Into the Tides book bonus: Dream Powers

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

The people who know what you're dreaming
(painting by Franz Schrotzberg)

In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Today I'm looking at dream powers.

A non-exhaustive list of some Magic Types
Power	Class*	Capabilities/Limitations
Dream	6-	Sense when someone within 20 feet is sleeping See flashes of what a touched person is dreaming
	5	Sense when someone within 20 feet is sleeping, and the location of sleeper(s);  see flashes of what touched person is dreaming  Speak into a touched person's dreams without awareness (they hear the dream Power's voice but may or may not be able to recognize as not being part of the dream, depending on dream and dreamer)
	4	Passive: Sense when people within 40 feet are sleeping, location of sleepers, and if the people are well-known the identity of sleepers; see flashes of dreams from person dreaming within 10 feet; accidentally (occurs randomly and without focusing) share dreams if touching another person when sleeping; perfect dream memory (always remembers own dreams) Active: speak into a touched person's dreams with selective awareness (dream Power chooses if the person knows that the voice is not part of the dream); view full dream of a touched sleeper
	3	Passive: Sense when people within 60 feet are sleeping, location of sleepers, and if the people are well-known the identity of sleepers; see flashes of dreams from person dreaming within 20 feet; accidentally (occurs randomly and without focusing) share dreams if touching another person when sleeping; perfect dream memory (always remembers own dreams); view full dream of a touched sleeping person Active: speak into a touched person's dreams with selective awareness (dream Power chooses if the person knows that the voice is not part of the dream); visually input images into dream (dreamer sees chosen image) with selective awareness
	2	Passive: Sense when people within 80 feet are sleeping, location of sleepers, and if the people are well-known the identity of sleepers; see flashes of dreams from person dreaming within 40 feet; share dreams if touching another person when sleeping OR choose to block dreams (choose before going to sleep; sees no dreams while sleeping if this choice is made); perfect dream memory (always remembers own dreams); view full dream of a touched sleeping person Active: speak into a person's dreams with selective awareness within 10 feet; visually input images into dream with selective awareness; remake dream (dreamer sees and hears exactly what dream Power chooses)
	1+	Passive: Sense when people within 100 feet are sleeping, location of sleepers, and if the people are well-known the identity of sleepers; see flashes of dreams from person dreaming within 75 feet; share dreams with up to 2 people within 20 feet when sleeping OR choose to block dreams; share dreams with up to 5 people if all are touching; perfect dream memory (always remembers own dreams); view full dream of a person within 20 feet Active: speak into up to 3 peoples' dreams with selective awareness within 10 feet; visually input images into dreams with selective awareness; remake dreams (dreamers see exactly what dream Power chooses); combine dreams so that all people are sharing a dream

Dream Powers are considered a somewhat military magic. Typically they're used as scouts or for infiltration, because knowing that someone is sleeping nearby can determine the presence of others. Furthermore, a well-disguised dream Power can harass enemies by preventing them from gaining a good night's sleep, disrupting them with nightmares. However, sharing the actual details of another person's dream (enemy or ally), except in the cases of shared dreams or with special consent forms, is considered a war crime.

Dream Powers may also be useful for communication purposes, being able to talk to sleepers, but the distance limits prevent them from being extremely effective, and unless the dreamer has a way of verifying that the speaker wasn't a product of their own mind, relying on communication via dreams can be unreliable. There have, in fact, been cases of armed forces attacking at the wrong time due to commanders assuming their own natural dreams were communication by dreamers, or thinking an actual communication by a dreamer was a dream. Therefore, dreamers have been pretty much historically removed from the lines of communication. The exception is controlled shared dreaming, which is used when overworked allies need time to both communicate and rest. Because a dream Power's shared dream does not disrupt normal rest, and the dreamer can fully remember everything that occurs or is decided in the dream, trusted first class dream Powers may sometimes be used to help leaders maintain full sleep cycles and plan strategy.

Out of combat, dream Powers often work as psychologists, helping war veterans regain a sense of stability and enabling them to deal with nightmares. They can also redirect or even prevent bad dreams via strategic uses of their Powers. As such, hospitals, mental wards, and trauma centers staff themselves with dream Powers as much as possible; and most city headquarters for Power registration host regular clinics for dealing with night terrors. Dream Powers who choose to take the occasional side job, with proper paperwork, occasionally hire themselves out to private individuals plagued by normal nightmares, or those who desire something unique and fun.

Because of privacy laws and the nature of the subconscious, what a dream Power sees in a dream is inadmissible in courts, and is considered private property of the dreamer except during exceptional circumstances. Dream Powers are required to take yearly courses in maintaining confidentiality, and those found to have improperly revealed the contents of a dream are prosecuted by laws and fines. Dream Powers are forbidden from publishing or most forms of art, both by law and by practicality, which protects them from lawsuits and prosecution. However, storytelling is a common hobby during private social gatherings, so long as no exact source may be pinpointed, and roleplaying games are quite popular.

Shared dreaming is typically as random as normal dreaming and is usually outside the dream Power's control. Unlike dream viewing, the Power is asleep, and wakes fully rested from the shared dream. High level Powers (third class and up) may be able to influence the dream, especially if they are trained in lucid dreaming (and most are), but on the whole the dream is fully at the control of the dreamer. They may appear either as themselves or as a random character in the dream; lucid dreamers usually maintain a sense of self and the understanding that the actions they take are under the command of the dreamer. Since fighting the will of the dreamer rarely yields results, the most common quote dream Powers use is "Just go with it."

Dream Powers do not typically suffer mental scarring from even the most disturbing shared dreams; it is thought that their magic buffers against negative psychological experiences. In fact, they are typically considered more mentally stable than most other people, and those with family histories of schizophrenia or other psychological illness are virtually immune themselves. They also have high resistance to mind-altering drugs. Several schools of thought hold that the ability to see worst and most embarrassing parts of peoples' subconscious thoughts enables them to better deal with the dark sides of their own mind, and also helps them distinguish between reality and hallucination.

That said, dream Powers usually have difficulty being accepted by those who are not dream Powers, as many people are uncomfortable with the idea of their dreams being "overheard" by others. In various cultures throughout history, they have been consulted as visionaries, wisdoms, or oracles; yet even when revered they were often isolated.

Into the Tides book bonus: Illusion Powers

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

The magic that can make pretty,
trippy images for everyone--
but only off the clock. On the clock,
they tell you when someone else is
seeing things.
(image from here)

In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Here's more about illusion Powers, which are referenced in Into the Tides but never really make a full appearance. Illusion is a fully mental Power, unlike any of the previously listed magic types.

A non-exhaustive list of some Magic Types
Illusion	6-	Passive: Vague feeling when someone sees something differently (frequently acts up for things such as colorblindness, looking in a different direction, finding something accidentally lost, etc) Active: Shift own perception of color [see a different color] or sound [hear sounds in a different tone or at a different decibel level]; shift 1 person's perception of the color of a small object with awareness (they know the color is incorrect; effective regardless of willing or not. Does not affect technology.)
	5	Passive: sense if someone else nearby is seeing something differently (a 'feeling,' often described as a tickling in the gut, that a person within 10 feet is seeing the same things you are but in a different color or shape, or sees something hidden. Does not reveal what, but gut feeling gets stronger closer to the person who is seeing the thing differently. Only occurs for magic or when viewer believes something has been deliberately camouflaged)  Active: shift own perception of color and sound; shift another willing person's perception of color and sound to the same degree; distortion on small objects with awareness (shift the color of an object or sound; slightly shift the shape of the small  [1 inch or less] object)
	4	Passive: gut feeling if another person within 10 feet sees something different; ability to see through a willing person's eyes when touching them Active: shift own perception of color and sound; shift up to 4 willing people's perception of color and sound to match (people must be within 20 feet); distortion on medium-sized objects with awareness for up to 3 people; shift universal color of small object with awareness (anyone looking at it will see a different color as long as illusion Power focuses, but will know the color has been altered); create small images on a blank surface for people within 10 feet of Power; remove a willing person's ability to see (until the illusion Power stops focusing)
	3	Passive: gut feeling if another person within 10 feet sees something different; ability to see through a willing person's eyes when touching them (must close own eyes) Active: distortion for self; distortion for up to 10 willing people (people must be within 30 feet); distortion on medium-sized (up to 5 inches diameter) objects with awareness for up to 8 people; universal color or shape shift of an object up to 5" with awareness; create sound and images on blank surfaces for up to 10 willing people within 10 feet; remove another person's ability to see (duration: as long as focus if willing; usually around 2 minutes if they're unwilling); remove 3 willing peoples' abilities to see
	2	Passive: gut feeling if another person within 10 feet sees something different; ability to discern approximately what is different (the area that looks different, but not what is different about it); ability to see through a willing person's eyes (distance limit 1 mile) without losing own vision Active: distortion for self; distortion for up to 10 willing people (people must be within 30 feet); distortion on medium-sized (up to 5 inches diameter) objects with awareness for up to 8 people; universal color or shape shift of an object up to 5" with awareness; create detailed sound and images on blank surfaces (images are translucent) for up to 20 willing people within 50 feet; create detailed sound and images for 1 person within 10 feet without awareness, willing or unwilling; remove sight for up to 10 willing people or 5 unwilling (apprx. 10 minutes)
	1+	Passive: gut feeling if another person within 100 feet sees something different; knowledge of what looks different and how; ability to see through another willing person's eyes regardless of distance Active: distortion for self; distortion for up to 100 willing people (people must be within 100 feet); distortion on objects up to 5 inches diameter without awareness for people within 40 feet of illusion Power (viewer is not aware that anything is different about object); universal distortion on objects up to 4 feet across with awareness; create detailed sound and images (images are opaque; with awareness; willing or not) on any surface for up to 40 people within 100 feet; create detailed sound and images for up to four people within 20 feet without awareness, willing or unwilling; remove sight from up to 40 willing people or up to 10 unwilling (average duration: apprx 1 hr); extended hallucination (willing person may continue to see/hear hallucination for approximately double the length of time that illusion Power was focusing)

Illusion Powers, like music Powers, are often employed in investigations, and are also used in intelligence operations. While higher class illusion Powers could conceivably play movies for their friends (and occasionally do in their down-time), the rarity of high class Powers means they don't do so professionally. However, they have been known to occasionally moonlight during vacations for extremely wealthy clients who are willing to pay outrageously for the experience of a 3-D movie. Such things require official approval (with lots of paperwork) and the government usually takes a cut through a high tax on the experience, but those illusion Powers who do so have been known to make a good vacation/retirement off the deal.

Technology, it is important to note, is not affected by illusion Powers. Because this is a mental Power, it affects the brain's interpretation of input; thus, brainless organisms are unaffected. More intelligent organisms with sophisticated brain structure are usually equally affected as humans, including most mammals and lizards; but those with less sophisticated structure or more alien metal structure, such as squid, insects, and plants, are not affected at all.

Into the Tides Book Bonus: Music Powers

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Today's post is on music Powers. The protagonist, Kelly, should have been a music Power--had she not been born tone-deaf, that is! Here's what she should be able to do, what her father can do, and what other music Powers can do.

A non-exhaustive list of some Magic Types
Power	Class	Capabilities/Limitations
Music	6-	Passive: hear most nuances in speech; perfect pitch Active: minor alterations to moods of 1-2 willing listeners (within 15 feet); help 1-2 willing subjects sleep (ignoring pain or illness)
	5	Passive: perfect pitch; hear full nuance in speech within normal talking distance (apprx. 10 ft; with training can be used to detect lies vs truth with moderate accuracy--about as well as a polygraph; not effective through electronic media such as phones or television [which may alter sound] but fully effective through records); hear most nuances in sounds within 20 feet; hear most unimpeded sounds (no barriers between sound and person) within 100 feet with concentration (words in speech not be discernible, although tone of voice may be) Active: moderate alterations to moods of up to 6 willing listeners within discernible hearing distance (able to make out words of songs); minor mood alterations of up to 12 willing listeners; able to help 4-6 willing subjects sleep; help up to 2 listeners ignore moderate pain while listening
	4	Passive: hear most nuances in sounds within 40 feet; hear full nuance in speech within 20 feet (unimpeded); hear most sounds sounds within 300 feet with concentration (impeded included); perfect pitch  Active: help up to 4 listeners ignore moderate pain when listening to music (lasts 20 minutes after cessation of music; lingering effect with humming x2); strongly alter moods of 10-15 willing listeners (60 min post-music duration; lingering effect may be extended up to double by listener humming tune)
	3	Passive: hear most nuances in sounds within 40 feet; hear full nuance in speech within 30 feet (unimpeded); hear most sounds sounds within 500 feet with concentration (impeded included; words not discernible); perfect pitch Active: help up to 10 listeners ignore moderate pain when listening to music (lasts 40 minutes after cessation of music; lingering effect with humming x2); strongly alter moods of 10-15 willing listeners (120 min post-music duration; lingering effect x3 by listener humming tune); moderately alter moods of up to 30 willing listeners (120 min duration; x2 lingering); help up to 30 willing listeners sleep; project voice up to 20 feet away (voice is heard as if emanating from position of that distance away; magic cannot be worked through projected voice)
	2	Passive: hear most nuances in sounds within 60 feet; hear full nuance in speech within 40 feet (unimpeded or impeded); hear most sounds sounds within 750 feet with concentration (impeded included; words not discernible); perfect pitch Active: help up to 30 listeners ignore moderate pain when listening to music (lasts 40 minutes after cessation of music; lingering effect with humming x3); strongly alter moods of up to 30 willing listeners (120 min post-music duration; lingering effect x3 by listener thinking about tune); moderately alter moods of up to 60 willing listeners (120 min duration; x3 lingering); cause moderate alterations in moods of up to 1 unwilling listener (takes 3-4 minutes to take effect; lasts only as long as music Power continues channeling magic and singing; affects mood only and not reasoning--does not force unwilling listener to take any particular action; subject may choose to pass out [will automatically do so if magic would cause medical danger]); help up to 30 willing listeners sleep; project voice up to 20 feet away (magic can work at 1/10th efficiency)
	1+	Passive: hear most nuances in sounds within 80 feet; hear full nuance in speech within 50 feet (unimpeded or impeded); hear most sounds sounds within 1000 feet with concentration (impeded included; words not discernible); perfect pitch Active: help up to 45 listeners ignore moderate pain when listening to music (lasts 60 minutes after cessation of music; lingering effect by thinking about song x3); may cause addiction by mood alteration or pain relief by overriding biofeedback; may cause "overdose" death by numbing too much pain or altering moods too strongly for brain to handle; strongly alter moods of up to 40 willing listeners (120 min post-music duration; lingering effect x3 by listener thinking about tune); moderately alter moods of up to 100 willing listeners (120 min duration; x3 lingering); cause major alterations in moods of up to 2 unwilling listeners (takes 3-4 minutes to take effect; lasts only as long as music Power continues channeling magic and singing; may cause brain damage or even death if done too long); help up to 60 willing listeners sleep; project voice up to 40 feet away (magic can work at 1/5th efficiency) or 160 feet (without magic)

Willing listeners:

A person is considered a willing listener if they consciously choose to respond to the effect of the music, or if they are not consciously opposed to the effect of the music (such as being willing to no longer be angry.) The latter is half as effective; thus a music Power who could affect 4 conscious-choice listeners would only effect 2 subconscious choice listeners.

Many people, especially those who are disinclined to hold grudges, dislike the feeling of being angry or having heavy negative emotions. This is considered "not consciously opposed to the effect."

Someone who is drugged but who would prefer the effect of the music and would consciously choose to allow the effect if fully coherent is also considered "not consciously opposed."

Someone who is unaware of a music Power's presence, and who would not welcome the effect of a change in emotion (such as a shopper on a budget for whom a spending spree would be financially uncomfortable, but who enjoys spending sprees), would be considered "opposed" to the effect of the music magic. Knowing an effect might be disadvantageous is usually enough to cause a person to be opposed, unless the person consciously chooses to be affected (such as someone with anxiety asking a music Power to help them not feel guilty about making a specific, budgeted-for indulgence purchase. This effect may naturally trigger a long-term lack of guilt, but may not, depending on person).

Those who are opposed to having their mood influenced, consciously or subconsciously, are completely unaffected by music magic below second class. Those who are asleep or unconscious cannot be affected by mood-altering music, willing or not, except that which was cast before they went to sleep.

Extended duration:

Music Powers at fifth class and higher may have an extended duration effect. While a minute or two of an altered mood may have a much longer effect (such as a moment of happiness after an unhappy morning may cause a person's outlook to improve over the rest of the day), lingering is a magic effect. Because music magic stimulates the emotional centers of the brain, a non-magical person who recalls the music may continue the stimulation of the same emotional center for a duration in which the music has at least a minimal presence, even if that presence is not enough to normally cause an effect.

For effects that help willing patients sleep, falling asleep becomes easier, and the patient stays asleep longer unless interrupted. The effect typically lasts much longer than it technically should based on science's understanding of magic lingering--the exact reason for this phenomena is still being studied, but it is believed to be related to the natural processes of the sleeping mind. Waking is no harder than normal; in fact patients often wake up more quickly to negative stimuli (such as unknown, unexpected intruders) from a magically-enhanced sleep than normal sleep, while still being able to sleep through neutral stimuli (such as a nurse coming in to check on vitals). Blinking may occur during unexpected stimuli of any kind, allowing patient's subconscious to identify possible threats without waking them.

Addiction and magic:

Because the body cannot be affected beyond its normal capacity for Powers below first, the effect of music magic is non-addictive, regardless of cumulative use. Because it responds to the individual's biological pathways, it is also impossible to under or overdose, and is effective for those who (due to substance abuse) have an altered natural state. Some people who already have addictions to certain mood-altering substances may find a music Power's abilities an adequate substitute for the drug, which makes them invaluable to rehabilitation, but may also make music Powers above sixth class (who typically do not produce effects strong enough to affect addiction-altered brains) targets for addicts, dealers, and criminal organizations.

Into the Tides Book Bonus: Earth Powers

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Here's more about earth Powers. Owen, one of the characters in the book, is a fifth class earth Power looking for a job after having recently moved to Wisconsin. Only, seems he may not have had the best luck in finding an employer...

A non-exhaustive list of some Magic Types
Power	Class	Capabilities/Limitations
Earth	6-	Passive: Sense presence of metals contained within touched nonliving surface (such as ground, pipes, wooden furniture; cannot identify type of metal; range 2 feet from touch) Active: Sense presence of metals within 10 feet of touch; sense flaws in touched metal object within 2 feet (such as bubbles/internal cracks/etc)
	5	Passive: Sense presence of metals contained within touched solid surface (4 feet from touch) Active: Sense presence of metals within 20 feet of touch; identify metals within 1 foot (with training); sense flaws in touched metal object within 10 feet; sense density of touched object within 3 feet; send minor vibration into touched object to depth of 10 feet Character note: Owen, at fifth class, seeks employment in the construction industry, a common industry for earth Powers.
	4	Passive: Sense presence of metals contained within touched solid surface (10 feet from touch); identify metals within 1 foot Active: Sense presence of metals within 60 feet of touch; identify metals within 5 feet (with training); sense flaws in touched metal object within 60 feet; sense density of touched object within 10 feet; precisely locate flaws in touched metal object within 10 from touch; send minor vibrations into touched surface up to 60 feet deep
	3	Passive: Sense presence of metals contained within touched solid surface (30 feet from touch); identify metals within 4 feet Active: Sense presence of metals within 90 feet of touch; identify metals within 10 feet (with training); sense presence of flaws in contiguous touched metal object within 300 feet; sense density of touched object within 30 feet; precisely locate flaws in touched metal object within 30 from touch; sense presence of metals in surface without touching within 20 feet; send moderate vibrations into touched surface depth of 2 feet and minor depth of 90 feet
	2	Passive: Precisely locate metals contained within touched solid surface (30 feet from touch); identify metals within 10 feet Active: Sense presence of metals within 120 feet of touch; identify metals within 30 feet (with training); sense flaws in contiguous touched metal object within .25 mile; sense density of touched object within 60 feet; precisely locate flaws in touched metal object within 30 from touch; sense presence of metals in surface without touching within 30 feet; send moderate vibrations into touched surface depth of 10 feet and minor depth of 120 feet; cause a minor vibration located within 30 feet from an untouched object/area
	1+	Passive: Precisely locate metals contained within touched solid surface (30 feet from touch); identify metals within 30 feet; sense origins of vibrations in ground within 60 feet Active: Sense presence of metals within 150 feet of touch; identify metals within 60 feet (with training); sense flaws in contiguous touched metal object within 3 miles; sense density of touched object within 90 feet; precisely locate flaws in touched metal object within 60 from touch; sense presence of metals in surface without touching within 60 feet; moderate vibrations into touched surface depth of 30 feet and minor depth of 150 feet; cause a moderate vibration located within 30 feet from an untouched object/area; cause a 9 square foot area centered around self (1 inch x 1 inch point of contact is the center) to vibrate moderately (equivalent of standing in a magnitude 4 earthquake; vibrations travel minor 10 feet past moderate area), cause a 3 square foot area to vibrate strongly (equivalent of a magnitude 6 earthquake; travels 5 feet as moderate and 9 feet as minor)

Earth Powers frequently take jobs involving pipelines or metalwork. While earth Powers have been documented since Minoan Crete, it is believed the first documented cases were actually telekinetic Powers, as the ability to sense flaws in metal was never included in descriptions. By mid-Roman times, however, the link between metalworking and earth Powers was clearly established, and this is considered to signify the birth of the actual earth Power. Until the Industrial Revolution earth Powers had special status as craftsman and weapon makers.

Their ability to sense contiguous metals is also of much use in exploring for valuable resources, as it can aid in establishing the depth of metal deposits. As such, earth Powers were often sent as members of exploration parties, and the gene therefore became particularly widespread. Exactly which nationality originally produced the earth Power gene is unknown, although most theories point towards Egypt. However, a second school of thought has the Egyptian history taking second place to nomadic Sarmatians, later acquired as prisoners of war by Egypt as slaves via the Mongols; genetic tests tracing mitochondrial DNA so far support this theory, but whether the common ancestor of the earth Powers was an earth Power, or simply a telekinetic Power, is unclear.

By the Roman theory, the modern form of earth Power, with the ability to sense surroundings, evolved approximately concurrently with the Roman line of travel Powers. The Native American line of travel Powers is thought to have emerged after contact with the Norse peoples, and the earth power re-emerged within a few generations, where they were revered similar to the (now thought to be extinct) sense Powers.

(Sense Powers could enhance perceptions, such as scent, sight, or taste, for themselves and others. However, as far as the public knows, the last known sense Powers died out after interactions with--and depredations by--colonizing Europeans.)

Into the Tides Book Bonus: Heat and Cold Powers

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

Elizabeth
and a squirrel

In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Here's more about heat and cold Powers. One of the main characters in the book is Elizabeth, a fifth class heat Power. Despite often being called "fire" and "ice" Powers, most heat and cold Powers can't create fire or ice; their truly impressive abilities come from being able to maintain and share core body temperature in lower temperatures. By third level it's possible to create active sparks or ice, but in this world, generally cold and heat Powers are considered more healing or utilitarian magics than direct attack magics.

A non-exhaustive list of some Magic Types
Heat	6-	Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to 40 degrees F) Active: Raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard by up to 5 degrees
	5	Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to 10 degrees F) Active: Raise air temperature in 10 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees (if area unoccupied by unwilling living organisms); raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 10 degrees; radiate core body-temperature warmth (usually 96.8 degrees F) at touch (warmth extends onto surface of touched object/willing person 2 inches beyond point of contact)
	4	Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to -10 degrees F) Active: Raise air temperature in 20 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees; raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; raise air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 40 degrees; raise water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 5 degrees; radiate body-temperature warmth at touch to envelop willing person of equivalent size (pocket of warmth is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward)
	3	Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to -15 degrees F); radiates body-temperature warmth at touch (1/2" past point of physical contact) Active: Raise air temperature in 40 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees; raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 40 degrees; raise air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 80 degrees; raise water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; radiate body-temperature warmth at touch to envelop 3 willing people of equivalent size (pocket of warmth is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward); create a spark
	2	Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to -15 degrees F); radiates body-temperature warmth at touch (2 inches past point of physical contact) Active: Raise air temperature in 100 cubic yards by up to 10 degrees; raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 80 degrees; raise air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 160 degrees; raise water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; radiate body-temperature warmth at touch-chain (people may be touching each other and not the heat Power directly) to envelop 10 willing people of equivalent size (pocket of warmth is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward); create a fire (2 cubic feet of seasoned wood/material or 2 cubic inches green wood); raise body temperature of willing person by 3 degrees per minute until normal healthy temp is reached (apprx 98.6 F)
	1+	Passive: Is less susceptible to cold (comfortable down to -15 degrees F); radiates body-temperature warmth at touch (envelop 1 same-size person); raise body temperature of willing person to body temperature or up to 5 degrees above normal Active: Raise air temperature in 100 cubic yards by up to 25 degrees; raise air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 160 degrees; raise air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 320 degrees; raise water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 80 degrees; boil 3 gallons water; radiate body-temperature warmth via touch-chain for up to 30 people; start fire (10 cubic feet of material); raise the body temperature of another willing person within 20 feet to normal; raise body temperature of a touched person (willing or unwilling) at a rate of 1 degree per minute
Cold	6-	Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 100 degrees F) Active: Lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard by up to 5 degrees
	5	Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 130 degrees F) Active: lower air temperature in 10 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees (if area unoccupied by unwilling living organisms); lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 10 degrees; radiate body-comfortable coolness (usually 65-75 F, depending on person; only when ambient temperature is above this temperature) at touch (air pocket extends onto surface of touched object/willing person 2 inches beyond point of contact)
	4	Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 150 degrees F) Active: Lower air temperature in 20 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees; lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; lower air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 40 degrees; lower water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 5 degrees; radiate body-comfortable temperature at touch to envelop willing person of equivalent size (pocket of warmth is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward)
	3	Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 155 degrees F); radiates body-comfortable temperature at touch (1/2" past point of physical contact) Active: Lower air temperature in 40 cubic yards by up to 5 degrees; lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 40 degrees; lower air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 80 degrees; lower water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; radiate body-comfortable temperature at touch to envelop 3 willing people of equivalent size (pocket of warmth is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward); freeze a 1/4 cubic inch cube of water
	2	Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 155 degrees F); radiates body-comfortable temperature at touch (2 inches past point of physical contact) Active: lower air temperature in 100 cubic yards by up to 10 degrees; lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard up to 80 degrees; lower air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 160 degrees; lower water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 20 degrees; radiate body-comfortable temperature at touch-chain (people may be touching each other and not the cold Power directly) to envelop 10 willing people of equivalent size (pocket of coolness is 1/2 inch deep from surface of skin outward); freeze water (2 cubic feet); lower human body temperature of willing person by 3 degrees per minute until normal healthy temp is reached (apprx 98.6 F)
	1+	Passive: Is less susceptible to heat (comfortable up to 155 degrees F); radiates body-comfortable temperature at touch (envelop 1 same-size person); lower body temperature of willing person at touch to normal or up to 5 degrees below normal Active: Lower air temperature in 100 cubic yards by up to 25 degrees; lower air temperature in 1 cubic yard as much as to 160 degrees; lower air temperature 1 cubic foot up to 320 degrees; lower water temperature 1 cubic yard up to 80 degrees; freeze 20 gallons water per ten minutes; radiate body-comfortable temperature via touch-chain for up to 30 people; lower the body temperature of another willing person within 20 feet to normal; lower body temperature of a touched person (willing or unwilling) at a rate of 1 degree per minute

Specific heat and Power application

 Affecting living tissue is exponentially harder magically than affecting non-living tissue; in non-living substances, the lower a substance's specific heat is, the less magic is required to raise or lower that substance's temperature.

For example, while causing burns directly to skin would require a second or first class, a third class could cause a spark to clothing, which could then burn the skin. A fourth class could raise the heat of a piece of metal the target was touching if it was already near, but not quite at, skin-burning temperature. A cold Power touching pipes running across a ceiling could lower the ambient temperature of a room at a higher level than by magic alone. And it would be easier to lower the temperature of a metal pot until the water in it froze, or the air at the surface of the water, than to freeze the water directly; dropping a nickel in the water and freezing the nickel would be more efficient than creating ice cubes for cooling a drink on a hot summer day. 

Because of this, most heat or cold Powers typically apply the rules of thermodynamics to achieve their desired results.


Living, willing & unwilling:

 In order to be "willing" or "unwilling" to accept heat loss or acquisition, a living creature's instincts must be able to recognize a desirable temperature. When raising or lowering temperature of air or water, an unwilling target in the area affected will not have its temperature directly changed; however it will make raising the task more difficult depending on the amount of will it possesses.

Particularly simple or minute organisms (below 1/4 cubic inch in size) do not typically have enough will to affect casting of magic. Normal levels of micro organisms in water (such as in most areas of the ocean) would usually not make it more difficult to lower the temperature of the water. However, water filled with algae and other micro-organisms (such as from near the shore of a still pond) would take noticeably more energy to affect.

By default, if a temperature rise/lowering is healthy for a healthy organism, then will be "willing" to undergo the transformation; if the temperature change would be damaging to the organism when healthy, it would be considered "unwilling." Living plant matter of at least 1/4 cubic inch is generally capable of creating resistance to magic (approximately 5x nonliving). Animal matter for non-sentient creatures generates more (12.5x nonliving), for creatures capable of self-identifying (such as some insects, rats, dogs, cats) yet more (62.5x), and sapient creatures--humans--more (312.5x). 

A cat, dog, rat, gorilla, dolphin, octopus, or other high-order animal might choose to be willing if, for some reason, it found the increased/lowered temperature appealing or soothing (such as numbing an injury or soothing a sore muscle with minor warmth). If the temperature caused discomfort, it is unlikely the animal would be willing, except in cases of extreme trust (such as a dog allowing its master to warm it up a few degrees before a swim in a cold lake). Once health became seriously threatened, or pain extreme, the animal's instincts would override its decision to trust. Heavy sedation can lower an animal's resistance slightly.

Into the Tides Book Bonus: Travel Powers

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

 In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

 I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Here's more about travel Powers. While the abilities similar to a first-class travel Power are described in the book, no real travel Powers show up.

A non-exhaustive list of some Magic Types
Travel	6-	Passive: Sense presence of obstructions within 3 feet Active: "skip" with interference 1 foot once every 30 seconds 6th class travel Powers are encouraged to avoid skipping while moving, as they are notorious for running into things
	5	Passive: Sense presence of obstructions within 20 feet; sense presence of approaching obstructions (such as sensing that people, cars, or horses are moving nearby, and from approximately which angle; does not sense objects less than 3 cubic feet) within 40 feet; uncontrolled skip with interference of 2 feet on average once a week Active: skip with interference 10 feet once every 30 seconds; break skip period into smaller skips (such as skipping with interference 5 feet every 10 seconds)
	4	Passive: Sense presence of obstructions within 40 feet; sense presence of approaching obstructions within 60 feet; uncontrolled skip of 2 feet without interference once a week Active: skip without interference 1 foot a day (continuous distance only); skip with interference 30 feet once every 45 seconds (may be broken up)
	3	Passive: Sense presence of obstructions within 60 feet; sense presence of approaching obstructions within 100 feet; uncontrolled skip of 5 feet without interference once every 5 days Active: skip without interference 5 feet a day (continuous distance only); skip with interference 60 feet once every minute (may be broken up); skip with another person with interference 5 feet every minute
	2	Passive: Sense presence of obstructions within 120 feet; sense presence of approaching obstructions within 180 feet; uncontrolled skip of 5 feet without interference once every 3 days; sense buildup of uncontrolled skip within 6 hours (+ or - 6 hour accuracy) of its likely occurrence due to buildup; sense uncontrolled skip 2 seconds before it occurs if skip occurs due to buildup Active: skip without interference 10 feet a day (continuous distance only) OR 2 feet every 12 hours; skip with interference 100 feet once every minute (may be broken up); skip with another person with interference 20 feet every minute; sense when another person is skipping within 100 feet (radius)
	1+	Passive: Sense presence of obstructions within 200 feet; sense presence of approaching obstructions within 300 feet; uncontrolled skip of 5 feet without interference once every day; sense buildup of uncontrolled skip magic with +/- 4 hours accuracy; sense uncontrolled skip due to buildup 5 seconds before it happens Active: skip without interference 20 feet a day (continuous distance only) OR 2 feet once every 4 hours; skip with interference 150 feet once every minute (may be broken up); skip with another person with interference 40 feet every minute; skip with 2 people with interference 5 feet every minute; skip another person without self 5 feet every minute within as long as person can be seen; sense when another person is skipping within 300 feet

Skipping:

Effectively, skipping is a teleport: Power is at location 1 and a microsecond later at location 2. Clothes and nonliving objects (up to 15 percent of body weight) stay with travel Power during a skip; excess objects are left behind in whole (such that a person weight 100 pounds carrying a 7 pound weight and a 10 pound weight would result in the  entire 7-pound weight being left behind). "With interference" means objects between starting location and ending location interrupt movement, with Power's ending location automatically being directly in front of interfering object. Skipping occurs as if traveling normally without jumping, so a 3-foot wall would stop a skip, but a 3-foot post that the Power could walk around does not--however, the distance to walk around the post would be added into the distance of the skip, shortening the total length of the skip by an equivalent amount.

The Power emerges skip at same speed as he or she was traveling when entering the skip. "Every x seconds" refers to a minimum recovery period the Power must take before engaging in the next skip. Thus, a 10-foot skip at the end of 30 seconds cannot be followed by a 10-foot skip at the beginning of the next 30 seconds. Skips cannot be saved up for longer skips--if a person does not skip for six hours, the next skip is still a maximum of 10 feet with a 30 second recovery period.


Emergency/uncontrolled skipping

Uncontrolled skipping, sometimes called "emergency skipping," occurs randomly and only when Power is not paying attention. It does not occur when skip has high probability of resulting in harm if travel Power is consciously or subconsciously aware of the danger. This means a travel Power might fall off a very low bed in the middle of the night, resulting in at most a bruise, but not the top bunk, which could result in serious injuries.

Uncontrolled skipping is most likely to occur when danger is approaching that the travel Power subconsciously notices, such as a beach ball flying at them from the corner of the eye, or when a danger unexpectedly occurs, such as if the travel Power begins to fall into a hidden hole in the ground.

When no danger has occurred in the period of a week, the built-up travel magic will cause a random skip with interference approximately once a week. To help avoid skipping at inappropriate times, it is common for a designated family member or friend to take to throwing soft objects at the travel Power's head once a week (or more, depending on temperament of helper).

Into the Tides Book Bonus: Flight Power

I'm off on vacation this week, but that doesn't mean no posts! Friday's publishing news post will be moved back a Friday, so keep an eye out then.

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. (Okay, yes, I've probably been having too much fun with this... ;) If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Here's more about flight  Powers, who make a brief appearance in the book:

Magic Types
Flight	6	Passive: Weight reduction (20% variance; flight Power does not cause loss of mass; nor is anything worn or carried by the flight Power affected). Happens randomly when not concentrating. Active: Fall more slowly*** (acceleration speed 20 ft/s/s; compare to standard acceleration 32.2 ft/s/s); reduce weight up to 30% (without mass loss); jump 1.15x normal height; hover 1.5 seconds
	5	Passive: Weight reduction (40% variance) at will (does not happen without concentrating) Active: Fall more slowly (acceleration speed 10 ft/s/s); reduce weight up to 75%; jump 3x normal height; hover 2 minutes (no maneuverability)
	4	Passive: Weight reduction (100% variance) at will; fall more slowly (acc. speed 15 ft/s/s) Active: Fall more slowly (speed determined at will, but no less than 5 mi/hr; average 4th class flight power can manage 20 seconds); reduce weight up to 100%; fly up to 20 feet vertical; hover 20 minutes
	3	Passive: Weight reduction (100% variance at will); fall slowly (acc. speed as low as 1 ft/s/s) Active: Fall (speed determined at will; average 1 minute); reduce weight up to 100%; fly 30 minutes (any direction; max speed 20 mi/hr)
	2	Passive: Weight reduction (100% variance at will); fall slowly (acc. speed as low as 1 ft/s/s) Active: Fall (speed determined at will; average 5 minutes); reduce weight up to 100%; fly 2 hrs (max speed 60 mph [eye protection needed])
	1+	Passive: Weight reduction (100% variance at will); fall slowly (acc. speed as low as 1 ft/s/s); hover at will; often hover randomly when not paying attention Active: Fall (speed determined at will; average 5 minutes); reduce weight up to 100%; fly 8 hrs (max speed 80 mph [no eye protection needed with speeds up to 50 mph]); cold/low oxygen tolerance (may survive in lower than normal levels of oxygen or at lower temperatures--up to 1.5x normal)

***Falling 

When flight Powers reach the limits of their endurance to fly or hover, or cease to channel magic as required to continue to fly or hover, they begin to fall. Slowed acceleration when falling is a subconscious ability, does not take concentration, and will occur as long as Power is conscious (or in normal sleep; that is, not knocked out through physical force, injury, illness, or chemicals) and not affected by substantial chemical mental alteration (drugged or inebriated).

An unconscious or drugged flight Power will fall at a normal acceleration (32 ft/s/s).

Into the Tides: Telekinesis Power

A 6th class telekinetic Power could
float one of these from a table
just out of reach to within
eating distance.
(Young telekinetic Powers may
get blamed for more missing
cookies than they are actually
responsible for.)

Today is a little book-bonus! In posts such as these, I'll give you extra information from my novel that you won't find in the book itself.

In Into the Tides, people who have magic are called "Powers." Each type of magic has a different set of capabilities, which is based on genetics. And for each Power type, there are 6 different levels of ability, called classes, with 6th class being the weakest and 1st class having the most magic. How a person's class is determined is based on what they can do.

I've been working on creating descriptions that explain what each Power type can do, by class. (Okay, yes, I've probably been having too much fun with this... ;) If you're reading the book and wondering what the characters are capable of, and what they would be capable of if they were higher in class, you can find out!

Here's more about telekinesis  Powers, who are only briefly mentioned in the book:

Magic Types
Telekinesis	6	Believed to be the 3rd oldest Power. Passive: Aware of proximity obstructions within 2 feet: able to discern obstacles within 2 feet of any point of the body, without visual aid. Active: Lift small object (under .25 lb) without touching it for distance of 2-3 feet, within 5 feet. Apply pressure (5-10 lb) to object to prevent it from moving.
	5	Passive: Aware of proximity obstructions within 3 feet; aware of proximity features within 1 foot (discern features-shapes of items on a desk, such as 'vaguely paperclip shaped, etc). Active: lift small object (under 1 lb) without touching it for a distance of 10 feet, within 10 feet. Apply pressure (10-15 lb within 20 feet) to 'pin' something.
	4	Passive: Aware of proximity obstructions within 6 feet; aware of proximity features within 3 feet Active: lift object under 5 lbs without touching it for a distance of 10 feet, within 10 feet; lift small object (under 1 lb) for up to 20 feet within 10 or up to 10 feet within 20. Lift (and gently set down if lifted within limits) small living creature (up to 1 lb) for 2-3 feet within 10 feet. Lift 2 small objects (under 1 lb) within 5 feet for 2-3 feet. Apply pressure (20lb within 40 feet) to 'pin' something living.
	3	Passive: Aware of proximity obstructions within 10 feet; aware of proximity features within 6 feet Active: lift object under 60 lbs without touching it for distance of 10 feet within 20; lift small object (under 1 lb) for up to 40 feet within 30 feet or up to 30 feet within 50. Lift small living creature (up to 5 lbs) for 6 feet within 15 feet. Lift 4 small objects (under 5 lbs each) within 10 feet for 5 feet each. Apply 50 lb of pressure to 'pin' something living within 50 feet.
	2	Passive: Aware of proximity obstructions within 20 feet; aware of proximity features within 10. Active: Lift features (up to 20 lbs) within 10 feet without being able to see them. Lift features up to 100 lbs within 10 feet for 10 feet. Lift living creature (up to 20 lbs) for 10 feet within 30 feet. Lift up to 10 small objects (under 5 lbs) or 5 medium objects (20 lbs) for 10 feet within 20. Create light wind gust by pushing air molecules (2 mi/hr, any direction; 5 feet wide and dissipates after about 30 feet). Push a small object (up to .1 lb, such as a bullet) within 5 feet with enough force to penetrate body (range 20 feet). Apply 100 lb of pressure to 'pin' something living within 80 feet.
	1+	Passive: Aware of proximity obstructions within 50 feet; are of proximity features within 25 feet. Lift features up to 200 lbs within 20 feet. Lift living creature (up to 50 lbs) or 2 living creatures (up to 25 lbs) within 30 feet. Lift 40 small objects (under 1 lb); lift 20 small objects (under 5 lbs); lift 10 medium objects (under 20 lbs) within 20 feet. Create light wind gust by pushing air molecules (5 mi/hr, any direction, 5 feet wide and dissipates after about 30 feet). Push a small object (up to .1 lb, such as a bullet) within 5 feet with enough force to penetrate body (range 40 feet); break a bone within 2 feet. Apply 200lb pressure to 'pin' living thing within 100 ft.

A statistical look at classes:

 To be defined in a class, the magic user must be able to exhibit all the abilities listed. Statistical anomalies may have higher-level abilities while exhibiting lower than normal magic abilities for their class. For example, a person who can lift two small objects at a time, but can only float objects for 10 feet before dropping them, would be classified as fourth class.

Those who practice more may increase their abilities in ways such as range, duration, skill. Such practice will not raise their abilities to the level a new class, but regular training does positively affect capabilities.

At “6-” the listed abilities are the 3rd quartile of 6th class abilities.

From 5-2 class, the listed abilities are the median abilities for that category.

For 1st class, listed abilities are mean abilities, with the population of 1st class Powers showing a bell curve (3 standard deviations below the mean exhibits all abilities of 1st class with about median 3rd class levels of Power; 1 standard deviation below the mean exhibits all abilities of 1st class at 1.5x the median 2nd class Power).

For first class abilities, above 2 standard deviations from the mean exists a subclass called “Individuals with statistically exceptional abilities (ISEA),” “anomalous enhanced Powers,” or most commonly “sub-1.” People of this level often exhibit unique abilities and significantly higher than usual rates even for 1st class. The rarity of this subclass means it is often discussed in theoretical terms, their abilities exaggerated or twisted in rumors, and sometimes even the existence of people with these levels of magic has been doubted. Nonetheless, they are real, and today most modern advanced magic courses require at least an overview of what is known. Although some are currently alive and well throughout the world, they keep a low profile, and are often deeply involved in government work.