which produces really verbose results, but instead small things like, "let me know if anyone enters this room," or, "bring me that key on the table please.")
C seems more like a necromancer in the traditional sense of the word rather than "boney zombie-make badguy"
>>48218882
To an extent. Discrepancies aside, you must keep the potential assumptions of the reader in mind. Those uninterested in animating bones may flip past it not realizing that's the mind-mage option they were looking for.
...Magi is also an option I suppose. Knowledgeable of the mystical and arcane, capable of communication with spirits and reaching into people's souls.
>>48217468
>exercise unwanted beings.
.....exorcise, right? Just making sure.
Graft limbs and organs of magical beings onto yourself. No protection from organ rejection, and it actually has to connect to your nervous system.
Thus, extra limbs and completely foreign ones like tails usually require that your body is all sorts of mutated to begin with. Also, drug industry to fight organ rejection.
Form pacts that share lifeforce. Hierarchy is determined by average lifespan and force of will when there is little difference. Forming a pact with really old and powerful creatures might mean you retain autonomy while getting the power, but you're severely cutting into your own life just keeping them alive.
If too many pacts are made, the connection melts your minds together into abominations.
Ingest processed crystals made from the souls of highly magical creatures. Small risk of hauntings, partial loss in general perception as they are numbed, and constant meditation is required to keep the powers from running rampant within your own body. Strong emotion may cause a temporary or permanent metamorphosis into a half-magical fusion or crystal construct.
Form a symbiotic relationship with a feeble creature as they connect to your brainstem. Said creatures are known to hijack and assume direct control. The more powerful magics come from creatures who have devoured their fair share of brainstems.
Take a harmful concoction of herbs and chemicals that temporarily turns you into a magical battery. Unless you build defenses for it, other people can use your reserves just as easily as you. Only actual mages have enough time studying the magic in their own body to build defenses.
>>48217468
Shamans are typically concerned with the interactions between the physical world and the spiritual.
>>48219983
Look, do YOU want a bunch of fat spirits running around. I know I certainly don't.
>>48217468
I imagine all those classes and class names are mostly meta-gaming distinction and their name, if any, in-game would depend on region, culture and self-identification of each uses?
Once can give Class C a "magician" name that without strong associations as to the type of magic they typically employ, such as "thaumaturge". Or "mystics".
If there is a name for the "soul-stuff", that Class C manipulates, it could be the bases of the name - "Soulworker". Just add "-urge" on the end for greek flavour.
Maybe it requires particular procedure or state of mind, such as trance? Trancers, Dreamers?
>I'm also open to ideas for ways to do magic that's not "because magic," magic.
Not exactly understood what you meant with that, but here are some general ideas.
I've had some ideas about the source of magic being a "stream" or a "bleeding wound", for a more sinister bent, in one's soul - maybe it is the source of magic in general, maybe just an outlet for it.
And different magical practices are ways to bind, harness and direct it, forming channels, pools, cisterns - colouring them, flavouring, heating and releasing.
It's possible to have your soul "pierced" accidentally, in magical anomalies or the like, or on purpose - to become a magic-user. But if someone doesn't do something with that "stream", they are going to suffer the consequences, maybe literally bleeding out their soul.
![mandfdec2015-15[1].jpg](https://i.imgur.com/igUiahc.jpg "mandfdec2015-15[1].jpg")
>>48219983
You know what it is.
>>48220016
> Form pacts that share lifeforce. Hierarchy is determined by average lifespan and force of will when there is little difference. Forming a pact with really old and powerful creatures might mean you retain autonomy while getting the power -
That's basically class A actually, but the elder begins don't 'live' in the conventional sense.
>>48222778
In-setting very few people have names for any of the stuff magicians do except for the magicians themselves, but each practitioner understands it a little bit differently. Hence they all have different approaches to harnessing it, and different names and titles for the energies they are manipulating.
For example a player could RP that a Sorcerer/A with relatively low Wisdom/Insight/etc is actually completely ignorant of the fact that you can link the souls of living beings together, or maybe even that humans and living beings have that same soul energy they've been binding ethereals with inside of them.
To that end I've not currently named soul energy or the manipulation of it, if only because, arguably, only Class C would even have a name for it.
>I'm also open to ideas for ways to do magic that's not "because magic," magic.
What I mean is, within the context provided in the OP, what are some other methods a magic-user could use to draw out magic that isn't just, "It's magic, I ain't got to explain shit," -magic.
>>48217468
Sounds like a shaman. The catch all mage also works
