Systems and methods for making ceramic powders are provided. The method for forming a ceramic powder includes: preparing a precursor mixture, wherein the preparing comprises adding at least one additive to a plurality of reagents, wherein the at least one additive includes at least one of: an oxide, a salt, a pure metal, or an alloy of elements ranging from atomic numbers 21 through 30, 39 through 51, and 57 through 77 and combinations thereof; and carbothermically reacting the precursor mixture to form a ceramic powder, wherein, due to the preparing step, the precursor mixture comprises a sufficient amount of the at least one additive to form the ceramic powder, wherein the ceramic powder comprises: (a) a morphology selected from the group consisting of irregular, equiaxed, plate-like, and combinations thereof; and (b) a particle size distribution selected from the group consisting of fine, intermediate, coarse, and combinations thereof.