Okay, this suggestion is rather complicated, and I will try to explain it to the best of my ability, please note that I am not a modder or coder, nor physicist or engineer, a meager writer and avid dreamer. The basic premise of this idea is that you may have procedurally generated forces of radiation, such as any wave that we as humans can observe, such waves or forces affect the fundamental or produced effects of any given interaction. Now I am not saying that we should procedurally generate the entirety of physical laws in ever single world created, but what I am suggesting, is that various forces, with various degrees of effect and affect-ability, should be generated. Now that the basic premise is laid down, permit me to elaborate.
Effects of Forces
The forces that are generated should have various ways they can affect the properties of objects, such as raising temperature, adding momentum, increasing density, ignition points, physical appearance, etc. and depending on the force, it may have a varying degree of effect on the property it affects, based on any number of secondary variables, such as magnitude. The forces, if it should be that they are slightly more complicated, may also affect the functions of intelligent beings, in any sort of manner.
It may also be that the forces have a direct control over the way interactions work, and not necessarily just be a active or passive influence on them.
Affecting the Forces
Just like radiation can both be affected and have an effect, generated forces would work in a similar way, forces that determine the way something works or influence it may be affected by doing so, or may be in some ways more dense in points of disturbance, similar to a gas. Worldly forces may also be able to manipulate the forces, and actions such as burning would emit the force for heat in appropriate quantities, or cooling might reduce it, some forces may be able to be produced or manipulated through artificial processes too. Such a force, that could be artificially affected, might be able to be manipulated by an intelligent race to produce a desired effect.
Implementation
Now this is the tricky part, since the forces would be rather boring if they couldn't be controlled, or if not boring, slightly less obvious. Since we don't have people running around with complete control over heat and IR radiation, it can't be completely controllable either. However, the beings that it may seem proper to possess the knowledge and skill required to manipulate such forces would be the Gods, and maybe Titans, FB's, and Clowns. Now, the Gods don't currently exist in the DF world as we know it, at least not to any major extent, so, unless the Gods are walking the Earth, we wouldn't see manipulation anyways. So, and the following statement is even more of an opinion than this suggestion has been, perhaps the Gods can either A. Exist in the real world, and have some interest besides what is described and may be described here, or B. We have the manipulation process being handed down in the form of secrets, but that is bordering on a magic suggestion, or C. Various creatures and beings that may not be playable possess the secrets, but they are rarely passed on, or even any combination of the above or something completely different. So perhaps it could be left at forces existing, or go in to fleshing out a fantastical but logical universe, but thank you for reading and maybe considering or scorning my suggestion.