What would be some good elements to add to the basic four?

[Hypatia]

Not heart. Heart is lame. Spirit isn't much better, and I just don't know what to do with aether or void.

Adding wood and metal gives me the same problem. In terms of practical effects, I just can't seem to do anything with them.

Maybe "life"? I could call it "vital", as in elan vital. That way I could have some healers, something my characters will need if any of them are going to make it to the end.

"Reason" or "mind" would appeal to me, especially after I got thoughts of Captain Planet in my head. Those need clearing out.

I know elemental magic can get really cliche, and I want to avoid that.

 

[Kitty Pryde]

lust
death
fear
light
inspiration
wisdom
decay
pants (whoa, how'd that one get in there?)

 

[Irishgirl]

I just don't know what to do with aether or void.

I know you said you don't like void, but I think there is a great deal of possibility there. Someone once described void as "the space between breaths". It is the nothingness that makes all other things possible. I guess I think of it like dark matter in space. It's there but it's not.

As far as other things go, how about 'the breath of life'? Emotion could be an element, especially if you have empaths. How about gravity?

Good luck!

 

[som1luvsmi]

Aether is the fifth element in the Classical Greek elements. I actually began a story last year focusing on it.

You should look into it.

Hindu and Chinese elements have similar elements, as well.

 

[fadeaccompli]

Many video games, since they like pairing up elements, run through the water/fire/air/earth thing, and then start going light/darkness, time/space, and so forth.

But I think wood is my favorite fifth element, since in a sense it encompasses/symbolizes Living Things. Much more interesting than metal, which comes across as "We didn't think 'earth' was cool enough."

 

[Z0Marley]

I know elemental magic can get really cliche, and I want to avoid that.

Adding one thing to it isn't going to keep it from being cliche. It's still going to be the basic four and something to throw in there.

If you want to make it interesting, go with the elemental table or think of different elements to use in general like blood or metal.

Aether is the fifth element in the Classical Greek elements. I actually began a story last year focusing on it.

Ditto =P

 

[Ehab.Ahmed]

Greek Mythology:

• Earth
• Water
• Air
• Fire
• Aether

Japanese Elements (五大 - Go Dai):

• Earth represented things that were solid.
• Water represented things that were liquid.
• Fire represented things that destroyed.
• Air represented things that moved.
• Void represented things not of our everyday life.

Medieval Elements (Alchemy elements):

• Earth
• Water
• Air
• Fire
• Aether
• Sulphur to flammability
• Mercury to volatility and stability
• Salt to solidity

(~Source)

I know you didn't ask for this, but I thought I'd list them anyway. I think anything to do with psyche is a good element. Also, void is good, too.

 

[Ardent Kat]

Adding one thing to it isn't going to keep it from being cliche.

This.

I'd ask yourself what role the elements play in your story and why they are valued or focused on in this particular culture. If the culture values life, or nothingness, or spirit, or whatever, there's your answer. I wouldn't pick an arbitrary 5th just to be different. Have it make sense.

Avoid the whole elemental thing entirely if you're worried about being cliche.

 

[som1luvsmi]

This.

I'd ask yourself what role the elements play in your story and why they are valued or focused on in this particular culture. If the culture values life, or nothingness, or spirit, or whatever, there's your answer. I wouldn't pick an arbitrary 5th just to be different. Have it make sense.

Avoid the whole elemental thing entirely if you're worried about being cliche.

That's why I ended up scrapping that story.

 

[Liosse de Velishaf]

Just throwing this out there, but the fifth Greek element is actually "quintessence" and refers to what celestial bodies are made of.

The Chinese elements are Earth, Wood, Fire, Water, and Metal. And I think that's fine. Western systems use air and water, which are both fluids, so why can't we have more than one solid? Arabic/medieval alchemy throws three extras in there, one of which is a specific metal.

I've had systems of eight and twelve. The eight added metal, wood, rock(for when "earth" just ain't enough!), and "storm". The twelve is just way too complicated, and really doesn't involve all pure elements. Let's say it's similar to the Hellenic system of eight elements and leave it at that.

I've also had a three element system, with water, rock, and wood. Another common system is "sea, sky, and earth" which is basically water, wind and earth from the classical system. It's also similar to the Babylonian elements, which oddly enough adds "air". (Another blow to the "metal" is just too much earth school of thought. I mean, "sky" and "air"?)

Pokemon has a rather complex if simplistically executed system. Just to throw that out there.

The humours are similar to the elemental system, if somewhat more abstract. I've always wanted to see more done with that.



Now that we've gone through the list of Earthly(or unearthly?) elemental paradigms, I'd like to agree with Ardent and M.A. If you want to make a great elemental system, actually apply it to the world, unlike most other systems in fiction.

 

[Rhys Cordelle]

There are lots of practical effects for metal. Using that power could forge the best weapons and armor. It could be used to manipulate locks, weaken or strengthen prison bars, or be used to help locate precious metals for mining.

 

[Hypatia]

I was thinking of making earth mages really useful for construction and mining. You don't see many earth mages, since they aren't very flashy, but they could make some cool cities with sweeping spires - or maybe just something solid to protect them.

Maybe they could also handle metal, since it is very similar.

 

[glutton]

What about FORCE? XD

 

[Mara]

My setting doesn't really have elements that are objectively true, but there's a lot of people who believe there are eight basic elements, four pairs of opposing forces. Sometimes they assign a positive or negative to each set of four.

The elements in that system are Fire/Cold, Lightning/Water, Air/Earth, and Light/Shadow. People who believe in positive/negative group the first of each pair as positives. They also consider Metal, Sound, Gravity, and a few other things as lesser elements sometimes, or else group them with the others.

I'm trying to figure out a good way to convey to the reader that although this particular culture believes in supernatural elements, it's not actually an objective truth of the setting. (You could believe the elements are Dirt, Blood, Pride, and Bunny Rabbits and your magic would still work, except maybe the Bunny Rabbits part.)

 

[Rhys Cordelle]

I guess the easiest way to convey that would be to have a character who has a different view of magic, and is still able to cast spells.

 

[Z0Marley]

Just throwing this out there, but the fifth Greek element is actually "quintessence" and refers to what celestial bodies are made of.

Quintessence means "the fifth element".

The fifth element is aether.

Aether is what celestial bodies are made of.

Therefore Quintessence is just another name for Aether, by referring to it as THE fifth element.

 

[dclary]

Why not go with pokemon elements?

NORMAL (or, if you will... NON-ELEMENTAL)
FIRE
WATER
ELECTRIC
GRASS
ICE
FIGHTING
POISON
GROUND
FLYING
PSYCHIC
BUG
ROCK
GHOST
DRAGON
DARK
STEEL

 

[Liosse de Velishaf]

Quintessence means "the fifth element".

The fifth element is aether.

Aether is what celestial bodies are made of.

Therefore Quintessence is just another name for Aether, by referring to it as THE fifth element.

You're right. I suppose it's generally because I almost never see "aether" in fiction in reference to the classical elements, but I see "quintessence" quite often.

 

[JimmyB27]

If you really want to be non-cliché, you could use the Periodic Table. Forget your puny four or five elements, that gives you 118 to play around with.

 

[geardrops]

Not heart. Heart is lame.

Man, everyone always hates on Ma-Ti.

 

[dclary]

If you really want to be non-cliché, you could use the Periodic Table. Forget your puny four or five elements, that gives you 118 to play around with.

"Be careful, Dirk!"
"Why? What's so special about this guy?"
"He is a master of Dark Selenium, from which no mortal may draw power without cost."

 

[friendlyhobo]

"Be careful, Dirk!"
"Why? What's so special about this guy?"
"He is a master of Dark Selenium, from which no mortal may draw power without cost."

...you have no idea how close that is to a story a friend and I wrote long ago in the days of our youth.

 

[Rhys Cordelle]

I think that's a cool power, it just has a stupid name.

 

[Mara]

My friend says Ma-Ti is the biggest idiot in the group, because he has the most powerful ring by far (mind control), but rarely uses it for anything effective.

While I, on the other hand, laughed at Ma-Ti because in the episode where the Planeteers lost their rings and got elemental weapons to replace them, Ma-Ti wasn't given anything because "his power was already inside him." Meaning, Ma-Ti's power sucked so much that losing his ring had no effect.

 

[CScottMorris]

In my world, there is an ancient race that only recognized three of the four standard elements: Earth, Water and Air. Solid, gas and liquid. Fire was considered one of the three basic 'energies'. Fire, Lightning, Motion.
Dungeons and Dragons had a decent elemental system when dealing with the various planes of existence. There were the classic four, plus two 'energies', the Positive Energy Plane and the Negative Energy Plane. All six planes were arrayed equidistant to each other in the cosmos. By traveling between them, you could get Quasi-Elements. Earth and Fire would give you the plane of Ash, Water and Fire would give you the plane of steam, etc. Including the Pos and Neg energy panes would give you Crystal and Salt when dealing with Earth and Fire would give you Smoke and Brilliance. I may have the details wrong, but you get the idea. You get all kinds of new possibilities when you combine elements.
Brandon Sanderson did some cool stuff with metals in his Mistborn series. Copper, Bronze, Tin, etc.
I had similar idea, with a world where 'elementals' were based on common metals, like Iron and Copper. Sadly, once the world was fully realized, there was no room for metal elementals. Metalamentals?
The point is, you can stick anything you want into the magic system/mythology of your world, as long as your rules are consistent. If there are only four elements, then there can be only four. You cant have a character suddenly break the rules by using a fifth. Now, the rule can be that there are only four KNOWN elements, then you are ok. But be careful explaining that to your readers. Or maybe there are only four known elements, and your character discovers how to mix them. But when you bend the rules like that, you have to be careful. If your MC can do it, then so can the bad guy. Whatever abilities you give your good guys, the bad guys have to have access to the same powers for a balanced conflict. You cant give Robin Hood a sniper riffle and make the Sheriff use a crummy old bow.