The Stoicist - Building a Magic / Ability System

[kingaling]

I've got a story in the works, I'm converting it from one of my old scripts. It's called "The Stoicist". Essentially there are these people who can take the pain they are given in combat and convert it into raw energy and powers based on the amount of ignorance they show to the pain. If they take on some kind of injury but don't immediately convert it into power it is reserved on their body in various forms. Some have scars, some have bruises, band aids, stitches etc. Some stoicists have different powers based on how they are most hurt. The majority of stoicists get their powers from physical injury, but there are those that are hurt emotionally or mentally that are forces to be reckoned with.

I'm wondering, A) Whether anyone finds this interesting and unique. and B) What various powers or abilities would form from such a sadistic source? I don't want "the force" or some kind of invisible wall of energy or something like that, but I can't seem to think of what there could be. All ideas are welcome.

Thanks!

[OZ]

I think this has potential. In most serious fantasy there is a price for magic. I do have some questions about this system. Is it the pain or the actual damage that is converted to magical energy? Does it have to be received in combat? What about self inflicted wounds? What about those inflicted by friends ( a little S & M)? When the injuries are converted to magical energies are they healed or is the person still physically injured?

I think this idea has potential but, like most ideas, it is how you develop it that will determine how interesting it is.

[Beefstew]

I like the idea, but I have some of the same questions that OZ has, the biggest being if it's physical pain, are the injuries immediately healed? 

As far as the abilities they can use, I would leave it a little bit open.  Maybe each one learns to develop it differently.  They could be strictly physical augmentations, like getting stronger or faster.  Or you could direct it more to the non physical, more of a magical type thing.  Or a little bit of both.  I think that would provide you with the most latitude for development, where some people learn to channel it into physical abilities, and others can throw fire or the like.

Rather then figure out what you want them to do with it, figure out what you DON'T want them to do.  Do you want them to be able to heal others with this ability? Fly?  Dance really well?  Can they only do one particular thing, or can they learn to channel it differently?  If you start figuring out the limitations and things you don't want them to have, what they can do will start to take shape and you'll be able to fill in the details from there.

Here's a couple more questions for you.  What prevents the enemy from simply not targeting these superpeople?  If they know that the more you hurt this person, the stronger they get, why not just order everyone to not hurt them?  What happens if you you have a one on one fight between two superpeople, does it just go on forever as they steadily get stronger?  How long can they store the energy, and how much can they store?  Could someone essentially do nothing but beat the crap out of themselves for years and eventually take on entire armies alone?

It's definitely a good idea, and could be pretty interesting if you do it right.  Keep us updated as you develop it.  I'm more then happy to ask lots and lots of questions.

[LizW65]

Yeah, I too think this has potential, but could be tough to pull off if your characters constantly need to get the crap kicked out of them just to do any magic--it sounds as if they would actively have to seek out pain and injury in that case, and be incapacitated physically a lot of the time.
But I can envision some interesting flashbacks where your protagonist is, say, an abused child who unexpectedly goes apeshit on the abusive parent/guardian/whoever.  And the S&M angle could work, too, depending on your target audience.

[BobForPresident]

I dig it.

Suggestion: different mages maybe use different kinds of pain (emotional, sexual, combative) to fuel different types of magic (elemental, battle, spiritual).

[kingaling]

Wow. what great questions! Really has me thinking. Some of these answers I created off the top of my head, thanks guys. Keep 'em coming!

Is it the pain or the actual damage that is converted to magical energy? It's the pain.


Does it have to be received in combat? Not solely, everyday nicks and scrapes can be channeled into energy, but the real juice lies in combat and extensive training. In training, by the way, they don't pull punches, but there are levels.

What about self inflicted wounds? Self infliction doesn't work, as the person knows beforehand to maintain stoicism. It's the non-reaction to unknowable pain that gives them the power.


What about those inflicted by friends ( a little S & M)? I had never considered that before.. I'd say that wouldn't work, because there's actually a factor of enjoyment to it and kind of dissolves the Stoic power.


When the injuries are converted to magical energies are they healed or is the person still physically injured? They're healed.


What prevents the enemy from simply not targeting these superpeople? The enemies, who are more or less Stoicists themselves, always target with intent to kill as quickly as possible. This has forced the Stoicists to become experts at evasion, but always keep a part of themselves in harms way as to build up energy.


If they know that the more you hurt this person, the stronger they get, why not just order everyone to not hurt them? As stated previously, their intent is to kill quickly, any pain or injuries caused are strictly accidental. The stoicists enemies play it through cats paws, they try to maintain quietness and only fight The Stoicists if necessary or if an order to kill them has been botched.


What happens if you have a one on one fight between two superpeople, does it just go on forever as they steadily get stronger?  It isn't their strength that evolves, it's their power. Completely different. For example, someone may be able to lift 200 lbs. But if you've been lifting 130 lbs all day long, it's going to be difficult to lift more. The stoicists battling each other can become a stalemate if both are cavalier with their evasion and pain issuing tactics, both can continue gaining energy but it doesn't mean they're on even ground, there's still experience vs. strength and it's something I still need to develop.

How long can they store the energy, and how much can they store? The energy can be stored for however long they want to, some have even trained themselves in picking and choosing which scars will be used and such.

Could someone essentially do nothing but beat the crap out of themselves for years and eventually take on entire armies alone? As stated earlier, self inflicted pain doesn't work. Just hurts you. I'm actually thinking about it taking away some of the power. A price to pay for the pursuit of power, I guess.

[Nickeris86]

you might consider changing the abilities they gain based on the type of injury inflicts the pain. if burned you can use fire power, if stabbed you can grow blades out of your flesh or something, if shot fire projectiles of your own. emotional pain could be more metaphysical such as creating illusions or summoning monsters, or even shape shifting.

[Puckvalan]

Hi,

This idea certainly sounds cool, but is there a reason why they are called Stoicists and not just Stoics? It sounds cooler i.m.o. and you could still use the Capital S to distinguish between Stoics and regular stoics .

[kingaling]

Hi,

This idea certainly sounds cool, but is there a reason why they are called Stoicists and not just Stoics? It sounds cooler i.m.o. and you could still use the Capital S to distinguish between Stoics and regular stoics .

Thanks for thinking of it as cool, though you don't like the term.

The main reason they are called Stoicists is to differentiate my story from the Hellenistic order of Greek philosophers known as the Stoics. Plus I learned the word "stoicism" before I learned "stoic" so (to me) someone who exhibits a massive amount of stoicism is a Stoicist.

That's starting to get convoluted, but you get the idea.

you might consider changing the abilities they gain based on the type of injury inflicts the pain. if burned you can use fire power, if stabbed you can grow blades out of your flesh or something, if shot fire projectiles of your own. emotional pain could be more metaphysical such as creating illusions or summoning monsters, or even shape shifting.

I was actually thinking along those lines, definitely got the right idea.

[Vryce]

 I really like the idea,
To me, it seems like an awesome twist on a blood mage.  It kind of like the difference between white court and Red Court vamps.  Stoicist us the pain or emotion brought forward from the pain VS the Blood mage using the soul energy reserved in the body.
Other things that came to my mind when thinking about your project
1 – once they heal does it just heal the damage or does it also fight age?
2 – Do they talk about fight club?
3 – Do the longer lived of the group build up tolerance for pain, and need to absorb more  damage to be able the get the same amount of power?
4 – what kind of magic or powers do they develop.  If was creating my own character I would think primarily body type magic.  Strength, bursts of speed or endurance, etc…
5 – Does any kind of pain give them energy?  Would you consider a blinding light a physical pain that they could absorb? 
6 – what happens when they go dry, use all there energy up?
Again great idea

[kingaling]

Wow, these are some great questions. I had to take some time to think of good answers.
 
1 – once they heal does it just heal the damage or does it also fight age? It heals the damage, there's no age fighting here. Age and growing pains technically go under self inflicted pain, so stoicism doesn't work on it.

2 – Do they talk about fight club? There are only a eight or nine groups based around the world, it isn't a secret but society as a whole hasn't noticed it. At least not yet.

3 – Do the longer lived of the group build up tolerance for pain, and need to absorb more  damage to be able the get the same amount of power? Great question. The short answer is yes. I think the longer lived Stoicists (if they're lucky enough to reach old age) have built up an indifference to pain and as such most of their jobs are in the governmental side as to keep them from more damage than they need be exposed to. Not even sure if that answers the question, but that's what I got.

4 – what kind of magic or powers do they develop.  If  I was creating my own character I would think primarily body type magic.  Strength, bursts of speed or endurance, etc… Yep, that's essentially it. Increased stamina and the like, but there are a fine few who have access to a deeper more "magical" element of their powers.

5 – Does any kind of pain give them energy?  Would you consider a blinding light a physical pain that they could absorb? I think I answered this in an earlier question, but only pain given by others gives them powers. Whether it's internal or external pain it must come from a source that is not themselves. Blinding light is an awesome idea, I'd see it as a big distraction, but then there'd be someone who rises above it and uses it against the enemy. That's awesome, thanks. May see that in the story.

6 – what happens when they go dry, use all their energy up? The world is a painful place, there's no shortage of things that can cause pain. Even banging their hand on a counter at a store accidentally will give them at least a small amount of Stoic energy.

Great questions, I look forward to more and hope I answered yours.

[ltgalloway]

This is an interesting concept, in that their powers are as much about mental discipline as anything else. Do you have an antagonist in mind? There are many different opportunities available. If your stoicists gather their power by their ability to ignore physical pain and maintain emotional control, what would motivate them to come into conflict with one another if that is your intention? If the goal is to be calm and absorb an attack, you might run into trouble if both sides are defensive. If they are both passivists, who would throw the first punch? What about introducing another class that derives their power by causing or feeling pain and emotion? Sort of an anti-stoicist. This could lead to some psychological disorders and sadomasochistic tendencies. But maybe I'm getting away from what your intentions are.

What would be really interesting is the psychological impact this sort of power will have on your characters. The biggest threat to their powers seems to be their own level of discipline and ability to remain dispassionate. That may make them think about what happens if they start to enjoy the pain. As you said they will lose their abilities, which might weigh heavily on their minds. You may want to introduce characters that have experienced this loss. Perhaps they are simply powerless, or maybe they would exhibit symptoms of withdrawal.

Another thought. What about using chemical pain suppressants like morphine? That could open a whole new bag such as addition, dulled senses, and death.

This is a neat idea. Best of luck to you!

[kingaling]

Do you have an antagonist in mind? I do, as of now I'm calling him Bandage Man. He's someone who has maintained stoicism through many battles and built up his energy to such an extent that most his body is covered in reserves of bandages. He was part of the Stoicists but was banished due to his dangerousness. His blood soaked bandages have caused people to lose their minds and has brought about an epidemic that people have taken to calling The Insanity Strikings.

If your stoicists gather their power by their ability to ignore physical pain and maintain emotional control, what would motivate them to come into conflict with one another if that is your intention? They aren't pacifists, if a fight erupts then a fight erupts. But if they're on the same side they tend to make a point of not using their powers on each other.

Another thought. What about using chemical pain suppressants like morphine? That is awesome, could help quite a bit with character growth, thanks!

Loving the questions, everyone, it's so much help, thank you all!

[OZ]

If the whole world is not aware of them, they could boost their powers by intentionally breaking the law in places that practice physical punishment. I would think a beating with a rattan cane or a cat of nine tails would cause some serious pain.

[kingaling]

If the whole world is not aware of them, they could boost their powers by intentionally breaking the law in places that practice physical punishment. I would think a beating with a rattan cane or a cat of nine tails would cause some serious pain.

Mmm, that would work in some ways, but wouldn't be any benefit to them. It's better for them to remain under the radar as to not draw attention to themselves from their enemies who seek their immediate deaths.