Everybody is inherently capable of magic to different degrees, similar to how people might or might not be naturally gifted in any ordinary skill but are always capable of exercising them on a very basic level. To get very skilled at any kind of magic, however, requires a great deal of training and/or tutoring.
Specialization is just about always required in the field of magic. It is very hard to practice the most advanced forms of any form of magic alongside moderately advanced magic of another form. Some choose to focus equally on two fields of magic, and there are those who manage expert use of both at the same time, but most have to sacrifice the most advanced uses of both. It is especially difficult to practice advanced communication magic along with self magic, or kinetic magic along with time magic, which also sets severe constraints on the ability to use three or four kinds of magic at the same time.
The reason for all of this is that all four types of magic employ different methods of using it, and one's internal magic becomes accustomed to flowing in certain ways over time; keeping open the possibility of multiple paths forces the magic to be less focused and finely tuned. The differences between the methods can be thought of as lying on two axes, internal-external (endo and ecto) and mental-physical (psychic and physical). Endomagic focuses magic within the magic user's own body while ectomagic focuses it on the outside; psychic magic manipulates minds while physical magic manipulates material objects. Thus, for instance, communication magic (ectopsychic) is at its most potent when the user uses magic exclusively externally and mentally (and thus only communication magic), while it weakens slightly when the user has to keep one of the other methods open to use powerful endopsychic (time) or ectophysical (kinetic) magic. Being open to all methods, which is necessary for any use of communication magic with self magic or kinetic magic with time magic, results in the weakest magic. Some with extraordinarily powerful magical skills have managed to master all four kinds of magic, but there have only been very few such people in history.
Similarly, a magic user must focus him or herself differently to use a different type of magic; it is impossible to, for instance, employ communication magic immediately followed by kinetic magic, much less both simultaneously. To switch from one type of magic to another, it takes at least momentary meditation (a few seconds, depending on the person) to alter the flow of one's magic, during which no magic can be used at all.
COMMUNICATION MAGIC - ECTOPSYCHIC
The magic of enhanced communication with other living beings.
Early Signs: Children with a knack for communication magic tend to be better at reading other people's nonverbal communication and be more focused in thought and articulate.
Basic Use: Detecting underlying emotions in others, charging speech with own emotion. Basic blocking of mind-reading.
Advanced Use: Slight manipulation of others' emotions, powers of persuasion. Telepathic communication of emotions and will to other beings, including animals. Better detection of others' emotions and desires. Advanced blocking of mind-reading.
Expert Use: Full telepathic communication of complex thoughts and ideas, fairly powerful manipulation of others, full mind-reading.
Limits: Another user of reasonably powerful communication magic can block mind-reading, turn manipulation around, etc. Those strong of mind in general are less susceptible to mind-reading. The effort required to use communication magic also depends on the distance between the target and the communicist.
KINETIC MAGIC - ECTOPHYSICAL
The manipulation of kinetic energy in objects.
Early Signs: Emotion causes kinetically inclined children to involuntarily raise the temperature in their immediate surroundings.
Basic Use: Voluntary manipulation of temperature, to the point of lighting things on fire, freezing water, etc.
Advanced Use: Telekinesis of light objects, speeding up or slowing down heavier, already moving objects. Can enhance a jump or run.
Expert Use: Telekinetically manipulating heavy objects, tearing them apart. Flight is possible.
Limits: All significant kinetic magic requires the ability to move one's body - a kineticist can be rendered virtually powerless if bound. The effort required also depends on the distance between the target and the kineticist.
SELF MAGIC - ENDOPHYSICAL
Enhanced, magical control over one's own body.
Early Signs: Selfist children tend to do slightly better both physically and mentally than other children, as their magic slightly enhances whatever they're focusing on.
Basic Use: More deliberate enhancements of muscle strength, senses and cognitive abilities. Basic manipulation of solid skin color, though not very useful, is possible.
Advanced Use: Complex self-camouflaging, basic shapeshifting, better enhancements of physical abilities.
Expert Use: Full shapeshifting.
Limits: The body always seeks to maintain its natural state, so all effects brought about by self magic take effort not only to bring about in the first place but also to maintain. Therefore, a shapeshifted, camouflaged or otherwise enhanced selfist will eventually wear out and be forced to their normal human form. It also naturally takes more effort to bring about and maintain larger changes than smaller ones.
TIME MAGIC - ENDOPSYCHIC
The ability to sense through time.
Early Signs: Children with timist abilities tend to come off as having particularly swift reflexes, especially when it comes to danger, as they automatically sense dangerous stimuli ever so slightly ahead of time.
Basic Use: See/hear/feel weak echoes of events that have just transpired and of what is about to happen.
Advanced Use: Expanded version of basic use: clearer and reaching further back and forward in time. Better control over time to view.
Expert Use: Expanded version of advanced use. Fine control over time to view.
Limits: The clarity of a vision necessarily weakens the further it is in time from the present. The timist can only receive the sensory input that they would have received if they had been in the same place at a different time. The future can only be sensed as what would happen if the timist had never seen the vision, resulting in them being inaccurate as soon as the timist senses them.
