Quick query

[gothwalk]

A quick enquiry... in this world, when we say someone is "powerful", we usually mean they can get things done, that they have people around who will do what they're told. In fantasy worlds, however, it can mean "can drop-kick you over the horizon", "can melt steel with her mind", or "can blow up continents with 2.5cc of mouseblood and a bit of concentration". Is there an adjective in English to describe that kind of inherent power?

Comments

[loupblanc.livejournal.com]

Well I'm foreign so feel free to not take my word into consideration but to me "powerful" really more refers to the latter of your definitions, I would use the word "charismatic" for the former...

But then political power and magical power are two different things...

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

Yeah, maybe it's the other one that needs to be renamed - influential, in control.

[valkyriekaren.livejournal.com]

Puissant?

Onmipotent?

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

Puissant is good - pity about the sound of it, but I can cope with that.

Omnipotent isn't quite right; even the characters described in the terms above would have weaknesses and inabilities - that's one of the principles I try to stick with in my own worlds, anyway.

[mollydot.livejournal.com]

Potent?

[smarriveurr.livejournal.com]

I'll second "potent" - that was actually one of the terms I was thinking of suggesting. Alternately, "mighty" or, perhaps if only sparingly "momentous" or "prodigious"? "Phenomenal", "Fantastic" or "Awesome" in the more literal senses?

[ex-agname.livejournal.com]

Superhuman? Supernatural? Magical? Mutanty? The concept of being able to do what you describe in the fantasy world, but being able to do it in the real world doesn't exist in reality. So I think you need to apply fantasy terms to the concept to describe it in a real-world scenario. Ok, I made the word "Mutanty" up.

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

I was thinking there had to be a few such; people needed some terms in which to describe John Dee and his ilk. Pirsig introduced me to arete years ago (time to reread that). I discovered the sort of mental pun that arete is, in itself, a quality, on my last re-reading.

The problem lies not really with my understanding of a term - because, hell, enough of my use of English is archaic already, and some of it never existed - but with the understanding of players and readers. I don't mind using an obscure word, but I'd like to use one that is - or was - English, and that can be looked up.

I may settle for "skilled", because it seems to cover most bases.

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

Hm, it doesn't really cover inherent ability, you're right.

[graylion.livejournal.com]

capable?

[gothwalk.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to stop and think now, and work out if there actually is a difference. That'll have to wait until later, though.