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Readers could not have guessed that Harry might create something like a Patronus, so if it hadnt been explained in depth, using it at pivotal moments would have felt cheap. 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. And the thing that makes up all of the energy is spiritual Vibrations. Oh, and the fantasy series Im cooking up is called Fantasia. Is it light and full of wonder? Wizards cast spells by waving wands and saying incantations. But we know some things. 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. Wraith, lich, or revenant for example. Fast forward a couple thousand years and some genius manges to find a way to control paint by collecting it into a special bottle. 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. Specific effects include communicating with others, working together as a group, and riding inside the minds of others. Ask yourself what kind of problems magic will cause your protagonists, and whether your antagonist will use magic to achieve their goals. Interferers cant store energy like Conduits, so they have to use all of what they have in a few minutes or it explodes out of them randomly. Mages draw energy from these Primals to cast spells, but are limited by the amount of Primal energy drawn, mainly from environmental factors. Demigods have partial powers, which they inherit from their Olympian parents. Players cast spells by arranging corresponding runes in different configurations to express the Spells intention, With the Runes inter-playing off each other in a Rock/Paper/Scissor manner. The Harry Potter series is a splendid examplewe know what spells Harry can do, while we never find out the exact bounds of Voldemorts magical abilities. Though a country can have a large number of a certain Primal (such as the Sun or Earth Primals) that doesnt mean that people of other Primals cannot be born in that area. 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. Without a source of your magic it's difficult to create all the other elements, at least if you're planning on a somewhat realistic and exciting system. Finally, there are magic uses who seem to draw magic from the earth itself. Side note, can anyone contact the spirits, or does it require a special gift.. 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! But it also refers to the effects of the nanite plague. Theyre usually gifted to devout followers, but anyone can use them once they figure out how it works. Weak to medium Hydro, very rare chance of getting weak Eco as well, Learns magic more easily than other races. Are all individuals able to tap into the magic source or only a lucky few? Ill give you a specific example of the cultural dependence I mentioned. I think, some of the gods will be more random and chaotic than others. 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). My magic system is tied in with a lot of the religions and science of my fantasy world. The protagonist doesnt understand Naming well either, so we never expect him to solve major plot problems using soft magic. 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. ;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. 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? However, most societies dont have the resources to crank out wizards. How big or small a role it plays in that story is completely up to you - but no matter what kind of magic system you're devising, you need to know it inside and out. 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. The Living Mother may hardly notice a tiny imbalance such as this. Lich could do for those who contain the energy, as liches go on living long after they should be gone, so essentially containing life energy past their due date. Knowing what spell-casting is capable of is pretty important, if you havent decided that, I would think on it. You should ensure that the conflict and resolutions in your story arent as fickle as the magic. Hard magic systems provide interesting limitations that allow your protagonist to solve problems using their own wits, not raw magical power. All you need are the right ingredients, follow the right steps, and have the right mindset. Here are some examples of magical effects: In The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.J. Jemisin, orogenes can manipulate the earth. Perhaps, a ritual needs chants which will take most of the night. 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. The system I created is very similar, with some differences. These are the 7 forms of energy this magic affects. There are hundreds or even thousands of magical techniques and spells that a magician can learn. Real transformation would be something like lead to gold, influencing the molecules to give up their bonds and settle into a new configuration (gods, it has been ages since my last chemistry lesson). I think I mostly understand, but Im not exactly sure what Interferers cant an cant do. Use this guide as best fits your approach to magic. In any scenario, the reader should have some sense of what magic can and cant do in the fictional world. Eco (plant life). What about pine trees and the like, since they are always green what explanation could be given for why the mother does not retaliate against them? 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. For example, a tree nymph can make a leaf tornado appear, but cant work with other materials. 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. Another limitation is that you have to touch whatever youre casting a spell on, e.g. They can only work through people that do their will voluntarily. After all the Vibrations have finished their process, they Ripple and then whatever combination the Vibrations have will affect our world. What are the interconnections between the ideas Ive come up with? The value of the memory is determined by how much it affects the mage, and whether its repeatable or replaceable after the original is given up. There are two types of magic systems: hard magic systems and soft magic systems. Their eyes are blinded and their organs fail. One might be cost, but only if your magic source is limited. Could you perhaps link the tides and the moon? All benders in Avatar, safe for the Avatar themselves, can only control one element, one source of power. Harmony: how multiple different vibrations intermingle and interact, depending on the previous too, some Vibrations can overpower another one As Sanderson explains, magic primarily exists to create conflict in fiction. As I said, I was also inspired by depictions of psychic powers in fiction, so I used this idea to explain telepathy (immaterial minds were the same substance, so they could have a way to directly communicate with each other) and telekinesis (if thoughts could generate energy, then maybe they could create enough energy to affect outside objects as well). 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. Hope I did well! This is only my second serious piece of writing, so its really encouraging to hear stuff like that from someone like you. Using items means a disarmed magic wielder might be powerless, it could also mean every magic wielder has an item unique to that person, perhaps even with their own unique abilities. Would the odds be equal or would the magic wielder always have the upper hand? I suspect it might be possible; after all, there are plenty of mathematically worked out theories involving new particles and forces, but Ill have to do quite a bit of research. And if they can add energy to it, it sounds like they have to absorb that energy like a conduit. So, this sheet is meant to help fantasy world-builders (for any media, not just writing) create the magic systems for their worlds. You can certainly use that, even though information might sometimes not be easy to find. That was exactly what i thought! Nonhumans might think in ways that make little sense to humans. Technically, the limitation is actually the minds belief that lifting huge objects is difficult. When youre brainstorming magical costs, try to be creative. Figured out the important themes and used them to craft something that fits more within the setting. Magic can be taught and learned, but like the Arts or sciences, whether someone is good at magic or not depends on their inherent skill, talent, and dedication to their training. It depends on how you build up your magic system. A very interesting and well laid out post, though I dont quote agree with all the recommended reading. Earth magic: Earth magic draws power from the energy of the land itself. Witches and wizards need to learn each spell individually and practice speaking their enchantments in exactly the right way in order to achieve the intended results. Motion Since there are clear rules in the Harry Potter series, we dont wonder why Harry doesnt just make up an all-powerful spell. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Become a patron and chat with us on Discord. I know this is an old article, but it inspired me to create my magic system. These individualized magic systems can be a great way to make characters stand out, but they also come with their own challenges. 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. Youll have to figure out exactly what characteristic weft threads are adding, but thats completely doable. Magic in Tolkien is a reflection of _spiritual_ power. And I did read the other piece about magic but my system sounded alot simpler in head head so I didnt think it applied as much. The steps of rituals are based on hearsay, so its hard to know whats actually necessary. Wizards arent included in this; as far as we know, you cant just simmer a wizard in a pot for a few days and end up with a magic potion. If youre having trouble, you can say there are many more categories but knowledge of them has been lost. Professor of Political Theory in Star Trek, contradicting something shes already invented, distill and concentrate the plant down to an elixir, Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, heres a fun chart showing the details of magic systems in the most popular works, Building the Raksura: How Martha Wells Fell Into Toxic Tropes, Five Tips for Using an Arbitrary Magic System, Building Wings of Fire: How Sutherland Propped Up Her Plot, Building Hyperion: How Simmons Scattered His World, Building Roshar: How Sanderson Bungled Culture, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi_hcwB8i64, https://mythcreants.com/blog/how-to-create-an-eclectic-magic-system/. It doesn't have to be something natural either, it could be a machine or body enhancement, like a tattoo. Harry Potters magic is not irrational. That wall of gobbldygook was as far as i got (there were a few story bits though; going to one of the factories and contending with the burgeoning AIs, people with unflattering mutations being exiled or outright killed, fear of the outside and of the disease, the worry that the holy artifact gifted by the gods(the jammers) is growing dim, whatever). Usually, magic comes from magic users, the gods, magical creatures, or a specific substance. If youre still reading, thanks for letting me ramble. I still have hopes to use it someday, but Im not sure for reasons Ill give soon. I will say that I do enjoy thinking about all of these issues. Try to group together similar effects, sources, and costs. They can do things with water, and also move farther away from their source (something other nymphs cannot physically do). Cool system, sounds like it has great story possibilities. However, scholars and Wise Ones know that harnessing sunlight is possible, for virtually every plant known to this world is more than capable of harnessing sunlight, and does so continuously, every day. 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. Magic isn't real, so it can be anything we want. I was literally thinking How can I make a magic system thats as good as Avatar? and this article answered that question nicely. Like it doesnt work on them or around them? The Living Mother dreads chaos and wants balance. but gods, spirits, and demons can. But that doesnt mean all magic systems work equally well for stories. If everybody is capable of wielding magic they will likely use it for everything, from war to daily life, but if only a portion of the population can wield it it means magic will be handled differently by those who can and those who can't wield it. (Storm God = sky domain = bird ? Some plants and animals have magic inherently inside them, creating a variety of results. If rational magic systems only had a basic framework, they might get dull. Hydro (water) It takes many years to master. Mystical Paths A slightly humorous generator that produces new mystical practices for characters. 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. . I forget the episode but Aang (obviously) and Zaheer do it also. ;). A combination of both is also perfectly possible and used a lot. that you realize that the magic system in Tolkien is actually much more a spiritual and religious system based on the two fudamental pillars of his sincere Catholicism and his strong distaste for the worlds of contemporaries like C,S, Lewis where the Christian allegory was blatant or at best obvious enough to leave the writer open to the charge of being preachy. Kristen Kieffer is a fantasy fiction writer and the author of Build Your Best Writing Life and Self-Publishing Simplified. Advantages: you can summon a physical form of your paint to help fight with you, you can make deals with your contractor sacrificing parts of your power to gain special moves or stronger attacks, becoming closer to your contractor makes your flow stronger However, it sounds like theres a gap between the rational aspect and the large assortment of different things your magic casters are doing. 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. This is a pretty nice article, and it has inspired me to think more about the magic systems I create. They have averge control over their ability. These Tower appeared out of thin air, bringing with them a curse. And for Mind and Body, Distorter will be their name. If Luke needs to suddenly call out for help while hes hanging below a floating city, he can make contact with Leia (without their relationship already being an item). There are roughly two types of fantasy. I remember a HP fan-fiction where Harry developed two spells into some kind of magical arms he could call up at will to help with magic or protect himself by picking up half a dozen objects he could throw into the path of a spell or weapon. But its repeatedly said in the series that spells can be cast when the user feels strong emotion, so it could possibly be connected in that way to the old magic. They dont pay with utter exhaustion or even by losing several years of their life, because of the power they wield. Over time more Blacks appeared and White got lonely so they split their body into seven colours. I was wondering if any of you could give your thoughts on it. I want the magic of the world to feel whimsical (or horrifying) and ever present, but not the cure all to every problem. If they are limited, its usually not by some universal magical law, but rather a handicap in their source of power. You can use our ProWritingAid Sensory Report to make sure youre including sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell in your magic system. Note that this does NOT prove energy is conserved (at least I dont think so), it means that if energy is not conserved, the laws of physics must change over time this applies even if magic is involved. 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. 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)? They're overall stregenth of that ability is average. 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). Know How Your Magic Works Here we discuss considerations outside the scope of this article, such as the effect magic has on society. Spellcasters cant blow up planets, because obviously that would take too much energy. This generator gives you names for their various alliances, covens, and clubs. After giving it some thought, I think the spirits will take memories as payment. Id especially suggest that, because your holy magic is used by priests, so it, too, is tied to the gods. VINE DWELLER, based off of forest nymphs from folklore in design, moderate chance of getting medium to strong Eco magic, extremely rare chance to get weak magic of another Type as well. the interactions between spells of opposing Wizards. Perhaps theyd have to choose two which are not opposites (fire/water or earth/air would be opposites). Spell lists ala D&D can be fun, but spell creation in a limited system can be very flavorful. Now paint may sound op but it has very risky limitations. Some people make a long-term contract with a particular spirit to channel its energy themselves, with the spirit becoming the casters familiar. Caster is Combustial, Given is Earth and rock that were made by the gods. Conduits can technically slow movement down because they pull energy from the environment, but they pull from all around them equally so the effect is minimal. However, understanding how magic can operate in fiction is key to ensuring that your magic system serves your story rather than undermines it. They cant use magic at all. It has been decided that the human body is too impure of a vessel, being asynchronous with the rhythms of nature, to successfully accomplish this with sunlight. If the story needs someone to tell Luke and the others on the Falcon something terrible happened at the other end of the galaxy, the Force can provide Obi-Wan with the necessary information through a vision of sorts. 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. Well, your protagonists will use magic to solve some of their problems. The first and probably most important aspect of magic is its source. The mystery is in the water that the Living Mother leaves behind on the plants when the sunlight returns again. There are a few keys differences, in that the forces that determine a Vibration are its Wavelength, Frequency, Harmony, Color, and Ripple(subject to change). In Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson, magicians owe a demon years of their life in exchange for magic. Pick just one source; Ill discuss how to add variety to your magic system in the next section. What limitations does the magic put on the wielder? Spirit? It flows through all life and can be controlled by any sentient object. but humanity is creative and designs massive jammers that are able to disable the nanites that enter within X radius of them. Nevertheless, you will always introduce something which, as far as we know, does not exist in reality. Aside from this, the only other limitation a mage has in magic is their stamina. Its a generic job title for people whose main concern is to maintain relationships with local spirits and practice holy magic so they can pacify demons. Eg- In order to make the static ball move with your mind you need something around you that you can either see or feel is moving to help focus you. Is magic inherited, gifted, obtained, or learned? How was magic created? Divine magic comes from appeals to the gods. If you don't combine spells you'll have 2 (or more) people fighting together, but not as one being. ), Fire/heat (fire is a more fickle form of energy and as it is intangible, it is harder to hold on to, though not as hard as air. This article will help you write a magic system for your fictional world that readers will remember long after theyve turned the last page. Why are some people spell book readers but not others? Every person who attempts this dies, without fail. Magic wielders might be shunned for being different, perhaps even dangerous, or they could be praised for their abilities. But because of Saurons _spiritual_ and _moral_ corruption, ADDED to the fact that dis werent no ordinary Elfk, Luthien was able not only to win handily but to pretty seriously humiliate Sauron before his boss (no other than Morgoth, the Satan figure in Tolkiens universe, Old Scratch himself) by the pathetic ease by which she shelled him? What I was thinking but forgot to put it in my original comment was that it could be because of their bloodline, their ancestors used that kind of magic so it comes easier to them. Paint can be placed on any object and 1 in 15 people can use paint on something they arent touching. On the other hand, there could be a group of people allergic to the plant. Thanks to this article I have been able to advance my magic system up from the basics and I just want to run this by someone who is not me: My magic system is called Paint. Even with a teacher it takes years to become proficient. Project | Fire | Destroy | Item So, in my story world theres a plague spreading among the populace known as the Grey Death (somewhat analogous to the Bubonic Plague). I have read an anecdote in which members of a certain tribe classified an orange with a knife, rather than an orange with an apple as the Western researchers expected, reasoning that a knife cuts an orange so they belong together. 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. That might work as well, but its a completely different kind of image in peoples minds. I love it. 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. When the spell is done, the deactivated knots simply float around, unattended. Do you prefer planning things out logically (hard magic), or going with your gut (soft magic)? Magic would be cheaply acquired from soil the plant cant grow in, and they wouldnt have to worry about getting sick from overeating it. There are others who feel this way as well. PEELED him? Ive been working on a magic system in my head, but would like help on a few things. They worship and revere the Living Mother (what we might call Mother Earth) in her role as custodian and bringer of balance. 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. Even without understanding the details, it feels like it all fits together. air benders can also create a vacuum around the head to suffocate some one (same guy did this in season 3). One type usually comes naturally to you (depending on your personality and familiarity) but through practice you can learn other types. Though there is an international standard for magic spells, certain cultures practice magic in different ways pertaining to either their culture, beliefs or lifestyles. We have a knowledge of these beings, many of them exist in our mythology as gods, angels, demons, etc. As an example, look at the Force the way its used in the first few Star Wars movies (episodes 4-6 nowadays). 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. And I don't mean only practical magic as a modern Druid, I mean magic of every kind, real or imagined. If an elemental mage can only use elements which are not opposite, they have to choose between the four elements when they start training. Magic can be taught and learned, though whether or not a persons good at it depends on their study/training, and their innate talent for the practice. Thank you so much! If you use this source, decide why reality is so malleable is everyone in a dream or a virtual reality game? This is harder to work with, because the divine are technically spellcasters themselves, and incredibly powerful ones. 7 Ways To Create A Magic System For Your Novel 1. If you think about it, youll realize theres no reason not to have a rational system. Your powers will be just as draining as a Bornes magic. Theyre more afraid of the death of their world than their own personal death, however. And the way they fight has to do in part what magic they use. The questions which I usually ask myself are how difficult is it to inflict changes (which means does it take a two-day ritual or just a thought) and what are the costs (because if magic doesnt have a bad side, like the cost for a spell, there is no limiting it).