I have three ways to get magic, and four types of magic, and several races of dragon. What I dont agree with is the idea that there is somehow an objective way to determine whether the rules of magic make sense or not, as magic isnt real and what is considered natural is culture-dependent. As far as using body energy outside of the body is concerned, this is something you will have to wing. Here are more ideas for them. Martin or the show writers lean hard by revealing how it works, I think theyll reveal something thats logically consistent. They can do things with water, and also move farther away from their source (something other nymphs cannot physically do). A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R.R. That guy was supposed to be a REAL nasty bugger in terms of, you know, nobody whos ever gone to hunt this creature has ever come back alive, and all that jazz? 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. This has been extremely helpful! (In this case, dispelling the Spiritual (Emotional) aspects associated with Fire in this case Anger/Passion. Maybe something with an eclipse? 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 . Viewpoint characters dont use magic and the audience doesnt understand how it operates. 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. 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). 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. Maybe death magic is evil and life magic is good, and both fit the theme of controlling peoples lives. Perhaps, the basic power influenced by the caster is stronger at a certain time of the month (new moon or full moon for instance) or of the day (noon, midnight, sundown, sunrise). This type of magic is tricky and potentially dangerous, as the faerie in question could seek out loopholes that benefit them and take more from the person than what was agreed. All life on Terra (my world) is born with a connection to one of these Primals, and what magic they can perform depends on the Primal theyre connected to. ^.^ The cosmic balance is set up to where the Aether and Souls rely on eachother, Aether creates and maintains the World and Aether flourished and continues to exist through our Actions. Some kind of energy tentacles, if you want a picture. From the other side, putting lot of fire energy into single point will produce real fire, moving air energies will make air blows. Thanks to this article I have been able to advance my magic system up from the basics and I just want to run this by someone who is not me: My magic system is called Paint. (Incidentally has one of the worst magic systems in literary history). Like species in our world evolved so did the magic in their world, with their ancestors using a specific type of magic and pased it down it just became a part of them. Nevertheless, I will go with your assumption for what follows for the moment, as it does involve fewer changes to known physical laws and is easier to discuss (plus, I already mentioned some of the consequences of lack of conservation in my previous post). Now we go back to the Beginning. If an elemental mage can only use elements which are not opposite, they have to choose between the four elements when they start training. Lets say powers are granted by a changing lineup of gods, and the ocean goddess has three children that control the wind, waves, and depths. : In this world, soon to be named, certain people have access to an energy that is the personification of nature. My train of thought was a bit of a runaway train. It is the rarest of the Primals to be connected to. 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). There are two types of people in this world, Conduits and Interferers (though Inteferers prefer to be called Whisperers). Ask yourself what sources will work well for the magical effects you want to use, and what sources will work well within the world you have created. In a rational system, there would be an explanation for how magic works where it comes from, what limits there are, how it is used. But think about trying to hold water cupped in your hand; its still difficult. Motion Wraith, lich, or revenant for example. Do you prefer planning things out logically (hard magic), or going with your gut (soft magic)? I just think that Sanderson hard-soft magic divide is much more useful for novel writers. Magic is one of the essential elements of any fantasy story. Really sorry about the length but Im really happy with this magic system and am wondering what other people might think of it- and the people here seem like they know what theyre talking about and are enthusiastic to hear more. In Avatar, there is one person every generation who violates the rule that people can bend only one element. I also like the conspiracy, theres not many like that in high fantasy which makes it cool. 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. Although, to be fair, I do see the magic in everything - nature, science, writing. Another elite bending technique is Astral Projection since their are the most spiritual of benders. Potion-making probably would make more sense, if there was more talk about the properties of the ingredients and what they do. This may or may not be an insuperable obstacle. Novice mages are taught how to bring out their mana to create energy bolts, shields, weapons, and constructs. Notes on the world: humans are at a hunter-gatherer to city-state level of development, gods are real but you can never talk with them, spirits are everywhere and run on fae logic, and demons are corrupted spirits that will ravage towns/cities and curse people. A system where the only users of this magic are at first the cultists until the Heroes learn it out of necessity and self-defence, and accepting the price that it separates them farther from the group consensus of reality which is the measure by which society defines sanity, and that in fact belonging to a species of animal as social as humans are means that diverging too far from your species in the way you perceive and experience reality carries certain risks and costs to it, more or less well understood to tradition and to the majority of systems of magic because what most of these theories agree on is that the more minds believe that something is So, the more difficult it is for one individual Mind to impose a different understanding than what the Many agree on EVEN IN THE PERSONAL REALITY the putative magician themselves inhabits, and CERTAINLY if they have to use the force of their personality, belief and magic to convince other individuals that what THE MAGICIAN believes as fact is in actual good and honest coin Really So in the shared consense reality they all co-inhabit by reason of their shared belief that they do in fact have at least some things in common in their universes, enough to make a Reality of and enforce/defend it by the power of your shared beliefs. These people are often social outcasts. They have to learn magic to use it. This same punishment theory may explain why humans are killed for trying to harness and redistribute sunlight. Can a magic user be identified by their clothing, appearance, or some other distinguishing physical factor? But the curse also leaves behind a power that is unique for the person. Paint can hold curses that are also genetic (curses can make a person stronger but the price is extremely high) What do I do now? 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. There are plenty of stories where power just keeps building and building, which eventually makes the characters at the beginning of the story weak in comparison even though they were seen as incredibly powerful at that time. Sure, go ahead. Could you chip in? You could even have a combination of two or more sources, but choosing which are best suited for your system will largely depend on what you need from your magic within your story universe. I understand your point. The lich controls the power and consumes it, the specre is consumed by it. It would foreshadow his powers at the end of the story, when he faces off against Voldemort controlling all types of magic. The thread is being used up at such a rate that the next generation may have none at all. Technically, anyone can use holy magic, but it takes years to become proficient. Im sure theres a deeper meaning in this. If they can do whatever they want with it, it sounds like conduits being a battery is the only real difference between them. It tries to convince the reader the newly defined rational magic system is what every fantasy writer should strive for. In most, if not all movies, there clearly arent rules for magic, or if there are, there arent many. Im glad youre feeling encouraged! If thats the case, youll want to make animal spirits more common and less powerful like plant spirits, and air spirits rarer and more powerful like water spirits. First of all, you need to figure out what both types of magic can do. Dont expect to put out a perfect draft, having to do revisions or rewrites is disappointing, but its a normal part of the process that helps us strengthen our skills. how would you define the users magical abilities)? Could a small group of magic wielders defeat an army of non-magic wielders? All are well known for changing things theyre associated with into other things or even changing other women into one of them, so that can be fun. In the Harry Potter universe, magic works in several different ways: These three sets of rules dont appear related to each other. All you need are the right ingredients, follow the right steps, and have the right mindset. If youre new to the genre, its easy to fall back on tropes youve seen before. You should ensure that the conflict and resolutions in your story arent as fickle as the magic. Olwens father told Kilhwch he wanted that comb, razor and scissors to dress his beard with on the day of the wedding, before he would allow him to marry his daughter. Just a drop in, but your explanation of the plant use in relation to magic should be credited to Robin McKinleys use of it in the Hero and the Crown when the MC eats the Surka plant.. it almost seems like this is your reference base. Limits can come in all sorts of varieties, the ones we've covered are: how to wield it (being disarmed), how to gain power, power limit, limited power source, cost of powers, the ability to combine powers or not, racial differences and whether or not you're born with a specific amount of power and talent or not. But it also refers to the effects of the nanite plague. 2) Paper. Other than that your spells can be pretty much anything, from destructive to healing spells, elemental to demonic spells and from conjurations to enchantments. Magic types: This is a pretty nice article, and it has inspired me to think more about the magic systems I create. Just because there are rules doesnt mean theyre rational. Magicians have no power of their own except through the spirits they command. If Luke needs guidance to hit that exhaust port, the Force can guide him. I wouldnt use categories of magic to add structure thats just adding more complexity. 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). And it would explain the marked as an equal thing, too. Its a generic job title for people whose main concern is to maintain relationships with local spirits and practice holy magic so they can pacify demons. Choose the right magic system for your fantasy novel without the headache. There's a wide variety of ways to wield magic, ranging from staves, wands and tomes to scrolls, artifacts and created objects and even which body part you use and how many (1 hand, 2 hands, eyes, entire body, etc.). First, if its similar to someone elses that is purely coincidental. First, the magical system is based off European history and mythology. These effects all involve either draining, manipulating or sensing magical forces, including the stuff that runs the internal workings of magical creatures. Creating a system from scratch can feel incredibly overwhelming. Some get better with time, some get worse. There are roughly two types of fantasy. Once youve figured out what kind of system you need, its time to start building! In Dune, those who are exposed to spice develop powers over time. Heres what you need to think about. Absorb Project Summon Dispel Protect Destroy Restore. In this world i was playing with humanity had long ago developed nanotechnology as a means of improving quality of life; whether that meant cleaning up the environment, being used for medical purposes, or for body augmentation didnt really matter. The air swirled out into the hallway, successfully blowing out the lit torch but haphazardly knocking it off its supports. My major problem is that the subtypes dont connect with the main types of magic (demonic and angelic). The Force can do precisely what is needed. Even with a teacher it takes years to become proficient. Whatever you figure out, it should have an internal logic. 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. Heres how this system might break down: A long list of constraints will make it much easier to craft conflicts in your story. As such, a being of the Physical Plane cannot exist in a Higher Plane, as their Consiousness isnt on a high enough leven to be able to sustain itself, you wouldnt even be able to think of yourself as an actual being, and so you just, cease to exists. And you have the buffer, often a rogue or priest, who can either buff the own group (healing, boosting skills) or debuff the enemy (lowering attack or defence most often). Practitioners are all female. The cycle of plants harnessing sunlight and Mother taking it back everyday is no longer considered a mystery, but an accepted fact of life. This allows for more ready, flexible use of magic, but one has to be careful how much they use at once or risk damaging both the spirit and themselves. And the One became Two, Two became Three, and Three became All Things, (Actions) When youre brainstorming magical costs, try to be creative. However, this doesn't have to be the case, the hero might not be strong enough on his own, but with other fighters the combined power might be enough to defeat the villain as well. Roughly, looks like extended noun+verb system, right? 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. Just watch out for the unaffected 1%. About the Avatar thing, what you are saying makes more sense to me now. Stuff falls down, not up, for instance. Here are four common categories you can consider. Why is it important for a hard magic system to have rules? Everyone is also born with it. 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. Broken cities, old equipment, enchanted odds and ends from modern society. Earth magic is strongest during Spring. You just need a set of guidelines that all of your spirits/nymphs follow. That way, it would mean using that energy to influence an element. I havent even gotten to the actual magic yet. 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. Sympathetic spirits will take pity, accepting minor payment (maybe even the painful memory of seeing said loved one get shot). Do you guys have questions? These are the 7 forms of energy this magic affects. They weave certain spells out of the fabric of reality. Youll have to figure out exactly what characteristic weft threads are adding, but thats completely doable. However, a few fantastical powers can go a long way toward livening up many fantasy stories. Easier than fire/heat and air/wind, but it takes training.). So, for each point in environment will be possible to calculate the energy value. Tell us about them in the comments below. Why should the magic be complete or symmetrical? As far as the potions issue, again, these are based off historical ideas about magic and potions. Lastly, I think the magical structure and logic might not be as fully fleshed out because the focus of of the story is not on that. If you do, how will you split the elements between the two sides? This helped me separate my thoughts and put them into their own categories. Cant help but feel its lacking in creativity and complexity, but thats for another day. If you use magic (or psychic powers) like a Deus Ex Machina, enabling your magic users (or psychics) to do whatever the story needs, without any understandable reason why they can do all this, you have something else. For now, Im thinking that the energy will be a 3D field spreaded around (basically, just a math function). First, think through what magic is capable of doing in a theoretical best case scenario. Its crazy long but definitely adds logic to the system :D and its a nerdy heaven. 8 Magic System Ideas to Enhance Your Fantasy Writing This is really good! That will tell you what the Empire could have that the mages cant just conjure for themselves. Having people combine spells into more powerful versions could make for a great epic battle at the end, but at the same time not allowing them to be able to combine spells could provide for epic fights as well. Harry realizes what hes done and looks for a counter-spell, instead of just hopelessly thinking Oh no! That means the stories cant foreshadow spells prior to their explicit introduction, and when a protagonist has to face a tough problem, they cant get out of it by inventing new spellwork. 9. I've kept the descriptions short in order to mimic descriptions you'd often find in games and other franchises. Students learn all of the spells by memorization, because theres no logic underpinning how they operate. Even without understanding the details, it feels like it all fits together. The second Twist to my setting is that the magic in my world is in fact technological in origin, Yep, Im doing the whole forgotten tech trope :-), The Grey Death is in fact a invasive form of Nanotechnology, accidentally released into the public. You need to make your sub-types of magic logical parts of the main type of magic. I forgot Theosophy! The magic was based essentially off the interplay between my hereditary inclination towards poetry and a book on quantum physics Id just read entitled Space, Superspace and the Quantum Universe which explored the newly proposed theory of quantum mechanics that by some quantum physicists said by our observation of the physical universe we live in we are, in ways measurable to quantum physics, IN FACT INFLUENCING WHAT ITS STRUCTURE ACTUALLY IS. And i aint going to be touching it ever again, so if you or anyone else finds some sort of use from it, have fun. I would use something else than Gluttons. Thank you Cay, for making me think more about what i want my theme to be. Your powers will be just as draining as a Bornes magic. Its important to define what the magic user can manipulate and how/why. Kristen now works as a creative wellness coach and offers new resources through her personal website at kristenkieffer.co. But you can use pretty much anything you wish, whether it's a magic absorbing rock, special water or perhaps a type of wood. Cool system, sounds like it has great story possibilities. I have read an anecdote in which members of a certain tribe classified an orange with a knife, rather than an orange with an apple as the Western researchers expected, reasoning that a knife cuts an orange so they belong together. 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. Those rules shouldnt be arbitrary, like fire magic doesnt work on Tuesdays or you cant cast an illusion spell in months without an R in their name. The rules need to make sense within the system. actuallydragon glass is NOT made from dragon fireits just some rock that forms naturally: obsidian. Fast forward a couple thousand years and some genius manges to find a way to control paint by collecting it into a special bottle. People who practice this form of magic are called lucalurgists. Human variation in magical ability is determined by how much excess soul they have, after running all of their brain activity. These expeditions have all been disaster, as the concentration of Ghoul (better then Specters at least) is much higher in those areas. You could just, you know, move out of the way? Re: hollow mages this is the fate of the previous mage who had the protagonists familiar she traded away bits of her life in order to extend it, until she ends up functionally immortal but with very little of her original self left, (she breaks the bond with her familiar in the process in order to make deals with more powerful spirits). To give them an exceptional ability that stands out from the masses, change or break one rule youve established for your magic system. . One final aspect to think about is whether or not those who cannot wield power can somehow gain the ability to do so and if those who can wield magic can lose the ability do so and if those changes can be reverted. Which is why you need to attach a heavy price. Sorry for the late reply I had went out for the past few days. They have averge control over their ability. This works the same for all energy types. Bestselling Author Joanna Penn Compares, How to Write a Book: The Best Creative Writing Courses Online, Self-Publishing 101: A Step-by-Step Guide to Sharing Your Idea With the World, ProWritingAid Presents: Crime Writer's Week, Free Giveaway: The Ultimate Crime Writer's Toolkit, The 25 Best Fantasy Books & Novels of All Time: Our Top Picks, Omnipotent Characters: Why Marvel Sidelined Thor, Vision, and Captain Marvel, Six Tried and Tested Methods for Writing a Novel, How to Outline Your Novel With Scrivener's Outliner and Corkboard, Fantasy Writers' Week Premium Hub: Presented by ProWritingAid, Hear from bestselling authors and educators like, Learn from bestselling authors and educators in live sessions, Master outlining, writing, editing, publishing and more, Meet like-minded fantasy writers in networking events. They instead study the laws of nature and learn to manipulate them. Those who are consumed are called Specters (im going with an evil theme for this one). Is there a cap on the users' magical abilities? Why you should create a rational magic system as a writer? Thank you! Money? Like this, the Avatar system makes it clear where the limits are, for everyone but the Avatar. to be a Mind, whose role is to Think; and the Magic comes when it is possible to use that Thinking to affect what Is and what is possible to Be. There are 4 main types of magic systems in fantasy. Ideas for Original & Unique Magic Systems : r/fantasywriters - reddit This suggests that telepathy and telekinesis (at least if I go with something like your suggestion) imply some form of teleportation. I think youre overthinking things a little in your example. Ripple: The last step. 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 steps of rituals are based on hearsay, so its hard to know whats actually necessary. A Guide to Writing Magic Systems | The Fantasy Hive I have two things to talk about. Four Ways to Limit Magic & Technology Those limits are important! Im creating a story set in a dragon-people city, but humans do exists. Shocker (electric) However, scholars and Wise Ones know that harnessing sunlight is possible, for virtually every plant known to this world is more than capable of harnessing sunlight, and does so continuously, every day. These properties can give limitations but also make some stronger. Its mysterious. If rational magic systems only had a basic framework, they might get dull. If Rowling had, for instance, done more with the four houses, things might have been different. For a small redistribution of energy or matter, this is hardly a large price to pay. If they are limited, its usually not by some universal magical law, but rather a handicap in their source of power. Might a healer whos seen one too many field hospitals after a brutal siege just stop caring enough to heal effectively? Forms of Star magic include telepathy, telekinesis, mind control, astral projection, and precognition. You can get away with a strange assortment if you have mechanics that explain it. However, humans actually have relatively little energy I dont have the precise numbers, but I have read that using only your own energy, you wouldnt actually be able to lift very much at all. Im definitely not saying these problems are insurmountable, just that I do need to think a lot about them. What are the interconnections between the ideas Ive come up with? Its said more than once that really powerful wizards and witches can do wandless magic or even do magic without saying the spells. Are there magical societies or a hierarchy of magic users? Spectres might do for those who are consumed and become ghosts connected to that energy. There are, of course, drawbacks. Humanity loses control of the system, the factories start belching out nanites into the atmosphere, these new nanites containing instructions that are corrupted, missing a few bytes here and or even having added a few. It is inspired from some character sheets that ask you a series of questions. [The post scarcity podcast was also very helpful.]. Souls allow us to exist as Individuals, separate from the Aether.