So, magic is always a fun topic, and I wanted to share my head-canon and see how it compares to everypony else's. I'll leave out stuff like, 'In my head-canon' because you all know that's what I mean.


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For starters, there are two parts, two paths to magic. First, the lesser path. All unicorns who have 'developed the ability to use magic' are users of the lesser path. It entails simple manipulations of the physical world, primarily levitation, light and sound effects, and many of the abilities given to ponies by their cuite marks. It's not terribly powerful or impressive, but for most it's enough to get the job done. It's also only usable by beings with a magic horn, as said horn serves as their focus point.


Second, there is the greater path. Every conceivable feat, from teleportation, to necromancy, to time travel, can be accomplished with knowledge of the greater path. All beings with any respectable mana pool at their disposal can use greater path magic. It is easier for horned beings, as they don't need an external focus, but ponies have used objects such as bells, crystals, and even other beings as focuses to incredible ends. Casting a greater path spell is different from lesser path spells in several ways.


First, it takes more then willpower and mana to complete a spell. Each greater path spell requires anywhere from one to a theoretically infinite number of words of power, which are simply spoken as the spell is cast. Words of power are scraps of the knowledge from which the multiverse we all live in was wrought. Discovering them in a process that may take lifetimes, as it involves understanding an idea or object so utterly completely that causing and creating this idea or object is effortless, just as it was when the gods formed everything. The greatest number of words to ever be discovered by one being is when a unicorn mage by the name of Starswirl the Bearded discovered 4 in his lifetime.


Any being that knows a word of power can easily transcribe it onto a surface as you would any other word. Any written word of power is instantly memorized when read. However, the first a greater path spell is cast with it, it immediately fades from memory. The more times it is learned, cast, and forgotten, the better it stays, until it is remembered permanently.


Starswirl set another record when he used 8 words in a single spell to create a link between Equestria and Earth through a mirror. No being in recorded history has ever used a more complicated spell, and the mana drain on him was too great to ever be done again, leaving him magically crippled for the rest of his life.


When a being casts a spell from either path, is slowly eats away at their mana pool as it runs. Spells like teleportation, or other instantaneous casts, take all of their required mana at once. Lesser path spells take very little mana, allowing most ponies to go about their lives and never even come close to running out. However, greater path spell take much more, and the requirement increases exponentially as you add words of power to your spell, in a manner that roughly equates to doubling every word. Thus, two words is twice that of one, three is four times, four is eight, and so on. The more magic that a being uses, the more the total size of their mana pool grows, but using spells that push past the limits of their mana pool can have a number of widespread disastrous effects.


Magic beings, unicorns in particular, can receive, and are required to in any royal and government occupations, a magic level test. It ranks them in terms of mana pool size, and in the case of greater path users, their word learning speed. The tests are simple, and involve the levitation of various weights until they can no longer be held. The ranking is by letter.


F - Non magic being.
E - Extremely weak, can only manage a few seconds of the lightest levitation.
D - Weak magic user, possibly from injury, but can probably survive comfortably without having magic problems.
C - Average magic user, has no problems with simple lesser path spells, or whatever is needed for their job.
B - Above average magic user, moderate mana pool, and can probably use more types of magic then just what their cuite marks dictate.
A - Strong magic user, large mana pool, mastery of several magic types, capable of greater path magic if they have the words.


Below must already be capable of at least some greater path magic, but being able to do so does not guarantee placement there.


Gamma A - Greater path user with a substantial mana pool, only knows a hoof-full of words, usually no more then 5, takes around a dozen tries to learn a word.
Beta A - Mana pool that borders on massive, acquired word count nearing a dozen. Can learn new words withing around half a dozen tries.
Alpha A - Enormous mana pool, acquired word count being upwards of 20, learning new words takes a few tries at most.
Perfect A - Mana pool which has no practical limits, master of at least 95% of words known to pony kind, can learn new words in one or two tries.

Most magic users have rate a from an E to a B, with notable exceptions being alicorns, which have a mana pool of at least a Beta A, Discord, who is the only known Perfect A, being able to support whole dimensions and change the face of the land without batting an eye. Starswirl was the first recorded pony to reach an Alpha A. Twilight Sparkle rated at a Beta A before ascension, now borders on a high Alpha A in terms of mana pool size. Zecora rates at a Gamma A, because while her number of acquired words is quite high, she has a smaller mana pool then a Beta A.

Finally, greater path spells can be identified by their signature spell-circle. Ever greater path spell has a circle that changes depended on the number of words, what words are used, the result location of the spell, and the caster's magic color. It can be hidden by adding an additional word to your spell.

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That's it, folks. What do you think? How are things different for you?

The general idea is fairly obvious, but I want to show the thought I've put into it anyway.


First, independent oh any of the other locations, like Ponyville or Canterlot, there'd be a whole new board, just for dueling. Inside, one user would set up the arena, and then users would challenge them until they decide who they want to duel. at that point, they fight. There can be multiple arenas and fight threads going at once, but a pony can only be in one fight thread at a time. The results of all fights are non-consequential, and have no affect on anything in the rest of the site. You can have a pony in a normal roleplay and a duel.


In the original post, you would need to describe the area in which the fight will be taking place, in a general sense. Like 'On the street by Sugarcube corner in Ponyville' or 'on the roof of a train headed to the crystal empire' Whatever they want, where ever they want, but if it's a place they make up, they're obviously going to need to be more detailed.


Also in the original post, you will need to describe your character, in a fighting sense. As in, EVERY attack type, form, and ability that they will be able to use in the fight. Nothing else can be used in the actual fight. This is for a few reasons. First, challengers will be able to tell if someone is just bragging about their overpowered OC. Second, that way you can't just keep inventing moves as you go so as not to lose. Finally, it allows challengers to make sure the fight will be fun, as in they won't send a changeling against a pony whose ability is to always kill changelings.


The challenger will have to detail their fighter in exactly the same way, for similar reasons.


Now, I've also thought about the flaws. First, fighting isn't really in spirit with the show, I know. But, it's for fun, and we know it's going to happen in other threads anyway. Second, somepony is going to have to lose. Somepony is going to have to decide, even if they don't really believe it, that they are going to lose. They don't have to know from the start, but eventually somepony will have to make that sacrifice, or this will never work out. Finally, what if for some reason this takes over the site? I don't think that's a problem, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.


Anyway, thoughts? Do you like the idea? No? Why? What would you change?

Name: Octavia Melody
Gender: Female
Race: Earth Pony
Birth Date: September 23
Age: 20
Coat Color: Light Gray
Mane Color: Dark Gray
Eye Color: Light Purple
Cutie Mark: A Treble Clef

Residence: Canterlot
Occupation: Royal cellist, Musician for hire
Personality: Moderately short tempered, but kind and caring when treated properly. A good friend, but not a social pony, preferring her own company over random interaction with others. Has a personal bias against Unicorns, particularly those living in Canterlot, for they are frequently the most judgmental and rude when it comes to her being an Earth Pony musician. Classy, but still down to Equestria.

Other info: Grew up with an older sister and a younger sister and just their mother to take care of them all; her father abandoned the family when she was 5 and her younger sister was about to be born. Her older sister moved to Fillydelphia when Octavia was 13 to try and earn some money for the family, but so far none has come, and the family is struggling. When Octavia was 16, she won a won a music competition in Canterlot, attracting enough financial attention to get her into the Royal music university, where she studied for three years, until her younger sister fell ill. She then left college, and is working in the city to try and earn enough money to supply both her own standards of living, as well as help her family.