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So I'm trying to explain the basic steps behind magically creating lightning between your hands by combining two or more basic elements together:

The elements you can use are: Fire, air, water, earth.

  • Fire allows the manipulation of fire, can change temperatures (can make things cold as well) by channeling or absorbing energy, and can cause sparks/friction.
  • Air allows control over placement and density of air and other similar gas structures.
  • Water and earth have similar properties to air regarding their respective elements.

Now assuming that you have this magical fuel called 'mana' to support this with a steady output of 10k joules:

  • which combination of elements would you use in order to explain something similar to a taser(preferably while having to use both hands)?

note: the explanation does't have to be too in depth: implying that there are positive/negative charges and magnetism involved would be more than enough.

edit: note that the focus here is for a more compact form of electrical shock, rather than building up a big thundercloud to strike someone with lightning, I would've wanted the equivalent of something like a police taser.

edit: basically meant to replace this: image ...In a medieval setting

The Square-Cube Law
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Amit
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  • Please note that this is a duplicate of the broader question https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/118583/turning-medieval-style-elemental-effects-into-modern-scientific-ones - Another focused question similar to Amit's was closed as being a dup of the above link. https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/149618/would-it-be-possible-to-shoot-lightning-at-someone – Cyn Jun 30 '19 at 16:04
  • And I just noticed that the focused duplicate I mentioned is in fact your own question from a few days ago. https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/149618/would-it-be-possible-to-shoot-lightning-at-someone – Cyn Jun 30 '19 at 16:06
  • it's not though, these posts aren't using the same constraints per element nor do they give me the info I need regarding the combinations needed to create a taser out of other elements – Amit Jun 30 '19 at 16:13
  • I want the components to help build that up though, if all I wanted to get at was "poof, there's lightning" then yeah, I'd be more than happy with that post, or all the other posts mentioned above – Amit Jun 30 '19 at 16:18
  • read the answer - you don't build up the electricity, you create a channel of ionized air by super-heating it (with a lazer in that case but magic fire could work). To be honest, my answer would be better if one just put the cloud/sandstorm on the person you want to shock - don't have to worry about shocking yourself at all then. – LinkBerest Jun 30 '19 at 16:20
  • the ionized air and the lazer that creates it are a non-issue since what I want is meant to be done in melee range. My problem is at the part where I want to create the electricity and explain the steps taken in some sort of logical form – Amit Jun 30 '19 at 16:25
  • with your edit - this is indeed a duplicate of the question linked by @Cyn - read the questions and look up some information on ionic conditions if you don't understand them (the answer is already there for a localized shock...also works with either answer here) then match the method to whatever steps work with your story (that's story based so you're not likely to get help here with that) – LinkBerest Jun 30 '19 at 16:33
  • maybe I've miscommunicated my question earlier, but after reading that post for the fourth time now, I still can't help but consider it as irrelevant for my question, it answers my previous one where I had trouble explaining how or why would lightning hit a ranged target, but since it takes the lightning's existence for granted, I can't find a way to explain why it's (in my version) made up from different elements or how it'd lead to an electrical buildup between the caster's hands – Amit Jun 30 '19 at 16:46
  • Hi Amit, I’ve got to agree with the others that you’ve got a super solid answer to your other question, the application of which should resolve the problem you’ve asked about here. Unless you’re especially attached to a gun mechanism and wires etc., the ionization via heat seems to be the perfect thing to mimic a Taser. I’ve voted to place your question on hold as a dup until you get a chance to explain why that answer does a poor job of explaining taser-like behavior. – Dubukay Jun 30 '19 at 18:14
  • Maybe I understood incorrectly, isn't the ionization of the path to target via lazer not only there for the sole purpose of allowing a ranged passage for the electricity to reach its target? If so, then that's not the info I'm looking for at this point. Was more than happy to find it a few days ago though, I must admit :p – Amit Jun 30 '19 at 19:59

2 Answers2

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Earth and Air (with maybe a little bit of water for the cloud).

Use your control of the wind cause air friction which builds up the electrical potential of a thunder cloud which you have grown between your hands.

Then use your earth power to draw a powerful ground-potential up through the feet of your target.

Then close your eyes because you are standing at the origin point of a lightning bolt.

Henry Taylor
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  • while this does make for a good concept to induce a lightning strike through nature-like conditions, I was aiming for something smaller and more focused, like an actual police taser f.e, wouldn't that be possible to create without all the big environmental buildups? – Amit Jun 30 '19 at 16:17
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The same way it happens in a sandstorm: Air + Earth (dust/sand particles) Picture of sandstorm thunderstorm Link to Youtube Video of above sandstorm thunderstorm

As explained in this article during sandstorms large sand particles can lose electrons (gaining a positive charge) to lighter dust particles (making them negative). Then as the lighter particles rise and the larger particles stay at a lower position the separation of charges allows for an electric field.

For your mages just create a small sandstorm (with dust/sand particles of varying sizes) between your hand and watch the sparks begin. As the articles states the addition of sand increases the emissions 10 times, so you wouldn't need as big a cloud as you would with normal conditions.

You could then just extend some water as a conductor if needed or hold something between your palms to help act as a separator if you wanted to accelerate the reaction (just make sure your well grounded yourself).

LinkBerest
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  • Would a melon sized example of this be able to make full use of 10k-100k joules worth of energy? And would it be correct to assume that the sand grains will be moving faster than the eye can follow at that point? – Amit Jun 30 '19 at 17:02