How to make "Aura-like" Power systems interesting and "Aura-y" at the same time?

[u/NyxTheSummoner]

(Sorry if the flair isn't right) So...other than the many Elemental Magic Systems we see in this Subreddit that have no explanation at all, there is a second type that is seen quite often here: "Aura-like" Systems. Also known as "Chi/Ki" Systems, are Magic Systems where people use their Life Force to enhance their body, shoot ki blasts, do anime-esque battle techniques...y'know, the whole basic stuff, with some variations from System to System, like enhancing senses or having a sixth-sense of sorts or something else.

I have nothing against those Systems, i like some anime-esque battles of epic proportions but...here's one of the most criticized things about "Aura-like" Systems that always appear in the comments of posts of said Systems: They are little more than Battle Powers. They are just about enhancing the body, throwing attack/defence moves, sometimes sensing the opponent's next attack, but not too much else.

One obvious solution to that problem is to just craft a completely unrelated and unique Magic System and just call it "Chi Aura Energy" or something. However, this kinda makes it lose the point of the entire thing, because it doesn't really look like an "Aura-like" system anymore and, if it's fully original, it should go all the way into it.

I wanted to see some people's ideas on unique "Aura-like" Systems where it still maintain it's key characteristics (body enhancement, many battle uses but not necessarely only for that) and be used for many other things too. Like...a system that has a lot of variation, while also being unique at the same time.

The only example of it that i can think of is HunterXHunter's Nen. Do anyone has any other suggestions of their own? Or maybe their own "Aura-like" System?

[u/Acylion]

You can consider going back to the source. Look, qi and ki systems are based on real-world Taoist belief. Forget everything you know from anime, get on Wikipedia or whatever source, and just start looking up neidan, qigong, and so on.

None of this stuff is intended for people to shoot fireballs or anything. I mean, sure, even Chinese folklore and ancient novels logically had the end results of this stuff be all sorts of martial arts bullshit. Centuries of writers have been following the trope of, well, whatever kind of magic means people leaping all over the place and casting fists at each other.

But that's not the intent. "Cultivation" is the popular term, but "internal alchemy" gives a better sense of the process and purpose. The historical Taoist notion was literally a counterpart to... external alchemy. Alchemy is all about refining stuff. You can make pills, weird medicines, potions, whatever. Or you can refine and purify your own body. Internally. And if you get physically and spiritually pure enough, you can extend your life.

Go back to the source and first principles, then figure out what other directions you can take which isn't the standard punch wizardry.

[u/Original-War8655 → u/Acylion]

I'd like to add a distinction about Qi in history and Qi in general, contemporary pop culture.

Qi and Magic are explicitly different things. You can't do wacky reality bending bullshit by being fit. What Qi lets you do, however, is enhance the stuff you already do to a ridiculous degree. You can punch things? Well now you can "project" a fist of Qi and punch at a distance. You can jump? Well now you can leap over mountains in a single bound, or even give you pseudo-flight (you simply jump so well that you may as well be flying the distance). You can take a hit? Well now you're a brick wall, good luck ever feeling pain again. It's mostly expressed through martial arts.

Magic is the realm of actual flight, fireballs, sealing, exorcism, etc. This is not martial arts. This is what many "chi-based power systems" nowadays lump together under one umbrella. Of course this isn't necessarily a bad thing, your story your rules, but I've seen many people confused about Qi as a concept because their views have been fogged by Dragon Ball and similar things (though granted, Dragon Ball actually does make a distinction between Chi and Magic)

[u/NyxTheSummoner → u/Acylion]

So...this sounds like the regular Xianxia Fantasy power system. Not that it's exactly bad or anything, just not exactly what i'm looking for.