The answer to which one (or more) to pick is again entirely dependent on what you need from your magic in your story universe. For telepathy and telekinesis, you mention sources of energy. Coins, gems, art objects, and magic items from the d20 SRD . Novice mages are taught how to bring out their mana to create energy bolts, shields, weapons, and constructs. Both Harry Potter and Avatar: The Last Airbender are hard magic systems, because they explain magic and its rules to the audience. This was implemented to further refine (/complicate?) In the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, magic (called bending) is embodied by the four elements of air, water, fire, and earth, plus spiritual energy. The magical effects that affect the physical world all manipulate one of the four fundamental forces of physics. Emotion-based powers arent impossible, just easy to do in a way thats ultimately unsatisfying. What themes will your magic system discuss? Thank you Cay, for making me think more about what i want my theme to be. Been developing a magic system for a story of mine thats in its early development stages. The problem would lie in too many types for an already-complex magic system. I dont want to write something that turns out to be nonsensical. Others get a bit more pleasing mutations; sensory enhancements, enhanced reflexes, strength, bone density, accelerated healing. You can make it mysterious just by hiding how it operates. Spells are also incredibly varied, which makes adding randomized details a . The cycle of plants harnessing sunlight and Mother taking it back everyday is no longer considered a mystery, but an accepted fact of life. In this world, soon to be named, certain people have access to an energy that is the personification of nature. Wizards arent included in this; as far as we know, you cant just simmer a wizard in a pot for a few days and end up with a magic potion. An elemental mage could probably use several elements, if they trained for it. The Sorcerers faction includes wizards and witches and then theres sub factions with in the faction that include the like of temptresses, necromancers and others I cant seem to remember though I have them written down somewhere. Now that youve brainstormed the effects, sources, and causes of magic, you can put all three together! Im sure there are phenomena of nature that are plot holes in this magic system. Reading this made me realize that while Ive got the source pretty nailed down, I dont actually have much else figured out yet! 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. One world I thought of involves magic based around Life, Metal (mostly magical machinery), Water, Mind, Soil, and Dragons (the rarest), and many in-universe cultures consider these natural divisions, but I suspect Chris Winkle would consider this system non-rational. LEARNED: obtain magic through studying. Gestures could be used to move molecules (that would be how Avatar does it). Like gods, you can ask spirits for help. Another aspect of it are the Akashic Records where all the information of Creation is stored. Since the protagonists are on this side, it would remove a lot of tension. There is a bit more magic involved in the storyline, but just for that part, do you think that all makes sense? Maybe its impossible, and I dont know, although Ive tried to figure out. Characters could control those energies by some kind of telekinesis (Thoughts & will) plus Mana energy. That Interferer found others like them and went around killing the common people in revenge for shunning them and taking Conduits prisoner (to use them for power). Mages connected to certain Primals are sometimes more common in parts of the world than others. 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. Maybe each thought produces a tiny amount of energy that allows for sending a nerve signal to, say, cause a body part to move. I dont think that interactionist dualism (or psychic powers existing) is likely to be true in real life, but if I were creating fictionI could include that. They have averge control over their ability. Just because there are rules doesnt mean theyre rational. They weave certain spells out of the fabric of reality. I feel that doing so, would provide some much needed structure as I go through the worldbuilding process but Im worried that it could make my Mages feel less wizardy, and more like X-men? But at extremely high levels (Demi god level) the breeze might be enough. Do magic users have their own language, religion, festivals, and/or other cultural hallmarks? Magic System Generator Perchance Magic System Generator This magic system focuses on manipulating luck. Another way of looking at sources is from a material point of view. High Magic and Low Magic. Some prices for their cooperation can even be steep, such as sacrificing something precious or offering up ones soul. If there are important mines in your world, for example, it might make sense for magic to come from metals. I see the basis of a rational magic system there, and you have good limits. Each house is limited to one type of magic and students are not sorted by their character at the age of 11, but by what magic they have an affinity for. I still have hopes to use it someday, but Im not sure for reasons Ill give soon. Advantages: you can summon a physical form of your paint to help fight with you, you can make deals with your contractor sacrificing parts of your power to gain special moves or stronger attacks, becoming closer to your contractor makes your flow stronger Its time to create a system of rules that will feel cohesive and logical. Start by looking for further implications of what youve already established. While I have thought of several different magic systems, Ill present the one I conceived of first. Oh, and thanks for the compliments! And the Aether is born from our Thoughts and Actions, more specifically, our Souls. 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. PEELED him? Their technology and motivations could be very different from human ideas. The duration for using paint is limited and if your paint bottle runs out life will slowly start to sap out of you. Lich could do for those who contain the energy, as liches go on living long after they should be gone, so essentially containing life energy past their due date. There are others who feel this way as well. ), Im just really curious to know more about your magic! Hope I dont sound like a rabid Potterhead but I dont think its irrational! I understand your point. All of Creation is born from a single point in time, that exists both Space, Time, Existence, or Consciousness, what we call The Sephirot, or The Spark, or the Egg of Creation, it goes by many names. The elemental magic of Avatar is a great example of splitting the same form of magic into different types. This is harder to work with, because the divine are technically spellcasters themselves, and incredibly powerful ones. Easier than fire/heat and air/wind, but it takes training.). Or some effect it has on the world? Im using the elements as chemical states and even nature transforms between them (ice to water, water to steam, or the other way around for water). Magic in Tolkien is a reflection of _spiritual_ power. Many receive horrible mutations, the nanites only know that they are to better humanity but they have no notion of what being a human means, some are physically melded into grotesque shapes, some lose their minds becoming like feral beasts. So I know a few things. Should I divide my Mages into sub-classes (similar to Sandersons Mistborn)?? Calm Creature. Occult Network-- The magic Internet. Mages trained in a world with little power usually are very strong in one with more power, because they can make a lot out of a little. In general, creating a system that is more limited in effect and creates more problems with casting makes for better stories. For a similar reason, simple exhaustion, without any other defined limits, is generally a weak way to limit an ability in the story. How do I come up with subtypes that would suit the main types of magic? And those explanations would make sense within the storys universe and would always be true. So Id rather go science fiction, or full-on, its my world, I make the rules magic. Anyone who uses the magic of these Towers will have a name that corresponds to the pair, not just the Tower they draw from. Such as the Sorcerers have staves and other magical items that are extensions of them selves(of course most people already knew that). By making sure magic has costs, you can force your protagonists to be clever and resourceful when they solve problems. Mistakes as huge as that one turn people off reading your stories. In the fourth book, Harry doesnt know any flying spells, so he uses the Summoning Spell to call his broomstick. And there are laws to the magic, they may not be as strict as some novels and series, but they are there. However, they are actually Ancient Greek classifications and not modern science-based, so they arent really natural. 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. If youre having trouble, you can say there are many more categories but knowledge of them has been lost. Its not uncommon for people to have phantom sensations or memories weeks later. Paint can hold curses that are also genetic (curses can make a person stronger but the price is extremely high) You can find that kind of magic partially in a system like Magic The Gathering (which has earth, fire, and air I think its been a while). It will allow to make some zones where one or other magic will not work, or otherwise where will be much easier to cast specific spells. Eating it makes them very sick, but because of this immune reaction, they can cast more powerful spells. GIVEN: obtained magic through an illegal potion or spell cast by a very powerful mage. Internal logic, that is, otherwise thered always be that magic doesnt exist bit to fight against. It violates local conservation laws and relativity (whats simultaneous in one reference frame is not in other frames). I wouldnt work with spells with such a system. The value of the memory is determined by how much it affects the mage, and whether its repeatable or replaceable after the original is given up. You could explain telekinesis (telepathy, too, I guess) with having invisible energy arms which are connected to your body and grab the object in question (or create a connection to another being for telepathy). Those are just considerations, however, when it comes to flaws I only really see one. And the thing that makes up all of the energy is spiritual Vibrations. Those are the things I thought about, let me know if it helped you improve! To the audience it will feel like every part fits together, even if theyre not precisely sure how. SWd6 System Generator. When a mage makes a contract with a spirit, what are they paying with? This also gives some spirits incentive to become a mages familiar they get much more experience of the human world by being there than collecting random memories. Another rare one is magic transference, my idea of that one is gaining an ability that an extinct race once used, examp. Do note that sharing elements with other works of fiction is near impossible to avoid, magic has been used in so many stories so the chances of whichever power you think of not being used already are very slim and those which haven't been used might not even be worth using in the first place. Nanite clustering effects::kind of dangerous though, theyre a lot like tumors, and have a tendency to grow. 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. This allows for the reader to know what is or isnt possible. Heres a couple ways to mix it up while retaining a consistent feel. Follow her work on hannahyang.com or on Twitter at @hannahxyang. They're overall stregenth of that ability is average. However, understanding how magic can operate in fiction is key to ensuring that your magic system serves your story rather than undermines it. More so they come out on the other side changed Demonic magic is based on bad and Angelic magic is based on good. In many worlds such as Star Wars, this force is generated by living things. I see where you are coming from on a few of these points but perhaps since Ive read the series so many times I think they miss the mark. Like actually dodge the spell physically? Well, your protagonists will use magic to solve some of their problems. Probably best if I give you an example. Building Your Own Hard Magic System. To avoid adding a sense of arbitrariness, your choice of categories must feel natural. There are roughly two types of fantasy. What I really dont like about this article is the formula on how to create a magic system. The expeditions that have come back tell of fantastical landscapes, filled with mystic flora and fauna. Nature as a such comes in every now and then as well. Learn everything you need to know about grammar. I havent even gotten to the actual magic yet. In The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, practitioners of the Skill can communicate to each other telepathically. In fact, they are drawing on residual energy left behind when a spirit interacts with the human world. So, this sheet is meant to help fantasy world-builders (for any media, not just writing) create the magic systems for their worlds. 3. Generate random magic shops with items from the d20 SRD. magic system. I see some interesting potential with that. Magic that powerful would leave a large fingerprint on the world, and if you dont avoid ultra-powerful characters, it can also break your plot. Group A (Comment if you have a better name), They cant stop their emotion from changing surfacing and tend to be extra emotional. Ocean magic is strongest during winter. The Lord of the Rings is a low magic setting, but it is a high fantasy setting. If by the end of your story the hero has reached twice or more times the power of the strongest person at the beginning of the story, how come nobody ever reached that same level? Soft magic systems are the opposite of hard magic systems: they dont need to have a clearly defined set of rules. The readers should, after reading a bit of the story, develop an understanding for how people do magic. (Unless you take the elements as actually solid, liquid, gas, and plasma, but this isnt mentioned in the show itself, might make magic too powerful, and there are some states of matter that dont fit into these groups). Other beings and worlds exist on the other higher planes, essentially are in a higher state of Existence, or State of Being, determined by Spiritual Awareness, beyond what a mortal of our Plane can even fathom. Accio and depulso, for example, are taught one-after-another: pretty straightforward. Both the caster and Given are in prisoned if police find out, but the caster is normally in for 10-30 years. At least not on earth, as far as we can tell. Different fighters prefer different methods, so combining the ideas could lead to a larger variety and possibly a richer world. My train of thought was a bit of a runaway train. It would foreshadow his powers at the end of the story, when he faces off against Voldemort controlling all types of magic. Although, I have made some changes. 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. The spellbook kind of magic is more of a preference, like if they dont want to be apart if any of the fighting and just rather hang back. I have three ways to get magic, and four types of magic, and several races of dragon. Ive since abandoned it and am working on something that, while in a similar vein, is quite different. By the time of my story, the nanites have taken up residence pretty much EVERYWHERE. ), the rarest of the three. If they need to rely on chanted rituals, they cant do something in a few seconds and they cant start a ritual while the enemy is looking for them, because the voice would lead the enemy to the hiding spot. Some people are good at magic, others are not. There are clear limits of what they can do, and things like resurrection and time manipulation are some of these limitations. What about pine trees and the like, since they are always green what explanation could be given for why the mother does not retaliate against them? What did you think alchemy was? Remember the problem with any kind of existing lore: someone out there whos reading your stories is an expert in it and will be pretty annoyed if you just wing it and your version has next to nothing in common with reality. One of the most common elements in these books is a magic system. Its unclear whether there are any other self-casting old magic spells besides this one. The steps of rituals are based on hearsay, so its hard to know whats actually necessary. I have recently, but have wrote before, in my world created a new magic systems. I would suggest that you make it so your gods just randomly interact with the world. Spell lists ala D&D can be fun, but spell creation in a limited system can be very flavorful. Fantasy Random Generator. this is all super helpful! Talking of the wedding feast: Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Water was taken and later give back. Ill consider what you said and make some changes. If you want conservation of energy, you could show those who use specific powers, magical or psychic, having to replenish that energy in some way (through food, meditation, or something similar). That can have a lot of applications. I love your idea Madden, however if i may point out one significant flaw that you will very quickly need to address. Many systems treat magic as energy similar to heat, magnetism, electricity, or movement.
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