Though after reading the Mythcreants article about the effects of high magic and how it might speed up industry, these two time periods might be much closer temporally. Its mysterious. Ocean: Ocean magic draws power from the ocean, and by extension the rivers and lakes that are born from and eventually lead back to it. If I get this right, magic workers are using pieces of the infrastructure built to support their world for magic instead, at which time it is no longer helping to sustain the world, and by putting these pieces back in place, the protagonist is strengthening that infrastructure. In general, creating a system that is more limited in effect and creates more problems with casting makes for better stories. In Brandon Sandersons Mistborn Series, characters acquire magic by imbibing small amounts of metals and burning them once theyre consumed. A grammar checker, style editor, and writing mentor in one package. Coins, gems, art objects, and magic items from the d20 SRD . As you can see there's a lot to explore, but if you're looking for names you're at the right place. In one of my worlds (an urban fantasy kitchen sink setting where many mythological creatures from many different cultures exist), the rules are: Creatures can either have magic or be magic. Martin Magic System Rating: 1 (Because Magic) Martin is writing a purposeful deconstruction of epic fantasy tropesincluding magic systemsand has actually put some work into making his magic frustrating and inconsistent beyond a few broad-stroke rules (there's definitely some like-for-like business, with equivalent sacrifices needed to produce an . how would you define the users magical abilities)? Know How Your Magic Works Here we discuss considerations outside the scope of this article, such as the effect magic has on society. He has three great articles on building them, named after what he calls his three laws. The Force can do precisely what is needed. In the Matrix, lifting something huge is harder than lifting something small. Can ones magical abilities be stolen or suppressed through fantastical or physical means? Nature as a such comes in every now and then as well. In fact, they are drawing on residual energy left behind when a spirit interacts with the human world. One type usually comes naturally to you (depending on your personality and familiarity) but through practice you can learn other types. Fast forward a couple thousand years and some genius manges to find a way to control paint by collecting it into a special bottle. the frequent earthquakes that break up the surface of the earth and reshape it releasing gasses from below. Then the fight between Voldemort and Dumbledore (both of which also have that trait) would be a glance into the future of Harry himself. This is the easiest part from technical point of view in my current design. Though a country can have a large number of a certain Primal (such as the Sun or Earth Primals) that doesnt mean that people of other Primals cannot be born in that area. This proposition sounds like a video game ideauseful in an environment where youre controlling an avatar with a remote/keys and dont have a quick reaction time. On How Do I Portray Stupid Characters Respectfully? Robert Asprins MYTH novels actually do a good job limiting magic in a similar way. The steps of rituals are based on hearsay, so its hard to know whats actually necessary. Im definitely not saying these problems are insurmountable, just that I do need to think a lot about them. There are Waterbenders that Bloodbend, Firebenders that shoot lightning, and the occasional Earthbender that Metalbends. Used by the Matrix and Mage: The Ascension, some magic systems are based on the idea that reality is more malleable than it seems, allowing some to bend it out of shape. You cant have conservation of energy violated by magic that also keeps the laws of physics the same over time, any more than you could have magic that makes 2+2=5 (unless, perhaps, the laws of physics in a universe dont involve Lagrangians, but then that would likely be a universe totally different from our own). I really hope you go through with it! Luckily for the majority of the population of the Voden Imperium, the nanites are happy to sit mostly dormant, quietly replicating away. The Way of King s is one of the most renowned fantasy novels to date. Now, I havent seen anything about your system, apart from what youve written here, but one easy distinction to make would be to give the angelic side healing magic and the demonic side something like destruction or seduction. Yes, first drafts are for your eyes only. It tries to convince the reader the newly defined rational magic system is what every fantasy writer should strive for. Holy magic is more reliable, but hard to learn. moving more slowly, using other abilities less effectively, taking more hits), and the hero tries and fails to use the ability when theyre already at their limit, then we come to understand exhaustion as a real limitation that doesnt just go away as needed. Conduits take magic energy from their surroundings, and Interferers take energy from Conduits to do magic by adding a bit of energy to the system (making a gust blow harder than it would, for example). The other faction I mentioned that mainly used defensive magic was based on the fact that they get into more close quarters combat situations so would need magic that would keep them alive and in one piece, if they can help it. This is one of the most exciting things about writing fantasy: getting to design your own magic system. As far as the potions are concerned specific plants have always been said to possess magical properties, which is why they are used in the potions. Stoking fires sounds like a natural fit. Cant help but feel its lacking in creativity and complexity, but thats for another day. There is no formula; you are just fueling the clichs. Pushing themselves past their limit can lead to exhaustion and have them pass out, or in extreme cases, using up too much mana can kill a person through over-exertion. Im currently working on subtypes to it but I am miserably failing. The primary purpose of a soft magic system is to contribute to the atmosphere of your story. Soft magic systems are the opposite of hard magic systems: they dont need to have a clearly defined set of rules. I generally call the opposite of rational arbitrary, and that one I just chose arbitrarily, you might say. Its true that fire produces light; but any attempt to harness this light merely results in harnessing and redistributing heat, for the source of that light is not the sun, but the fire, and it is temporary and dies, restoring balance. LEARNED: obtain magic through studying. Everything is what she deems fair. Does the use of power exact a particular cost? All those rules are allow to create literally any classic spell, except teleportation/portals. Let the dragon ride again on the winds of time. Just dipping my toes into this whole writing thing for the 1st time, and as Im sure most of you have experienced, I started out vibrant and full of ideas but am quickly beginning to feel overwhelmed. If one side summons up a lot of spirits, they inadvertently give more available energy to those who channel it from the surrounding area. For instance: a person who has long hair could pluck a strand and send paint through it causing it to straiten making a weapon hard to see or maybe if you can use paint on something you arent touching you could carry a bag of sand around and channel paint into it giving you the power to manipulate it a will. There are 7 types of energy that all link with one another (the first two I made up as a pseudo science which explains the workings of Life & Sentience in a pre-modern scientific age), Sentience I will say that I do enjoy thinking about all of these issues. Earth magic: Earth magic draws power from the energy of the land itself. Telekinesis was also handy (pun intended) for explaining nonhumanoid creatures without hands or similar developing and using technology, because I am interested in the possibility of aliens very different from humans. They are not related in any way. I guess its similar in its outward effects to the Avatar magic system, but youll see that its actually quite different. While she does talk about how it adds limitations, that doesnt actually seem to be her primary focus. Someone could gain double the magic in half the time. Do magic users have their own language, religion, festivals, and/or other cultural hallmarks? Ideas for Original & Unique Magic Systems : r/fantasywriters - reddit In my mind, rituals are the middle ground between divine magic and holy magic. Theyre part of a task force to reweave the knots. They instead study the laws of nature and learn to manipulate them. Finally, there are magic uses who seem to draw magic from the earth itself. Or some other options?.. The source should give you an idea for how it might become available. Many systems treat magic as energy similar to heat, magnetism, electricity, or movement. Perhaps people born with an innate power to do so or maybe they're chosen ones hand picked by a god. I see the basis of a rational magic system there, and you have good limits. Basically, the magic in my world all comes from spirits, which exist in a dimension parallel to our own. But I dont necessarily want to read about rational magic systems. In addition, the spells available for use arent completely based on nonsense, or taught completely irrationally. We also have a step-by-step guide to building magic systems if you want to review the components of a magic system. Limits then usually come from the strength of the effects (a limit to the area spells can target or the number of spells a mage can use before resting). 7 Considerations for Writing Fantasy Magic and Magic Systems - JD Stanley He focused his will and the energy that boiled in his mind, letting it out like smoothly flowing water into the air. For Time and Space, Keeper will be the name. So this sentence: The jammers are slowly getting weaker, and the nanites, while the have mostly settled in these past centuries, slowly encroach upon the population. The main question becomes who set this up, and why? Superpower name generator Remember that specific effects are better than broad effects. As long as you dont change fundamental things in the universe, theres no problem with making enough changes to slip your magical or psychic powers in. I went through this process recently with an RPG Ive been working on. Most priests wouldnt be any more concerned with gods than the average person. WESTERN VOLCANO, based off of western dragons in design, very likely chance of getting weak to strong Combustial magic, very rare chance of getting another type of magic as well. I gave the most basic rundown I could. If you think about it, youll realize theres no reason not to have a rational system. If youre curious about the source We've covered the source, the wielders and they way they wield power, but we still need to cover one of the biggest factors of magic, which is the power itself. Are there other applications that would make sense? This is only my second serious piece of writing, so its really encouraging to hear stuff like that from someone like you. Feats of telekinesis should leave your characters a little exhausted the more energy needed, the higher the exhaustion. Over time more Blacks appeared and White got lonely so they split their body into seven colours. For some systems it could be obvious: for example, as I understand, in the Avatar those guys can control existing non-magical things (water, air, fire, earth). o_o. Hope I did well! If there are intelligent creatures with thought processes different from humans in your story, it would seem especially weird that magic must follow rules that conform to human divisions precisely. Take Noethers Theorem for example. Perhaps the background magic I mentioned earlier could be involved. In The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, magic is like law. And the HPMOR fanfic mentioned above is about a Harry who does want to find out this why although I dont think it succeeds at conveying this particularly well in the story itself.). If there are powerful gods, it might make more sense for magic to come from the divine power of the pantheon. As far as your magic/psychic system goes, I can understand why you put so much thought into it. Magic System Generator Perchance Aside from this, the only other limitation a mage has in magic is their stamina. Harmony: how multiple different vibrations intermingle and interact, depending on the previous too, some Vibrations can overpower another one The cycle of plants harnessing sunlight and Mother taking it back everyday is no longer considered a mystery, but an accepted fact of life. Hard magic systems provide interesting limitations that allow your protagonist to solve problems using their own wits, not raw magical power. The biggest limitation is the training. But usually a person can only ever do one of those three (create, increase or decrease), and only do it for a certain energy type. That boar, the Twrch Trwyth? Like the Force in the first Star Wars Trilogy, which I used as an example, magic in HP is pretty malleable. Source Materials Who and what wields it How to wield it What are the powers? And if you use an elemental magic system be creative, inform yourself what elements are overused already. Is magic kept secret in your story world? Like if in Harry Potter, wizards murdered all the muggles. I've kept the descriptions short in order to mimic descriptions you'd often find in games and other franchises. In other words, readers need to understand how your magic system works to ensure its use feels natural and believable within the context of the story. Oh, I see what I missed last time. Fantasy Name Generator. Will have to give it some thought. Internal logic, that is, otherwise thered always be that magic doesnt exist bit to fight against. Paint can be metaphysical meaning that 0.0005% of the entire population can dabble in spirits though most choose not to. 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. One more thing to keep in mind what if there is an underlying principle, but the characters dont know about it? Thank you so much! Those who do contain their power are called Gluttons, based off of glutton for punishment (could someone help me with the names, im horrible at naming things). In essence, theme is nothing more than an answer to the question, What is this story about? Theres a good chance that your story already contains themes regardless of whether you consciously developed them. Pick just one source; Ill discuss how to add variety to your magic system in the next section. Brings back memories of the magic system I was working on for a really trippy book not really super Lovecrafty per se, but set in modern day Maine among a world of dark magicks and secret cults, so in that sense an echo I lost track of back in my 30s and am just now remembering. Gandalf didnt use his powers to destroy the One Ring, so readers didnt need to know how his magic worked to find the ending of The Lord of the Rings to be believable. Give me your thoughts! Earth and earthy minerals/materials (Since earth is firm, solid and tangible, and since man walks and sleeps on the ground, eats what the ground produces, and has a beneficial relationship with the earth, earth is easy to hold on to for longer periods of time, assuming you dont try to control too much of it at a time). Thats why in emergencies, people have moved cars by pure muscle power to save someone. The system I created is very similar, with some differences. Usually you can figure out if theyre alive, where they are, and how theyre doing; but its hard on your brain to process information for two people at once. The Soft-Hard magic divide is much more useful for writers and if you listen to Sanderson, he is much more careful not to state hard magic is inherently better than soft magic. Are there different types of magic, or did magic diversify over time? I really like the distinction between on the one hand the rational-nonrational scale, on the other hand the hard-soft scale. Since the protagonists are on this side, it would remove a lot of tension. Are you looking to define what weaving one can and cant do? that were made by the gods. Get into religion and the systems of magical belief and practices really explodes. Vibrations function is fundamentally the same as electric signals in the brain, in that there are millions upon millions of different signals being sent and working together to achieve something, even something as simple as moving your arm. Terrifying. (oops, forget this one!). Forms of magic include earth magic, metal magic, plant magic, and animal communication/manipulation. 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. In The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, magic comes from magical spirits like djinn. If anyone interested, here is description of my magic system: Hard magic is one where the audience knows about the rules of magic, so it seems to me that your mention of convey[ing] the rules of your system might actually be referring to hard magic. Hey! If youre working with leylines and the fabric of reality you should model the whole earth as a living thing(as it is)but not necessarily conscious, although that could add tension and the leylines and threads could be like vains in an interconnected system that gets clogged from the knots relating to all manner of natural and unnatural disasters/phenomenon and just like any living thing this system would naturally resemble a circulatory/lymphatic system with currents and nodes to regulate and cleanse said currents. First of all, you need to figure out what both types of magic can do. Because there is no sunlight and no heat, the water is frozen and white, and blankets the ground. We learn the limits of the hard magic systems in the series, such as Sympathy and Sygaldry, while we never learn the limits of Naming. :-), Thanks! The flavor might be of magic based on communication with spirits, although these spirits do have to obey at least some physical laws. It doesn't have to be something natural either, it could be a machine or body enhancement, like a tattoo. Magicians train to control different aspects of reality, but a magician is also constrained to the limits of reality. These people are often social outcasts. The best frameworks have limitations inherent to the way they operate. Its the same way you need to build your world logical for a novel. Limited power creates struggle and conflict, the main hero might be strong, but what happens when an army of thousands have cost him all his powers before he could even reach the main villain? Theres no way to please them or ask them for help, they just do stuff because they want to (very much like the Greek/Roman or Norse pantheons we have). Or make your telepath one who can only read minds when touching someone else (Vulcans from Star Trek work telepathy that way). Thats not exactly what I mean Im talking about low-level How. How does the energy reach an object (including a brain) without affecting and potentially being dissipated by everything in the way (including air)? Magic certain individuals acquire the ability to issue new instructions to existing nanites, whether in the environment or within others bodies. There are plenty of sources you can use, like bodily energies, energies in the air, power bestowed by the gods, powers within blood, pools of magic in the world, a worldwide life force, magical artifacts and so on. Another limit would be limited ability of the user, like Gummy Bear who uses magic, but half of the time cant remember the spell, doesnt find the right one, or just does it wrong.
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