So eventually, after a little Silly Putty work with words and concepts, I wound up with a magic system where believing something was considered a form of observing it with your mind in the state that you want to be so; that all that I read in the quantum physics book was true and intermeshed perfectly with the various descriptions of magic as being any system where a strong mind or majority of minds is able to influence reality through the strength of its being perfectly itself (e.g. In order to fully capitalise on paint one must find a weapon they work well with and a fight style that suits your body. Some kind of energy tentacles, if you want a picture. 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. This page is absolutely huge, reflecting the fact that I have a rather large number of options in the generator. Random Magic Shop Generator. Summoning rituals or teleportation spells for example, they too could change. Some well-known examples of soft magic systems: In The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. I understand your point. At least not on earth, as far as we can tell. Dont feel discouraged by the problems of your first draft, remember that you will solve them later. Want an offline version of this generator with editing, printing and saving? However, set guidelines for how people react to exposure. And the One became Two, Two became Three, and Three became All Things, (Actions) That works for just Neo, but if you have many spellcasters over long periods of time, someone will be able to smash two planets together. Mana manipulation is a basic form of magic (though anyone can learn this ability through time and training without doing magic at all. Can ones magical abilities be stolen or suppressed through fantastical or physical means? Like gods, you can ask spirits for help. So this sentence: Nanite clustering effects::kind of dangerous though, theyre a lot like tumors, and have a tendency to grow. In real history governments & monarchies & over influential groups typically only become so due to Power, which they get from either, Food, Armies, Technology or Money (and usually one of those can help get you any of the others)- but in a fantasy world Magic would be on that list (the extent of which would depend on its abilities but regardless a group of Mages would without a doubt. Good luck with your universe. Im on my first crack of trying to writing and my magic system feels too simple to me and not sure if its good enough and would like a little insight. There are also spells and counter spells, and characters know when to use themtake for example when Harry accidentally levitated Ron (using levicorpusnot hard to figure out the root for that one). Both are checked on periodically by officials after. Their technology and motivations could be very different from human ideas. Decide on its tone. If I knew that I could kill every jerk i know unapologetically and without remorse, and be assured that someone would be returned to life as a result of that action then whats stopping me from just killing indiscriminately all the time? Specific effects include waking the dead, sending dead spirits back into the afterlife, and binding the dead to follow their commands. 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! Maybe if their contact to spirits is limited, or the spirits themselves have goals that dont line up with the protagonists goals. 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. Ill give you a specific example of the cultural dependence I mentioned. There are roughly two magic systems. Magic does exist and it follows rules is the first rule of a rational system. Gaining power can be done through a whole range of methods, you could train, gain power through an artifact, channel power into 1 person or spell, enhance a body through magic (or other means), simply study magic and how it works, siphon souls from other magical beings, gain a blessing (or curse) of a god or demon and much more. 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). 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). As a general rule, antagonists can use soft magic to solve problems, even though protagonists should only use hard magic. (somewhere I have a document outlining Philosophical associations between Elements). A being of a higher Plane has the opposite effect, their presence and consciousness being far too much for the Universe to handle, and so it would just collapse on itself wherever the being would go. What atmosphere will my story have? Another way to look at it is evolution. Since the main character of the series starts as a member of a gang of thieves, the choice of theme is very appropriate. Magic is the practice of harnessing energy to manipulate aspects of reality. Project | Fire | Destroy | Item I've kept the descriptions short in order to mimic descriptions you'd often find in games and other franchises. Fire, transformation and order are strongly associated with this system of magic. Im definitely not saying these problems are insurmountable, just that I do need to think a lot about them. You could use a rock-paper-scissors relationship where earth beats air, but air beats water, water beats fire, and fire beats earth. In actual fact, some of the infected survive the Grey Death. That means every control over them would be on the molecular level, manipulating the molecules and atoms to speed up or slow down or (for changes) change their configuration. As fun as fantastical powers can be to write, crafting your magic system with care is key. The old magic is, of course, pretty coincidental, and used in specific ways that drive the plot. 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). Post time-skip, with my second protagonist, magic is rarer due to shifts in the spirit world and how humans access it. The readers should, after reading a bit of the story, develop an understanding for how people do magic. The random Magic Type Generator is a free online tool that lets you generate random Magic Type content for your fantasy or writing project with the click of a button. The descriptions follow the same pattern overall, but the details will vary to create different magic systems. We were ripped out of the (literal) fabric of reality, shaped into a forbidden-to-visit pocket dimension. Writing is given magical properties in many books, movies, and shows but the paper itself is rarely imbued with power. For just one example, Magoroh Maruyama describes several different possible paradigms of science, which Robert A. Freitas Jr. mentions in the book Xenology in relation to extraterrestrial minds. ;). But think about trying to hold water cupped in your hand; its still difficult. If you want to create a soft magic system, I have some good news: you dont need to come up with a set of systematic rules, or even an underlying logic. However, Im not sure whether adding a new field, force, particle, etc. I just wanted to run a few things past eyes that arent mine any feedback/critique/comments would be hugely appreciated!! A wizard casts a powerful spell. I originally wanted a free form system where just about anything was possible. And if they can add energy to it, it sounds like they have to absorb that energy like a conduit. Some people make a long-term contract with a particular spirit to channel its energy themselves, with the spirit becoming the casters familiar. The fantasy genre is one of the fastest-growing genres in fiction, and this also applies to science fiction/fantasy novels. Moreover, there are clearly references about people performing experimental magic that can have deadly consequences, for example Luna Lovegoods mother dies from experimenting with magic and there are parts of the Ministry of Magic that regulate magic and how it is performed. Some feel cohesive; others feel random. You need to make your sub-types of magic logical parts of the main type of magic. Can spells and other forms of magic be combined and if so, how much does it increase per added person? On the other hand, it definitely sounds like Conduits could be oppressed now, because they cant cast magic to defend themselves, and Interferers have a strong incentive to control them. Tolkien, we never find out exactly what Gandalf can and cant do with magic. In any scenario, the reader should have some sense of what magic can and cant do in the fictional world. 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. Everything is made up of atoms and molecules, so someone with the power to influence those could, theoretically, create new stuff in a heartbeat. Because magic is a form of power, it often explores related themes such as greed, privilege, and oppression. powerful mages who control transportation but do not rule (again, difficult). As an example, look at the Force the way its used in the first few Star Wars movies (episodes 4-6 nowadays). Toward the last point, I think the inclusion of old magic in reference to Lilys motherly love protecting Harry I believe is more for the benefit of the themes of love and goodness triumphing over evil and hate (Rowling was dealing with grief toward her own mothers death while writing). Many possibilities). The only other limiting factor to the magic is that in order to produce the energy in the first place, is that you need Inspiration to help channel your thoughts & familiarity. A rational magic system is one where every spell is guided by the same metaphysical laws. This helped me separate my thoughts and put them into their own categories. Curses are basically magic diseases. There are two types of people in this world, Conduits and Interferers (though Inteferers prefer to be called Whisperers). Just knowing how everything works can go a long way. Your success depends on your knowledge of the gods, your relationship with the god, and your ability to make an appeal. 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. Reading this made me realize a plot hole before I even put it on paper, I cant thank you enough for the editing time youve saved me! What is the development of science, your description of kinetic or thermal energy makes me think the inhabitants have some scientific knowledge, but if thats the case why is it that they havent studied transpiration? Aside from this, the only other limitation a mage has in magic is their stamina. I like the fact youve got a cool new way people gain magical abilities- FAR FAR FAR to many high fantasy novels just have it be the usual theyre born with it (theres nothing wrong with that way- heck Ive even used that, its simple and the easiest way to have it)- but I love seeing unique ways besides just being born with it. If your mage has no limits to their powers, where would the conflict be? Naturally, youll want a few people in your setting with powers that are unusual among magic workers. So the magic system is based on balance in nature. Angelic and demonic can stay, but dont over-simplify things. Entire body effects:: Old magics can occur without any intent. Or you go back to the idea that words shape the world, which is why we have the word enchantment which comes from chanting. More so they come out on the other side changed The only downside is that these systems require thought thought that will make your setting stronger. (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? For Time and Space, Keeper will be the name. If you use this source, decide why reality is so malleable is everyone in a dream or a virtual reality game? As this energy is formless and intangible, it is naturally attracted to your body and stored there. You will see through their eyes, feel what they feel (emotionally and physically), hear their thoughts, and even have their memories. Why do I need spellcasters? Too Trope-ish?? These individualized magic systems can be a great way to make characters stand out, but they also come with their own challenges. And sorry about the length of this comment. Actually, one of the principles of old-time portions-making was that a plant which looks like a certain body part is good for curing that body part (actual results may vary). I know this comment was published a long time ago But oh my God, this idea Id fantastic. I checked it out, and indeed it seems to just be another name for obsidian. Hard vs. soft magic is a spectrum, not a binary. Im working on a story that has 3 magic systems. The Taran movie also would provide examples for limits through the source with both the magic kettle (stops working when a living thing is sacrificed) and the crystal ball which doesnt work for the villain for some reason, although its owner does well with it. Or make your telepath one who can only read minds when touching someone else (Vulcans from Star Trek work telepathy that way). Even with a teacher it takes years to become proficient. Using the Harry Potter example, the rules of what magic can and cannot do are defined throughout the books new things are added throughout the series, but there is some structure in the form of spells, potions, etc., and a few laws that are hard limits (such as the no true resurrection one), yet the author of this post states it is not rational (although hard). 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. Harrys mother inadvertently casts a protective spell on him by dying for him. You can certainly use that, even though information might sometimes not be easy to find. The flickering flame casting irregular patches of shadows against the wall was the evidence. For every energy type, there are only 3 things you can do with the energy. In fact, they are drawing on residual energy left behind when a spirit interacts with the human world. LEARNED: obtain magic through studying. For instance, the Patronus Charm is a spell that is critical to the plot of multiple Harry Potter books. And of course, if magic is viewed as an alternate system of physics theres no reason why physics has to match the naive categories of intelligent beings; think of how weird quantum physics seems, for instance. Harry realizes what hes done and looks for a counter-spell, instead of just hopelessly thinking Oh no! 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. You mentioned Mana, Life and Mind as the elements of your magic system. I want to make it rational, just didnt thought about it from this point. As fun as fantastical powers can be to write, crafting your magic system with care is key. Worldbuilding, Avatar, Magic, Magic Systems. However, in most cases a rational magic system works better. The job is dangerous. Sorry, Im not quite understand this Could you please describe some spell example with such system? The Lord of the Rings is a low magic setting, but it is a high fantasy setting. For instance, if speaking is an essential part of spellcasting, then characters cant cast spells if they cant speak. Follow her work on hannahyang.com or on Twitter at @hannahxyang. 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 was actually thinking of precursor aliens having set everything up, but that raises a lot more questions of motivation and the ability to remain undetected. Well, there is the Restricted Section, which includes books on the Dark Arts, I made a magical system right after I read this article and this is what I came up with: Magic is powered by emotion and certain emotions affect your environment in different ways. Sandersons Third Law. The air swirled out into the hallway, successfully blowing out the lit torch but haphazardly knocking it off its supports. You can take the time to practice it yourself, but youre better off finding a teacher. It happens as the tale sees fit. 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. However, the authors seemed to specifically distinguish between rational and hard magic. Learn everything you need to know about grammar. To have the power of the Towers, one must have originated from them, or been taken to it by someone from the Towers. Now we go back to the Beginning. Its the same with a story. Dragon breeds or races (this is with Borne magic): And I had trouble writing with what nature aspects nymphs, dryads, and naiads would relate to, so I went with that. Different fighters prefer different methods, so combining the ideas could lead to a larger variety and possibly a richer world. 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. Its implied humans discovered the thread and abandoned technology altogether, becoming more and more dependent on magic over the next few hundred years. For Light and Darkness, Shade will be their name. Other than that, most answers are really just what do you want? However, I will say that if magic uses up energy in the environment putting out fires and stopping movement for instance that would probably create some interesting scenes. Moon magic: Moon magic draws power from the spirit and energy of the moon. Now that youve brainstormed the effects, sources, and causes of magic, you can put all three together! Divine magic is often more powerful/useful, but isnt always reliable. Taking this further would logical lead to even more powerful techniques, using vacuums to burst eardrums, rupture lungs, and using air pressure to launch objects in ways similar to the people that build vacuum cannons that launch ping pong balls at supersonic speeds. Again, you can have variance if there are rules that explain it. Its time to create a system of rules that will feel cohesive and logical. You can also read his books to see his systems in action; personally I recommend Elantris. What dangers does magic pose to the user, whether directly or because the use of magic is scorned or envied by society? Viewpoint characters dont use magic and the audience doesnt understand how it operates. 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. Hope I dont sound like a rabid Potterhead but I dont think its irrational! If anyone wants more detail and is interested to see the actual magic just comment and feel free to critique. Many fantasy authors incorporate magic into their stories simply because fantastical abilities are a fun means of escapism. *I noticed a notification in a tab I hadnt refreshed in a while about a new comment, but when I checked, there wasnt one. 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. Characters could control those energies by some kind of telekinesis (Thoughts & will) plus Mana energy. Generate a random star system, including primary planet . 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). Maybe there are a few things that the sorcerer cant do, but basically its just whatever they want to happen, happens. Second, look through all the essential pieces of spell creation and casting, and think how the casting process might fail at each step. Some prices for their cooperation can even be steep, such as sacrificing something precious or offering up ones soul. The Chinese traditional elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water, a different classification scheme that is equally arbitrary. If theyre distracted, panicking, drunk, or otherwise unable to focus the spell wont work. All people that use magic are split up into different yet powerful factions. This generator gives you names for their various alliances, covens, and clubs. 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. What limitations does the magic put on the wielder? Not very exciting, right? Specific effects include communicating with others, working together as a group, and riding inside the minds of others. Magic wielders might be shunned for being different, perhaps even dangerous, or they could be praised for their abilities. If you dont have enough power to spare, the spell fizzles. How could a magic user be defeated? 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 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. Hi there, I know this blog was posted a while ago but Ive only just found it and its exactly the kind of thing Ive been looking for, plus Ive seen more recent comments here so hopefully theyll be some people still interested. People will accept that magic exists in a universe like ours, even though magic doesnt exist (as far as we know) in our universe. The tricky thing about powering magic with emotions is that it generally leads to magics power being as fickle and arbitrary as emotions, which often makes problems and solutions stemming from its use feel arbitrary. All spells require a minimum level of power to run, though many can be empowered further. The system makes no sense so I cant possibly reason that theres a reversal of this! Ive since abandoned it and am working on something that, while in a similar vein, is quite different. However, those impulses are weak, and air is not a good conductor, so I dont think such a detection would work (Im not even sure in water). However, understanding how magic can operate in fiction is key to ensuring that your magic system serves your story rather than undermines it. You have the damage dealer, usually a mage, who can deal out a lot of damage, but has weak health and often limited choices in armour, making them vulnerable in a battle. Precursor aliens might do the job if they had certain motivations (such as wanting to set up a certain situation to see how it develops), but this raises questions of how such a large group made of many different individuals could all stay hidden for such a long time. Over time more Blacks appeared and White got lonely so they split their body into seven colours. Spirits that become familiars dont affect ambient energy levels, making casters bound to them potential weapons, but also wild cards (whether theyll help you depends on both their own desires and their familiars). This would involve a preferred reference frame, breaking relativity (for a specific class of phenomena only) but disallowing time travel (I dont have anything against time travel stories; I just didnt feel like including it in my universe). All magic can be learned by anyone, its just that the magic they didnt inherit will be harder to learn. If you are the child of a Given and you are born with magic, you are called a Twisted mage, and have the same powers as your Given parent. 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. A basic form of mana manipulation is cloaking their bodies in mana to protect them from harm (sort of like Aura in RWBY). 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. So, basically it will be a portal (or teleportation, in case if anyone makes the bond from surrounding air blob, for example). Its important to define what the magic user can manipulate and how/why. 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). Magicians are taught to learn about the natural forces within magic if they want to better control them. Stoking fires sounds like a natural fit. If you make all of your spells fit together, you'll need less foreshadowing. Accio and depulso, for example, are taught one-after-another: pretty straightforward. Not that hard to extrapolate. A hard magic system is magic with a clear set of rules. Its just something to be careful about. However, a few fantastical powers can go a long way toward livening up many fantasy stories. You could also INCREASE existing energy in an object (Eg- Can make a Moving ball move faster) Or you could DECREASE existing energy in an object (Eg- Can make a Moving ball slow down and even stop & become completely static). Wind, or life, or just movement? Both Harry Potter and Avatar: The Last Airbender are hard magic systems, because they explain magic and its rules to the audience. But, in general, all those energies are more-less equally distributed everywhere. 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. Avatar works with four definite sources of power, which happen to be fire, water, air, and earth. 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. Each soul has its Sephirot, which are both original and separate from the fist Sephirot. Remember that energy doesnt dispense when its used it only takes on a different shape. That means that divine intervention is a possibility (a deus ex machina in the true sense of the world), but theres no way your regular human MC can rely on it. 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. Skill in this magic system is all about how little inspiration you need to produce your own energy; How many methods of create, increase or decrease you can do & How many energy types you can work with; and how much energy you can actually produce at once. a conspiracy to hide everyone selected (difficult to justify how they manage this) There could be just one type your system is already very interesting or more than one. Furthermore, mages can form contracts with faeries (another race in my world) to harness their powers. I think your point is that in a story, there needs to be limits to magic, which I agree with. In Dune, those who are exposed to spice develop powers over time. The more practiced & skilled to are then the less and less the Inspiration needs to be- if youre unskilled then youll need a person running by or a tree falling over to Inspire you. 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. Because there is no sunlight and no heat, the water is frozen and white, and blankets the ground. But in case of computer game, need to implement those rules somehow. 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. The difference between the two is obvious as soon as you watch the show. 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. It violates local conservation laws and relativity (whats simultaneous in one reference frame is not in other frames). 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.

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