ISMA Magic Schools and Tier system

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Here will be information for the magic schools and the tier system implemented by ISMA. Watchful eyes will notice that the Tier system, like standardized testing, just shows what you are capable of in very specific, measurable ways. The tiers can often be political rather than related to skill, and there are many ways to be powerful outside the tier system. The disadvantage of creating a powerful mage outside the tier system is political, Tier 0 members of ISMA get no protections for their magics, so if the country you reside in decides to persecute you, you are SOL. Additionally your wage level is not protected if you go outside the tier system, so that will be an interesting character option.

Each magic school has it's own tier system, however the numbering is consistent, Tier one in each category has the same pay protections, as does Tier two and so on. Higher tiers also afford greater political reach, regardless of school.

While one is allowed to wear any clothes that their job allows, so long as it is within their colors, ISMA does issue a set of robes which can change color based on the tier that the wearer knows. One needs only to press magical energy of the nature that they wish through their robe and the color changes. Some talented in their self regulation of magic have found how to release controlled amounts to elicit a multi-colored robe, these are well within regulation.
The style of these robes is pictured here in a neutral tone

 

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Conjuration:

Conjuration is a special school of magic as it requires two separate disciplines which are treated as one to create your tier. There is the creation of portals and the subjugation of souls. The magic to defend and attack with soul subjugation is the same, with the soul that you are controlling being simply your own. One should keep that in mind as a conjuror to keep themselves in control lest their opponent take control of them.

Spoiler: Portal Creation

As a conjuror creating portals is vital, however while it is easier to summon a creature because their own power is used to fuel the portal as well as your own, it is necessary for a Tier One Conjuror to be able to create a portal independent of another creature, to another plane. Tier One denotes one's ability to open a portal to a Plane immediately adjacent to the one that you are on. The Tier system for portal creation is straightforward, adjacent planes are "One Step" away, and the more "Steps" away you can make a portal, the higher your Tier. Tier Six is the highest one can attain through this.

Spoiler: Soul Subjugation

Conjurors wanting to summon creatures to do their bidding will need to put in some work to make sure that the creatures they summon do in fact follow directions. This is done through taking ownership of their soul. You can use their soul like a puppet to make their body respond to its commands. Simple is better, creatures are made of flesh and chemicals, give simple commands and the creature will fulfill them to the best of their ability. Learning how to hold the thread of someone's soul is the best way to prevent the control of your own, so most who dabble learn this method to prevent a conjuror from controlling them. Tier One of this power requires the ability to control two creatures of human like intelligence. The Tier system then proceeds in a straightforward exponential fashion from there. Four souls is Tier Two, Eight souls is Tier Three, etc. One can achieve up to Tier Six through this way.

By combining two disparate skills within the conjuration Tier system at the same Tier level, one may go to the next Tier. In this way a Tier One Portal Creator and Soul Subjugator may become a Tier Two Conjuror. Tier Two for each is needed for a Conjuror to be considered Tier Three, Tier Three of each makes Tier Four and so on. However even if a conjuror becomes tier six in both subjugation and portal making, they cannot ascend to tier seven unless they gain immortality.

Necromancers are included in this classification of Conjuror and as such are not differentiated either in robe designation nor the tier system. As they generally only need to make a portal to the afterlife, they do not generally attempt to proceed through portals but only through soul subjugation, which already uses humans as a reference point.

Therefore all are under pink which is the color of clothing used for official representation of ISMA

 

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Healers/Enhancers:

As Healers and Enhancers have precisely the same Tier rankings and the skill set is extremely similar, for the sake of brevity they are combined into one for the Tier System. This is also shown to encourage Healers and Enhancers to expand their skillsets into the other, thereby diversifying their skillset and making the workforce more robust.

The Tier system is ordered as such:
If one gains complete biological knowledge of one species they are a Tier One Healer or Enhancer depending on how they use their skillset. The number of required species knowledge doubles for each Tier; however the maximum Tier is where the two differentiate, as enhancers may only reach tier six in this manner, but healers can gain tier seven without immortality. This is the only exception to Tier seven being reserved for immortals.
Tier one: One species
Tier two: Two species
Tier three: Four species
Tier four: Eight species
Tier five: 16 species
Tier six: 32 species
Tier seven (Healers only): 64 species

The color for Enhancers is red, and green is for Healers.

 

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Thaumaturgists:

Thaumaturgists are able to manipulate the forces that hold existence together. They require the most amount of education to be able to utilize their craft and they are the most powerful of the mages. There are Four Forces of Mundane Nature that control the universe without the interaction of magic. They are Gravity, Electromagnetic, Weak and Strong Force. Time while Mundane as the other four forces of nature, seems to exist beyond the reach of magic, though it can be warped by Gravity, it still marches inexorably on. The Four Mundane Forces of Nature are required to alter Magical forces of nature. As such the four Mundane Forces of Nature make up the first four tiers of Thaumaturgy.

The next force of nature up from there is Planar. This is the interactions of the Planes in the Universe and give people the power to travel from plane to plane. Especially talented individuals with Planar Magic can create their own demiplanes, not infinite as the true planes, but they require travel to and from in the same way as interplanar travel.

The final force of magical nature is that of the very flow of magic in the universe. One who is capable of using this ability is Tier six, however masters of it skip from tier six to tier eight. As they gain the realm of godhood.

Those who work as Thaumaturgists wear orange colored clothing, and often there is an arrogance that comes with it, along with a refusal to wear the color of any different classes they may have knowledge of.

 

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Elementals:

Elementals, while they have the simplest to control of magics, have the most complex Tier system. Controlling the elements may be simple as if it is sport, but each of the elements behaves independently in their own way. Therefore an Elemental Mage controlling more than one must be skilled in the combination thereof.

Elementals of Tier One have gained mastery over a single element.
Elementals of Tier Two have gained mastery over two elements.
Elementals of Tier Three have either gained control over three elements, or they have learned two elements and how to combine the multiple techniques for multiple elements.
Elementals of Tier Four have gained mastery over four elements.
Elementals of Tier Five have mastery of at least three elements and can use them all fluidly, combining various techniques without having to stop in the middle of an action.
Elementals of Tier Six control all four elements and can use them in unison.

 

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Psiionics:

Psiionics are to mages as mages once were to normal people, as such their normal power isn't as well explored as magic and is thus categorized as a school of magic in it of itself. The Tier system is similarly limited in this way so the skill reflected may require higher tiers for individuals who have the ability. As such the tier system is likely to be adjusted in the future.

However as it stands Psiionics exist and deserve a Tier designation. Therefore future adjustments may increase the current ranks of Psiionics, but future tier changes will not reduce the rank of Psiionics.

Tier One: Psiionics are able to speak to and read the minds of others by the end of puberty, as such Tier One is related to the ability to push and lift. A Psiionic, to gain Tier One designation, must be able to push a 20 kg weight up to three meters from them with their mind, and lift the same weight one meter off the ground.

Tier Two: To gain the designation of Tier Two, Psiionics must be able to produce a beam of energy at least one cm in diameter that extends two meters from their body.

Tier Three: For Psiionics to obtain Tier three, they must be able to weave the energy they produce into solid objects that continue to exist after they stop feeding energy into them.

Tier Four: For Tier Four a Psiionic needs to be able to split their mind, being able to send out mental energy copies of themselves that can operate independently.

 

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Enchanters:

Enchanters are those who can enhance mundane objects with magical power.

Tier One is for individuals who can enhance traits that are already there in the object, ex: making steel harder.
Tier Two is for those who can imbue power in objects that is not already present, ex: Making cloth that mundane blades cannot pierce.
Tier Three is for those who can have magical power stored in objects, allowing people to draw on their energy for later use.
Tier Four is a designation reserved for those who can store the effects of other schools of magic in items.