what fictional power systems are the most unique and the most diverse

[JohnDiggle]

Be it from Marvel or DC, Anime/Manga , literature, video games etc

What power system do you think is the most well thought out and the most diverse?

[Nik Hasta]

The Nen system from HunterXHunter is pretty in-depth and pretty flexible.

Stands from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure are diverse but the rules are pretty flexible so it's a bit less solid than other systems.

[Sharpandpointies]

Game-wise....Anima: Beyond Fantasy is a tabletop RPG system (kind of like D&D, only not). It has a variety of power systems that characters can access: Ki/Nemesis, Magic (like, ten 'main' paths of magic, a ton of sub-paths, and scores of generic spells as well), Psychic Powers, Summoning, and Elan (abilities bestowed by spiritual beings of immense power). Unlike D&D 'spells/prayers/psionics' and class abilities, each and every one of these powers has a completely different 'system' behind it in the rules, and a completely different flavor to it. Toss on top of that a variety of different 'powers' one can learn or gain (Ars Magni, various intrinsic magical abilities, Blood Ties to supernatural beings, etc). Toss on top of that two different forms of the basic Summoning (summoning creatures to fight for you/serve you versus summons of Aeons/Great Beasts similar to Final Fantasy VII), summoning of powerful spirits to posses the summoner and grant them specific abilities, and summons based on Ki Seals, all of which operate in a different manner and have different impacts on the gameplay when used.

It's quite ridiculously diverse, deep, and (surprisingly) balanced in different ways, thanks to both the system and the (also ridiculously diverse and deep) setting. I've honestly never seen this level of diversity in a game wrt powers and power systems in my loooong career of playing/gming/reading Rpg's.

Literature? Whooo. I would point to the Machineries of Empire for something pretty crazy, but honestly I think it's not well-thought-out - the author just makes up crazy **** as they go, and it works in the setting because 'crazy **** due to reality twisting effects' is par for the course (but is also a lazy way of just writing whatever powers one wants). Don't get me wrong, not saying the author is lazy - series has a lot going for it - but I strongly doubt they've sat down and worked out exactly how everything works down to the minutiae.

Rodger Zelazny has multiple books where he mixes quasi-magic and tech together to make for all kinds of wonderful weirdness that he still manages to keep coherent: Lord of Light features humans who have taken inspiration from the gods of the Hindu religion and attempted to manifest their powers in themselves through a variety of different means, including multiple reincarnations using tech to strengthen and focus psychic powers, straight-up tech to mimic powers/abilities, biomanipulation, etc. Creatures of Light and Darkness has absolutely insane, imaginative abilities in some of the most powerful individual beings I've seen in literature.

Steven Erikson's stuff has an amazing well-thought-out and consistent magical system co-existing with beings of power, 'gods', and magical creatures/demons/spirits, all of which have their own power outside of Warren/Hold-based sorcery.

[Nik Hasta]

Since we're allowed to mention game systems, I am a big fan of simple but quite deep flexibility from the boons system in Hades.

Being able to adapt your **** on the fly is real fun.

[Sharpandpointies]

Since we're allowed to mention game systems, I am a big fan of simple but quite deep flexibility from the boons system in Hades.

Being able to adapt your **** on the fly is real fun.

Unfamiliar - some detail? Sounds interesting.

[Nik Hasta]

Unfamiliar - some detail? Sounds interesting.

Hades is a rogue-like game wherein you play Zagreus, Prince of the Underworld, in his bid to escape.

On your journey, you encounter boons offered to you by the Olympians, you will receive offerings from a total of... off the top of my head... nine different gods who can offer you aid. Those boons have abilities themed around the various gods [Zeus = lightning etc.] and can apply to your weapons primary attack, its secondary attack, your ranged attack, your movement abilities, as a unique super attack or as unique passive abilities.

On top of that, these abilities will change depending on which of your six weapons you are using on a given run and, as you acquire more boons, they will combine to make joint boons which have even more potent effects that will intersect in interesting and fun ways.

That's on top of unique upgrades you can get for your weapon on route which will change how things will function.

It's very engaging and every run is different. Hades is a very good game.

[Sharpandpointies]

Thanks for putting in the time for the description. Sounds pretty good! I like how stuff builds on itself, and combines in different ways.

[Nik Hasta]

Thanks for putting in the time for the description. Sounds pretty good! I like how stuff builds on itself, and combines in different ways.

It's a really good game, I got way into last year.

I also forgot to mention that each weapon has four forms which will further influence your playstyle and the kinds of boons you might want to go after.

[Sharpandpointies]

It's a really good game, I got way into last year.

I also forgot to mention that each weapon has four forms which will further influence your playstyle and the kinds of boons you might want to go after.

Yeesh. VERY complex.

[big_adventure]

Wheel of Time's Saidin/Saidar is an obvious choice - incredibly powerful, incredibly flexible, extremely precise and consistent in the use and the writing. I can't think of any system from fiction that is as well-defined and consistent and which is also as flexible.

[Jackalope89]

Wheel of Time's Saidin/Saidar is an obvious choice - incredibly powerful, incredibly flexible, extremely precise and consistent in the use and the writing. I can't think of any system from fiction that is as well-defined and consistent and which is also as flexible.

Good one. Plus, Robert Jordan had it so men were stronger in fire and earth, women in water and air, with spirit pretty even. And can't forget that, while men can reach higher levels of raw power, they can't Join together like women can.

Another would be the Semblance/Aura system within RWBY. Aura is a protective barrier as well as an all around boost in speed, strength, defense, and healing. Whereas Semblance is fairly unique from person to person.

[Cleric of Hell’s Brigade]

The Allomancy system in Mistborn is a great one, with a fairly unique system of powers and abilities. Especially once you tie in the other Metalurgic Arts.

[The Drunkard Kid]

Good one. Plus, Robert Jordan had it so men were stronger in fire and earth, women in water and air, with spirit pretty even. And can't forget that, while men can reach higher levels of raw power, they can't Join together like women can.

Another would be the Semblance/Aura system within RWBY. Aura is a protective barrier as well as an all around boost in speed, strength, defense, and healing. Whereas Semblance is fairly unique from person to person.

Ah, RWBY, or as I like to call it, BlazBlue Chibi.

But seriously, Aura is essentially very similar to a significantly more limited form of BlazBlue's Ars Magus system and Semblance's are basically just Drives from Blazblue. Though in all fairness, the gameplay's and the lore's definition of what qualifies as a Drive is vastly different, with only a few of the gameplay Drives just being character specific combat mechanics rather than an actual physical manifestation of the power of the user's soul, with only a few characters having actual Drives. And let's not even get into things like True Sorcery (which also exists in RWBY), the Power of Order (as I understand it, its "just" willpower strong enough to resist divine tier effects like being hit with something that can kill immortals), or the utter brain-twistingness that is Observing (basically where certain extremely powerful and intelligent beings can reinforce the reality of an event or a desired version of a person/event by deliberately acknowledging it, even in the face of temporal shenanigans technically meaning that the thing never happened in the first place anymore).

[Nik Hasta]

I suppose it would be remiss of me not to mention the cavalcade of weird stuff in Medaka Box.

Skills, Minuses and the Linguistic skills are super weird, powerful and often wildly flexible.

[Sharkerbob]

HUNTER X HUNTER - NEN
It's too complicated to summarize here, but here's the wiki link. What I appreciate about it is that it has a solidly defined and categorized system that has some inbuilt checks and balances, some creative loopholes bolted on, and five of the categories have flexibility while being fairly well defined. I don't recall anything conflicting too much logically, and allows for a wide variety of power expression to start with... and then it also just says "**** it" and throws in a category that's just, "whatever crazy bullshit that doesn't fit anywhere else" to give certain characters that much more of a unique standing among the already fantastical cast.


GRIMNOIR CHRONICLES - GEOMETRIC MYSTICISM
This book series posits an interesting combination of a super power system and a magic system that tie into the same source: a cosmic extradimensional entity that feeds supernatural powers to people on Earth, who then develop and mature the energy so when they die, it draws back to the entity to feed it. The powers operate in two ways: most magicians are just people who possess one of several basic super powers, each following along a category of the fundamental forces. Gravity, mass control, and intangibility are in one branch, while fire, ice and lightning are in another, there's body control, psychic powers, and summoning powers all in the own categories. Every superhuman runs on an "energy meter", so no more matter how powerful they are, they need to stop and recharge their abilities.

However, things aren't just limited to that, some scientists have seen into how these forces work, and have devised systems of runes to inscribe magical effects on both people and machines. As the series goes on, we see all sorts of interesting ways these various extra spells are applied, to enhancing superhumans with multiple powers, to creating effective AI robots, despite this being set in the 1930s. Despite the basic appearance of the system at first, there's lots of ways it can be twisted.