Magic

A set of Magical systems operate in the world of Hero oh Hero. Spirit seems to be the most well-recognized across the world, but other magics exist that don't directly interface with Spirit.

Although Burk believes them to be, Pablo's Diplomatic Weapons are not magic.

Spirit Magic
By manipulating free-flowing magic in the environment around them, Spirit may be used to augment the physical and cognitive capabilities of that person. Every person with "magic potential" should be able to learn spirit magic to a certain degree, though Free Magic users seem to have a much more limited access to it, to the point that no-one we've seen so far has practiced Spirit Control at all.

Spirit Magic is referred to as such by people from the mainland continent (especially in the Mage Kingdom). Professor Null, and others in the Empire, refer to it as Magic Potential. The heroes of Tom RPG talk about having "0%+ magic in the blood;" saying that simple peasants have 0% while they have slightly more (but not enough to round up to 1%, apparently).

Spirit Magicians are naturally good at certain styles, because this magic tends to do best when enhancing something you're already good at, i.e. it acts as a multiplicative rather than additive effect.

There are four main subtypes of spirit magic explained so far.

Focus
Focus augments the user’s physical fitness (striking, jumping, agility, and maybe lifting) and allows them to interact with spirit-sensitive objects. Focus seems to be easier for people with a strong physical presence or those who practice sports and combat arts. This is explained in page 823.

Cover
Cover protects the user by projecting a ‘buffer’ of spirit outwards from their body; especially protective against magic attacks. It can also be used to repel fluids, as shown when the class is asked to cross a river with Spirit. Cover seems to be easier for observant people with a fast reaction time. This is explained in page 824.

Surge
Surge allows the user to draw free-flowing spirit towards them, for many possible uses. It can create spooky action-at-a-distance force on spirit-sensitive objects. Surge seems to be easier for exuberant, overconfident people. This is explained in page 824.

Mask
Mask shrouds the user from magical detection methods, and guides spirit to flow around the user without disruption. The latter effect essentially opposes Surge. Mask seems to be easier for people who dislike attention on them. This is explained in page 825.

Sight
Garth taught sight to the spirit class, but didn't give guidance. It seems there are two methods of seeing spirit. The first is good for detecting threats and nearby magic use. It allows the user to perceive the flow of spirit, as if people were 'wells' of magic. The second technique could closely be described as Astral Projection, where a chibi form pops out of their body and can float ethereally. In this form, everything is dark except for sources of spirit, which illuminate the area around them like light sources. Noah did not mention whether he could see or feel things from his real body while projecting. Other people using spirit sight can see the projection, and hear speech if they're especially apt at it.

There also exists people who only have Sight, not any other magic powers, and the Global Order does not consider them to be Magic people. These people can be recruited as Paladins.

Advanced Forms
There are more advanced forms of spirit, which haven't been explained fully. One can create a Physical Object, using an amalgamation of Surge for shape and movement, Cover for structural stability, and Focus for stopping power.

Pandemonium Magic
Pandemonium Magic users are born with a special affinity towards controlling certain elements of the world. This innate ability often manifests thematically (i.e. control of wind or magnetism). Everyone who has a Pandemonium power should also be able to manipulate spirit to the same degree as one without.

Free Magic
The least present in all of the currently published HoH content, free magic is the most versatile but also the hardest to master of all three magic types. A vast amount of knowledge and training is needed to understand the magic principles behind the world and then some more to be able to use free magic to bend and manipulate them.

Based on many parts of the comic, and from conversations with the author, a loose set of rules can be derived about Free Magic:
 * Based on your imagination, you could theoretically manifest any effect. Free Magicians have a renewable reserve that allows them to create these effects, and running out can be problematic.
 * Rarely does anyone come up with manifestations on the fly, for two reasons:
 * Magic can have nuanced effects if it is designed in advance.
 * Certain preparations and mental exercises can lessen the impact on their reserve.
 * Free Magicians could use Spirit, but they typically find it easier to design their own analogous effect that accomplishes what they wanted from Spirit without as much impact on their reserve. It is unknown if the Spirit or the Free version of an effect would use more reserve, but regardless, Free Magicians typically do not train in Spirit Magic.

Other Magic
In the first chapter of Hero Oh Hero, Burk fights against magical pigs that shrink to normal size when knocked out. It's possible that this was just an enchantment on them done by the Free-Magic-using bandits, but the boar's abilities on their own are in line with the creatures of the forest in Tom RPG. These forest creatures had all kinds of abilities and quirks.

Elves seemed to use a very different type of magic. The Elves who attempted to Assassinate the Emperor seemed to all use the same flavour of free magic (in other words, they were Free Magic practitioners who all developed a technique and a shared set of spells). However, there was another elf in Tom RPG that seemed to have a varied set of abilities and physical manifestations that doesn't fit any of the above categories.

Magic Items
Besides the "person-initiated" magic from above, certain items of the world are infused with magic and also carry or bestow magic properties. The origin of these items and how are they created has not be revealed so far.

The following is a list of the magical items that appeared in the comic.
 * Tracking Pendant: points towards something or someone important that will be useful for granting the wish of the wearer (which, to the Aristocrat, is Burk)
 * Magiball: weighs a ton but can be lifted with Focus and controlled with Surge
 * Black Crystal: if worn, the wearer cannot use magic.
 * Mage King's Amulet: allows the three priests and other nobility of the Mage Kingdom to draw upon the Mage King’s nigh-limitless magic reserves. When stolen, a powerful Heavenly Judgement spell kills the thief. Ludvig messed with it and was able to 'hack' alternate powers from it before he died.