However, you still need to put in the work to create a unique and compelling system that will serve the needs of your story. The answer to which one (or more) to pick is again entirely dependent on what you need from your magic in your story universe. Thanks again for the advice! Some feel cohesive; others feel random. Magic certain individuals acquire the ability to issue new instructions to existing nanites, whether in the environment or within others bodies. Of course, its possible. Both Harry Potter and Avatar: The Last Airbender are hard magic systems, because they explain magic and its rules to the audience. This allows for the reader to know what is or isnt possible. Which is why you need to attach a heavy price. Hard vs. soft magic is a spectrum, not a binary. To give them an exceptional ability that stands out from the masses, change or break one rule youve established for your magic system. The first and probably most important aspect of magic is its source. If an Interferer and a Conduit have a baby, can it do both, or just one? It isnt strictly necessary, as I could probably write something interesting without it, but it is extremely convenient). You wouldnt add that fire is good for creative thinking, because that wouldnt fit. Rowling has cherry picked her source material from myths that cross many cultures, Irish, Celtic, Greek, Welsh, Slavic, etc. Soft magic is vague, undefined, and enigmatic. 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. Fire, transformation and order are strongly associated with this system of magic. In The Last Airbender storyline, Waterbending, Firebending, and Earthbending all have elite applications that not all benders can achieve, while air doesnt. Im going to have to find my Physical Science notes my goodness, that class was boring. The purpose of soft magic is simply to create a feeling of adventure, and wonder. Their powers go far beyond what has ever been shown before and theres no repercussions for them. If youre at a loss, take a page from Brandon Sandersons Mistborn series. If you were to grab a stranger off the street and ask them what magic was, well first they'd probably mention someone like Penn and Teller, but once you clarified and said you meant magic in fiction, you'd very likely hear at least a few of these words: spell, wizard, fireball, enchantment, wand, curse, potion, witch, fairy, monster . Fifty years after the war ends the younger generation make massive breakthroughs. If George R.R. BORNE: obtain magic through genetics. 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. There are many assumptions in this article, it only focused on a small, known part of magic. Creating a rational magic system allows you to add realism and depth to your world while still leaving room for new and interesting changes. Vampires are electromagnetic, which is why they are hurt by sunlight (photoelectric effects), are solid but turn to dust when killed (they actually are dust, and their solid form is a magnetic shell), have superstrength (they can easily lift metal objects, and can use opposing magnetic forces to move their own body quite forcefully). The key traits of a soft magic system are outlined in the graphic below. It isnt a common thing among people of this world, but it is an esoteric art comprised of ancient secrets passed down through generations within a tribe of acolytes. Mana could be used right from surrounding world or produced from other types of energies. Ways to obtain magic: Human muscles actually can produce more energy than our brain allows for us to use because if we used the full force our muscles are capable of, we would risk injuring ourselves. Almost all of the magic in Avatar: The Last Airbender is clearly linked to the same rules. That was confusing enough that I have difficulty figuring out what the posts premise is, but I THINK Disney Magic would be a better example. Many receive horrible mutations, the nanites only know that they are to better humanity but they have no notion of what being a human means, some are physically melded into grotesque shapes, some lose their minds becoming like feral beasts. would even mathematically work, as all existing particles and forces seem to be related by deep mathematical symmetries. Ill be talking more about it in another post, if someone wants to here it, of course. Dont feel discouraged by the problems of your first draft, remember that you will solve them later. I love it. It does what it needs to do in the books. You will always need to wing it there, because you introduce something which has no base in our worlds reality. The World we perceive and interact with all stems from the Energy, called Aether, and the Vibrations that come from it, all make up our world. I would point to Ancient Magus Bride as an example where you have both soft magic such as that used by both creatures of myth and the various magi, as well as the more grounded hard sort practiced by sorcerers. Paint is everything and everywhere. When an earthbender is blocked by a mountain, we know that with enough effort, they could create a tunnel through it. One of the most common elements in these books is a magic system. Like it doesnt work on them or around them? Now paint may sound op but it has very risky limitations. What important historical events in your story world were affected by the use (or failure to use) magic? The best frameworks have limitations inherent to the way they operate. Thank you for commenting! If an elemental mage can only use elements which are not opposite, they have to choose between the four elements when they start training. 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. Ive used term spell in a broad sense, I mean just an example of what you can do with such system So, basically, you mean just the same system as in Avatar (roughly, just moving the substances physically) plus transformations between substances (earth to water to air to fire and so on)? Some dimensions have a lot of energy and a lot of lines, others have few. What do you think? (somewhere I have a document outlining Philosophical associations between Elements). Electricity Different kinds of people use magic in different ways. (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. The same is true, if I use telekinesis to move that boulder. (Known collectively as the Nasuverse after their writer, Kinoko Nasu) Namely, by this articles definition of rational magic, would the magic in the Nasuverse count as an example of a rational magic system? If a mage has no limit to what they can do, why not simply find one who solves all the problems for your hero with the snap of a finger (or a well-conducted ritual)? Mandrake, which is featured in the second book, has historically been associated with witchcraft. But we know some things. You should ensure that the conflict and resolutions in your story arent as fickle as the magic. I checked it out, and indeed it seems to just be another name for obsidian. Like I said, its early days but any feedback or suggestions would be super-welcome!! Summoning rituals or teleportation spells for example, they too could change. I also specifically mentioned that I was not including conservation of energy in my system, but you assumed it in your comment. You can have several sources of magic, but you need to bring them together in a way that makes sense at least in the novel. With that said, I wonder why no one has replied to my previous comment on this article. Bestselling Author Joanna Penn Compares, How to Write a Book: The Best Creative Writing Courses Online, Self-Publishing 101: A Step-by-Step Guide to Sharing Your Idea With the World, ProWritingAid Presents: Crime Writer's Week, Free Giveaway: The Ultimate Crime Writer's Toolkit, The 25 Best Fantasy Books & Novels of All Time: Our Top Picks, Omnipotent Characters: Why Marvel Sidelined Thor, Vision, and Captain Marvel, Six Tried and Tested Methods for Writing a Novel, How to Outline Your Novel With Scrivener's Outliner and Corkboard, Fantasy Writers' Week Premium Hub: Presented by ProWritingAid, Hear from bestselling authors and educators like, Learn from bestselling authors and educators in live sessions, Master outlining, writing, editing, publishing and more, Meet like-minded fantasy writers in networking events. Why should the magic be complete or symmetrical? The mandrake has been considered magical, because its roots do look vaguely like a human being. There is no right way to build a magic system. In real life, cold is not a thing but just the absence of heat, and ice and fire dont seem to be fundamental opposites. Using mana is no different from using up stamina, the more magic you use, the more energy that is used up. And the One became Two, Two became Three, and Three became All Things, (Actions) Both have always existed since the beginning of time and revolve around each other in order to exist. I will admit my system does need more development to round it out some. Lets take a closer look at what these terms mean. Telekinesis, telepathy, and teleportation are not something people can really use in everyday life, so you will find it hard to justify their existence through science alone. There could be just one type your system is already very interesting or more than one. 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. Magic is one of the essential elements of any fantasy story. If youd like additional guidance as you build your storys magic system and other facets of your fictional world, then be sure to check out World-Building Warrior, a workbook that will walk you through the world-building process step by step. If you figure out exactly what each type of thread is doing to hold the world together, you can not only extrapolate what magic they can do when woven, but also predict the damage that the world will suffer when too many of them are used. Potion-making probably would make more sense, if there was more talk about the properties of the ingredients and what they do. The audience will be looking for the pieces that might come together in the climax to enable the hero to win, rather than waiting for the hero to have an emotional moment when there is no other viable turning point. Your approach may vary wildly from other fantasy authors, and thats okay. All benders in Avatar, safe for the Avatar themselves, can only control one element, one source of power. Does it just move objects/parts of object? One of them is how I believe that the tips given may not be universal. This is where Im stuck for, to the moment. Its origin is with the creation of all life itself and the first humans: Black and White. It would also bring a limit, because the ley lines dont exist everywhere. I gave the most basic rundown I could. 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. A rational magic system is one where every spell is guided by the same metaphysical laws. In fact, they are drawing on residual energy left behind when a spirit interacts with the human world. Ask yourself what effects will help your protagonists solve the problems presented in your plot, and what effects will be fun to write about. Will have to give it some thought. Characters could control those energies by some kind of telekinesis (Thoughts & will) plus Mana energy. Possession can only occur between a creature that has magic and one that is magic. 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. If you send out powers, your brain stays in one piece and in the same place. This is one of the most exciting things about writing fantasy: getting to design your own magic system. To have the power of the Towers, one must have originated from them, or been taken to it by someone from the Towers. I guess its similar in its outward effects to the Avatar magic system, but youll see that its actually quite different. 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. Decide on its tone. Paint can carry genetic qualities as well. This version of my storys magic system is like a combination of magic in the Marvel movies and in The Magicians. 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). 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. Sanderson recognized that the hard magic system is a fashion, just like soft magic was before and this article doesnt acknowledge this. 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? For instance, if speaking is an essential part of spellcasting, then characters cant cast spells if they cant speak. The former is more mysterious, dangerous, and wild, able to do far more but without much control by those who have little experience. You neednt appropriate any that have extant adherents, of course, but looking at what people believe can be a touchstone for how an invented system of magic could work. Now, I havent seen anything about your system, apart from what youve written here, but one easy distinction to make would be to give the angelic side healing magic and the demonic side something like destruction or seduction. As far as your magic/psychic system goes, I can understand why you put so much thought into it. Im glad youre feeling encouraged! Fantasy Name Generator. Teleportation is hardest to work out, because it includes the idea that you can pull a body apart and put it back together without any consequences. For instance, in Lois McMaster Bujolds Chalion Series, the divine cannot directly influence the world with their magic. The nanites of this future continue their work, though they are many generations after the initial outbreak and the AIs have calmed them. One of the things I noted in that comment is that what seems to make sense differs between individuals, cultures, and even species. Would the odds be equal or would the magic wielder always have the upper hand? The plants arent like people, the magic doesnt just happen to them. Telepathy: You mention detecting the electrical impulses of the nervous system. Trying to do anything that involves pushing against or even breaking natural law will require aid from outside forces. Using magic is physically draining. Mages draw energy from these Primals to cast spells, but are limited by the amount of Primal energy drawn, mainly from environmental factors. Willpower is ultimately the deciding factor between to evenly matched opponents. Demonic magic is based on bad and Angelic magic is based on good. Robert Asprins MYTH novels actually do a good job limiting magic in a similar way. If you dont have enough power to spare, the spell fizzles. Since paint depends on your mental state and will, if while using paint you have a sudden elevation of toxic emotions (extreme anger, fear, wish for destruction, narcissism, grief, blood-lust) your paint will go against the body causing a complete collapse (your senses null forcing you into a coma), a clear breakthrough (all thoughts and feelings stop and you focus on one thing with a slightly heightened power), a poisoned mind (you attack friend and foe alike as the paint starts to corrode your mind) or a transformation (into a monster). All magic can be learned by anyone, its just that the magic they didnt inherit will be harder to learn. Here are four common categories you can consider. Most magic systems fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Im going to flatly say your premise about the HARRY POTTER magic system. External energy could work; however, instantaneously moving energy from one place to another causes problems. Nonhumans might think in ways that make little sense to humans. Calm Creature. In the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix, necromancers can control the dead using bells and music. Elements are a system which people understand easily, other systems would have demanded more explanation. Can they simply stretch their arm, make a gesture with their hands and shoot out a ball of fire or do they need a wand do direct the magic? In some cases, the answer might already be obvious given the world your story is set in. Naturally, youll want a few people in your setting with powers that are unusual among magic workers. (As a side note, I mentioned teleportation because it would help get the various alien species in my universe together quickly so there could be stories based on interaction between them. Imagine if Harry Potter could vanquish Voldemort in the first chapter just by making up a spell called antagonist defeatium. This is the first step in learning magic, for depending on what Primal theyre affiliated with, their magic may not be useful at all times (a Sun mages magic is severely weakened at night, and an Earth mage is practically useless out at sea) and they need to rely on their mana for defense and offense. And you have the buffer, often a rogue or priest, who can either buff the own group (healing, boosting skills) or debuff the enemy (lowering attack or defence most often). Its important to define what the magic user can manipulate and how/why. Once you master the flow of paint in your body you can change your appearance temporarily. Is magic inherited, gifted, obtained, or learned? 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. Magical creatures all have an innate connection to one of the forces, which they can use in ways dictated by the kind of creature that they are. 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. You could use a rock-paper-scissors relationship where earth beats air, but air beats water, water beats fire, and fire beats earth. One or all could be part of the system and manipulation of the paper in . 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. If only a portion of the population can wield magic it could also mean the magic wielders are either the elite or the lower class. Over time more Blacks appeared and White got lonely so they split their body into seven colours. Old magics can occur without any intent. After all the Vibrations have finished their process, they Ripple and then whatever combination the Vibrations have will affect our world. *someone like me* well dont I feel important! The plants begin to die, and in dying change color and surrender the rest of their water to Mother. You just need a set of guidelines that all of your spirits/nymphs follow. Following is a list of all the abilities that can be generated by the Abilities Generator. Hey, dont know if anyones still commenting on this but here goes. Every person who attempts this dies, without fail. Magicians have no power of their own except through the spirits they command. The Force can do precisely what is needed. The descriptions follow the same pattern overall, but the details will vary to create different magic systems. To the audience it will feel like every part fits together, even if theyre not precisely sure how. What effect does the use of magic have on the user? Who will use magic: the protagonist (hard magic), or the antagonist / side characters (soft magic)? powers, and the theres a Chosen One, who has all the powers? If you combine spells you'll get something similar to fighting together as one being, shield against shield to maximize the defense and striking with swords at the right time (like Roman armies did). In the same way that you can learn to control your emotions, you can learn to control the magic that comes from those emotions. They worship and revere the Living Mother (what we might call Mother Earth) in her role as custodian and bringer of balance. The magic was based essentially off the interplay between my hereditary inclination towards poetry and a book on quantum physics Id just read entitled Space, Superspace and the Quantum Universe which explored the newly proposed theory of quantum mechanics that by some quantum physicists said by our observation of the physical universe we live in we are, in ways measurable to quantum physics, IN FACT INFLUENCING WHAT ITS STRUCTURE ACTUALLY IS.
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