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In Game of Thrones, the red woman throws leaches into a fire, and later several lords die far away. Once again, grab a sheet of paperthis time to brainstorm magical sources. In The Last Airbender storyline, Waterbending, Firebending, and Earthbending all have elite applications that not all benders can achieve, while air doesnt. Like I said, its early days but any feedback or suggestions would be super-welcome!! Strength no longer depends on physical brute force but many new factors make it so much more complex. A strong starting point in order to define your world as "other" to our own is selecting your world's name. High Fantasy and Low Fantasy. Students learn all of the spells by memorization, because theres no logic underpinning how they operate. Of course, I wasnt interested in my universe following all of the laws of physics in our universe. Calm Creature. Though I have some questions mainly concerning what allows some to manipulate this balance for a certain time? For example, the Goddess of the Hunt will give a blessing that will increase the accuracy and strength of your bow, as long as you dont eat after dark. If a character casts spells with a combination of substances, dance moves, and symbols drawn in charcoal, assign a role to each component. Below, Ive outlined six general steps you can follow to forge an effective magic system for your story. Some get better with time, some get worse. Not using items doesn't have to mean a magic wielder is always capable of wielding it though. Can ones magical abilities be stolen or suppressed through fantastical or physical means? Once you've figured out who can wield it it's time to figure out how they can wield it. What atmosphere will my story have? Hermione explains this to Ron in the seventh book when he mentions bringing food out of nowhere. Take Noethers Theorem for example. Become a patron. 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? 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. Paint is a very volatile substance that if held can burn off skin In my mind, rituals are the middle ground between divine magic and holy magic. That would then explain why accidential magic can happen when someone is enraged or otherwise under emotional pressure its triggered subconsciously. 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. 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). Have holy magic as something humans can gain through service to the gods, but have the gods as some random element that cannot be influenced at all. Could perhaps some or all of them be elements alongside the classic four? I have three ways to get magic, and four types of magic, and several races of dragon. Most of the time, this yearning leads them to the Towers, where they are never seen again. Your storys magic system may fall somewhere between these two extremes, and thats perfectly fine so long as you understand the role that magic serves within your story. Also I thought about it and further developed it. 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.). Remember that specific effects are better than broad effects. (For example, no effects that cover too large an area or are too far from the caster or use too much energy). The issues with this idea are a) adding more complexity to my magic system and b) giving more power to the side of the war that directly contracts spirits. It cant summon rain or make someone invisible, for instance. The mystery is in the water that the Living Mother leaves behind on the plants when the sunlight returns again. 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. Brandon Sanderson has a knack for creating alluring, original magic systems that immerse the reader into the fictional universe. Broken cities, old equipment, enchanted odds and ends from modern society. 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). Group B dont have magic at all. 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. Color: the type of color determines what kind of effect the Vibration will have on the Physical World. Trying to do anything that involves pushing against or even breaking natural law will require aid from outside forces. And along the way you provided a lot of good supporting material. Its just something to be careful about. Basically at the begining of the universe the two forces (or gods) Chaos & Order struggled over which would have dominion over the world- Order appeared to win with the natural world as it is ordered and follows laws of physics ect. They have to learn magic to use it. Characters ability to control/convert each type of energy goes from some skills which could be improved and basically limited by amount of energy which the character can control at any single spell. For now, Im thinking that the energy will be a 3D field spreaded around (basically, just a math function). Everything in Tolkiens world is carefully designed to avoid being preachy; but most of it also has a carefully thought out moral and spiritual basis, and certain elements (like whether orcs have free will, and are therefore capable of redemption, and the implications of what that means in terms of how the good characters treat them and the conflict with the literary need for a clearly identifiable group of bad guys) troubled him to the end of his life and which he was never able to resolve to his own satisfaction. How would a non-magic wielder fight a magic wielder? He was, um, originally a king that God transformed for his sins into a boar, and his seven sons as piglets, and he had, um, a comb, razor, and scissors between his ears and HE was prophesied to die when he lost them. This isnt a formula for magic systems, but a guide for those not sure where to start or what exactly is a magic system. but gods, spirits, and demons can. 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). Theyre part of a task force to reweave the knots. In a world where the entire population can wield magic you might not have this conflict, not unless some are worse at wielding magic than others. These systems usually adopt limitations from physics, even though physics is no longer a limiting factor. Anywhere there is festivity or drinking he might try to have some fun, which could make for an epic night or a lot of destruction; hes the bane of every tavern and bar. Thanks! Bit of background on the names, also random worldbuilding you can skip: Conduits were though to be channeling the energy of the gods, as when they are full they glow slightly but Conduits cant do anything with their energy by themselves. Or does it speed up molecules/atoms to heat up an object (if we have mostly realistic world)? A mages magic can be stronger or weaker depending on how much access to a Primal they have at a given time. You might need more development in the how magic is accessed and directed area. Shocker (electric) Does the use of power exact a particular cost? Fantasy Name Generator. Robert Asprins MYTH novels actually do a good job limiting magic in a similar way. Im creating a story set in a dragon-people city, but humans do exists. This creative freedom is exciting, but it also requires a lot of world building work to invent a fleshed out and textured fantasy world. The way it goes is that the universe of our perception is just a projection, an illusion if you will, of the real World, the Sea of Energy. A wizard casts a powerful spell. Theyre usually gifted to devout followers, but anyone can use them once they figure out how it works. If you dont have enough power to spare, the spell fizzles. Others get a bit more pleasing mutations; sensory enhancements, enhanced reflexes, strength, bone density, accelerated healing. If you havent seen it yet, I also recommend looking at my other post on magic systems: https://mythcreants.com/blog/how-to-create-an-eclectic-magic-system/ its better suited to creating effects that are varied and complex. I just made it up, I had no idea there was a magic system out there that was so similar. If the mage could deal great damage, at the same time protect themselves, and had no limit in the form of mana, either, why have any other party members at all? I see the basis of a rational magic system there, and you have good limits. Magicians have no power of their own except through the spirits they command. There are two types of people in this world, Conduits and Interferers (though Inteferers prefer to be called Whisperers). 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. Last, heres a fun chart showing the details of magic systems in the most popular works. But we know some things. The costs of magic can be physical, societal, or even financial. Hey, dont know if anyones still commenting on this but here goes. However, if were shown the hero struggling more in fights as a result of exhaustion after using said ability (e.g. Ill give you a specific example of the cultural dependence I mentioned. So, for each point in environment will be possible to calculate the energy value. More so they come out on the other side changed (For the record, though, strong emotion results in power use isnt actually a element I like in a system.). Im finding that my worldbuilding and plotting inform each other more in this story than others Ive worked on. To have the power of the Towers, one must have originated from them, or been taken to it by someone from the Towers. Alrighty, its late and Im tired. Character Power Generator You might want to read them. If you go with that, I really hope youll have a scene where your mage character (or one of them) sees the empty shells that older mages have become, their very last memory bargained away in exchange for a little power. The plants begin to die, and in dying change color and surrender the rest of their water to Mother. OK that was alot and I totally understand if you choose to use none of my ideas or stopped reading halfway through, these are just my thoughts based on my research on how our world works physically and metaphysically. As this energy is formless and intangible, it is naturally attracted to your body and stored there. In general, hard magic should solve problems for your protagonists, while soft magic should cause problems for your protagonists. In fact, they are drawing on residual energy left behind when a spirit interacts with the human world. As Sanderson explains, magic primarily exists to create conflict in fiction. Whether you use the force, a principle like Yin and Yang, some nano-bots, the aether, or something different, is up to your kind of story and what you like most. As a quick example, just think about how many movies and books reuse the theme of elemental magicfire, water, earth, and air. Once you master the flow of paint in your body you can change your appearance temporarily. If your mage has no limits to their powers, where would the conflict be? For example my magic is about energy- but you cant control energy like Motion in the traditional telokinies way (you think & point and it moves anywhere)- instead you can only increase the speed of a moving object or decrease its speed (to a full stop if your skilled enough) or create movement in a static object (only in one direction as if you hit it- and only that single inital pow of motion), So if youd like your magic to be one of the driving forces in the conflict of your story then itll be great to know what you can and cant do with it and understand if there are any limitation to the magic which may make it more rememberable, interesting and unique- plus create a challange for your protagonist who has to use their wits to work around the limitation and solve a problem. 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. This is harder to work with, because the divine are technically spellcasters themselves, and incredibly powerful ones. This is because an all-powerful antagonist makes the story more exciting and perilous, while an all-powerful protagonist achieves the opposite effect. In The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, magic is like law. If you want to go with something necromantic (as spectre and ghoul suggest), you might be able to find something more fitting in that area. The only limit is your imagination. Incantations are used, and using the magic is mentally draining. I would use something else than Gluttons. Many horror movies use soft magic systems to create a sense of fear and dread, while childrens books might use soft magic systems to create a sense of excitement and adventure. In your case, how exactly the will affects something: (Currently called Reformancers, Defining and Refining) The act of changing your sight so you see physical objects as they are, without needing light (eliminates glare and shadows), and the act of changing your sight so you can see a person's inner qualities. Theyre more afraid of the death of their world than their own personal death, however. Demigods have partial powers, which they inherit from their Olympian parents. However, Im not surprised youre getting overwhelmed, youre mixing a lot of different stuff together: Theres nothing wrong with using classic tropes, but if you want to stand out in the crowded world of fantasy, youll need to learn how to use them in an innovative and unique way. 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. I would think about the ways that physicists would classify energy kinetic energy (movement), electrical energy, heat and let your characters manipulate those. But the curse also leaves behind a power that is unique for the person. ie: Water beats Fire, but MY level 5 Fireball beats YOUR level 3 Ice Wall. Why should the magic be complete or symmetrical? The same is true, if I use telekinesis to move that boulder. Its crazy long but definitely adds logic to the system :D and its a nerdy heaven. Professor of Political Theory in Star Trek, contradicting something shes already invented, distill and concentrate the plant down to an elixir, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, heres a fun chart showing the details of magic systems in the most popular works, Building the Raksura: How Martha Wells Fell Into Toxic Tropes, Five Tips for Using an Arbitrary Magic System, Building Wings of Fire: How Sutherland Propped Up Her Plot, Building Hyperion: How Simmons Scattered His World, Building Roshar: How Sanderson Bungled Culture, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi_hcwB8i64, https://mythcreants.com/blog/how-to-create-an-eclectic-magic-system/. Runes are one example which are used a lot, as are crystals and various (unique) artifacts. Anyway, the original inspiration came when I read an article about the philosophy of mind which claimed that interactionist dualism (the idea that the mind is immaterial and the body is material, yet they interact) couldnt be true, with one reason given being that such an interaction would violate conservation of energy. And the way they fight has to do in part what magic they use. That way, it would mean using that energy to influence an element. Following is a list of all the abilities that can be generated by the Abilities Generator. Entire body effects:: For example, you can create a magic system that has very clear rules for your protagonist but only vague rules for your antagonist. Thats because we know dragon glass can kill them and both weapons were forged by dragon flame. Dragon breeds or races (this is with Borne magic): Life is movement and if part of nature isnt moving (even the earth) then it resembles death and not life. Technically, you could link influencing the elements (moving earth to create a wall for instance) to the way Avatar handles it. Talking of the wedding feast: Though thou get this, there is yet that which thou wilt not get. Another way to look at it is evolution. In a way you can see it as choosing between having 2 (or more) people using normal weapons to fight an enemy together. What effect does the use of magic have on the user? In Avatar, there is one person every generation who violates the rule that people can bend only one element. Magic in Tolkien is a reflection of _spiritual_ power. Light? 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? 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. Basically, the magic in my world all comes from spirits, which exist in a dimension parallel to our own. If thats not true and given the types of energies most classical magic systems are throwing around I consider it IMHO to be HIGHLY unlikely then its just splitting hairs whether we call it dodging, blocking or something else, youre REALLY gonna need something magical of your own to make sure that when that nasty spell gets to wherever its target may presently be, that YOU AINT THERE when it arrives! Sorcerers tend to specialize in offensive magic except the temptresses, necromancers and spell book readers. Check out my other generators Your powers will be just as draining as a Bornes magic. The best frameworks have limitations inherent to the way they operate. Fantasy worldbuilding Magic systems Scifi worldbuilding Make Full-Time Passive Income From Book Sales FREE Creative Writer Class: How to Write & Publish a Fiction Book Taught by a Bestselling Author with YEARS of experience doing JUST THIS! Maybe they are all for structural integrity, without them the world explodes outward into the vacuum of nothingness. 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. For example, a tree nymph can make a leaf tornado appear, but cant work with other materials. 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. So you've figured out what the source of your magic is, but who and what can tap into that source? Magic types: 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. Easier than fire/heat and air/wind, but it takes training.). Fire, transformation and order are strongly associated with this system of magic. Their powers go far beyond what has ever been shown before and theres no repercussions for them. It might be argued that the wand and the spell serve to put the mind of the caster in the right mood so they can command the magic. Water constantly replenished in its cycle, rising up as vapor and plummeting down as rain. You can take the time to practice it yourself, but youre better off finding a teacher. Theres three kinds of people: Apaths (Apath, sing. All magic can be learned by anyone, its just that the magic they didnt inherit will be harder to learn. None of those energies could be stored by characters themselves, so they can only use energies from environment.