One of nine branches of fantasy elemental magic, water brings its own set of powers to the table. Picture this: you’re fighting against a water user and he summons a small wave that knocks you off balance. In response, you unleash a series of spells in rapid-fire succession, hoping to at least inflict some damage. To your chagrin, he blocks them all by using a water shield that absorbs all the spells you just lobbed at him. The power of water magic is truly something to behold, being capable to hold its own in battle as well as mount a ferocious attack.
Unlike the other elements, water is perfectly balanced, both for attacking and for defending. This makes this element extremely versatile, allowing those specializing in water to seamlessly switch back and forth between going all out on the offensive or holding back, withstanding blow after blow. Both groups will be expanded upon later in the article.
Lastly, we examine the character of those who have a fascination with water magic. Each element draws a certain kind of personality and character and water is no exception.
While water magic can be formidable in the right hands, considering it’s a branch of elemental magic, it has its own strengths and weaknesses. For instance, it can instantly squelch fire and ground. However, it can’t withstand grass and lightning.
This is the third in a series looking at elemental magic. We’ve already covered both forest and fire and if you’re interested, why not take a gander?
Without further ado, let’s dive right in and see what water magic looks like when it’s used to attack, shall we?
Water magic is channeled from deep within the user and is capable of flooding the battlefield. With one flick of a wand, a torrent of water can burst forth and smash into an opponent, causing him to crumble to the ground. Or a wizard could instead opt to flood the area to drown multiple enemies at once or flush them out of hiding. Those who choose not to swim to higher ground will pay with their lives.
Tsunamis are among the most powerful spells of water magic. They can swell up to great heights in seconds since they were created from a wizard. While they cause widespread destruction, they’re also ideal in quickly dousing an uncontrollable inferno or filling in large holes in the ground made from earthquakes or other cracks in the earth.
Whirlpools are another punishing form of water magic. They can trap those who weren’t able to get out in time, forcing them to be violently tossed around until they can handle it no more.
Waterfalls can quickly sap a foe of his breath. Imagine feeling an never-ending stream of water being thrust upon you, not giving you even one millisecond of time to catch your breath. You only have seconds to find a way out before time runs out.
Fighting a water wizard isn’t easy due to the unique power of water. One thing these spells all have in common is their ability to drown people, which is that one special power for water. And there’s even more spells to use when attacking! Water certainly shows why it’s a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.
While water magic is terrifying when attacking, it’s equally formidable when guarding against attacks. Water is great in blunting or weakening attacks, easily absorbing or slowing them.
A popular defense is to create what’s effectively a water wall between a wizard and his enemy. The wall acts as a barrier, impeding the enemy’s attack, forcing him to switch to a different style. It also impairs his vision, making it difficult for him to see the wizard. This buys the wizard time to chart a response and plan accordingly.
If a wizard is fighting in an environment where the air is poisonous to breathe in, he can summon a ball of water around his head. The water ball is usually oxygenated, enabling him to safely navigate the toxic environment without fear of losing oxygen.
In the midst of a vicious battle, a witch can create a water shield that absorbs damage. While such a spell is only temporary, typically breaking after several hits, it allows the witch to launch a few attacks without worrying about taking damage. If timed correctly, it can mean the difference between basking in triumph or not living to fight another day.
Water is superb in blunting enemy physical attacks such as swords. It dramatically slows their speed, giving its user more time to evade. Projectiles such as arrows and spears lose their speed which means their attack power falls significantly.
So what kind of people want to tap into the power of water? Unlike fire which attracts flashy characters, humble and reserved people gravitate towards water. They disdain show-offs, believing that power is derived from a person’s inner strength.
Since water meanders from one place, always flowing forward, water practitioners recognize that life has its own turns and twists and are content to ride along the flow. They look back on the past briefly before turning their eyes on the future, always looking forward. They accept that the flow of life will change. Sometimes it’ll move faster, more furious, other times it’ll be slow, almost tranquil. But they try not to fundamentally alter the flow, lest they lose sight of who they are at heart.
They tend to be calm, especially in an emergency. This comes from the sereneness of water. In some ways, they’re like the eye in a hurricane, calm while everything around them is being ripped apart.
Nearly all of those who learn water magic come from places close to a body of water like a port city or a lakeside city. Over the years, they spent a lot of time on the beach or pier, just reveling in the majesty of water and seeing how different it is every day. Sailors or others who travel on the waves are prime candidates to practice water magic, for they’ve seen firsthand how powerful it is.
The power of water can be awing but terrifying at the same time. Water is one of the most versatile of the nine branches of elemental magic, enabling its users to switch between attacking and defending at a moment’s notice.
If you’re bringing elemental magic into your world, water should be one of the first, for it offers something different than the others. Develop great characters who have a natural affinity with water and craft spells that utilize the magnificence of water that belong right in the world you’re building from the ground up.
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