So far, I’ve seen a few proposals for systems of Mask Powers, so I’ve decided to try my hand at that.
Lore,
A Mask of Power is created by channeling a small piece of a greater being. For example, the Legendary Masks (Creation, Control, etc.) were created by the Brothers from an elder god.
Mask Creation:
The everyday masks used by most characters were forged at a shrines and blessed by the Elemental Gods, granting the wielder one aspect of the Gods’ heralds’ (the Toa) natural abilities. (strength, speed, eyesight, endurance, etc.)
For this reason, these masks are limited to physical enhancement.
Matoran Masks:
A Matoran wearing one of these masks may access one attribute of a Toa. Matoran do not have a natural proficiency in using Mask Powers, and one must train rigorously both to access a mask’s powers, and use it affectively.
Toa Masks:
When Toa wears one of these Masks of Power, they gain enhancement in that area which is even greater than what they already possess. (Basically, Toa strength x2)
What if the abilities of the masks were a combination of two elements. I’ve made a post with details as to how it might work. This way, it could introduce a synergy amongst the elements and act as a gateway to more powers.
You can ignore the powers I’ve attributed to each of the combinations and just focus on the concept of combination.
Thanks. I wanted to come up with something closely incorporated to existing lore.
Something like that.
Also like what was mentioned in the podcast.
I remember reading this earlier. I like the concept that the places where the masks were forge being called “Kanohi,” although I’m not sure about it being just one city.
As for using a combination of elements, I’m honestly not sure if that would to anything in my pitch; it wouldn’t really introduce any new abilities. Perhaps making stronger Masks? I guess that could work.
The idea is that: we already know that the Elemental Gods can bestow Toa abilities on people (because that can make Toa), so the Mask maker is accessing a small piece of that.
I don’t think Var mentioned it, but the pitch he was talking about (regarding the Three Brothers overthrowing their Father to steal his powers and seal them into masks) was the one I wrote.
But basically yeah.
The way I saw it was that combining elements wouldn’t introduce new elements, but instead generate a special ability from the synergy (where the end-product is greater than the sum of its parts). For example, Strength would be the result of combining Stone and Earth elemental power (Stone is resilient, and the G3 Earth has ties to growth and renewal), Healing could be Earth and Water (G3 Earth + Water’s attribution of purity), etc.
I would argue that the six elements in Brickonicle represent the primordial “stuff” of existence: Fire and Ice (energy transferal, temperature, etc.), Stone (solid matter, aridity), Water (liquid matter, humidity), Air (gaseous matter), Earth (life).
That’s not a bad idea, but for my pitch I’d purpose that masks can only access attribute shared by all the Toa, whereas particular abilities attached to each element can only be wielded by that particular Toa.
These Masks are more like fragments of Toa power than the elemental masks in G2.
Well, the concept is basically that the Mask makes you like a Toa in one particular area, but since it isn’t really connected to any Toa spirit, it isn’t any one Toa.
The special powers of a fire Toa aren’t just specific to the “fire Toa,” they are specific to Tahu, to that particular line. They aren’t a physical part of him, its a “spiritual” power attached to him. (Same with the Matorans’ abilities, to a less degree.)
But, the Masks made by the Matoran are only a piece of the gods’ powers. It’s only a (temporary) imitation of (one aspect of) the physical process of creating a Toa, not the “spiritual” portion which gives the Toa their elemental attunement. So, they can’t access the elemental or other “special abilities,” only physical attributes.
What I got from that (correct me if I’m wrong) is that being a Toa is the full package, while the masks contain only a fragment of what a Toa is supposed to be.
I think I understand this a bit more. So, while all the Toa have enhanced physical attributes, each Toa has special abilities unique to their element (Gali or Onua have Healing, Lewa would have an advanced form of traveling such as flight or something else, etc.).
While I can see that being a good balance, I’m still a bit partial to my idea, so I’ve thought of something that could tie both our ideas together, in these following examples.
Ex 1: Let us say that the Mask of Healing is formed from Water and Earth elemental power. Since Water and Earth are present, only Water and Earth Toa (Gali and Onua) can wield the power of the mask. This concept could apply to other masks with other abilities.
Ex 2: Gali and Onua have the ability to heal others, but they both need to work together in order to do so (combining their elemental energy in order to produce healing effects). This way, the masks could still only augment physical attributes while special abilities rely on raw elemental energy.
Yes. Personally, I’d prefer it if accessing these more powerful abilities were attached to devoting oneself more to light or darkness, but that’s for another pitch.
Sub-Elements: Gravity (too OP, tied to Mask of Control), Light/Shadow (maybe formed from Masks of Creation/Control and can completely ■■■■■ the wearer’s alignment just by wearing it).
Abilities: Clairvoyance/Possibilities (tied to Mask of Alternate Futures), Time/Aging/Time Duplication (formed from Masks of Control/Alternate Futures), Biomechanics (Control), Fusion (Control), Mind/Rahi Control/Charisma/Summoning (Control), Reanimation (Control), Corruption (Creation’s antithesis), Life (Creation).
Personally, I was thinking something like:
Fire,
Dark sub-element: Magma,
Abilities: Fear, etc.
Light sub-element: Plasma,
Abilities: Inspire/Encourage,
I like the concept that the places where the masks were forge being called “Kanohi,” although I’m not sure about it being just one city.
