Fantasy Heartbreaker Project - tagging effects

[mean_liar]

So, with a decent framework and quantity of powers and mechanisms I want to start organizing things into various axes of power. The fundamental setup is effect-based: powers are defined by what they do, and I'm comfortable with what I have for the mechanical portions. Now I'm trying to create a fluff framework for these base effects, with the intent that the fluff will define non-generic non-reskinned powers.

This dovetails with a few ideas I've seen thrown around (apologies if these are wrongly attributed):
- RandomCasualty2 et al's idea that acquiring powers with Descriptors (Mighty, Clever, etc) add to your ability to be physically mighty, witty, etc.
- K et al's idea that acquiring a certain amount of powers with specific Sources (Elemental, Psychic, etc) unlocks Paragon Paths/Prestige Classes

It's doubtful that I'd necessarily use those ideas just as-presented, but the idea of tagging powers in an effect-based system to derive or develop a more organic layer of capabilities on top of that effect-based system just seemed really wise to me, a way to add some depth to what would otherwise be a numbers game.

So, to that end I've come up with a few Sources:

Internal - internally powered; drawn from the internal shard of divinity
- Becoming: a driven process of growing power, independent of efforts, and leading to some kind of new existence
- Bloodline: ancestry allows easy access to incredible power
- Champion: personal devotion to an idea or ideal accesses powers
- Mystical: an awareness of and ability to access the internal divine spark

External - externally powered; drawn from the extant background power of reality's existence
- Geomantic: tapping into the natural magical power of nature's manifested perfection
- Alchemical: distilling and imbibing refined elixirs provides powers
- Agency: powers awakened by an organization's devotion to an agent
- Primeval : power gained by drawing or granted essence from powerful external entities


I feel like this covers most of the ground I'm imagining, with the next stage being to come up with an orthogonal set of descriptors, so that you can have Champion powers and emit fire, or be a geomantic Primevalist who awakens the fire without to make stuff blow up.

More later...