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About the two types of fantasy magic systems Which POVs will best suit your story All about your publishing options There will also be practical tips that you can apply to your story straight away. P.S. We'll also throw some brainstorming questions your way to help get those magical creative juices flowing! Perhaps theyd have to choose two which are not opposites (fire/water or earth/air would be opposites). Because soft magic is often used by characters other than the protagonist, you should think about who the wielders will be. For example, if you need a magic source which is unlimited a good choice would be a magical power given by the gods or magical energies within the air. There are 4 main types of magic systems in fantasy. And the whole thing about souls & vampires! Worldbuilding, Avatar, Magic, Magic Systems. Their powers go far beyond what has ever been shown before and theres no repercussions for them. Since there are clear rules in the Harry Potter series, we dont wonder why Harry doesnt just make up an all-powerful spell. In my world, priests arent like Catholic priests and all that. Forms of Star magic include telepathy, telekinesis, mind control, astral projection, and precognition. Even with a teacher it takes years to become proficient. 2015 2022 Kristen Kieffer | All rights reserved. I would take a step back from good and bad, first of all. You need to think it through and you need to make it understandable for the reader, because otherwise they cant imagine your world and they cant dive into it which is why people read stories. Project | Fire | Destroy | Item Fortunately it's not that hard to create a magic system, so this guide will be relatively short, but the amount of work you'll have to put into the creation of your magic will depend entirely on how detailed you want to get. Brandon Sanderson is fantastic at crafting magic systems. Character Power Generator In addition, the spells available for use arent completely based on nonsense, or taught completely irrationally. This ancient Wise One observed the natures tendency towards self-balancing and saw it as an Eternal Law. Thank you! 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? Motion EASTERN THUNDERER, based off of Eastern dragons in design, likely chance of getting weak to strong Shocker magic, rare-ish to moderate chance of getting magic of another Type as well, Learns magic a bit more slowly than other races. 2023 Mythcreants LLC, all articles, art, recordings, and stories are the copyright of their respective authors. I also want the systems to be distinct, but relatively balanced. Most magic systems used in medievalish fantasy have groups of people with access to the same spells and abilities, though their talent with magic will vary. Astral Armor-- "Though spun from strands of glamor and mana, the protection it offers is no illusion." Magic Formula-- Yep. As long as your explanation isnt a slap in the face of physical laws we all know, theres no problem from that side. Ones that havent made many contracts and dont know much about human emotion yet will be much more objective. Last limitation is that the caster has to concentrate on what theyre doing. And the other main faction (dont have a name for them yet) use mainly defensive magic like using a shield just strong enough to protect them from immediate danger and phasing (though still thinking about what that would entail) and others I cant think of at the moment and still trying to think of more. A grammar checker, style editor, and writing mentor in one package. Paint is a very volatile substance that if held can burn off skin Old magics can occur without any intent. They will seek their own openings and create them for the other, distract the enemy when needed and surround him at all times. 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. Trying to do anything that involves pushing against or even breaking natural law will require aid from outside forces. In the Harry Potter universe, magic works in several different ways: These three sets of rules dont appear related to each other. To keep your magic mysterious like in Game of Thrones, hide how it operates. As we dont seem to be focusing on that aspect much, however, I wont try to continue arguments about that part. Elements are a system which people understand easily, other systems would have demanded more explanation. There are hints throughout the story that its actually sci-fi. Generally that means their strengths and weaknesses will be roughly equivalent. (For the record, though, strong emotion results in power use isnt actually a element I like in a system.). 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). Now, its VERY early days for me with this thing, but Im wondering: To the Avatar thing: the point is not using a scientific system for your magic. So, this sheet is meant to help fantasy world-builders (for any media, not just writing) create the magic systems for their worlds. It would foreshadow his powers at the end of the story, when he faces off against Voldemort controlling all types of magic. 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 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). Though there is an international standard for magic spells, certain cultures practice magic in different ways pertaining to either their culture, beliefs or lifestyles. 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. Naturally, youll want a few people in your setting with powers that are unusual among magic workers. In the HP books, the only reason why Harry cant do everything is that hes still learning. So I would greatly appreciate some constructive feedback back. Magic, though commonplace, isnt an essential element in fantasy fiction. Magic System Generator Perchance Magic System Generator This magic system focuses on manipulating luck. [end worldbuilding] Or make your telepath one who can only read minds when touching someone else (Vulcans from Star Trek work telepathy that way). Soft magic is vague, undefined, and enigmatic. All benders in Avatar, safe for the Avatar themselves, can only control one element, one source of power. 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. a disease caused by the nanites Though this is all tentative, Id probably categorize it into two types: warp threads (like the structural threads you mentioned) for physical spells and weft threads for nonphysical spells. In The Kingkiller Chronicle by Patrick Rothfuss, the magical discipline of Naming is a soft magic system. All magic is governed strictly by the Law of Equivalent Exchange, which says that in order to obtain something, something else of equal value must be lost. When the protagonists need to create something, the readers understand exactly what materials they need to sacrifice. I think natural disaster can be explained in this world as terrifying manifestation of the imbalances in nature, things that the Mother wants to avoid by seeking to restore balance always. Further into the future two young men of solitude manage to unlock the greatest fighting potential by breaking mental barriers making them the strongest people to exist since Black and White but they have a fight on morality causing a great war. How might someone with an unusual background or extraordinary dedication take magic either a step further or a step in a new direction? If youre at a loss, take a page from Brandon Sandersons Mistborn series. 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. These are the 7 forms of energy this magic affects. I hope this is a reasonable explanation. Follow her work on hannahyang.com or on Twitter at @hannahxyang. You could just, you know, move out of the way? You just feel the spell, you dont need to recite anything. Electricity Its true that fire produces light; but any attempt to harness this light merely results in harnessing and redistributing heat, for the source of that light is not the sun, but the fire, and it is temporary and dies, restoring balance. 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. also just a thought, you also could have mentioned the Eragon series which uses language as the limitation for casting, and physical energy for fueling spells. Martin or the show writers lean hard by revealing how it works, I think theyll reveal something thats logically consistent. It worked well, but it had to be named before it became important to the plot. All magic is fueled by mana, a form of energy found in all living organisms. Possession can only occur between a creature that has magic and one that is magic. Here are four common categories you can consider. With the exception of the Avatar, people who cast magic are only attuned to one of the four main elements. Imagine if Harry Potter could vanquish Voldemort in the first chapter just by making up a spell called antagonist defeatium. Some get better with time, some get worse. People who practice this form of magic are called lucalurgists. An entire category of limitations would no longer apply to them. Avatar works with four definite sources of power, which happen to be fire, water, air, and earth. Hm, I had not planned on it, but it might be interesting. Like actually dodge the spell physically? Moon magic is cyclic in its strength, strongest during a full moon and weakest during the new moon, and is also weak during the day. Hey! Magicians have no power of their own except through the spirits they command. This same punishment theory may explain why humans are killed for trying to harness and redistribute sunlight. Some people make a long-term contract with a particular spirit to channel its energy themselves, with the spirit becoming the casters familiar. Light I really like the distinction between on the one hand the rational-nonrational scale, on the other hand the hard-soft scale. The story looks like a fantasy story at first, with characters manipulating threads or ley lines. Why do I need spellcasters? As fun as fantastical powers can be to write, crafting your magic system with care is key. In Avatar, there is one person every generation who violates the rule that people can bend only one element. Drop us a line or let's stay in touch via : Subscribe for writing hacks, special offers and free stuff, 2023 - Orpheus Technology, prowritingaid.com, How to Build an Amazing Magic System for Your Fantasy Novel, Hard Magic Systems vs. Soft Magic Systems, How to Self-Edit Your Manuscript Like a Pro, How to Craft an Engaging Arc for Your Story, How to Use Deus Ex Machina like Stephen King, ProWritingAid or Grammarly? The only ones that blur this line are possessed ie theyre two organisms in a symbiotic or parasitic relationship with each other. Magical effects will make a bigger impact on your readers if you use all five senses. But the curse also leaves behind a power that is unique for the person. If you have multiple races, or even species, who can wield magic, are there any differences between the different races and species? Does it just move objects/parts of object? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Become a patron and chat with us on Discord. a conspiracy to hide everyone selected (difficult to justify how they manage this). For instance, the Patronus Charm is a spell that is critical to the plot of multiple Harry Potter books. It is an epic drama that, year by year, is played out before humanity. Creating a rational magic system allows you to add realism and depth to your world while still leaving room for new and interesting changes. To the audience it will feel like every part fits together, even if theyre not precisely sure how. Motion/kinetic energy: you stop an object in its tracks. Conduits gather energy but dont cast spells with it, Interferers cant gather but they can cast, so the two types of magic users have to work together to cast spells. Now the magic is tied directly to ones own life force, the more magic they use the weaker their magic becomes and the weaker they become, with rest their strength will come back but their magic will not and if they run out means they used up their entire life force so they die and the only known way to regain all their magic and life force is to take the life of another completely consuming their victims life force\magic. If youre still reading, thanks for letting me ramble. Most of the time, this yearning leads them to the Towers, where they are never seen again. If I use strength to push a boulder, that boulder gets the amount of energy while moving (with a little bit of entropy when it comes to friction, of course). You need to lay enough groundwork and hard rules and be consistent enough that it doesnt feel like a character getting angrier will suddenly allow them to start winning a climactic battle, at least not without significant buildup to such a thing happening. Some extra stuff: There could be plots in which some would try to exploit/affect this source of energy but there could be a mental cost, such as suffering and being unable to think straight, for those who had to provide it. Yes, that kind of priest would merely be concerned with problems with the locals, then their holy magic can be far more generic and not tied to a god. Some plants and animals have magic inherently inside them, creating a variety of results. Brought to you by Campfire Levi Johnson is a writer and content creator at Campfire. The thing is, I believe that what seems natural in these cases can depend on culture and perhaps even species. I definitely have more work to do. Mind energies are bit different: they could be bonded with any type of energy. Harry Potters magic is not irrational. Though after reading the Mythcreants article about the effects of high magic and how it might speed up industry, these two time periods might be much closer temporally. Technically, you could link influencing the elements (moving earth to create a wall for instance) to the way Avatar handles it. Ive been thinking about a system of magic that was born of 6 Tower, stationed at the poles and in each of the cardinal directions. Random Magic Shop Generator. Perhaps then these powers could actually be based on nanobots or even totally new forces and particles that are not visually detectable. Worldbuilding, Avatar, Magic Magic Systems Magic systems vary from colorful bears with tummy badges to ritual blood sacrifices. But once characters learn about the spell to disarm and the spell to block, they cant extrapolate that theres also a spell to dodge. *I noticed a notification in a tab I hadnt refreshed in a while about a new comment, but when I checked, there wasnt one. Magitech To create strange fusions of science and sorcery for your more unusual settings. I have recently, but have wrote before, in my world created a new magic systems. What about Time? Making sense in case of magic means being constant. Take Noethers Theorem for example. Ill respond to that one later. In real life, cold is not a thing but just the absence of heat, and ice and fire dont seem to be fundamental opposites. There are others who feel this way as well. The elemental magic of Avatar is a great example of splitting the same form of magic into different types. . Hey! And the One became Two, Two became Three, and Three became All Things, (Actions) mental enhancements, the nanites acting as auxiliary brains. Givens get the Twisted magic Type, parallel to the caster Some dimensions have a lot of energy and a lot of lines, others have few. Its time to create a system of rules that will feel cohesive and logical. Specific effects include waking the dead, sending dead spirits back into the afterlife, and binding the dead to follow their commands. Everything is made up of atoms and molecules, so someone with the power to influence those could, theoretically, create new stuff in a heartbeat. Magic wielders might be shunned for being different, perhaps even dangerous, or they could be praised for their abilities. Overusing their magic can cause them physical harm. We've covered limitations in several parts already, whether it's how powerful spells are or how much power you can gain, but it's important to emphasize limitations again. Just because the system has volumes of lore and backstory to support it doesnt make it a rational system, though it does help to make it more believable. However, you can also experiment with different techniques for accessing and directing the magic, each with upsides and downsides. Of course, its possible. Skill also plays a part, and is determined by both intelligence and creativity. Oh wow, thats a steep price for magic. Paint can depend on someones mental state and will How does this constitute a magic system? Soft magic systems are the opposite of hard magic systems: they dont need to have a clearly defined set of rules. ): magical technology (uses the "uses of a spell casting focus/item" cost in addition to any others) fiendish/evil divine the far realm a mutation that is part of the users spirit-related natural limbo/the elemental planes unknown Like if in Harry Potter, wizards murdered all the muggles. but gods, spirits, and demons can. GIVEN: obtained magic through an illegal potion or spell cast by a very powerful mage. Maybe something with an eclipse? There is no right way to build a magic system. One of the things I noted in that comment is that what seems to make sense differs between individuals, cultures, and even species. 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. Group A (yet to be named) uses magic as soon as they feel it, even if they dont want to and are by far the rarest. 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. ), Given how late it is, I hope this makes SOME sort of sense :-S. Thanks alot for your thoughts, it looks interesting! So, early on in our history, humanity was deemed too dangerous to stay in the greater multiverse. If so, what differentiates them? Perhaps, a ritual needs chants which will take most of the night. In the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away, the entire spirit world operates under a soft magic system, from the magical bathhouse customers to the killer paper airplanes. They could solve all problems with a snap of their fingers. Since the protagonists are on this side, it would remove a lot of tension. Are there any natural elements which are home to magical powers or are there any which could house magical powers? (oops, forget this one!). And if you use an elemental magic system be creative, inform yourself what elements are overused already. this is all super helpful! Random Treasure Generator. As far as the potions issue, again, these are based off historical ideas about magic and potions. So the magic system is based on balance in nature. Everyone is also born with it. When the nanites were first created, their creators by which I dont mean their society, but their specific inventors failed to contain them, resulting in a plague similar to the Grey Death. The power can be anything reasonable, but behind its use is an action that they used to love. Gestures could be used to move molecules (that would be how Avatar does it). Calm Creature. 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). Sandersons Third Law. This article will help you write a magic system for your fictional world that readers will remember long after theyve turned the last page. If they need hand gestures to do magic, they cant do it while tied up. Hope I did well! She might exchange one persons hand for anothers, but she might not deem two lives equal. When youre brainstorming magical costs, try to be creative. ;P. I doubt anyone will read this, but I had this flash of inspiration on my commute home today for a magic system for a book thats been spinning in my head for a while. Other limits include magic types (fire versus water for example), power restricting energies (magical or other), bodily energies (lack of food/sleep/etc), skill level, curses and much more, most of which will again depend on your story universe. If they need to gather energy beforehand, they cant just build a wall of ice without any preparation (which limits their powers). Over time more Blacks appeared and White got lonely so they split their body into seven colours. Spellcasters cant blow up planets, because obviously that would take too much energy. If you actually have light magic and youre just not telling them until later, then great; youve foreshadowed without even trying. Some prices for their cooperation can even be steep, such as sacrificing something precious or offering up ones soul. The knots must be undone, causing the reverse effect as the original magic, and rewoven into the fabric of reality. Those rules are established within the story (unlike underlying rules with Rowling might have for her magic or Lucas might have had for the Force), so at least one character must know them or learn about them as the plot develops. : 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). But that doesnt mean all magic systems work equally well for stories. Some rituals are inherently harmful, like the ritual thats typically used to find missing persons. They're overall stregenth of that ability is average. An elemental mage could probably use several elements, if they trained for it. I wanted to try my hand at creating a really fleshed out magic system for fun, and never planned on making a story or doing anything with it. The Mages dont rule, but merely maintain a beneficial relationship with those that do, but the Empires form of transportation (and thus commerce) is almost entirely dependent upon magical meansSo what does the Imperium bring to the party? This creative freedom is exciting, but it also requires a lot of world building work to invent a fleshed out and textured fantasy world. Sometimes you just get turned into a chicken. So you already know that unraveling a knot has the opposite effect as weaving one. I know this is an old article, but it inspired me to create my magic system. When you suddenly decide to change the way magic works or it looks like it, because youre winging it with the system readers get unhappy. Hey, dont know if anyones still commenting on this but here goes. The fantasy genre is one of the fastest-growing genres in fiction, and this also applies to science fiction/fantasy novels. Occult Network-- The magic Internet. Ive found this post while looking any information about making own magic system for an cRPG. This generator gives you names for their various alliances, covens, and clubs. Most of the time, magic hurts the protagonist rather than helping her, so the fact that we never understand the rules makes it even easier to empathize with her. (Obviously, if character will try to use this energy, he probably will die). Either way, the recipients of the power lose whatever memories gained before or during their stay at the Towers. But to elaborate a bit further The name Grey Death was inspired by the Bubonic Plague pandemic of the 1300s, known as the Black Death because, lets face it, thats a kickass name! So thats where the other two paragraphs of my previous comment come in. I agree that a spell to dodge doesnt make much sense on first glance, but Ive also just realized that thats only true if we assume that the hostile spell were interested in dodging in the first place were as part of the basic nature of magical reality totally incapable of moving any faster than a theoretical average apprentice level user of magic can move without having recourse to their wizardry. Most priests wouldnt be any more concerned with gods than the average person. For example, you can create a magic system that has very clear rules for your protagonist but only vague rules for your antagonist. Oh wow that turned out to be a lot of text. My character doesnt get him to throw lightning at foes, but he does send a giant bird to carry off my character to relative safety, but they end up getting separated from the rest of their group. Good luck with your universe. But you can use pretty much anything you wish, whether it's a magic absorbing rock, special water or perhaps a type of wood. Other examples include alohamora and colloportus, reparo and diffindo, accio and depulso (learned but not named in-series, as I recall), etc. The mystery is in the water that the Living Mother leaves behind on the plants when the sunlight returns again. . Its just something to be careful about. You should ensure that the conflict and resolutions in your story arent as fickle as the magic. It is pretty lose, yea, but it is still there and we have seen magic systems like this a thousand times. 9. Perhaps magic-users know what magic can be used for but are not concerned about why it works that way; for all we know, that could be the way most wizards and witches feel in Harry Potter. That is, I guess why telepathy which requires touching is easiest to explain, since you can direct your energy into the other body through your skin. Do users of demonic magic face persecution? In essence, theme is nothing more than an answer to the question, What is this story about? Theres a good chance that your story already contains themes regardless of whether you consciously developed them. The costs of magic can be physical, societal, or even financial. some sort of selection criteria the nanites have Theyre usually gifted to devout followers, but anyone can use them once they figure out how it works.