fantasy magic system generator
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. As far as your magic/psychic system goes, I can understand why you put so much thought into it. 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). Some rituals are inherently harmful, like the ritual thats typically used to find missing persons. Everything is made up of atoms and molecules, so someone with the power to influence those could, theoretically, create new stuff in a heartbeat. Preview. Yeah, I think your fabric metaphor works great. One of the things I noted in that comment is that what seems to make sense differs between individuals, cultures, and even species. Paint is everything and everywhere. 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. All of nature is in motion and all of natures motion serves to restore its own balance. I definitely have more work to do. This was implemented to further refine (/complicate?) Group A (Comment if you have a better name), They cant stop their emotion from changing surfacing and tend to be extra emotional. 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. Other limits include magic types (fire versus water for example), power restricting energies (magical or other), bodily energies (lack of food/sleep/etc), skill level, curses and much more, most of which will again depend on your story universe. Hard vs. soft magic is a spectrum, not a binary. However, humans actually have relatively little energy I dont have the precise numbers, but I have read that using only your own energy, you wouldnt actually be able to lift very much at all. Another limitation is that you have to touch whatever youre casting a spell on, e.g. 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. (Storm God = sky domain = bird ? It cant summon rain or make someone invisible, for instance. A puddle could be vaporized at will, only to have the water redistributed at a later time, again at the will of the one controlling the exchange. Sanderson recognized that the hard magic system is a fashion, just like soft magic was before and this article doesnt acknowledge this. Coins, gems, art objects, and magic items from the d20 SRD . 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. 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). If you only specify one source of magic, you cant suddenly drop someone into the story who uses something different. In addition, exposure to sea water improves magical ability for humans slightly, especially childhood exposure, so the strongest spellcasters are all in coastal areas. For example, a tree nymph can make a leaf tornado appear, but cant work with other materials. Your answer could have huge ramifications for your world. Or you could think of the world like a house, a house has wood beams to hold the roof up, pipes to run water, electrical lines to power appliances, etc. Hi there, I know this blog was posted a while ago but Ive only just found it and its exactly the kind of thing Ive been looking for, plus Ive seen more recent comments here so hopefully theyll be some people still interested. Hey! (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. 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. Each of these works with each other and the level of each step determine how much oomph the next step has to produce an effect in our world. 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). Thanks a million! Readers know little, if anything, about the nature, origin, or limitations of the characters fantastical powers. Yes, first drafts are for your eyes only. Magic wielders might be shunned for being different, perhaps even dangerous, or they could be praised for their abilities. Now paint may sound op but it has very risky limitations. The Lord of the Rings is a low magic setting, but it is a high fantasy setting. Now that youve brainstormed the effects, sources, and causes of magic, you can put all three together! Anywhere there is festivity or drinking he might try to have some fun, which could make for an epic night or a lot of destruction; hes the bane of every tavern and bar. Also, I read that chemical changes play an important role, and those probably cant be detected externally at all. Or some effect it has on the world? Furthermore, nervous systems and brains have different structures and encodings, even merely among humans how could someone understand all the different people? It does, although thats what I want to do. (Arguably, before the development of modern science, many people had similar attitudes towards technology! If every spell casts creates a knot that must result in the opposite effect happening then the incentive to kill becomes too great. Hes also known as the God of Mischief. > how are you handling the problem that (I would imagine) youd have to assign EVERY object/environ in your game world a energy attribute/variable. Mandrake, which is featured in the second book, has historically been associated with witchcraft. Certain effects that were considered: Like this, the Avatar system makes it clear where the limits are, for everyone but the Avatar. If you can convey the rules of your system in a way the reader can understand, you have a rational system. However, you still need to put in the work to create a unique and compelling system that will serve the needs of your story. It may sound similar to Avatar but it is growing. Some consider it Her gift, a compensation for taking back the light they harnessed. I know its been a whole since you made this post, so I was just curious to how things have developed since then? There are plenty of stories where power just keeps building and building, which eventually makes the characters at the beginning of the story weak in comparison even though they were seen as incredibly powerful at that time. Spellcasters cant blow up planets, because obviously that would take too much energy. If so, what differentiates them? a disease caused by the nanites Therefore, its probably a power you should consider not using unless its absolutely plot relevant for you to have a character who can do that. Dont expect to put out a perfect draft, having to do revisions or rewrites is disappointing, but its a normal part of the process that helps us strengthen our skills. Im not a novel writer, but I am a worldbuilder. The job is dangerous. 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. There are 4 main types of magic systems in fantasy. However, in most cases a rational magic system works better. They weave certain spells out of the fabric of reality. That means every control over them would be on the molecular level, manipulating the molecules and atoms to speed up or slow down or (for changes) change their configuration. You would paint specific patterns in the air in front of you while at the same time your mind involuntarily forces the molecules to obey and move into a new pattern, speed up, spread out (going for solid to liquid or liquid to gas), heat up (going from any other state to plasma). Hard magic is one where the audience knows about the rules of magic, so it seems to me that your mention of convey[ing] the rules of your system might actually be referring to hard magic. Seventh Sanctum - Magitech Generator In the Norse pantheon, Loki is sometimes also referred to as the god of fire despite the fact that hes a frost giant. Magic would be cheaply acquired from soil the plant cant grow in, and they wouldnt have to worry about getting sick from overeating it. LEARNED: obtain magic through studying. People who practice this form of magic are called lucalurgists. 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. There is a certain logic to the magic in Harry Potter, too, but its never completely explained, because the magic only serves the purposes of the story. Extreme focus is needed for complicated attacks Honestly, I cant think of a reasonable or cohesive cap on what it can do so I hope the limitations will balance it out. The Sorcerers faction includes wizards and witches and then theres sub factions with in the faction that include the like of temptresses, necromancers and others I cant seem to remember though I have them written down somewhere. Ways to obtain magic: But that doesn't mean all magic systems work equally well for stories. These symptoms will get worse over time. Its not uncommon for people to have phantom sensations or memories weeks later. Well, there is the Restricted Section, which includes books on the Dark Arts, I made a magical system right after I read this article and this is what I came up with: Magic is powered by emotion and certain emotions affect your environment in different ways. However, this doesn't have to be the case, the hero might not be strong enough on his own, but with other fighters the combined power might be enough to defeat the villain as well. Those rules are established within the story (unlike underlying rules with Rowling might have for her magic or Lucas might have had for the Force), so at least one character must know them or learn about them as the plot develops. Electricity There is a set science about how magical techniques are performed, and knowing about the what and the how behind these techniques is important. In my example of magic that is acquired by consuming a plant, a clever alchemist might distill and concentrate the plant down to an elixir that is digested more quickly. Dont feel discouraged by the problems of your first draft, remember that you will solve them later. This is super helpful, thanks so much for taking the time to write it and to provide examples. The lich controls the power and consumes it, the specre is consumed by it. : I would suggest that you make it so your gods just randomly interact with the world. It sounds like youre going the scientific route with energy. 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. Its mysterious. 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. Viewpoint characters dont use magic and the audience doesnt understand how it operates. And the One became Two, Two became Three, and Three became All Things, (Actions) That would make Harrys choice important in two ways: hed be the odd one out who can control all powers (like the Avatar controlling all elements) and he would be limited in what he learns to control by the house he chooses. There are hints throughout the story that its actually sci-fi. Vindictive/less scrupulous ones will take the opportunity to ask for more than youd normally give. My train of thought was a bit of a runaway train. Basically, the magic in my world all comes from spirits, which exist in a dimension parallel to our own. The person who got the powers is called the Given. This allows for the reader to know what is or isnt possible. You mentioned Mana, Life and Mind as the elements of your magic system. Apoglies if it comes off as confusing, Im not very good at conveying my thoughts and ideas, will explain in greater detail later. Brandon Sanderson is fantastic at crafting magic systems. Its the subtle way magic leans toward fire or ice. The best frameworks have limitations inherent to the way they operate. Maybe something with an eclipse? But at extremely high levels (Demi god level) the breeze might be enough. 12 Prompts to Create a Magic System - Quixotic Quill Youre deluding yourself if you think that. Light First, think through what magic is capable of doing in a theoretical best case scenario. In this world, soon to be named, certain people have access to an energy that is the personification of nature. If you want to go with something necromantic (as spectre and ghoul suggest), you might be able to find something more fitting in that area. Blood is messy and sticky and gets in the carpets and really why would anyone who doesnt consume it like a vampire want it as payment? Let the dragon ride again on the winds of time. Because people tend to be put off when your story changes rules in the middle. Easier than fire/heat and air/wind, but it takes training.). In essence, theme is nothing more than an answer to the question, What is this story about? Theres a good chance that your story already contains themes regardless of whether you consciously developed them. There could be just one type your system is already very interesting or more than one. Trying to do anything that involves pushing against or even breaking natural law will require aid from outside forces. For example, if you need a magic source which is unlimited a good choice would be a magical power given by the gods or magical energies within the air. This ancient Wise One observed the natures tendency towards self-balancing and saw it as an Eternal Law. 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. mental enhancements, the nanites acting as auxiliary brains. (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) (Incidentally has one of the worst magic systems in literary history). The term magical effects refers to the ways in which magic influences and alters the world around it. 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. Im going for rational semi-soft I hope I pull it off. How does this constitute a magic system? (oops, forget this one!). Usually you can figure out if theyre alive, where they are, and how theyre doing; but its hard on your brain to process information for two people at once. What Causes Calcium Buildup In The Arteries,
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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. As far as your magic/psychic system goes, I can understand why you put so much thought into it. 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). Some rituals are inherently harmful, like the ritual thats typically used to find missing persons. Everything is made up of atoms and molecules, so someone with the power to influence those could, theoretically, create new stuff in a heartbeat. Preview. Yeah, I think your fabric metaphor works great. One of the things I noted in that comment is that what seems to make sense differs between individuals, cultures, and even species. Paint is everything and everywhere. 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. All of nature is in motion and all of natures motion serves to restore its own balance. I definitely have more work to do. This was implemented to further refine (/complicate?) Group A (Comment if you have a better name), They cant stop their emotion from changing surfacing and tend to be extra emotional. 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. Other limits include magic types (fire versus water for example), power restricting energies (magical or other), bodily energies (lack of food/sleep/etc), skill level, curses and much more, most of which will again depend on your story universe. Hard vs. soft magic is a spectrum, not a binary. However, humans actually have relatively little energy I dont have the precise numbers, but I have read that using only your own energy, you wouldnt actually be able to lift very much at all. Another limitation is that you have to touch whatever youre casting a spell on, e.g. 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. (Storm God = sky domain = bird ? It cant summon rain or make someone invisible, for instance. A puddle could be vaporized at will, only to have the water redistributed at a later time, again at the will of the one controlling the exchange. Sanderson recognized that the hard magic system is a fashion, just like soft magic was before and this article doesnt acknowledge this. Coins, gems, art objects, and magic items from the d20 SRD . 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. 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). If you only specify one source of magic, you cant suddenly drop someone into the story who uses something different. In addition, exposure to sea water improves magical ability for humans slightly, especially childhood exposure, so the strongest spellcasters are all in coastal areas. For example, a tree nymph can make a leaf tornado appear, but cant work with other materials. Your answer could have huge ramifications for your world. Or you could think of the world like a house, a house has wood beams to hold the roof up, pipes to run water, electrical lines to power appliances, etc. Hi there, I know this blog was posted a while ago but Ive only just found it and its exactly the kind of thing Ive been looking for, plus Ive seen more recent comments here so hopefully theyll be some people still interested. Hey! (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. 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. Each of these works with each other and the level of each step determine how much oomph the next step has to produce an effect in our world. 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). Thanks a million! Readers know little, if anything, about the nature, origin, or limitations of the characters fantastical powers. Yes, first drafts are for your eyes only. Magic wielders might be shunned for being different, perhaps even dangerous, or they could be praised for their abilities. Now paint may sound op but it has very risky limitations. The Lord of the Rings is a low magic setting, but it is a high fantasy setting. Now that youve brainstormed the effects, sources, and causes of magic, you can put all three together! Anywhere there is festivity or drinking he might try to have some fun, which could make for an epic night or a lot of destruction; hes the bane of every tavern and bar. Also, I read that chemical changes play an important role, and those probably cant be detected externally at all. Or some effect it has on the world? Furthermore, nervous systems and brains have different structures and encodings, even merely among humans how could someone understand all the different people? It does, although thats what I want to do. (Arguably, before the development of modern science, many people had similar attitudes towards technology! If every spell casts creates a knot that must result in the opposite effect happening then the incentive to kill becomes too great. Hes also known as the God of Mischief. > how are you handling the problem that (I would imagine) youd have to assign EVERY object/environ in your game world a energy attribute/variable. Mandrake, which is featured in the second book, has historically been associated with witchcraft. Certain effects that were considered: Like this, the Avatar system makes it clear where the limits are, for everyone but the Avatar. If you can convey the rules of your system in a way the reader can understand, you have a rational system. However, you still need to put in the work to create a unique and compelling system that will serve the needs of your story. It may sound similar to Avatar but it is growing. Some consider it Her gift, a compensation for taking back the light they harnessed. I know its been a whole since you made this post, so I was just curious to how things have developed since then? There are plenty of stories where power just keeps building and building, which eventually makes the characters at the beginning of the story weak in comparison even though they were seen as incredibly powerful at that time. Spellcasters cant blow up planets, because obviously that would take too much energy. If so, what differentiates them? a disease caused by the nanites Therefore, its probably a power you should consider not using unless its absolutely plot relevant for you to have a character who can do that. Dont expect to put out a perfect draft, having to do revisions or rewrites is disappointing, but its a normal part of the process that helps us strengthen our skills. Im not a novel writer, but I am a worldbuilder. The job is dangerous. 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. There are 4 main types of magic systems in fantasy. However, in most cases a rational magic system works better. They weave certain spells out of the fabric of reality. That means every control over them would be on the molecular level, manipulating the molecules and atoms to speed up or slow down or (for changes) change their configuration. You would paint specific patterns in the air in front of you while at the same time your mind involuntarily forces the molecules to obey and move into a new pattern, speed up, spread out (going for solid to liquid or liquid to gas), heat up (going from any other state to plasma). Hard magic is one where the audience knows about the rules of magic, so it seems to me that your mention of convey[ing] the rules of your system might actually be referring to hard magic. Seventh Sanctum - Magitech Generator In the Norse pantheon, Loki is sometimes also referred to as the god of fire despite the fact that hes a frost giant. Magic would be cheaply acquired from soil the plant cant grow in, and they wouldnt have to worry about getting sick from overeating it. LEARNED: obtain magic through studying. People who practice this form of magic are called lucalurgists. 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. There is a certain logic to the magic in Harry Potter, too, but its never completely explained, because the magic only serves the purposes of the story. Extreme focus is needed for complicated attacks Honestly, I cant think of a reasonable or cohesive cap on what it can do so I hope the limitations will balance it out. The Sorcerers faction includes wizards and witches and then theres sub factions with in the faction that include the like of temptresses, necromancers and others I cant seem to remember though I have them written down somewhere. Ways to obtain magic: But that doesn't mean all magic systems work equally well for stories. These symptoms will get worse over time. Its not uncommon for people to have phantom sensations or memories weeks later. Well, there is the Restricted Section, which includes books on the Dark Arts, I made a magical system right after I read this article and this is what I came up with: Magic is powered by emotion and certain emotions affect your environment in different ways. However, this doesn't have to be the case, the hero might not be strong enough on his own, but with other fighters the combined power might be enough to defeat the villain as well. Those rules are established within the story (unlike underlying rules with Rowling might have for her magic or Lucas might have had for the Force), so at least one character must know them or learn about them as the plot develops. Electricity There is a set science about how magical techniques are performed, and knowing about the what and the how behind these techniques is important. In my example of magic that is acquired by consuming a plant, a clever alchemist might distill and concentrate the plant down to an elixir that is digested more quickly. Dont feel discouraged by the problems of your first draft, remember that you will solve them later. This is super helpful, thanks so much for taking the time to write it and to provide examples. The lich controls the power and consumes it, the specre is consumed by it. : I would suggest that you make it so your gods just randomly interact with the world. It sounds like youre going the scientific route with energy. 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. Its mysterious. 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. Viewpoint characters dont use magic and the audience doesnt understand how it operates. And the One became Two, Two became Three, and Three became All Things, (Actions) That would make Harrys choice important in two ways: hed be the odd one out who can control all powers (like the Avatar controlling all elements) and he would be limited in what he learns to control by the house he chooses. There are hints throughout the story that its actually sci-fi. Vindictive/less scrupulous ones will take the opportunity to ask for more than youd normally give. My train of thought was a bit of a runaway train. Basically, the magic in my world all comes from spirits, which exist in a dimension parallel to our own. The person who got the powers is called the Given. This allows for the reader to know what is or isnt possible. You mentioned Mana, Life and Mind as the elements of your magic system. Apoglies if it comes off as confusing, Im not very good at conveying my thoughts and ideas, will explain in greater detail later. Brandon Sanderson is fantastic at crafting magic systems. Its the subtle way magic leans toward fire or ice. The best frameworks have limitations inherent to the way they operate. Maybe something with an eclipse? But at extremely high levels (Demi god level) the breeze might be enough. 12 Prompts to Create a Magic System - Quixotic Quill Youre deluding yourself if you think that. Light First, think through what magic is capable of doing in a theoretical best case scenario. In this world, soon to be named, certain people have access to an energy that is the personification of nature. If you want to go with something necromantic (as spectre and ghoul suggest), you might be able to find something more fitting in that area. Blood is messy and sticky and gets in the carpets and really why would anyone who doesnt consume it like a vampire want it as payment? Let the dragon ride again on the winds of time. Because people tend to be put off when your story changes rules in the middle. Easier than fire/heat and air/wind, but it takes training.). In essence, theme is nothing more than an answer to the question, What is this story about? Theres a good chance that your story already contains themes regardless of whether you consciously developed them. There could be just one type your system is already very interesting or more than one. Trying to do anything that involves pushing against or even breaking natural law will require aid from outside forces. For example, if you need a magic source which is unlimited a good choice would be a magical power given by the gods or magical energies within the air. This ancient Wise One observed the natures tendency towards self-balancing and saw it as an Eternal Law. 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. mental enhancements, the nanites acting as auxiliary brains. (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) (Incidentally has one of the worst magic systems in literary history). The term magical effects refers to the ways in which magic influences and alters the world around it. 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. Im going for rational semi-soft I hope I pull it off. How does this constitute a magic system? (oops, forget this one!). Usually you can figure out if theyre alive, where they are, and how theyre doing; but its hard on your brain to process information for two people at once.
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