D&D Damage Types
I have been playing D&D for a while now and was thinking about how the damages have changed between additions (the energy types specifically were shifted slightly between 5e and 3.5).
First, I wanted to look at how the damages actually connected or affect one another. While there are not clear “type advantages” between damages or elements, there are some that seem to cancel or oppose each other like cold and fire as well as necrotic and radiant (These antagonist relationships I colored red). The oppositions also made a nice “boulder-parchment-shears” with the physic damage which u thought was fun. There are also some damage “families”, like the negatives but also physical damage and the two pairs up top, as well as some that connect further as related elements. Lighting and thunder pair nicely, plus acid and poison both being water related. It could be it eating to look at how different monsters with damage types may tend to be vulnerable or resistant to other damages based on these trends.
Secondly, I looked at the aesthetics of the damages. I wanted to give each a symbol that would look arcane and mysterious while still indicating the damage. This lead me to making them into circular sigils with different #s of radial symmetry, assigning them in a circle which was already set up partially by the relationships. This provided a big sigil as well as a smaller symbol that is simplified from the wheel. I also wanted to give each a color that felt unique but also tied with related elements. I then followed a couple of tutorials (Gammatrap on YouTube mostly) and put my personal spin on how the magic appears when cast as spells.
As always, if y’all have different ideas for categories or how you view the colors of the magic let me know!