[The post scarcity podcast was also very helpful.]. This is harder to work with, because the divine are technically spellcasters themselves, and incredibly powerful ones. I know its been a whole since you made this post, so I was just curious to how things have developed since then? The key traits of a soft magic system are outlined in the graphic below. There is no formula; you are just fueling the clichs. One example is that because the laws of physics are invariant with respect to time translation (they dont change over time), energy is conserved. Certainly using more types adds complexity that might be a burden in shorter stories, but I think you could start with the type of thread that is most prevalent, and explain more rare threads as the story progresses. Use attributes or abilities you would connect with angels or demons and make them sub-types of the magic in question. how would you define the users magical abilities)? If you combine spells you'll get something similar to fighting together as one being, shield against shield to maximize the defense and striking with swords at the right time (like Roman armies did). These energies are not strictly bound to non-magical air, water, fire and so on, but definitely could affect each other: real fire produces fire energy, in water there are lot of water energy and so on. In most, if not all movies, there clearly arent rules for magic, or if there are, there arent many. There are many assumptions in this article, it only focused on a small, known part of magic. Everything is made up of atoms and molecules, so someone with the power to influence those could, theoretically, create new stuff in a heartbeat. It does seem likely that humans, with their limited lifetime, would not master all elements in a system of elemental magic, but it is, of course, possible for humans to use different types of magic or magic from different sources all at once. Magic would be cheaply acquired from soil the plant cant grow in, and they wouldnt have to worry about getting sick from overeating it. Character Power Generator Telepathy: You mention detecting the electrical impulses of the nervous system. Light? Mistakes as huge as that one turn people off reading your stories. man to machine interfaces, nanites cluster on nerve ending allowed some individuals to easily interact with ancient tech, or even graft it into their bodies. I dont want to write something that turns out to be nonsensical. Maybe there are a few things that the sorcerer cant do, but basically its just whatever they want to happen, happens. I just replied to your last post, but about the different cultures have different ideas of what makes sense, the point about a rational system is that it must make sense to the reader. Your patronage keeps this site running. Ive been thinking about a system of magic that was born of 6 Tower, stationed at the poles and in each of the cardinal directions. Absorb Project Summon Dispel Protect Destroy Restore. A hard magic system is magic with a clear set of rules. If you can't combine spells you'll have to work together perfectly, time spells one after the after and make sure you're not in each other's way. So when it comes to babies, you probably want to pick just one.. I dont like giving writers a formula for magic systems. Meanwhile, most people selected for magic by the nanites didnt know what was happening they might have been able to make better guesses than people now, but next to surviving the end of their world didnt devote a lot of thought to it. Thats what I mean when I say Dumbledore and Voldemort should have paid for their enormous use of power at the ministry of magic in Harry Potter. Probably best if I give you an example. Its easy to handle in books, because author can just describe the effects. A rational magic system follows rules, thats what makes it a rational system. Sometimes, as in the example I made, other natural processes, such as life and death (or decay) or day and night are added. You need to lay enough groundwork and hard rules and be consistent enough that it doesnt feel like a character getting angrier will suddenly allow them to start winning a climactic battle, at least not without significant buildup to such a thing happening. Thats because we know dragon glass can kill them and both weapons were forged by dragon flame. For Light and Darkness, Shade will be their name. In a rational system, their powers would have come from somewhere and they would have been close to or even broken through their limit, which would have consequences. Different fighters prefer different methods, so combining the ideas could lead to a larger variety and possibly a richer world. dragon glass can kill them and both weapons were forged by dragon flame. Telekinesis and teleportation require an explanation as to how you direct your power outside of the body. Theyre more afraid of the death of their world than their own personal death, however. What obvious flaws are there? Weak to medium Hydro, very rare chance of getting weak Eco as well, Learns magic more easily than other races. The key traits of a hard magic system are outlined in the graphic below. It would also bring a limit, because the ley lines dont exist everywhere. Another rare one is magic transference, my idea of that one is gaining an ability that an extinct race once used, examp. Your body can hold a fixed amount of paint (This is the same for everyone but full capacity is rarely reached). Waving around a wand isnt as simple as you bang it out to be. P.S. In my example of magic that is acquired by consuming a plant, a clever alchemist might distill and concentrate the plant down to an elixir that is digested more quickly. The problem would lie in too many types for an already-complex magic system. The brain does use relatively weak energy for thinking, so that would not reach far. What did you think alchemy was? The law of magic that makes it so you cant summon food out of thin air feels like something invented by JK Rowling for plot purposes, not the logical result of a different set of physics like in Avatar the last Air bender. SO, questions: where is the magic energy coming from in the environment? Stuff falls down, not up, for instance. So the magic system is based on balance in nature. Were he an adult already, thered be hardly a limit for him, apart from morals. So then, my idea was that even though minds were separate from bodies, they were normally closely tied so they could interact, which was why telepathy and telekinesis had things such as limits based on physical distance. Now we go back to the Beginning. Look at your three lists and try to find patterns and connections. The God of Parties, on the other hand, would be very chaotic. If your characters will use magic to resolve that conflict, then establishing a clear set of rules for your magic system is necessary to avoid cheapening tension via contrived magical solutions. You can make it as cool as you like; think Discworld, Middle Earth, Zamonia, etc. Sometimes this is unavoidable, it happens a lot in games and long stories spanned over many seasons/novels, but for shorter stories it's best to think about what the power limit would be. More like youre a easily broken, magical gun (Aim, shoot fireball, repeat.) I generally call the opposite of rational arbitrary, and that one I just chose arbitrarily, you might say. If you don't combine spells you'll have 2 (or more) people fighting together, but not as one being. Every person who attempts this dies, without fail. It is an epic drama that, year by year, is played out before humanity. But, in general, all those energies are more-less equally distributed everywhere. Magic systems vary from colorful bears with tummy badges to ritual blood sacrifices. For a similar reason, simple exhaustion, without any other defined limits, is generally a weak way to limit an ability in the story. Why are some people spell book readers but not others? also just a thought, you also could have mentioned the Eragon series which uses language as the limitation for casting, and physical energy for fueling spells. Fast forward a couple thousand years and some genius manges to find a way to control paint by collecting it into a special bottle. Some of them, such as the Breath Weapons have been condenced a little bit for shortnesses sake. So, early on in our history, humanity was deemed too dangerous to stay in the greater multiverse. If anyone interested, here is description of my magic system: Now, if magic in Tolkien just went by power levels like a Pokemon duel, Sauron would have won this handily, being pure blood of an order of beings who if we looked at these things just on the power level dimension clearly outranked the mortal clay that was mixed into Luthiens veins. Eg- In order to make the static ball move with your mind you need something around you that you can either see or feel is moving to help focus you. This was long enough ago to be remembered as an advanced society falling, but its manner of advancement being conflated with the magic that exists now, and most specific knowledge of it lost. Even within one category, theres no way to extrapolate new spells because the rules are so eclectic. All of nature is in motion and all of natures motion serves to restore its own balance. Now, its VERY early days for me with this thing, but Im wondering: There are two types of magic systems: hard magic systems and soft magic systems. Perhaps the background magic I mentioned earlier could be involved. Do you need sage, or can you use oak leaves instead? This is true even if weve never seen anyone craft a tunnel before. Thats not a rational system, because theres no understandable rules to it. Are there any natural elements which are home to magical powers or are there any which could house magical powers? The jammers are slowly getting weaker, and the nanites, while the have mostly settled in these past centuries, slowly encroach upon the population. Superpower name generator. Does the use of power exact a particular cost? And it would explain the marked as an equal thing, too. Hi there, I really like the sound of your magics (especially the high fantasy one)- I like the idea about the colours representing the power levels. (plants take the water from the ground and transpire it at night, so its balanced in some sense) If thats not the case(scientific understanding of the world), how do they explain a fire dying out or lightning? Or you go back to the idea that words shape the world, which is why we have the word enchantment which comes from chanting. lost nanotechnology (difficult to justify how that would be forgotten) Is it light and full of wonder? And, by the way, you actually can use parts of wizards in potions, and theyre used in pivotal parts of at least 2 books: the Polyjuice Potion uses part of the person you want to transform into, and the potion used to give Voldemort a body has bone of the father flesh of the servant [and] blood of the enemy. 2. Im only using that as a place holder name because mostly priests use it but priest carries its own connotation thats probably also misleading. Thats because Disney movies are based on fairy tales and fairy tales dont write up rules for magic. Ocean magic is strongest during winter. It takes many years to master. This is one of the most exciting things about writing fantasy: getting to design your own magic system. You will always need to wing it there, because you introduce something which has no base in our worlds reality. It is inspired from some character sheets that ask you a series of questions. Ill be checking this site for updates everyday, so thank you in advance of letting me share my crazy idea with you all. Hey everyone! And if so, is it because their culture is different and they learn to wield it in different ways, is it because they simply cannot wield it the same way due to biological differences or is it because they use different sources, like blood magic and magic pools? The difference between the two is obvious as soon as you watch the show. Here are some examples of magical sources: In Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan, magic comes from the gods. A single push, that turned out to be a shove, pushed the still air into a rising gust of air. In the Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo, all Grisha have to serve the King. Ones that havent made many contracts and dont know much about human emotion yet will be much more objective. Each soul has its Sephirot, which are both original and separate from the fist Sephirot. Readers know little, if anything, about the nature, origin, or limitations of the characters fantastical powers. We accept that our universe works the way it does without necessarily knowing which physical law is at work at any given time in any given thing happening. This generator gives you names for their various alliances, covens, and clubs. Fire born and living in constant motion, generating heat that is eventually extinguished, restoring the balance. Sky: Sky magic draws power from the vast sky, movement of the winds, and from thunderstorms. Using mana is no different from using up stamina, the more magic you use, the more energy that is used up. actuallydragon glass is NOT made from dragon fireits just some rock that forms naturally: obsidian. I love your idea Madden, however if i may point out one significant flaw that you will very quickly need to address. Since the main character of the series starts as a member of a gang of thieves, the choice of theme is very appropriate. I think your point is that in a story, there needs to be limits to magic, which I agree with. My major problem is that the subtypes dont connect with the main types of magic (demonic and angelic). Like something to do with the changing of the victims skin? but gods, spirits, and demons can. Character Power Generator Your character has the Illusions (Can create and destory illusions) ability! Lets say magic is generated by the vibration of continental plates, and each continental plate vibrates at its own frequency, creating different effects. In Avatar, most benders can only manipulate pure water, earth, air, and fire. A waterbender cant control air or earth or fire. Luckily for the majority of the population of the Voden Imperium, the nanites are happy to sit mostly dormant, quietly replicating away. Divine magic is often more powerful/useful, but isnt always reliable. You need to lay down rules and follow them (which is where both Rowlings use of magic in Harry Potter and Lucas use of the Force in the original trilogy fail). that were made by the gods. Who can use magic? A damned if you do, damned if you dont scenario. Practically everyone uses it in their daily life. Whether you're a writer, game developer, or just someone with a creative mind, the Magic Type Generator will help you create random content quickly and easily. Maybe Im just saying this because Id defend Harry Potter to the ends of the earth. I think natural disaster can be explained in this world as terrifying manifestation of the imbalances in nature, things that the Mother wants to avoid by seeking to restore balance always. People who practice this form of magic are called lucalurgists. And if youre a goddamn god with a controller, it can pull a star destroyer into a planet while at the same time swatting aside oodles of TIE-Fighters (still the only sore point in The Force Unleashed 1 for me). Its a very complex mathematical theorem, but the really basic idea I understand is that conservation laws and symmetries are connected. Soft magic systems are the opposite of hard magic systems: they dont need to have a clearly defined set of rules. This is because an all-powerful antagonist makes the story more exciting and perilous, while an all-powerful protagonist achieves the opposite effect. Ask yourself what effects will help your protagonists solve the problems presented in your plot, and what effects will be fun to write about. All three should work together to create the magic system. However, a few benders can bend their element when its in a different form or less pure. Can a magic user be identified by their clothing, appearance, or some other distinguishing physical factor? I agree that a spell to dodge doesnt make much sense on first glance, but Ive also just realized that thats only true if we assume that the hostile spell were interested in dodging in the first place were as part of the basic nature of magical reality totally incapable of moving any faster than a theoretical average apprentice level user of magic can move without having recourse to their wizardry. 3. Slytherin still could breed dark wizards and witches perhaps they have a tendency towards dark magic. Mind is represents consciousness You can have several sources of magic, but you need to bring them together in a way that makes sense at least in the novel. Also I think the name Grey Death is cool, especially if theres some in world reason? Vampires are commonly believed to be soulless, but in reality their human soul was replaced by a vampire soul, which alters their personality, gives them vampire powers and renders them incapable of casting any spells. some sort of selection criteria the nanites have Some feel cohesive; others feel random. I think rule based magic is important for worldbuilding, not novel writing. was really misleading. Plus, itll make the villain look rightfully confident and in control, rather than stupidly arrogant for powering up his adversary, and itll build up their threat level when the hero at seemingly full power wasnt a match for him. Telekinesis: You mention psychics using their own energy for telekinesis. Its origin is with the creation of all life itself and the first humans: Black and White. See the LessWrong articles Universal Fire and Universal Law for one explanation of how all physical laws are tied together. The villain in S3 of A:LoK achieves it. Common People (Theyre so common that they dont really have a name.) Or you could think of the world like a house, a house has wood beams to hold the roof up, pipes to run water, electrical lines to power appliances, etc. However, while I do hope to write something that others enjoy, it is also for myself, and I like thinking about things and would not want to write something logically impossible. And boy, rational magic systems arent new. Or you could simply say that air is good for dodging, while earth is good for blocking. If only a portion of the population can wield magic it could also mean the magic wielders are either the elite or the lower class. In my world, magical ability isnt something youre born with, or ordained its contracted, and the Mages Guild, who hold tremendous political sway, (as their magical abilities provide a fundamental key to the functioning of the expansionist Empire that serves as the primary backdrop/Antagonist) is whisking people away in an attempt to stop that fact becoming common knowledge and keep their power consolidated. I really like all the terms you use on this site, theyre so helpful and clarifying. In fact, they are drawing on residual energy left behind when a spirit interacts with the human world. If you think of the Sea of Energy as like the actual ocean, than the Planes of Existence can be compared to the different depths, and the deeper you go, the more pressure that exists. Nevertheless, you will always introduce something which, as far as we know, does not exist in reality. I do hope that this comment will help you understand the angle Im coming from. I think, some of the gods will be more random and chaotic than others. Hey Ryan R Im still plugging away at it (when Life lets me anyway! you have to touch the person youre putting to sleep or touch the demon youre pacifying. This allows for the reader to know what is or isnt possible. So this sentence: Magicians draw on their inner energy, called mana, to cast spells and perform magical techniques. She might exchange one persons hand for anothers, but she might not deem two lives equal. If George R.R. The best frameworks have limitations inherent to the way they operate. Using items means a disarmed magic wielder might be powerless, it could also mean every magic wielder has an item unique to that person, perhaps even with their own unique abilities. Im finding that my worldbuilding and plotting inform each other more in this story than others Ive worked on. Its really creative and for the most part completely logical (and since the people in the story are acolytes, there is no scientific explanation needed since it all seems to fit within your model). Alternatively, soft magic systems remain nebulous. Harrys mother inadvertently casts a protective spell on him by dying for him. Its the same with a story. So a Mage might give as payment a concrete memory, like their first day of school or attending a particular play, or something more abstract like the taste of chocolate cake or the pain of stubbing ones toe (spirits are interested in all experiences, even if humans see them as negative). I remember a HP fan-fiction where Harry developed two spells into some kind of magical arms he could call up at will to help with magic or protect himself by picking up half a dozen objects he could throw into the path of a spell or weapon. Prime / Mana worked a little differently, in that each rune slot had a certain number of Mana-Points that could be applied, up to a value equal to the Players skill/level. As a quick example, just think about how many movies and books reuse the theme of elemental magicfire, water, earth, and air. Mistings have to ingest and burn these metals in order to use their powers.
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