Furthermore, it is meant to be mysterious in-story and something that not everyone has. Generally that means their strengths and weaknesses will be roughly equivalent. In The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb, practitioners of the Skill can communicate to each other telepathically. The mingling of the two forces became one and allowed him to harness the energy of the wind, one face of the energy of nature. Combustial (fire) Trying to do anything that involves pushing against or even breaking natural law will require aid from outside forces. 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. Humans access it by eating a special plant that bio-accumulates it. Color: the type of color determines what kind of effect the Vibration will have on the Physical World. The key traits of a hard magic system are outlined in the graphic below. Are all individuals able to tap into the magic source or only a lucky few? ;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. But usually a person can only ever do one of those three (create, increase or decrease), and only do it for a certain energy type. If you can't combine spells you'll have to work together perfectly, time spells one after the after and make sure you're not in each other's way. Seventh Sanctum - Magitech Generator Paint can depend on someones mental state and will Broken cities, old equipment, enchanted odds and ends from modern society. 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. 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. We accept that our universe works the way it does without necessarily knowing which physical law is at work at any given time in any given thing happening. The issues with this idea are a) adding more complexity to my magic system and b) giving more power to the side of the war that directly contracts spirits. Also, this is just an example: even if conservation of energy applies in my system, there are other things that could come up. Though this is all tentative, Id probably categorize it into two types: warp threads (like the structural threads you mentioned) for physical spells and weft threads for nonphysical spells. To avoid adding a sense of arbitrariness, your choice of categories must feel natural. Ill be checking this site for updates everyday, so thank you in advance of letting me share my crazy idea with you all. Magitech To create strange fusions of science and sorcery for your more unusual settings. 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. But Chaos is discovered to still exist and actually controls the inner workings of our universe (similar to a pusdeo quantum physics where laws arent followed and anything can happen at anytime) This (called the Ether) rarely affects our natural world but when it does the laws of physics are broken in the form of magic. When a person deliberately causes an imbalance that person becomes the cork plugging up the hole, so to speak. Character Power Generator Your character has the Illusions (Can create and destory illusions) ability! Kathy Ferguson However, you can also experiment with different techniques for accessing and directing the magic, each with upsides and downsides. Im going for rational semi-soft I hope I pull it off. They have to learn magic to use it. Good luck! The former is more mysterious, dangerous, and wild, able to do far more but without much control by those who have little experience. You just feel the spell, you dont need to recite anything. Im only using that as a place holder name because mostly priests use it but priest carries its own connotation thats probably also misleading. Sandersons First Law At the very least, you need to foreshadow that. Thats really cool. 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. air benders can also create a vacuum around the head to suffocate some one (same guy did this in season 3). Do people get to choose their side in this case or are they born with the ability to wield one side? Mistakes as huge as that one turn people off reading your stories. Of course, there had to be some in-world lore and stuff to go with the system, but the system / idea in a nutshell, The idea, when broken down is comprised of: Sorry, Im not quite understand this Could you please describe some spell example with such system? The lich controls the power and consumes it, the specre is consumed by it. But that doesn't mean all magic systems work equally well for stories. I know this is an old article, but it inspired me to create my magic system. Maybe incorporate the Lawful Chaotic axis, too? The farther an individual cause the needle to drift towards imbalance, the more force shall be exerted on that individual until the balance is restored through redistribution. I just made it up, I had no idea there was a magic system out there that was so similar. 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. Really sorry about the length but Im really happy with this magic system and am wondering what other people might think of it- and the people here seem like they know what theyre talking about and are enthusiastic to hear more. Anyone can use it, the power doesnt come from the gods, but you do have to follow a recipe. It doesnt take years of training. However, they are actually Ancient Greek classifications and not modern science-based, so they arent really natural. Does it seem too unpredictable? If youre working with leylines and the fabric of reality you should model the whole earth as a living thing(as it is)but not necessarily conscious, although that could add tension and the leylines and threads could be like vains in an interconnected system that gets clogged from the knots relating to all manner of natural and unnatural disasters/phenomenon and just like any living thing this system would naturally resemble a circulatory/lymphatic system with currents and nodes to regulate and cleanse said currents. However, you can mix pieces of magic plants and animals in a pot and get powerful effects. Eco (plant life). So thats where the other two paragraphs of my previous comment come in. To the Avatar thing: the point is not using a scientific system for your magic. Random Magic Shop Generator. Magic source description generator - Fantasy name generators Our Plane falls on the 3rd Dimension, being far away from perceiving the World. . This allows for the reader to know what is or isnt possible. Olwens father told Kilhwch he wanted that comb, razor and scissors to dress his beard with on the day of the wedding, before he would allow him to marry his daughter. You need to make your sub-types of magic logical parts of the main type of magic. You can also read his books to see his systems in action; personally I recommend Elantris. Thelema, Goetia, Gematria, Thaumaturgy, Alchemy, Hermeticism? Terminology is pretty difficult to deal with, because there isnt a big enough shared vocabulary for storytelling to have the discussions we need to have on the site. Is magic inherited, gifted, obtained, or learned? I gave the most basic rundown I could. The nanites of this future continue their work, though they are many generations after the initial outbreak and the AIs have calmed them. SWd6 System Generator. Chaotic Shiny - Magic Generator Perhaps theyd have to choose two which are not opposites (fire/water or earth/air would be opposites). For example, your universe might not have demons or gods which can grant more magical powers, but there could be plenty of other magical beings who can. 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. Fast forward a couple thousand years and some genius manges to find a way to control paint by collecting it into a special bottle. I disagree. Givens get the Twisted magic Type, parallel to the caster These effects all involve either draining, manipulating or sensing magical forces, including the stuff that runs the internal workings of magical creatures. In a way you can see it as choosing between having 2 (or more) people using normal weapons to fight an enemy together. 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. The other is one of my own magic systems, as I want to hear what others think about it, especially in terms of this article. If there are powerful gods, it might make more sense for magic to come from the divine power of the pantheon. The Force can do precisely what is needed. What do you think? Is it dark and scary? But, in general, all those energies are more-less equally distributed everywhere. Limits then usually come from the strength of the effects (a limit to the area spells can target or the number of spells a mage can use before resting). And the One became Two, Two became Three, and Three became All Things, (Actions) Rituals are easy to execute, but can be dangerous. Its important to note, that the Elements dont just represent their Physical Aspects, but also their Symbolic and Conceptual inferences as well (Through their Mental/Spiritual Aspects), for instance: Water is often associated with the concepts of Healing & Nourishment. External energy could work; however, instantaneously moving energy from one place to another causes problems. 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. This article was extremely helpful to me in figuring out my magic system. Our bills are paid by our wonderful patrons. In the Harry Potter universe, magic works in several different ways: These three sets of rules dont appear related to each other. Another elite bending technique is Astral Projection since their are the most spiritual of benders. There are Waterbenders that Bloodbend, Firebenders that shoot lightning, and the occasional Earthbender that Metalbends. Runes are one example which are used a lot, as are crystals and various (unique) artifacts. When you look at all your categories together, you shouldnt find any large gaps where a category should be, and two categories shouldnt be unusually similar. On the other hand, there could be a group of people allergic to the plant. Finally, there are magic uses who seem to draw magic from the earth itself. Fireball that damages a characters weapons/armor, while leaving the character unharmed. Meanwhile, most people selected for magic by the nanites didnt know what was happening they might have been able to make better guesses than people now, but next to surviving the end of their world didnt devote a lot of thought to it. In actual weaving, warp threads keep tension during weaving and are the main structure of the fabric. I see the basis of a rational magic system there, and you have good limits. Hydro (water) Gestures could be used to move molecules (that would be how Avatar does it). Characters ability to control/convert each type of energy goes from some skills which could be improved and basically limited by amount of energy which the character can control at any single spell. The air swirled out into the hallway, successfully blowing out the lit torch but haphazardly knocking it off its supports. The Living Mother may hardly notice a tiny imbalance such as this. As fun as fantastical powers can be to write, crafting your magic system with care is key. In actual fact, some of the infected survive the Grey Death. And for Mind and Body, Distorter will be their name. I transfer energy into the boulder or to the air around it to move that boulder. Nullify and boost it? Magicians are taught to learn about the natural forces within magic if they want to better control them. 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. The houses are merely there to spark rivalry, they have no deeper meaning for the magic or the story. A common mistake when building magic systems is to forget to include costs. This is harder to work with, because the divine are technically spellcasters themselves, and incredibly powerful ones. Dont feel discouraged by the problems of your first draft, remember that you will solve them later. Technically, anyone can use holy magic, but it takes years to become proficient. And there are laws to the magic, they may not be as strict as some novels and series, but they are there. Magicians draw on their inner energy, called mana, to cast spells and perform magical techniques. Perhaps they only manifest 1 (or 2?) In many worlds such as Star Wars, this force is generated by living things. To do this, I would need to work out whether adding the sorts of new particles and forces needed for this scenario to what exists in real life can be done in some mathematically consistent way. Who can use magic? Others get a bit more pleasing mutations; sensory enhancements, enhanced reflexes, strength, bone density, accelerated healing. The only ones that blur this line are possessed ie theyre two organisms in a symbiotic or parasitic relationship with each other. ), Given how late it is, I hope this makes SOME sort of sense :-S. Thanks alot for your thoughts, it looks interesting! Random Treasure Generator. 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. The Given is normally in for 3-7 year. Ocean magic is strongest during winter. Substances like these make it easy to put limits on the amount of magic used just limit the substance. 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. It tries to convince the reader the newly defined rational magic system is what every fantasy writer should strive for. 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. Not using items doesn't have to mean a magic wielder is always capable of wielding it though. Magic isn't real, so it can be anything we want. Stoking fires sounds like a natural fit. Would the odds be equal or would the magic wielder always have the upper hand? If youd like I can send you a link and you can follow along as I figure stuff out (dont want to clog up your comments section). Are their any parts youre confused about? 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. 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. First, think through what magic is capable of doing in a theoretical best case scenario. Do you need sage, or can you use oak leaves instead? If youre having trouble, you can say there are many more categories but knowledge of them has been lost. Ive since abandoned it and am working on something that, while in a similar vein, is quite different. Their eyes are blinded and their organs fail. Its the same with a story. Forms of magic include water magic, healing magic, potion making, and purification. If anyone interested, here is description of my magic system: Martin or the show writers lean hard by revealing how it works, I think theyll reveal something thats logically consistent. The way it goes is that the universe of our perception is just a projection, an illusion if you will, of the real World, the Sea of Energy. Some are carefully planned; others contradict themselves and lead to plot holes. Most magic systems used in medievalish fantasy have groups of people with access to the same spells and abilities, though their talent with magic will vary. For instance, some animals can also cast magic, and they do it pretty much the same way people do. Forms of magic include earth magic, metal magic, plant magic, and animal communication/manipulation. 7 Unique Magic System Ideas to Bring Your Story to its Full Potential Probably best if I give you an example. Start by looking for further implications of what youve already established. Group B dont have magic at all. The God of Parties, on the other hand, would be very chaotic. would even mathematically work, as all existing particles and forces seem to be related by deep mathematical symmetries. Are you looking to define what weaving one can and cant do? Many possibilities). Another option is that there is a background magic field (see the TVTropes article) present everywhere that psychics draw on. SO, questions: where is the magic energy coming from in the environment? The story is at a climax when emotions are always high? (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. 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. I think I mostly understand, but Im not exactly sure what Interferers cant an cant do. An alchemist transmutes lead into gold. Or it could indeed be a matter of merely thinking things into existence specific ability necessary. So eventually, after a little Silly Putty work with words and concepts, I wound up with a magic system where believing something was considered a form of observing it with your mind in the state that you want to be so; that all that I read in the quantum physics book was true and intermeshed perfectly with the various descriptions of magic as being any system where a strong mind or majority of minds is able to influence reality through the strength of its being perfectly itself (e.g. Could a small group of magic wielders defeat an army of non-magic wielders? WESTERN VOLCANO, based off of western dragons in design, very likely chance of getting weak to strong Combustial magic, very rare chance of getting another type of magic as well. 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. Different fighters prefer different methods, so combining the ideas could lead to a larger variety and possibly a richer world. High Magic and Low Magic. donjon; Fantasy World Generator 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). Magical effects will make a bigger impact on your readers if you use all five senses. If travelling to the tower of the Dark Mage takes three weeks on horseback, there should be a good reason if you tell the reader the way back only took a couple of hours. Character Power Generator Perchance While the Harry Potter system certainly isnt perfectwill be checking out the linked article!I dont think the points raised in this article have much weight. Furthermore, mages can form contracts with faeries (another race in my world) to harness their powers. Dispel | Spiritual | Fire | Creature Writing is given magical properties in many books, movies, and shows but the paper itself is rarely imbued with power. That might work as well, but its a completely different kind of image in peoples minds. It might be argued that the wand and the spell serve to put the mind of the caster in the right mood so they can command the magic. None of those energies could be stored by characters themselves, so they can only use energies from environment. 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). Gandalf didnt use his powers to destroy the One Ring, so readers didnt need to know how his magic worked to find the ending of The Lord of the Rings to be believable. 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. Paint is everything and everywhere. Ive currently got 11 tabs open that I need to look through.