Mana, qi/ ki/ chi, aura

[NotaNuffian]

Just visited a thread about cutting foreskins while having a mild chest pain.

I know in the end, the answer is "the author decides" in the debate about mana vs qi, they are just different expressions of the same energy (or the source may be different, idk).

Discussion - Difference in Qi & Mana , etc

From what I research with many novels and some history and facts. Qi is a general term of saying energy Mana is a general term of saying energy Both...

forum.novelupdates.com

I myself have issues accepting the Breaker's method of splitting bodily definition into four parts (body, mind, ki, spirit) and then ki itself is further split into three veins, so I am not the most open minded.

I also understand that due to cultural difference, we can have the same thing but different names and interpretations.

But seriously, what the hell is aura and why did JRPGs and KRPGs use it to define a warrior class' worth?

 

[CupcakeNinja]

...Mana isnt Qi tho. And Ki is just another word for Qi. Aura is also usually something somewhat different than just straight Qi even tho it uses the same energy. Its, like, a more advanced form or usage

 

[ThrillingHuman]

Just cause? I imagine people who wrote it were like: eh, I wanna change things up a bit. And it caught on

 

[DarkMask]

For me, Aura is similar to Qi or Mana, but it's more about physical power than spiritual or whatever. You can think of it kind of like Sword Intent or something which a person develops after having enough understanding.

Most warriors are unable to use Mana (At least I think so) so they use Aura instead. Now how to get that Aura would have to depend on the World setting of the said game I think. Personally, if I had to use Aura in any story then I would make it achievable by killing opponents or monsters to increase a warriors understanding of both his self and his enemies.

 

[Cipiteca396]

All the different names are just because people don't like certain definitions, and use their own. However, you can generally guess the intentions of each energy once you see them enough times.

Generically speaking for the ones you mentioned:

Spoiler

Mana is magical power. Sometimes it is also 'Life Energy', a mystical source for all life. Usually it's a standalone type of energy, not just a fun name for the stuff your body uses to maintain itself in the real world.

Qi/Chi/Ki are cognates, words from different languages that mean the same thing. They refer to a mystical energy that human beings can use with masterful training. The type of 'Aura' you mentioned is the same type of energy. It actually usually IS the same type of energy your body uses to maintain itself(Like ATP and stuff), just with extra magical effects added on.

Now, the reasons:

Spoiler

'Aura' in the way you're using it is usually used to bring warriors in-line with the power a mage can display. It's literally just there to make it so the author can keep their bulky armored warrior archetype without nerfing magic into the ground. If warriors can replicate magical abilities using non-magical skills, then they can stay useful in battle against mages. That's why. Usually, it's Stamina based when you have the typical HP, MP, SP system.

There's also 'Lifeforce', which is usually either 'Aura' and Warrior based, or Mana and Mage based. Either way, it is literally the life of the user, meaning they'll die if they use too much of it. Usually, it's used to show just how high the stakes are that the user is willing to spend their life to act. Sometimes its just there to be edgy and dark though, so .... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Mana is the distilled formula that allows magic use without being too weak or too overpowered. So many different types of magic have been made over time, but having a limited supply of magical energy that regenerates over time is just the most practical way to do it. It's Easy, so it's Done. The alternatives are things like Spell Slots, Once per Day Abilities, and consumable items.

The one you missed is Mental Power. I know you know about it because you brought it up in that psionics thread the other day. It purely exists so that people can say, "No, my Psionics isn't 'just Magic', it's Different." It's a much messier system that I'm not entirely familiar with, but it generally follows the same rules as Mana, Faith or Will, just with different flavor text.

Next is Faith energy. Giving Faith to a god, spirit or demon in exchange for favors. Sometimes the Faith itself is enough to create magic; sometimes the Outsider needs to cast a spell using their own Mana or Will. This is usually used to distinguish mana-based magic from religion, without making either seem redundant. They kinda still are though.

Lastly is Will. You literally take something you believe in strongly enough, and Make It So. This is often used as the mechanism for all mystical abilities, with the only difference between them being which HP, MP, SP bar gets consumed when you use them. The main reason this thing gets used is to make Heroic Willpower moments where the Protagonist literally manifests Plot Armor or the Power of Friendship.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

I think mana is gathered from outside sources while Qi is something you cultivate internally. Mana is just sort-of floating around, and you need to gather it to use it. Qi is already stored inside you, though you may need time to recover after expending it.

 

[Viator]

The way it is typically described. Mana/magic is primarily an internal to external force where the "primary" is emphasized on the external (universe), where as Qi is an external-internal force with the "primary" focused on the internal (body).

Typically magic involves using internal power of the spirit (aka mana) to create change within the external world. Even though mana is often described as being internal it is often rechargeable via an EXTERNAL FORCE that exists outside the body, or borrowing from some sort of external element or power such as a summon. This it is primarily an external source or phenomena.

Qi on the other hand draws an external force or understanding within to help with control, and reinforce the INTERNAL BODY where Qi is a more direct manifestation of spirit. Most effects of Qi are results of restructuring internal functions so that the body itself manifests its own power in the external world. In this case the power achieved is taken for the self, and not borrowed from an outside source, so is primarily an internal phenomena.

Mana = flesh embodies the universe

Qi= Universe embodies the flesh

 

[SakeVision]

The one you missed is Mental Power. I know you know about it because you brought it up in that psionics thread the other day. It purely exists so that people can say, "No, my Psionics isn't 'just Magic', it's Different." It's a much messier system that I'm not entirely familiar with, but it generally follows the same rules as Mana, Faith or Will, just with different flavor text.

My favorite work that tackles this is video game tales of maj eyal

There, arcane and psionic are considered different things. Life energy, called Vim, is also a different thing.

In short:

arcane/mana: literally unnatural, and element of Nature actively opposes it. It uses an outside element, called mana, to create elemental and arcane distortions in reality, literally making impossible miracles come true, often with terrible consequences for the world. Necromancy goes here, among others. A life form associated with arcane are sentient crystals, that spread over the planet and terraform it into a place of death, kinda like tiberium in command and conquer.

Vim: Lifeforce of living beings that can be extracted from them by killing them, and utilized as an energy source. Its applications are usually very destructive in nature, though that might be connected to the nature of those who usually cultivate it, rather than its regular quality.

Psionic: This is more like building upon people's natural ability to affect reality with the power of thought. Just as you can train your muscles and become stronger, you can also train your will and brain to create not just internal thoughts and dreams, but also have them manifest in outside reality. Think how, sometimes when you wake up, you still see vortexes and hallucinations as leftover from whatever dream you had? What if they were to be made real, what if brain waves can affect reality? Of course, willpower is needed, else psionic might lose grip on what's real and what's not. They also use "mindstars" to properly channel and focus their thoughts, though I'm not quite sure if it was ever explained in-universe how mindstars work or what they are.

 

[Zero300]

1. Mana is gathered externally. The stronger you get, the more efficient you become at handling mana.

2. Qi/Ki/Chi is initially gathered externally but after a while, you form an inner core called the dantian which you use to both efficiently absorb external qi as well as generate and store internal qi. The stronger you get, the more qi you have generated and stored.

3. Aura is something you gather throughout your body through practices involving will and focus. Aura is like internal qi in that it flows within you. However, there’s no core to store it so your body becomes the vessel. The stronger you become and the more will and focus you gain, the higher and stronger the aura.

 

[lnv]

Just visited a thread about cutting foreskins while having a mild chest pain.

I know in the end, the answer is "the author decides" in the debate about mana vs qi, they are just different expressions of the same energy (or the source may be different, idk).

Discussion - Difference in Qi & Mana , etc

From what I research with many novels and some history and facts. Qi is a general term of saying energy Mana is a general term of saying energy Both...

forum.novelupdates.com

I myself have issues accepting the Breaker's method of splitting bodily definition into four parts (body, mind, ki, spirit) and then ki itself is further split into three veins, so I am not the most open minded.

I also understand that due to cultural difference, we can have the same thing but different names and interpretations.

But seriously, what the hell is aura and why did JRPGs and KRPGs use it to define a warrior class' worth?

Generally speaking, Aura is also powered by Mana. Aura competes with Magic, and Mana is the fuel.

Mana to aura/magic is like spirit energy is to Qi/Ki/Chi. Though probably Qi/Ki/Chi would be closer to stored energy. So maybe the more accurate comparison would be to mana heart which would be covered in circles for a mage. Since Qi/Ki/Chi is often referred to in years. Like a battery.

The difference between magic and aura is external vs internal. Magic uses the mind/heart to pull in mana and project it externally. While aura pulls in mana to the entire body enhancing it.

It is mostly a difference between western concepts and eastern concepts. So the caster alternative in eastern would be shamanism or spiritualism.

The big difference between aura and qi/ki/chi is aura generally enhances the entire body. Where as qi/ki/chi focuses on the meridians.

As for why they defined warriors with aura? Isn't it obvious. If you wish to be very low fantasy, you can have mages cast weak spells and knights be there. Otherwise, you get too OP mages and cannon folder knights. For knights to be competitive, they need something like aura to combat magic. As for why not magic swordsman then? The answer is simple. Because then it would make knights too OP as they can use both magic and physical. Some got around this by limiting them to body enhancement magic only or exclude them from elemental magic. But then it kind of limits knights to be too plain. Aura is a good way to have variety in your knights while not having them touching upon the domain of mages.