Magic (Etrian Odyssey)

Summary

Magic, otherwise known as Mana or Ether, is an unknowable but powerful force of nature that pervades throughout creation. It's said that magical energy flows through all living things and serves as the foundation of life. Through immense knowledge and tapping into this universal energy source, one can achieve a wide array of abilities and obtain vast amounts of power

Through this process, one is capable of creating spells and manipulating the magical energy, which in itself has lead to different schools of magic and specialized functions that derive from different usages of magical energy,

Schools of Magic

Standard Magic Abilities

These are the abilities that anyone who have access to magic can utilize, whether basic users or highly advanced users.

The following abilities that magic users have include:

• Energy Manipulation: Magic is capable of manifesting and being projected as pure energy, which is indicated by several entries in the series
• Elemental Manipulation: The manipulation of the elements is associated with basic control over magic, with all practitioners of magic being capable of using the elemental forces
  • Fire Manipulation: Fire spells allows one to create fire and manipulate burning flames to scorch opponents
  • Ice Manipulation: Ice spells allows for one to create ice and potentially freeze opponents
  • Lightning Manipulation: Lightning spells allow for one to generate lightening and summon thunder to strike foes
    • Matter Manipulation (Molecular) & Transmutation: Manipulating the elements also involve manipulating and transmutation of the raw elements

• Law Manipulation: In order to utilize magic, one has to understand the laws of the universe to "gain control over creation", meaning magic inherently involves controlling the laws of the universe to function
• Negation: Magic and spells that derive from it ignore physical durability and stats, including physical barriers and protection, to the degree that any injury dealt by magic can't be healed unless it's by magical means
• Non-Physical Interaction (Souls, Concepts & Nonexistence): Users of magical energy are capable of interacting with beings who lack corporeality in all sorts of manners. This can range from ghosts of destroyed ships, phantoms to even nonexistent and abstract beings
• Clairvoyance: Magic can be used to see things across an entire battlefield, ranging from all enemies on the field to items and information about the surroundings the caster is occupying
• Statistics Amplification: Magic can be used to enhance the statistics and attributes of those who utilize it, such as increasing their strength and defense
• Power Bestowal: Magical energy can be infused in objects to give them special properties and powers, whether it normal objects or even weapons that are used for combative situations
• Life-Force Manipulation & Life Manipulation: Mana is the underlying source of life behind all living things, with mana naturally emanating from all living creatures, including plants and other lifeforms
• Soul Manipulation: It's implied that magical power is the same as "spiritual power", a consistent description in regards to the nature of magic, suggesting that magical energy effects things on a spiritual level
• Mind Manipulation: Magic is able to effect one's mind, such as being able to strengthen or balance out one's mind, suggesting that magical energy effects things on a mental level
• Conceptual Manipulation: Mana pervades all of reality and serves as a fundamental element of all creation, with it's existence encompassing all components of existence, ranging from things such one's mind, soul and body, including things such as one's grudges

Curse Magic Abilities

These are abilities that users of Dark Magic can utilize when tapping into it's power. This form of magic is exclusive to classes such as Hexers but can be utilized by various beings within the Etrian Odyssey universe.

The following abilities that cursed magic users have include:

• Curse Manipulation: As the name implies, this school of magic utilizes curses and dark spells that are focused on hexing opponents and making bad things befall the person the curse is inflicted upon
• Mind Manipulation: Curses are stated to be capable of manipulating the minds of those inflicted with it
• Statistics Reduction: Curses are capable of decreasing one's stats, such as strength, defense and speed
• Sleep Manipulation: Curses are able to put opponents on the battlefield to sleep
• Corruption (Biological): Curses are stated to be capable of corrupting opponents and giving them cursed status
• Damage Transferal: Curses are capable of transferring damage done to the caster onto the opponent
• Blood Manipulation: Curse magic is capable of draining the blood of opponents
• Empathic Manipulation: Curses can allow one to weaponize their own grudges against opponents

Limitations

• Magic users are able to only use a limited amount of magic and are prone to depleting their reserves of mana
• Some classes are more intrinsically connected with magic and thus can utilize it better than some others, meaning that some individuals can't use magic to it's fullest potential
• Magic and it's usage relies heavily on knowledge and understanding of the laws of the universe, meaning that magic also is handicapped for those not as knowledgeable about it's inner workings and it's relationship with creation

Note: It's established in Etrian Odyssey that anyone who has a strong connection to magic is capable of utilizing it, regardless of what class they are. This is best exemplified with the concept of "sub-classing", in which non-magical classes are capable of obtaining magical classes or abilities

Users

• Alchemist (Standard)
• Zodiac (Standard)
• Runemaster (Standard)
• Hexer (Standard & Curse Magic)
• Yggdrasil (Standard & Curse Magic)