User blog:VedranTheII/Pretentious Diaries 1: Are my semblances worthy?

Greetings and welcome to what I’m not expecting to be a regular thing, but numbered it just in case it turns into one. Pretentious diaries is where I take my head canons, open them up with a hammer and chisel and poke it with needles for your viewing pleasure, ending it with me asking you afterwards weather you want me to remove some of the needles or poke harder and see what else twitches.

A semblance, as presented by the show, is a term used to describe the projection of aura into a more tangible form. Although the show also states that they are unique to every individual, savvy viewers will probably realize that, statistically speaking, it can’t be true and only works in the show because they don’t have to make a semblance for about 91 million models (roughly 4 times the population of Australia), but that’s not what I want to draw attention to. What I want to draw attention to is me, or more specifically, my cardinal rule when making a semblance.

"'A semblance cannot do more than one thing.'  - VedranTheII"

What do I mean? Well, let me hold the idiot ball for a moment… ok, now let’s think of a semblance… say wouldn’t it be awesome if we ported Cole McGrath into the RWBY-verse. He’d have like, this really cool semblance just like in the game called  Conduit , and he could shoot lightning and blow up Grimm, charge himself with electricity like in the game and fight for days and even manipulate existing lightning in order to one shot Penny, but not kill her, because he’s a good guy to anyone, except Cardin, and Penny immediately begins to fall for him, but he can’t say yes because he doesn’t want to break the heart off…letting go of the idiot ball now…

So now I have a potential semblance. In order for me to see if it fits the show, I’ll try to categorize it into one of the following categories, based on themes they share with semblances on the show:

- Psychic, for semblances that enhances, adds or alters the mental capabilities of a person at the cost of aura. Ex: Glynda with telekinesis.

- Physical, for semblances that enhances, adds or alters the physical capabilities of a person at the cost of aura. Ex: Ruby and her super speed.

- Elemental, for semblances that turn aura into an element and lets the user manipulates it to some extent. Ex: Pyrrha…I think…depends if she turns her aura into an electromagnetic current, it’s never quite explained…you know what? Just picture a dude that shoots fire out of his ass for this category.

- Aural, for semblances that can convert something INTO aura or adds properties to it that it can’t have normally. Ex: Pyrrha…I think…depends if she makes her aura gain magnetic properties, it’s never quite explained…you know what? Just picture someone whose semblance is changing its color and fights by giving people seizures.

 -Glyph, for semblances that let’s some one place glyphs on something/someone/midair in order to perform a task. Obviously this spot belongs to Weiss. Incidentally: Glyphs are my catch 22 for when I want a semblance to affect both organic and inorganic substances. Like say I want a semblance that can make someone or something weight more or less at the cost off aura. I manifest it as a glyph you place on something or someone; if it’s a darker shade than it adds weight to it, while lighter shades remove weight.



So let’s see where would Conduit fit. Obviously elemental since he can shoot lig...wait no, aural since he can turn it into…wait if he’s manipulating existing lightning ala electric telekinesis, it also work as psychic…

This is the point I do damage control and see if I can salvage it or throw it in the trash can. Salvaging I usually do by cutting off excess abilities, or in this case, split it into multiple semblances.

1) Discharge: An elemental semblance that lets you shoot lightning out of your ass.

2) Electrokinesis: A psychic semblance that lets you move around electric sources that come in contact with your aura…no you can’t use it to one shot Penny, she has an aura, and it stands to reason it would protect her from someone trying to short circuit her brain with aura manipulation.

3) Electromotive: An aural semblance that turns electricity into aura. Incidentally: I actually do use this one on my Frankenstein inspired OC that carries a weapon with him that generates electricity, effectively making him an RPG Tank.

And now I have 3 semblances that I think are worthy enough to make an appearance on the show.

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<p class="MsoNormal">I have received criticism on the matter that I’m being too strict, that semblances shouldn’t be limited do doing one thing, that I’m being to pretentious, and to be fair, I only have one defense against them, the current canon…which can easily screw me over if say, Ruby can suddenly use her semblance to speed up a watch…for whatever reason. But currently semblances on the show seem to follow my format.

<p class="MsoNormal">Take Blake and Sun for example. One manifests a perfect clone that can she can use as a decoy that can’t do any damage, another make a imperfect clone that he can detonate. They can’t make a clone that looks exactly the same, let’s them swap places, fight like they do until they get hit and can be blown on impact…aka they can’t do shadow clones.

<p class="MsoNormal">Like I said my defense is on shaky grounds; as the show lasts longer, the more the writers will feel the need to add new stuff and the higher the chance for my cardinal rule to be broke in univers…is that a bad thing though? I greatly enjoy thinking up semblances with limitations, it adds limitations to my characters abilities that would be interesting to write about and nine times out of then they aren’t overpowered…besides, multipurpose abilities have a tendency to receive more development than the character that has them on, and I find that kind of depressing.

<p class="MsoNormal">So, pull or poke? Are my semblances worthy?