Im glad youre feeling encouraged! 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. If I were you, I would make sure every complication you have is something thats important to you. It sends a positive message to the reader when the magic being performed is a positive being paid for by a regrettable negative but sends the wrong message when its a cheat or lethal act that is only being rewarded or reinforced with a positive. If one person grows wings and another teleports, your system will feel arbitrary. Use attributes or abilities you would connect with angels or demons and make them sub-types of the magic in question. Do users of angelic magic have to join some kind of religious group? None of those energies could be stored by characters themselves, so they can only use energies from environment. In Brandon Sandersons Warbreaker, magic is powered by a life force known as breath. Sanderson could have made breath do anything, but instead its mostly limited to animating objects and improving the casters senses. Theres three kinds of people: Apaths (Apath, sing. So, if we want to maintain conservation of energy, we need to assume another power source. However, they seem to require non-biological properties, so they probably wouldnt evolve naturally. Forms of moon magic include illusion magic, shadow magic, and spirit magic. Directing magic can involve a range of activities, but it commonly includes these aspects: The more elaborate your direction method is, the harder youll need to work to make it feel rational. but humanity is creative and designs massive jammers that are able to disable the nanites that enter within X radius of them. One thing to keep in mind is how much power somebody can gain. Paint can carry genetic qualities as well. While your categories wouldnt be any fun if they were identical, they do need consistency. In addition, there are no boundaries on what magic could theoretically do in the Potterverse. Some dimensions have a lot of energy and a lot of lines, others have few. Learn everything you need to know about grammar. Or some effect it has on the world? Extreme focus is needed for complicated attacks That means that divine intervention is a possibility (a deus ex machina in the true sense of the world), but theres no way your regular human MC can rely on it. For your points about my magic system: yes, I know magic isnt real, so I will have to break some physical laws in my fictional world. 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. That way, it would mean using that energy to influence an element. There are medieval books detailing how to pluck a mandrake from the ground because it was thought that they screamed when unearthed and could kill everyone who heard the scream. I transfer energy into the boulder or to the air around it to move that boulder. I see some interesting potential with that. Mana is the clean energy, without any attunement. We'll also throw some brainstorming questions your way to help get those magical creative juices flowing! Magic is one of the essential elements of any fantasy story. Skill in this magic system is all about how little inspiration you need to produce your own energy; How many methods of create, increase or decrease you can do & How many energy types you can work with; and how much energy you can actually produce at once. That would certainly make them dangerous to magic users. But in case of computer game, need to implement those rules somehow. Group A (Comment if you have a better name), They cant stop their emotion from changing surfacing and tend to be extra emotional. Its said more than once that really powerful wizards and witches can do wandless magic or even do magic without saying the spells. Magic systems can even serve as a vehicle for theme, exploring topics such as power, privilege, oppression, and greed. You don't have to have an exact cost, like making the average human able to cast 20 fire balls before being tired, but having a cost relative to each other spell will help make sure your magic system is at least relatively realistic in the sense that there's a logic behind it. But it feels as if it all fits together, not least because Tolkien himself had a clear notion of what was going on. What about Time? Every person who attempts this dies, without fail. But we know some things. To give them an exceptional ability that stands out from the masses, change or break one rule youve established for your magic system. Aside from this, the only other limitation a mage has in magic is their stamina. : I think that is arguable, but fine I personally want to read hard magic systems anyway. Another elite bending technique is Astral Projection since their are the most spiritual of benders. 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. A very interesting and well laid out post, though I dont quote agree with all the recommended reading. Some people are good at magic, others are not. Specific effects include waking the dead, sending dead spirits back into the afterlife, and binding the dead to follow their commands. In the fourth book, Harry doesnt know any flying spells, so he uses the Summoning Spell to call his broomstick. 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. This is one of the most exciting things about writing fantasy: getting to design your own magic system. Energy-based magic is easy to use because it comes with limitations. Incantations are used, and using the magic is mentally draining. The protagonists wording must be airtight, because the djinni will look for loopholes. Perhaps people born with an innate power to do so or maybe they're chosen ones hand picked by a god. Telepathy: You mention detecting the electrical impulses of the nervous system. Magic systems vary from colorful bears with tummy badges to ritual blood sacrifices. One of the things I noted in that comment is that what seems to make sense differs between individuals, cultures, and even species. In the first book, Ron doesnt know any troll-slaying spells, so he uses the Levitating Spell to knock out a mountain troll instead. These small but significant changes in their functionality causes untold chaos; billions die and the climate is thrown off by the massive amount of metal particulates now in the upper atmosphere. Thats what I mean when I say Dumbledore and Voldemort should have paid for their enormous use of power at the ministry of magic in Harry Potter. Our physical universe is merely the extent that we can see with our mortal Perceptions limits. They worship and revere the Living Mother (what we might call Mother Earth) in her role as custodian and bringer of balance. Magic does exist and it follows rules is the first rule of a rational system. With that said, lava could still count as fire, so the point about magic being based on fire vs. ice might still stand. Paint can be collected from the surrounding area into your body and be channelled through your bloodstream. Technically, anyone can use holy magic, but it takes years to become proficient. Thats a larger imbalance. This is harder to work with, because the divine are technically spellcasters themselves, and incredibly powerful ones. If you are not creating a game, where you want a firemage be as powerful as a dark wizard for balancing sake, your magic doesnt need to be symmetrical. This generator will give you 10 random super powers, which can range from many different types of powers, including magic and superhuman powers. Also Im thinking about the idea when none of characters can store those energy. ;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. 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. 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. 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They arent all knowing like gods so you have to talk to them directly. In addition, exposure to sea water improves magical ability for humans slightly, especially childhood exposure, so the strongest spellcasters are all in coastal areas. Forms of Star magic include telepathy, telekinesis, mind control, astral projection, and precognition. Or some other options?.. 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. Those rules shouldnt be arbitrary, like fire magic doesnt work on Tuesdays or you cant cast an illusion spell in months without an R in their name. The rules need to make sense within the system. Then it may not feel weird that there isnt a god specifically of dirt, because the earth goddess hasnt had children yet. By making sure magic has costs, you can force your protagonists to be clever and resourceful when they solve problems. Remember the problem with any kind of existing lore: someone out there whos reading your stories is an expert in it and will be pretty annoyed if you just wing it and your version has next to nothing in common with reality. How would a non-magic wielder fight a magic wielder? Some rituals are inherently harmful, like the ritual thats typically used to find missing persons. Ways to obtain magic: We've covered the source, the wielders and they way they wield power, but we still need to cover one of the biggest factors of magic, which is the power itself. In the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, wand magic is like language. 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. There is no formula; you are just fueling the clichs. Motion/kinetic energy: you stop an object in its tracks. Holy magic is more reliable, but hard to learn. I just made it up, I had no idea there was a magic system out there that was so similar. What are those with magical powers called within your story world? Wavelength: Determines how strong the affect it has All other alien races find our violent behavior disgusting and, honestly? Now, to those who contain their power. Fireball that damages a characters weapons/armor, while leaving the character unharmed. Magic System Generator Perchance Magic System Generator This magic system focuses on manipulating luck. If I get this right, magic workers are using pieces of the infrastructure built to support their world for magic instead, at which time it is no longer helping to sustain the world, and by putting these pieces back in place, the protagonist is strengthening that infrastructure. 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. Are there magical societies or a hierarchy of magic users? The only limit is your imagination. 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? Forms of magic include fire magic, light magic, healing magic, and transformation magic. Some prices for their cooperation can even be steep, such as sacrificing something precious or offering up ones soul. Their technology and motivations could be very different from human ideas. Theres nothing wrong with using classic tropes, but if you want to stand out in the crowded world of fantasy, youll need to learn how to use them in an innovative and unique way. I love your idea Madden, however if i may point out one significant flaw that you will very quickly need to address. For a small redistribution of energy or matter, this is hardly a large price to pay. 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. Group B dont have magic at all. Every action we take, even the most mundane has a profound effect on the Flow of Creation. There are roughly two magic systems. Creating a rational magic system allows you to add realism and depth to your world while still leaving room for new and interesting changes. Magic isn't real, so it can be anything we want. In fact, I suspect it might make more sense than what Chris Winkle says in the original article. Magic source description generator This description generator will generate a fairly random description of a the way magic works in a random world. Check out my other generators A waterbender cant control air or earth or fire. the frequent earthquakes that break up the surface of the earth and reshape it releasing gasses from below. Harmony: how multiple different vibrations intermingle and interact, depending on the previous too, some Vibrations can overpower another one I would start with some metaphysical idea about exactly what functions these threads are performing to hold the world together. As we dont seem to be focusing on that aspect much, however, I wont try to continue arguments about that part. My magic system is based on the Netflix show, The Dragon Prince, because I really like how dynamic and diverse its magic system is. A grammar checker, style editor, and writing mentor in one package. Trying to do anything that involves pushing against or even breaking natural law will require aid from outside forces. Practically everyone uses it in their daily life. Combining powers for a summoning could mean larger creatures could be summoned and a teleportation spell could be able to teleport far more people, or even entire cities. Also, I read that chemical changes play an important role, and those probably cant be detected externally at all. 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. For example, the Goddess of the Hunt will give a blessing that will increase the accuracy and strength of your bow, as long as you dont eat after dark. All life on Terra (my world) is born with a connection to one of these Primals, and what magic they can perform depends on the Primal theyre connected to. With very little people learning magic outside of their respective faction but its not a common practice. I would use something else than Gluttons. Perhaps theyd have to choose two which are not opposites (fire/water or earth/air would be opposites). Paint is a very volatile substance that if held can burn off skin Bewitchment Grenade-- This bomb emits a gas that causes hallucinations and lowered aggression in 99% of affected persons. Some of them, such as the Breath Weapons have been condenced a little bit for shortnesses sake. As fun as fantastical powers can be to write, crafting your magic system with care is key. Could a small group of magic wielders defeat an army of non-magic wielders? It's an important aspect to think about as it'll heavily affect your story universe. Magic should be limited when its used by humans or other mortal beings as opposed to being used by divine or other immortal beings. At first thanks a lot for this article, it helps to organize some things in my head. 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. What are the interconnections between the ideas Ive come up with? 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. But, with the power of enough minds, things and beings could be transported to nearly any location instantly, as long as that location was also in the proximity of many minds (Minds were always at least somewhat tied to the physical world during life, so there would still be a range limit, but a vastly larger one for this teleportation, spanning many light-years). and much if not all this her non original content that she is taking from is founded in actual fairy tales with absolutely no magical or rational system. Many soft magic systems include magical creatures: centaurs, mermaids, nine-tailed foxesthe possibilities here are endless. Or maybe have subtypes based on the seven deadly sins and heavenly virtues? On Way of Kings Shows Us the Damage Meta Mysteries Can Do. 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. And after reading this article, Ive found there is one important question missing: How exactly magic affects the world? :). Mages trained in a world with little power usually are very strong in one with more power, because they can make a lot out of a little. They have to learn magic to use it. It will first appear has a reddish purple mark that will slowly spread across the whole body. One of the most common elements in these books is a magic system. So when it comes to babies, you probably want to pick just one.. Its easy to extrapolate all the basic uses of this magic system. And the thing that makes up all of the energy is spiritual Vibrations. Now, for your first comment about my magic system, it is true I might be overthinking it (people have told me that before). So, early on in our history, humanity was deemed too dangerous to stay in the greater multiverse. For telepathy and telekinesis, you mention sources of energy. Sophie, if youre having trouble with elements heres a few ideas but no need to add them. Lets take a closer look at what these terms mean. Roughly, looks like extended noun+verb system, right? Some get better with time, some get worse. That will keep your characters from going deus ex machina at you (meaning suddenly doing something they shouldnt be able to, just because you need them to). However, you can mix pieces of magic plants and animals in a pot and get powerful effects. 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. There is a cap that only the two young men of solitude have managed to break Good luck! There are two types of magic systems: hard magic systems and soft magic systems. Not that hard to extrapolate. Forms of magic include earth magic, metal magic, plant magic, and animal communication/manipulation. and not to be messed with lightly, as they can have devastating effects. A cunning ex-adventurer named Wlfrilda seeks a company of adventurers to explore the Pikawas Jungle. If it was merely about Harry learning magic more of that logic would be needed. This has been extremely helpful! They should be able to deduce, if they want to, what a magic user (or a psychic) can or cant do and you shouldnt suddenly throw someone in who can do something that should be impossible by the rules you set down and showed before. Im thinking at the beginning it requires some basic training to attune oneself to contact spirits, and from there its more a practice/strength of will thing. You can either post it here or use the contact page. If anyone interested, here is description of my magic system: moving more slowly, using other abilities less effectively, taking more hits), and the hero tries and fails to use the ability when theyre already at their limit, then we come to understand exhaustion as a real limitation that doesnt just go away as needed. would even mathematically work, as all existing particles and forces seem to be related by deep mathematical symmetries. In the Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix, necromancers can control the dead using bells and music. If by the end of your story the hero has reached twice or more times the power of the strongest person at the beginning of the story, how come nobody ever reached that same level? If youre doing the system well, you dont need to break a rule for the plot or you can make it shine through beforehand that under specific circumstances rules can be broken (or at any rate bent very far). this is all super helpful! Generate random magic shops with items from the d20 SRD. 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). In the Norse pantheon, Loki is sometimes also referred to as the god of fire despite the fact that hes a frost giant. Have holy magic as something humans can gain through service to the gods, but have the gods as some random element that cannot be influenced at all. Its at its strongest during a thunderstorm and is the most dynamic of the Primals, as the mage is always connected to the Primal at a given time. I want to make it rational, just didnt thought about it from this point. Oh wow that turned out to be a lot of text. Of course, I wholeheartedly believe that considering each element of your story is the surest way to craft an engaging novel. And the HPMOR fanfic mentioned above is about a Harry who does want to find out this why although I dont think it succeeds at conveying this particularly well in the story itself.). 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. Magic that powerful would leave a large fingerprint on the world, and if you dont avoid ultra-powerful characters, it can also break your plot. In Game of Thrones, the red woman throws leaches into a fire, and later several lords die far away. SWd6 System Generator. High Magic and Low Magic. Now you have all the tools you need to create your own magic system. I dont like giving writers a formula for magic systems. From the other side, putting lot of fire energy into single point will produce real fire, moving air energies will make air blows. 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. What do I do now? The audience must know the rules, because the heroes use magic during the story. And there are laws to the magic, they may not be as strict as some novels and series, but they are there. Many fantasy authors incorporate magic into their stories simply because fantastical abilities are a fun means of escapism. Ill be checking this site for updates everyday, so thank you in advance of letting me share my crazy idea with you all. Generate random names for characters, events, taverns, etc. Harrys mother inadvertently casts a protective spell on him by dying for him. Nonhumans might think in ways that make little sense to humans. Occasionally you may want an arbitrary system it adds humor and entertainment to Harry Potter. Its unclear whether there are any other self-casting old magic spells besides this one. (Note- it is a lot easier to learn the Other Methods of Create, Increase & Decrease of the same energy type than it is to learn how to use other Energies- but if you work hard enough it can be done) Color: the type of color determines what kind of effect the Vibration will have on the Physical World. Because people tend to be put off when your story changes rules in the middle. Astral Armor-- "Though spun from strands of glamor and mana, the protection it offers is no illusion." Magic Formula-- Yep. But at extremely high levels (Demi god level) the breeze might be enough. Anyone who uses the magic of these Towers will have a name that corresponds to the pair, not just the Tower they draw from. Entire body effects:: I definitely have more work to do. As mentioned, Im still working on the plot details, but I was thinking the decrease in magic availability from protagonist 1s time to protagonist 2s time had to do with spirits withdrawing from the human world and not dealing with mages. ), Im just really curious to know more about your magic! You could even have a combination of two or more sources, but choosing which are best suited for your system will largely depend on what you need from your magic within your story universe. If youll allow my humble but informed opinion. When I say the tips may not be universal, Im referring especially to how you state that rational magic is based on a single, coherent metaphysical framework and describe things such as categories and symmetricality. For instance, if speaking is an essential part of spellcasting, then characters cant cast spells if they cant speak. 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. Humans have no idea. 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. Another limitation is that you have to touch whatever youre casting a spell on, e.g. Gaining power Combining powers Limitations Whether you're a writer, game developer, or just someone with a creative mind, the Magic Type Generator will help you create random content quickly and easily. And the Aether is born from our Thoughts and Actions, more specifically, our Souls. Ask yourself what sources will work well for the magical effects you want to use, and what sources will work well within the world you have created. This isnt a formula for magic systems, but a guide for those not sure where to start or what exactly is a magic system. A combination of both is also perfectly possible and used a lot. Its a very complex mathematical theorem, but the really basic idea I understand is that conservation laws and symmetries are connected. Now its time to decide why magic cant do anything and everything the spellcaster wants, whenever they want. A dwarf named Keti seeks a company of adventurers to steal a powerful arcane device from a rival. ie: Water beats Fire, but MY level 5 Fireball beats YOUR level 3 Ice Wall. Who will use magic: the protagonist (hard magic), or the antagonist / side characters (soft magic)? But it technically isnt magic if you put yourself in the characters shoes. And after all of this, there are still problems of how the signals dont get mixed up when a lot of beings are around and why organisms havent already evolved impenetrable defenses against mind-readers and how the information is processed and how the telepath knows what to find. And boy, rational magic systems arent new. If George R.R. Why do I need spellcasters? The random Magic Type Generator is a free online tool that lets you generate random Magic Type content for your fantasy or writing project with the click of a button. We have a knowledge of these beings, many of them exist in our mythology as gods, angels, demons, etc. 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. Technically, the limitation is actually the minds belief that lifting huge objects is difficult. Paint can hold curses that are also genetic (curses can make a person stronger but the price is extremely high) In case if something enters inside such bonded blob it will exit on the other side of the bond. How does this constitute a magic system? that were made by the gods. Mages connected to certain Primals are sometimes more common in parts of the world than others. Im sure there are phenomena of nature that are plot holes in this magic system. Using this site means trees will be planted. Really Smart that would make a great power for the Apaths. Below, Ive outlined six general steps you can follow to forge an effective magic system for your story.