The Unicorn Magical Classification System

[Fractured 2,683]

After analyzing the structure of spells and spell casting in Equestria, i've decided to make a  four-tiered system to judge their potential strength in the magical field, based on four categories:

Spell Knowledge- How much they can learn

 

Spell Ingenuity- How fast they can learn

 

Magical Stamina- How long they can last

 

Magical Potential- How much magic they can put out

 

 

In greater detail:

 

Spell Knowledge is how well one can understand and interpret magic and spells from texts and other sources (What I imagine to be what most magical study revolves around). The higher this number, the more complex a spell one can understand, though this does not always necessarily equate to being able to perform it (recall Twilight's inability to perform the age spell, despite knowing how to perform it). On a scale of 1-10:

 

1-4: Basic level. Basic light spells and possibly Cutie mark magic; things one would learn at a young age, or outside a magical institute(set high because most non-magically gifted ponies don't seem to learn a lot of magic)

 

5-7: Learned level. (Where the majority of ponies would be inside Celestia's School for gifted unicorns, or other institutes)

8-9: Master level. (Twilight has access to the former, but also interprets spells that are more than likely above what typical students would know, such as time travel and age spells)

10: Starswirl level. The pony who has mastered hundreds of different forms of spells (including one to go back in time, reverse aging, and move the stars) is the basic line here. Ponies in this category can understand practically anything they can get their hooves on.


Spell Ingenuity. If your character were trapped in a room, and had to invent a spell solution to get out, how long would it take them? Spell ingenuity is just that; the quickness with which they can master spells. Different from knowledge, this doesn't focus on the what, but on the how; it deals with the formation of new spells, both off hand, and from old ones. On a scale of 1-10:

1: Stagnant level. That character sticks strictly to the spells that they have, and either doesn't alter or adapt them, or can do so for only very basic spells

 

2-5: Basic level. This character can adapt to the situation, but a complex spell for them might take months or more to learn how to use properly. (about where average unicorns would be.)

 

6-8: Intellectual level. A complex spell for them will take a few weeks to learn, at the most (Unicorns in magical schools and such.).

9-10: Genius level. Your character can learn complex spells within 24 hours of having knowledge of them, or less (recall Twilight's fix everything spell from Return of Harmony, or her multi-personnel telekinetic spell from Boast Busters).

 

 

Spell Stamina, or the outer limits to which your character can perform magic. Focuses on how many spells your character can cast, or how long they can maintain a spell, before they run out of magic. On a scale of 1-10:

1: One shot wonder. A few weak spells, or a really strong one. Can't maintain most spells for very long, if at all.

 

2-5: Basic level. Maybe a dozen weak-normal spells in a short time frame, or a few of their strong ones. Can hold one of their average spell for a few minutes, under good conditions (About standard for most unicorns)

 

6-8: Powerbox level. Several dozen spells in a short time frame, or quite a few of their strong ones. Can hold a good spell for an hour or so(Recall Twilight's shield bubble spell to hold out the crusaders in Ponyville Confidential). About standard for magical school residents.

 

9-10: Dynamo level. For those characters who can throw out their powerful spells for minutes or more on end without rest (ala Starlight in her fight vs Twilight), or for those who can maintain their spells for at least days at a time (ala Shining Armor's shield spell)

 

 

Spell Potential, or the upper limits of your characters magic casting. It's how much output they can generate at one time; the higher the output, the more powerful their basic spells will be (such as energy beams, telekinesis, etc.), and the more complex spells they'd be able to perform, should they get their hooves on them (This list from @AmberDust should give you a good idea of what i'm talking about). On a scale of 1-10:

 

1-2: Foal level. Struggles with telekinesis, and other basic spells.

 

3-4: Basic level. Mastery over most simple, non institute school learned spells, and their cutie mark magic (Where most unicorns should be).

 

5-7: Academia level. Where most ponies would have to be to have passed Twilight's entrance exam to Celestia's School, and where most magically trained royal guards should be (Presumably includes at least the ability to use energy beams and force fields).

 

8-9: Sage level. About where Twilight would be (Forming wings, being able to use telekinesis to manipulate large objects, large barrier spells, etc.), and where most ponies who can use non-institute designated spells would be.

 

10: Highest level unicorn level. Things only ponies who are incredibly strong in magic can perform (Recall Twilight's time travel spell, and the age spell from Boast Busters).

 

 

Figuring out where your unicorn character is should be as easy as figuring out where they go in each of these four categories. Only two things to remember before you place:

 

1. Be honest. Try to go by what your character has performed, not what they may be capable of (It's nice to claim to be a level 10 in ingenuity, but if you've been staring at that scroll for hours...). Also realize that these systems do connect with each other (For instance, it would be very hard to have a 1 in knowledge, but a 10 in potential, unless you're relying on your cutie mark magic. Similarly, it would be very difficult to be a 1 in ingenuity, but a 10 in knowledge.).

2. This was primarily tended to describe a unicorns base magic level, and things within that range. Thus, I didn't account for magically enhancing objects/machines/inventions, or anything similar (such as the alicorn amulet), and I didn't account for specifically alicorn or Discord related feats (such as moving celestial bodies, or other similarly large magical feats). I also didn't account for special abilities not shown in the show, on the potential side; if you ask nicely, though, i'll try my best to classify them. 

 

Without further ado, feel free to judge.

[J.R. 3,182]

I'm gonna use my OC Icesius Blizzard, who'll probably be the only earth pony posted here, because he posseses ice magic.

 

Knowledge: 0. Being an earth pony, he can't learn or perform any new spells outside of his ice attacks.

 

Ingenuity: 6.5. Considering that one scenario, he could probably find a way our by freezing and breaking a wall. But considering that's all he could do, it's not the best.

Stamina: 8. He can put out a lot of powerful ice attacks steadily before running low on energy. And can even use his most powerful attack, DIME Blast, after a multitude of normal attacks.

Potential: 8.5. Considering his most powerful attack is his DIME Blast (which he can put out with enough charge), it's pretty high. Especially when you consider this attack is a literally dry ice bomb that travels as far as a mile.

And that's it.

Edited February 17, 2016 by J.R.

[Unicorncob 5,628]

I'll drop Indus into this

 

Knowledge - 9; He's educated in arcane magics and has dabbled in a bit of dark magic, as well as do a lot of reading of modern-age spellbooks growing up.

 

Ingenuity - 8; He's intelligent and pragmatic, but even he will struggle with very complicated spells. He simply did not have the right heart to become an alicorn.

 

Stamina - 9; He has his limits of course, but he can cast some big spells for a good period of time.

 

Potential - 9; His lifetime of studying and practising various magics has left him open for learning many kinds, 

 

Going by AmberDust's levels of magic, he would definitely be a level 8

[SilverStarApple 849]

Silver Star Apple

 

Spell Knowledge- 10. Though he insists that he doesn't have any issues or obsessions when it comes to power, his track record speaks for itself. He insists his thirst for more knowledge and power is due to scientific curiousity and the joy of learning, along with wanting to be able to protect himself, his friends, and his assets. However, it's implied that he's insecure over how he's not exactly the strongest Unicorn around.

 

Spell Ingenuity- Normally, 9. He picks up magic and new concepts through analysis, and simply seeing a spell and paying attention to how it works is often enough to teach him a new trick. Surpasses the normal limits by technically cheating when using magical replicas to read for him, giving their experiences, memories and knowledge to him on dispersal.

 

Magical Stamina- Six. Stamina is not his strongest suit, hence why he'll often use weaker spells more strategically in fights, dodge instead of using a shielding spell, alter the area and the opponent to sabotage them, and mix things up with physical attacks, restorative enchanted crystals, recovery spells, and so on.

 

Magical Potential- Nine. He's powerful, though when it comes to raw power unmodified by magical amulets, armour, weapons, potions, or pretty much anything else, he's not as powerful as Twilight.

Edited February 17, 2016 by SilverStarApple