To avoid adding a sense of arbitrariness, your choice of categories must feel natural. All magic is fueled by mana, a form of energy found in all living organisms. A strong starting point in order to define your world as "other" to our own is selecting your world's name. Random Magic Shop Generator. This is one of the most exciting things about writing fantasy: getting to design your own magic system. Some theorize, that the Sephirot is an aspect of God, but our understanding of God is just one aspect of it, you could say the projection of its Will, in simpler terms. Pushing themselves past their limit can lead to exhaustion and have them pass out, or in extreme cases, using up too much mana can kill a person through over-exertion. For example do you want evil spellcasters to raise undead? In addition, exposure to sea water improves magical ability for humans slightly, especially childhood exposure, so the strongest spellcasters are all in coastal areas. However, as we are all well aware humanity and its constructs are fragile things and some event happens that upsets the norm; war, a terrorist attack on these factories, solar flare, etc Regardless this event causes a change within these factories, the main computer systems get a little bit fried, perhaps even gain a modicum of self-awareness. SWd6 System Generator. I hope this is a reasonable explanation. I thought, What if energy isnt conserved after all? Been developing a magic system for a story of mine thats in its early development stages. This curse infects at random, leaving those infected without the memories of their past selves. I think that should cover it, and I hope to get more advice to help me become a better creator. This is true even if weve never seen anyone craft a tunnel before. Sometimes you just get turned into a chicken. The only way around this that i can see is if killing Voldermort brought Hitler back to life. Magic is one of the essential elements of any fantasy story. lost nanotechnology (difficult to justify how that would be forgotten) Though, Im thinking about giving them a secret ability that hasnt been discovered yet because theyre so rare. Kristen Kieffer is a fantasy fiction writer and the author of Build Your Best Writing Life and Self-Publishing Simplified. 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). What unusual methods and applications might they attempt? That way, it would mean using that energy to influence an element. Here are four common categories you can consider. 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. The cycle of plants harnessing sunlight and Mother taking it back everyday is no longer considered a mystery, but an accepted fact of life. Most everyone is either a Conduit or an Interferer, and it is genetic. I think the easiest way to explain how magic (any kind, really) affects the world is through will. A primary example of soft magic would be that which Gandalf practices in The Lord of the Rings. Theres things like creating food out of thin air, which means magic can add something to the world which wasnt there before (alternately, some people have all the rotten luck and their fridges are constantly empty and they dont know why). For example, a tree nymph can make a leaf tornado appear, but cant work with other materials. In both these cases, its their clever problem-solving that saves them, not the power of the magic itself. 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. It depends on how you build up your magic system. Im sure there are phenomena of nature that are plot holes in this magic system. Do you want to bring in some elemental control? Mind is represents consciousness 6 Key Questions To Ask When Creating A Magic System Sorry about the comment length and the long worldbuilding paragraph. However, understanding how magic can operate in fiction is key to ensuring that your magic system serves your story rather than undermines it. The Soft-Hard magic divide is much more useful for writers and if you listen to Sanderson, he is much more careful not to state hard magic is inherently better than soft magic. Start by looking for further implications of what youve already established. 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. Its easy to get excited and bite off more than you can chew, but youll do better if you focus on fewer things. Also I like the fact that the Mages of the world are very politically influential feels so real because thats what would happen! Lastly is the effect both our Perceived World and the World of Energy have on each other. One thing to keep in mind is how much power somebody can gain. He shrugged and complained, feeling too tired to trudge away from comfort. If you have multiple races, or even species, who can wield magic, are there any differences between the different races and species? Frequency: The core strength of a Vibration, determines how far and fast it travels The first and probably most important aspect of magic is its source. Magic systems can even serve as a vehicle for theme, exploring topics such as power, privilege, oppression, and greed. Vibrations function is fundamentally the same as electric signals in the brain, in that there are millions upon millions of different signals being sent and working together to achieve something, even something as simple as moving your arm. Common People (Theyre so common that they dont really have a name.) When an Interferer discovered their ability to pull power from a Conduit and affect the world, they were shunned for interfering. But I dont necessarily want to read about rational magic systems. The Towers will 3 pairs of contrasting ideas. You can take the time to practice it yourself, but youre better off finding a teacher. The pulp could be made of something special that allows for different effects when treated differently. 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. In my example of magic that is acquired by consuming a plant, a clever alchemist might distill and concentrate the plant down to an elixir that is digested more quickly. What important historical events in your story world were affected by the use (or failure to use) magic? For example: Your mum had speed enhancing paint you will have some form of it or Your mum had paint that could carry poison within it, your dad had paint that could take the physical appearance of slime and your grandma had paint that floats you now have floating poisonous slime paint. Also, how is this energy directed to a specific object and not blocked by everything in the way (including air?) Paint can hold curses that are also genetic (curses can make a person stronger but the price is extremely high) On top of this, theres teleportation I still need to consider, which comes with its own host of issues. What do you think? The water creatures, dryads and naiads, are rarer and more powerful (because water has been around for much longer). We have a knowledge of these beings, many of them exist in our mythology as gods, angels, demons, etc. As fascinating and logical as this system is I think it loses points on merit and morality and doesnt set a good example to children. Who knows! However, some fear that all is unraveling. What do the spirits get out of it? If you can convey the rules of your system in a way the reader can understand, you have a rational system. Are humans the only species capable of doing so or are elves, trolls or even some or all animals able to do so as well? Dryads are usually depicted as tree spirits, or tree nymphs. What can your high fantasy magic do as in abilities and cant do like limitations? In Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson, magicians owe a demon years of their life in exchange for magic. Broken cities, old equipment, enchanted odds and ends from modern society. In my plant-based system, there could be a lineage with the biological adaptation to absorb the magical substance directly, without using the plant as an intermediary. The Interferer group split apart eventually and the two factions warred and almost killed all of the Conduits, but reached a treaty saying that they wouldnt kill anymore Conduits (Interferers need Conduits to do anything), but Conduits are still rare and fought over. These are some questions you should ask when you brainstorm. (In this case, dispelling the Spiritual (Emotional) aspects associated with Fire in this case Anger/Passion. The way the magic of my world works so far goes as follows: Magic is based in blood, the eight types of magical blood found in fantastical creatures and humans (Light, Dark, Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Mind, Body), and the way people gain magic is either by taking that blood from the creature or being born with it, so either a Linear or a Pureblood. Other magic that is extremely rare is healing lethal injuries or bring someone back that was just killed (only have a certain amount of time to do it). 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. Perhaps, a ritual needs chants which will take most of the night. (Find out more). 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. You make good points about the gap between different kinds of magic. This is super helpful, thanks so much for taking the time to write it and to provide examples. Everything is made up of atoms and molecules, so someone with the power to influence those could, theoretically, create new stuff in a heartbeat. Grab a sheet of paper and brainstorm a list of magical effects that fascinate you: ones youve already seen before, or ones you come up with from scratch. Get into religion and the systems of magical belief and practices really explodes. Magic is the practice of harnessing energy to manipulate aspects of reality. It requires words of power, and a magical energy called Deathlight, which is obtained by killing ghosts. Your different factions have magic that feels very different, and thats hard to put into a rational system. No matter what magic they practice, it all centers on the manipulation of their mana to connect to the natural forces they want to control. Theyre bodies cant store energy, thats a Condit thing. One or all could be part of the system and manipulation of the paper in . Tension and payoff are reduced if the reader feels like a solution to something is as simple as a character just ratcheting up their feelings. One more thing to keep in mind what if there is an underlying principle, but the characters dont know about it? Side note, can anyone contact the spirits, or does it require a special gift.. Our bills are paid by our wonderful patrons. 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. Angels are not incapable of doing bad things and demons can be nice every now and then. What do you think? A Guide to Writing Magic Systems | The Fantasy Hive I really like all the terms you use on this site, theyre so helpful and clarifying. I disagree. All of nature is in motion and all of natures motion serves to restore its own balance. Each time Harry, Ron, and Hermione find themselves in danger, they can only escape that danger using magic that weve already seen them learn. An even more interesting idea may be that the aliens are actually made of an alternate kind of particles I mentioned earlier. But fighting style isn't the only thing that could change when you decide whether or not powers can be combined. Once you master the flow of paint in your body you can change your appearance temporarily. In order to fully capitalise on paint one must find a weapon they work well with and a fight style that suits your body. But the curse also leaves behind a power that is unique for the person. If so, why? 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. 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). Is magic (or the source that fuels it) a limited resource in your story world? It is dual-natured-representing the life-giving light of the sun that all life relies on, but also the destructive and fiery nature of its power. All spells require a minimum level of power to run, though many can be empowered further. Givens get the Twisted magic Type, parallel to the caster This same punishment theory may explain why humans are killed for trying to harness and redistribute sunlight. I made myself wait until morning to reply When youre deciding which type of magic system to use, ask yourself: Do you want magic to solve conflict for your protagonist (hard magic) or to create conflict for your protagonist (soft magic)? 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. Worldbuilding, Avatar, Magic Magic Systems Magic systems vary from colorful bears with tummy badges to ritual blood sacrifices. Another way of looking at sources is from a material point of view. But that doesn't mean all magic systems work equally well for stories. In another world (a fantasy high-magic setting), I havent fleshed out quite as much, but I do know that magic is powered by your soul, which is also needed to run all brain activity. There are pros and cons. Casting also generates colors based on how much power you drew upon to cast it. Spells that affect another persons soul are the strongest and are pretty much all purple level. What limitations does the magic put on the wielder? So far, the types of energy that can be manipulated in this way are: Air/wind (although due to its constant motion and near-intangibility, air cannot in most cases be held, but is almost always instantaneously redirected. Each spell shortens their lifespan by an unknown number of years. It tries to convince the reader the newly defined rational magic system is what every fantasy writer should strive for. Ill be talking more about it in another post, if someone wants to here it, of course. Theres three kinds of people: Apaths (Apath, sing. 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). And the whole thing about souls & vampires! Magic, though commonplace, isnt an essential element in fantasy fiction. Awesome, thanks! Other than that your spells can be pretty much anything, from destructive to healing spells, elemental to demonic spells and from conjurations to enchantments. :-), Thanks! (For example, no effects that cover too large an area or are too far from the caster or use too much energy). Because I have 3 systems and they all lean soft-irrational, Im concerned that I have glaring problems that I overlooked. Group A (Comment if you have a better name), They cant stop their emotion from changing surfacing and tend to be extra emotional. Forms of Star magic include telepathy, telekinesis, mind control, astral projection, and precognition. Magic system generator the magic system's origin is (1d? I know this comment was published a long time ago But oh my God, this idea Id fantastic. LEARNED: obtain magic through studying. In fact, I suspect it might make more sense than what Chris Winkle says in the original article. Ocean: Ocean magic draws power from the ocean, and by extension the rivers and lakes that are born from and eventually lead back to it. I have recently, but have wrote before, in my world created a new magic systems. As far as the potions are concerned specific plants have always been said to possess magical properties, which is why they are used in the potions. 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. And theres nothing less exciting than a story where the protagonists can escape from any danger just by wishing it away. 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. There are 391 different powers and variations in this generator, so you're bound to find one you like. Life For instance, some animals can also cast magic, and they do it pretty much the same way people do. Are there any natural elements which are home to magical powers or are there any which could house magical powers? Now, to those who contain their power. Make magic tricky and fickle. Since the universe as a whole tends towards entropy, where this world uniquely tends towards balance, fire doesnt always behave as expected), Water in its various forms (liquid, gaseous, solid; in redistribution it will always revert to its most common form in nature, that of liquid. And it would explain the marked as an equal thing, too. This has been extremely helpful! 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? (Arguably, before the development of modern science, many people had similar attitudes towards technology! I just made it up, I had no idea there was a magic system out there that was so similar. A few generations later, some of them did discover the truth, but kept it secret for fear of being blamed by association for the fall, and of people fearing a magical plague happening again. Light Fire, transformation and order are strongly associated with this system of magic. Caster is Eco, Given controls animals, which is basically mind control. You can also use that fickleness, maybe, and some other things this answer mentioned, to weave in logical limitations on emotion-based magic that will make it perhaps more palatable to your readersin fact, in ways directly related to the example of exhaustion. When the nanites detect the presence of something within a host, the nanites become active, forcibly altering & rebuilding the subjects body from the inside out. air benders can also create a vacuum around the head to suffocate some one (same guy did this in season 3). It is an epic drama that, year by year, is played out before humanity. Shapechangers all use either the strong or weak nuclear forces, and telekinetics and poltergeists use gravity. Eminently true and a tension-building moment to remind your readers that your heros magic depends on this very emotional energy that is at this point of crisis so much more likely to be BURNED OUT or at the very least, already at their maximum ability to deal with well, EMOTIONALLY even without the added stress of having to consciously Tap Into Them EVEN MORE to get them to the point of directed personal connection to the whole of your entire current being which is necessary to actually use them magically. So, this sheet is meant to help fantasy world-builders (for any media, not just writing) create the magic systems for their worlds. I see where you are coming from on a few of these points but perhaps since Ive read the series so many times I think they miss the mark. Also I thought about it and further developed it. I think Ill go for having multiple types of thread that rule certain areas of magic. Summon up a spirit to help you move a piano, and you can spend hours debating over price. Will have to give it some thought. The system I created is very similar, with some differences. ;). Is magic kept secret in your story world? Creating a Magic System for Superpowers - Mythcreants Extreme focus is needed for complicated attacks Can a magic user be identified by their clothing, appearance, or some other distinguishing physical factor? And if so, is it because their culture is different and they learn to wield it in different ways, is it because they simply cannot wield it the same way due to biological differences or is it because they use different sources, like blood magic and magic pools? (The amount of waste we produce is naturally less than the amount of food or liquid we consume, so again do they have a non-scientific explanation, or if they do have a scientific explanation, why do they not consider the same thing happening in plants? Spectres might do for those who are consumed and become ghosts connected to that energy. Caster is Shocker, Given is Air and Weather And that should be all, if anyone can help me with the names of the entire concept, please do. But, in general, all those energies are more-less equally distributed everywhere. In The Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud, magic comes from magical spirits like djinn. And the Aether is born from our Thoughts and Actions, more specifically, our Souls. Our Plane falls on the 3rd Dimension, being far away from perceiving the World. 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. SWAMP, kind of based off of iguanas in design, rare chance of getting magic. The twist? Moreover, the party must complete the quest without killing anyone. Since the main character of the series starts as a member of a gang of thieves, the choice of theme is very appropriate. You just feel the spell, you dont need to recite anything. Nevertheless, you will always introduce something which, as far as we know, does not exist in reality. Hell make it rain if your rain dance impresses him, but he wont strike someone with lightning no matter how impressive your dance is. You can use our ProWritingAid Sensory Report to make sure youre including sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell in your magic system. 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. While it can be fun to have wacky spells, wouldnt it be even cooler if you could reveal how your wacky spells all click together? Interferers can make things happen because when they add energy to the system, it is concentrated in one place. Mana manipulation is a basic form of magic (though anyone can learn this ability through time and training without doing magic at all. Eco (plant life). For Interferers to use magic energy, they have to maintain physical contact with a Condit, and if they lose contact they have to use up their remaining energy quickly, as it will burst out of them randomly otherwise (in a few minutes). and not to be messed with lightly, as they can have devastating effects. She might exchange one persons hand for anothers, but she might not deem two lives equal. Spell description generator - Fantasy name generators Dark, but if it works for the story however, I would say that rather than the Interferes having been oppressed and retaliating, it seems a lot more likely that they were the oppressors and committed genocide. An entire category of limitations would no longer apply to them. 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. Specific effects include causing earthquakes, preventing earthquakes, and turning people to stone. Runes are one example which are used a lot, as are crystals and various (unique) artifacts. The main question becomes who set this up, and why? Once again, grab a sheet of paperthis time to brainstorm magical sources. Because minds were immaterial, physical brain damage wouldnt really affect thoughts, personality, and so on, instead mostly things such as the ability to move and regulate basic bodily functions. A grammar checker, style editor, and writing mentor in one package. In the Norse pantheon, Loki is sometimes also referred to as the god of fire despite the fact that hes a frost giant. As long as your explanation isnt a slap in the face of physical laws we all know, theres no problem from that side. But in case of computer game, need to implement those rules somehow. What are those with magical powers called within your story world? Ill respond to that one later. Crafting a hard magic system can be a complex endeavor, though soft magic systems also require a bit of care and attention to develop. If you use this source, decide why reality is so malleable is everyone in a dream or a virtual reality game? If were told that a heros ability tires them out, but they can always push through their exhaustion when they need to most in the story, then we stop considering their exhaustion when considering whether we should be worried about them. No, the water is surely a curse and warning from the mother, who draws the water from the plants themselves as a punishment for stealing the most precious of energy, sunlight itself. Its crazy long but definitely adds logic to the system :D and its a nerdy heaven. The Goddess of Exchanges would be less random, but you wouldnt be able to reliably make exchanges with her. 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. In the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, wand magic is like language. Another limit would be limited ability of the user, like Gummy Bear who uses magic, but half of the time cant remember the spell, doesnt find the right one, or just does it wrong. You need to place incense in a semi-circle in front of you, drink fresh blood, paint your face with the blood, and focus on the person youre looking for. Mistings have to ingest and burn these metals in order to use their powers. If your mage has no limits to their powers, where would the conflict be? Aside from this, the only other limitation a mage has in magic is their stamina. Potion-making probably would make more sense, if there was more talk about the properties of the ingredients and what they do.
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