The Sense of Smell, by Philippe Mercier (detail)
When I was in high school I got into playing Dungeons and Dragons. This was the very first edition – two or three flimsy books that were stapled together, not bound, which came with a set of dice and some graph paper. I got it at Sears which shows you how long ago that was.
After I graduated DnD became AD&D and expanded and expanded greatly with hardback guides, campaign sets, and brand new universes to explore, one of which was the elemental planes: water, fire, air, and earth. I had never heard of categorizing creatures and magic in that way and thought it was pretty neat. Some fantasy novels of the time used Four Element magic as well, such as Diana Paxton’s Westria series, which was set in a post-Holocaust California (specifically, the Bay area) where Medievalism has made a resurgence. Again I thought, How clever!
Decades later, Four Element magic is everywhere, and I bet every neophyte fantasy writer thinks like I did, that it’s startlingly original.
Sadly, no. Japanese Tokusatsu and anime shows, Magic the Gathering type card games, even children’s toys have been classifying their magic systems by elements for decades. In 2026, look at the latest in James Cameron’s Avatar franchise, as well as the other Avatar, The Last Airbender. Sometimes there’s a difference, like using the Asian element system instead of the Western one, or adding a power or two, like Spirit or Electricity. But it’s still the same idea.
So, I suppose it’s time to put this trope to bed, at least in terms of designing a magic system around it.
How else can magic powers be classified? How about around the Five Senses?
In this series I’ll run with that idea, starting with some magic spells and items relating to Smell. (The above painting portrays this with French courtiers sniffing melons and flowers.)
Magic of the Five Senses: Smell
| Spells | Bloomburst: Causes nearby flowers to release their strongest and most powerful fragrances.
Nose of the Rhinoceros: Curses the recipient with a wide, wrinkled, oversized, disfiguring nose that has a horn on the end of it (that can’t be used for attack or defense.) However, their sense of smell becomes very keen. Olfactory Obliteration: Destroys all sense of smell of any creature within a 100’ radius for the length of the spell. (NOTE: Related to Visual, Tactile, and Audial Obliteration.) Scentlock: Cast on a regular lock, the spell causes it to open only by exposure to a certain odor. Stew of Serenity: Causes a bubbling pot of stew to emit a calming odor to everyone in its vicinity, causing hostile creatures to forestall attacking. Nose of the Ranger: This spell lifts the target’s scent perception to that of a ranger of equal level. |
| Magic Items |
Aromamancer: A type of specialized magic-user that specializes in scent magic, enchanted perfumes and olfactory illusions. (I’ll get more into this later.)
Jispella’s Noisome Missal: This cursed item looks like a book of prayers to any cleric who sees it. But when they open it, a stinking cloud of a thousand farts emerges from the pages. Kaaras’s Soap: Makes the user smell like their environment after bathing, so tracking them by scent is impossible. It’s pale pink and comes in a glass jar. Liszma’s Olfatory Lens: When peered through the user is able to see scent trails as colored wisps trailing through the air. Odor Compass: This ornate dial with a red arrow points its owner to the source of a certain scent in the air. Perfume Prism: Does for scents what an ordinary prism does for light. The prism breaks down the scent into its own unique spectrum which can be recreated in an alchemist’s lab by a skilled perfumer. Spray of Nasal Clarity: This glass bottle of pale liquid has an atomizer on top like a perfume bottle. When sprayed around, everyone in a 10’ diameter will feel their nostrils and nasal passages clear and sharpen, enabling them to better detect any odors. Statue of Foul Breath: A lovely life-sized marble statue in the Greek style which can be of either gender. When adventurers pass it by its head emits an awful odor of halitosis, causing those companions to accuse each other of poor hygiene. |
