I know it'll never happen, but... Origins!

I got bored one day and got the idea for new origins that I thought would be interesting.

Divine: You are empowered by the gods, be it by distant descent, or by divine providence. (Thor; Basically, like incarnates in power source, except they only start with the tiniest dribble of power.)

Magitech: You are empowered by a mixture of magic and technology, a potent mix indeed. (Anton Arcane, Tin Mage, Marks I and II)

Psionic: Your mental prowess as a Psion is unmatched. Your powers can manifest in much more than simple mental bursts, though. (Madame Xanadu, Malaise and Sister Psyche. There's actually an in-universe explanation for this one.)

Spirit: You have some contact with the spirit world, be it through reincarnation, a spirit guide or a direct physical bond. (Aang, The Banished Pantheon)

Already in game... in the existing origins.

Divine: Falling under magic, in most instances. Unless you *are* a deity of some sort, in which case, possibly natural.

Magitech: Can pick magic or technology, as needed. Which is more heavily influenced? Is it technology that helps you really focus some sort of wild innate magic, or is it magic that powers the technology? (You could even throw that in as Science, potentially.)

Psionic: Is a source but not an origin. Do these powers come naturally? Were they developed somehow? Is it a mutation, or do you have some sort of tech letting you do so?

Spirit: Again, most would put this as "Magic." You could, of course, say you have some sort of tech - or are even a ghost of some sort, which would be rather natural for you.

Quite often when someone comes up with new "origins," they're more new "themes" - but they fit in the origins that already exist. I do know, though, some people would like a dual-origin - though I think it'd raise heck with the SOs (and potentially some powers.) Not really for or against that - a bit of text explaining your choice in your bio typically covers it.

See my Guides and Tutorials

Actually, Divine and Spirit are named as separate origins by War Witch in the Origin of Power arc, as are Psychics by Sister Psyche in the same arc (although I suppose Psychics were absorb into Mutation after it came along). Magitech is describing the idea of "The whole is more than the sum of its parts", the idea that combining technology and magic can create something different from either one.

There's a fair bit of opinion in the OoP arc. It's more obvious redside talking with ... whatever his name is, for magic (I should really be able to remember his name.)

This is, by the way, an argument I generally enjoy having ("Argument" in terms of "discussion of two opposite views," not as in "ur stoopid!" "No u!")

Take Psychic. Sister Psyche says one thing - but that's her POV. I've got characters that, in her place, would say the potential is in everyone - but at this point requires technology like theirs to bring out and utilize (tech,) or a proceedure to unlock (science,) or training to awaken (natural.)

"Divine" may have been a reference to the original idea of Incarnates (mentioned long ago as an EAT, or as the "missing origin,") but that seems more tacked on now- it's not really a "source of your core powers." But, again - I can fit that into existing origins fairly easily (as I did in the first reply.)

See my Guides and Tutorials

I think being psychic is different from being a mutant, though there can be mutants with psionic powers, which is why some are classified as Natural and other Mutant.

As Sister Psyche suggests, psychic sensitives are people who share a common ancestry, and perhaps a shared gene passed through the generations. Skepticism of the supernatural aside, they're actually believed to exist in our Earth. It's that old lady who can always tell when it's going to rain, the guy who bends spoons with his mind, or the girl who knows who's calling her before picking up the phone. Normal people who, if left alone, are likely to to live normal, albeit unusually intuitive, lives. Of course, in the CoH multiverse where conspiracy is fact and paranoia abounds, there are natural ways to train those psychic sensitives into becoming real meta-humans, be it by making them go through the Widow training or entering the Seer Network. Natural origin, i.e., an exceptional individual that achieved their inherent meta-human potential through special training.

Then there's the red-head teenager, let's call her Green Jay, who telekinetically picks cars out of the street and can't avoid hearing the thoughts of anyone within a mile radius of her, which is driving her insane. That's definitely not natural, and she would have become a meta-human regardless of training. In fact, all training seems to be doing is helping her achieve control her abilities, actually limiting them. Mutant origin, i.e., someone who's bound to become a meta-human regardless of training or circumstance.

As a side note, contrary to Mar-vel I'd place most superhero children, the second generation if you prefer, in the mutant bracket as it is defined in CoH, i.e. people born with inherent meta-human powers. That means, for example, that Ms. Liberty would be a mutant if she were not boosting her powers with a magic belt, and Miss Liberty, her mother, would currently be classified as a mutant.

What Bill said.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zwillinger GG, I would tell you that "I am killing you with my mind", but I couldn't find an emoticon to properly express my sentiment.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain_Photon NOTE: The Incarnate System is basically farming for IOs on a larger scale, and with more obtrusive lore.

I have an alien toon who I chose a Magic origin for, as it describes his abilities better than anything else, but these abilities are passed down through a spiritual journey (rather like a native American or original Australian Spirit Walk).

Just out of interest, would you guys class him as a Natural (via training) magic or create a new 'Spirit' or even 'Alien' origin?

Personally, I'd rather see the Origins of Power arc just removed from the game. To me, it's a fine but unfortunate example of something you see in the comics: the addition to the lore that one writer on the title thought would be a really cool idea, but everyone else just kind of coughs and shuffles their feet and (once that writer has moved on to another book) quietly agree to Never Speak Of Again.

What about the guy who was resurrected by scientists after being killed by magic lightning while lifting weights in a toxic chemical vat made of robot parts?