This was, oh, maybe sixth on the list of fourteen or fifteen legendary impossibilities he demanded, all in the essentially same format. 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. When the nanites detect the presence of something within a host, the nanites become active, forcibly altering & rebuilding the subjects body from the inside out. It is divided into two domains: the stone, minerals, and metals of the land, and the flora and fauna of the natural world. Thank you for commenting! 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. 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. 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. After all the Vibrations have finished their process, they Ripple and then whatever combination the Vibrations have will affect our world. I also thought about adding elementals (People that impersonate a specific emotion and can change when overloaded with emotion) and some lore. These are some questions you should ask when you brainstorm. If thats the case, youll want to make animal spirits more common and less powerful like plant spirits, and air spirits rarer and more powerful like water spirits. All three should work together to create the magic system. Brings back memories of the magic system I was working on for a really trippy book not really super Lovecrafty per se, but set in modern day Maine among a world of dark magicks and secret cults, so in that sense an echo I lost track of back in my 30s and am just now remembering. Making sense in case of magic means being constant. However, set guidelines for how people react to exposure. And of course, if magic is viewed as an alternate system of physics theres no reason why physics has to match the naive categories of intelligent beings; think of how weird quantum physics seems, for instance. I would start with some metaphysical idea about exactly what functions these threads are performing to hold the world together. Do users of angelic magic have to join some kind of religious group? All students learn the same (unless its an elective) and can use the same types of magic. It cant summon rain or make someone invisible, for instance. And I had trouble writing with what nature aspects nymphs, dryads, and naiads would relate to, so I went with that. Chris Winkle mentioned Avatar as an example of a rational magic system, because its elements (fire, water, air, and earth) are natural classifications. It violates local conservation laws and relativity (whats simultaneous in one reference frame is not in other frames). There are roughly two magic systems. Just because there are rules doesnt mean theyre rational. Its unclear whether there are any other self-casting old magic spells besides this one. Are humans the only species capable of doing so or are elves, trolls or even some or all animals able to do so as well? Your different factions have magic that feels very different, and thats hard to put into a rational system. Im finding that my worldbuilding and plotting inform each other more in this story than others Ive worked on. They are not related in any way. but humanity is creative and designs massive jammers that are able to disable the nanites that enter within X radius of them. 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: Could perhaps some or all of them be elements alongside the classic four? It sounds like youre going the scientific route with energy. Sophie, if youre having trouble with elements heres a few ideas but no need to add them. Magic in Tolkien is a reflection of _spiritual_ power. Fifty years after the war ends the younger generation make massive breakthroughs. However, a few fantastical powers can go a long way toward livening up many fantasy stories. 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. But thats not the way Rowling goes. Last limitation is that the caster has to concentrate on what theyre doing. You can make it as cool as you like; think Discworld, Middle Earth, Zamonia, etc. will you include other living beings that conduct photosynthesis like phytoplankton or algae? It worked well, but it had to be named before it became important to the plot. Because when you move, there is an accompanying sound? In my world, magical ability isnt something youre born with, or ordained its contracted, and the Mages Guild, who hold tremendous political sway, (as their magical abilities provide a fundamental key to the functioning of the expansionist Empire that serves as the primary backdrop/Antagonist) is whisking people away in an attempt to stop that fact becoming common knowledge and keep their power consolidated. Decay would be speeding up entropy, life would be slowing it down or trying to instill some kind of anti-entropy into the world. Why should the magic be complete or symmetrical? You can negotiate with them about services and prices, that is, if they listen to you at all. Those who do contain their power are called Gluttons, based off of glutton for punishment (could someone help me with the names, im horrible at naming things). In the Matrix, lifting something huge is harder than lifting something small. What do you think? man to machine interfaces, nanites cluster on nerve ending allowed some individuals to easily interact with ancient tech, or even graft it into their bodies. Again, you can have variance if there are rules that explain it. In many worlds such as Star Wars, this force is generated by living things. Magic systems can even serve as a vehicle for theme, exploring topics such as power, privilege, oppression, and greed. All magic can be learned by anyone, its just that the magic they didnt inherit will be harder to learn. If they need to rely on chanted rituals, they cant do something in a few seconds and they cant start a ritual while the enemy is looking for them, because the voice would lead the enemy to the hiding spot. Thats not exactly what I mean Im talking about low-level How. Maybe Im just saying this because Id defend Harry Potter to the ends of the earth. I think that should cover it, and I hope to get more advice to help me become a better creator. Hope I dont sound like a rabid Potterhead but I dont think its irrational! Little fun fact: the Greek god Hermes was, among other things, the god of thieves and of merchants. They can only work through people that do their will voluntarily. 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. As Sanderson explains, magic primarily exists to create conflict in fiction. Ill give you a specific example of the cultural dependence I mentioned. ^.^ It does, although thats what I want to do. There are 7 types of energy that all link with one another (the first two I made up as a pseudo science which explains the workings of Life & Sentience in a pre-modern scientific age), Sentience . Note that most, if not all, superpowers in this generator will belong . Since the MYTH adventures are all about dimension travelling, that is an important thing to know. Most everyone is either a Conduit or an Interferer, and it is genetic. Here are more ideas for them. Perhaps they only manifest 1 (or 2?) Im sure theres a deeper meaning in this. 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. Theyre usually gifted to devout followers, but anyone can use them once they figure out how it works. To build this logic, start by thinking about three things: the effects, sources, and costs of magic. Dont be afraid to try something novel. You might need more development in the how magic is accessed and directed area. If you want spells, you shouldnt work with elements, but work on the premise that magic is real and a power like light or sound which can be guided with the voice. donjon; Fantasy World Generator There are Waterbenders that Bloodbend, Firebenders that shoot lightning, and the occasional Earthbender that Metalbends. 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. Ive since abandoned it and am working on something that, while in a similar vein, is quite different. However, you can mix pieces of magic plants and animals in a pot and get powerful effects. The key thing to remember when creating a soft magic system is that it should create problems for your protagonists, rather than solving problems for them. 1. 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. Hey, dont know if anyones still commenting on this but here goes. .and It would probably look a lot less like the X-Men than a lot of fictional magic systems do. Because soft magic is often used by characters other than the protagonist, you should think about who the wielders will be. Sometimes, as in the example I made, other natural processes, such as life and death (or decay) or day and night are added. High Magic and Low Magic. Does the use of power exact a particular cost? 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. The cosmic balance is set up to where the Aether and Souls rely on eachother, Aether creates and maintains the World and Aether flourished and continues to exist through our Actions. Start by looking for further implications of what youve already established. The magical effects that affect the physical world all manipulate one of the four fundamental forces of physics. Its time to create a system of rules that will feel cohesive and logical. Hard magic systems feature a strict set of parameters explained within the story to ensure that readers understand what characters fantastical powers can and cannot do. Forms of magic include fire magic, light magic, healing magic, and transformation magic. Thats all I can think of at this very moment and I dont want to make this comment any longer. There are many assumptions in this article, it only focused on a small, known part of magic. 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. but gods, spirits, and demons can. Divine magic comes from appeals to the gods. What dangers does magic pose to the user, whether directly or because the use of magic is scorned or envied by society? Choose the right magic system for your fantasy novel without the headache. Could you perhaps link the tides and the moon? Tolkien, we never find out exactly what Gandalf can and cant do with magic. If you want you can also make a difference between Nyads and Nereids the usual river and spring nymphs and large powerful Sea nymphs. Mages connected to certain Primals are sometimes more common in parts of the world than others. Knowing what spell-casting is capable of is pretty important, if you havent decided that, I would think on it. Or some effect it has on the world? Your success depends on your knowledge of the gods, your relationship with the god, and your ability to make an appeal. All other alien races find our violent behavior disgusting and, honestly? I really need a new name for the holy magic. Water was taken and later give back. 7 Considerations for Writing Fantasy Magic and Magic Systems - JD Stanley ): magical technology (uses the "uses of a spell casting focus/item" cost in addition to any others) fiendish/evil divine the far realm a mutation that is part of the users spirit-related natural limbo/the elemental planes unknown Its true that fire produces light; but any attempt to harness this light merely results in harnessing and redistributing heat, for the source of that light is not the sun, but the fire, and it is temporary and dies, restoring balance. Ask yourself if your antagonist will be a magic-wielder, and if there will be magical creatures in your story.