If you're using this generator, you might also find the Magical Artifact Generator useful. It does, although thats what I want to do. I also had the idea that there would be some very powerful, old spirits who have long-standing contracts with humanity as a whole. The houses are merely there to spark rivalry, they have no deeper meaning for the magic or the story. Following is a list of all the abilities that can be generated by the Abilities Generator. Mandrake, which is featured in the second book, has historically been associated with witchcraft. If you can't say something nice, say something thoughtful. Skill also plays a part, and is determined by both intelligence and creativity. No, the water is surely a curse and warning from the mother, who draws the water from the plants themselves as a punishment for stealing the most precious of energy, sunlight itself. Magic certain individuals acquire the ability to issue new instructions to existing nanites, whether in the environment or within others bodies. People who practice this form of magic are called lucalurgists. However, a few fantastical powers can go a long way toward livening up many fantasy stories. The old magic is, of course, pretty coincidental, and used in specific ways that drive the plot. Other than that your spells can be pretty much anything, from destructive to healing spells, elemental to demonic spells and from conjurations to enchantments. I guess its similar in its outward effects to the Avatar magic system, but youll see that its actually quite different. Disadvantages: it makes your paint harder to control, if your will is weak your contractor could go against you, your contractor gets to present you with the deals and if you dont like them there is nothing you can do about it, harm to your contractor results in harm to your soul. Does the use of power exact a particular cost? Try to group together similar effects, sources, and costs. 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. The only ones that blur this line are possessed ie theyre two organisms in a symbiotic or parasitic relationship with each other. I do hope that this comment will help you understand the angle Im coming from. In addition, exposure to sea water improves magical ability for humans slightly, especially childhood exposure, so the strongest spellcasters are all in coastal areas. In one of my worlds (an urban fantasy kitchen sink setting where many mythological creatures from many different cultures exist), the rules are: Creatures can either have magic or be magic. But to elaborate a bit further The name Grey Death was inspired by the Bubonic Plague pandemic of the 1300s, known as the Black Death because, lets face it, thats a kickass name! Here are four common categories you can consider. This then leads to the problems with conservation of energy and relativity I mentioned earlier of course, were working with magic, so these may not be insurmountable issues, but they need to be considered, as I want this universe to be mostly like ours in situations in which magic is not involved. Are there magical societies or a hierarchy of magic users? Occasionally you may want an arbitrary system it adds humor and entertainment to Harry Potter. So there you have a source of energy for your telekinesis. Figured out the important themes and used them to craft something that fits more within the setting. 9. It isnt strictly necessary, as I could probably write something interesting without it, but it is extremely convenient). Tolkien, we never find out exactly what Gandalf can and cant do with magic. Magic types: Hell make it rain if your rain dance impresses him, but he wont strike someone with lightning no matter how impressive your dance is. A Song of Ice and Fire, by George R.R. 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). We'll also throw some brainstorming questions your way to help get those magical creative juices flowing! Forms of magic include earth magic, metal magic, plant magic, and animal communication/manipulation. Though a mages mana reserve grows as their body gets used to their energy loss, certain acts of magic that require large amounts of mana can leave a mage drained of energy and will require them to rest and recharge their energy. If you have multiple races, or even species, who can wield magic, are there any differences between the different races and species? For instance, the Patronus Charm is a spell that is critical to the plot of multiple Harry Potter books. Willpower is ultimately the deciding factor between to evenly matched opponents. Reading this made me realize a plot hole before I even put it on paper, I cant thank you enough for the editing time youve saved me! Another way to look at it is evolution. I would think about the ways that physicists would classify energy kinetic energy (movement), electrical energy, heat and let your characters manipulate those. Like actually dodge the spell physically? Sorry, Im not quite understand this Could you please describe some spell example with such system? 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. Furthermore, nervous systems and brains have different structures and encodings, even merely among humans how could someone understand all the different people? Are there other applications that would make sense? Im going to flatly say your premise about the HARRY POTTER magic system. Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones, on the other hand, use soft magic. 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. Hi there, I really like the sound of your magics (especially the high fantasy one)- I like the idea about the colours representing the power levels. Do people get to choose their side in this case or are they born with the ability to wield one side? Theyre bodies cant store energy, thats a Condit thing. It may sound similar to Avatar but it is growing. Actually, one of the principles of old-time portions-making was that a plant which looks like a certain body part is good for curing that body part (actual results may vary). that were made by the gods. Soft magic systems are the opposite of hard magic systems: they dont need to have a clearly defined set of rules. Four Ways to Limit Magic & Technology Those limits are important! A wizard casts a powerful spell. o_o. Ive since abandoned it and am working on something that, while in a similar vein, is quite different. If it was merely about Harry learning magic more of that logic would be needed. At first thanks a lot for this article, it helps to organize some things in my head. Although they would have to learn it (Nullifying). Im currently working on subtypes to it but I am miserably failing. Why are some people spell book readers but not others? There are pros and cons. Interferers cant store energy like Conduits, so they have to use all of what they have in a few minutes or it explodes out of them randomly. Tension and payoff are reduced if the reader feels like a solution to something is as simple as a character just ratcheting up their feelings. Does it seem too unpredictable? (A quiet lunch with my friend is much more repeated/repeatable than when I first met my best friend). Sorcerers tend to specialize in offensive magic except the temptresses, necromancers and spell book readers. Are their any parts youre confused about? In actual fact, some of the infected survive the Grey Death. Specific effects include waking the dead, sending dead spirits back into the afterlife, and binding the dead to follow their commands. 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. There are 391 different powers and variations in this generator, so you're bound to find one you like. And if you use an elemental magic system be creative, inform yourself what elements are overused already. It is not genetic, and it depends on the persons natural ability to feel/ synchronise with the energy type and become familiar enough with it that they can produce their own from the Ether. These are the 7 forms of energy this magic affects. Thank you the idea about energy. The only other limiting factor to the magic is that in order to produce the energy in the first place, is that you need Inspiration to help channel your thoughts & familiarity. After all the Vibrations have finished their process, they Ripple and then whatever combination the Vibrations have will affect our world. For a small redistribution of energy or matter, this is hardly a large price to pay. Check out the Magic Generator Pack . However, I am suspecting my response to it will be pretty long, and I have other things I need to work on. 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. 2015 2022 Kristen Kieffer | All rights reserved. It is dual-natured-representing the life-giving light of the sun that all life relies on, but also the destructive and fiery nature of its power. This is where your magic system will become unique, even if it shares elements with existing works of fiction. A few generations later, some of them did discover the truth, but kept it secret for fear of being blamed by association for the fall, and of people fearing a magical plague happening again. Follow her work on hannahyang.com or on Twitter at @hannahxyang. Youll have to figure out exactly what characteristic weft threads are adding, but thats completely doable. Could a small group of magic wielders defeat an army of non-magic wielders? Grab a sheet of paper and brainstorm a list of magical effects that fascinate you: ones youve already seen before, or ones you come up with from scratch. Paint can depend on someones mental state and will For example, you can create a magic system that has very clear rules for your protagonist but only vague rules for your antagonist. Generate random magic shops with items from the d20 SRD. My point was that this would essentially entail creating a new set of physical laws, and I wanted to find out whether this could be done in a consistent way while still keeping most things in that universe somewhat similar to our universe if the magic did not affect them (for example, having stars, planets, space, Earthlike life, etc) It turns out that there are some things that are mathematically impossible, so I have to be careful. Yes, first drafts are for your eyes only. But creating a consistent system that allowed for both these laws and my magical exceptions without, say, having the laws of physics change so much that there are no stable structures, or allowing for time travel, was difficult. It worked well, but it had to be named before it became important to the plot. Different for the TV series, of course. Should I make what Interferers can do more specific (not just adding-energy-to-system)? These are some questions you should ask when you brainstorm. Its a common trap that many authors using emotion-based powers fall into its tempting to create a sudden dramatic reversal of a seemingly hopeless situation with a method the fundamental rules of the story allows for at any time. The story is at a climax when emotions are always high? You neednt appropriate any that have extant adherents, of course, but looking at what people believe can be a touchstone for how an invented system of magic could work. Weft threads are what complete the fabric, what is woven through the warp to add the unique characteristics of the fabric (e. g., a 3/1 twill for denim or a satin weave for silk). This person, the Avatar, bends all four plus spirit energy. If a villain is gloating about killing the heros friend, the hero gets really angry, they attack with powers drawn from their newfound fury, and then the villain *still* crushes them before mocking them for their pathetic temper tantrum, then the audience isnt going to establish a connection between sudden emotional outbursts and conflict resolution. And you have the buffer, often a rogue or priest, who can either buff the own group (healing, boosting skills) or debuff the enemy (lowering attack or defence most often). This article will help you write a magic system for your fictional world that readers will remember long after theyve turned the last page. If one were to observe the Vibrations and the way they Flow(this is another process, different from the other Four Laws) it would seem whacky, but they are extremely intricate and complex. Shapechangers all use either the strong or weak nuclear forces, and telekinetics and poltergeists use gravity. So, this sheet is meant to help fantasy world-builders (for any media, not just writing) create the magic systems for their worlds. They have averge control over their ability. (The amount of waste we produce is naturally less than the amount of food or liquid we consume, so again do they have a non-scientific explanation, or if they do have a scientific explanation, why do they not consider the same thing happening in plants? Can ones magical abilities be stolen or suppressed through fantastical or physical means? * When Jon Snow kills a white walker with Valyrian steel, it makes sense even though we havent been told that could happen. (Incidentally has one of the worst magic systems in literary history). What do the spirits get out of it? In any scenario, the reader should have some sense of what magic can and cant do in the fictional world. Now, if magic in Tolkien just went by power levels like a Pokemon duel, Sauron would have won this handily, being pure blood of an order of beings who if we looked at these things just on the power level dimension clearly outranked the mortal clay that was mixed into Luthiens veins. Rational magic means magic with understandable rules which hold up to logic. Novice mages are taught how to bring out their mana to create energy bolts, shields, weapons, and constructs. By making sure magic has costs, you can force your protagonists to be clever and resourceful when they solve problems. Second thought was the good ol blood sacrifice, but a) kinda dark for what Im going for and b) why would spirits want blood anyway? Check out my other generators 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. Are there multiple types of magic users? This could also link in nicely culture and tradition (festivals on summer or winter solace to celebrate the Mother). If there are no downsides to using magic, your protagonists might soon become overpowered, able to solve any problem with the wave of a wand. In a superpower system, spells are unique to each individual. .and It would probably look a lot less like the X-Men than a lot of fictional magic systems do. If I may make a suggestion as to how to tie these four together, have it not be the first time this has happened. Here are some examples of magical sources: In Percy Jackson & The Olympians by Rick Riordan, magic comes from the gods. Another limit would be limited ability of the user, like Gummy Bear who uses magic, but half of the time cant remember the spell, doesnt find the right one, or just does it wrong. Nature as a such comes in every now and then as well. The law of magic that makes it so you cant summon food out of thin air feels like something invented by JK Rowling for plot purposes, not the logical result of a different set of physics like in Avatar the last Air bender. 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. Its important to define what the magic user can manipulate and how/why. Havent figured out the second point quite yet. As the reader, you may never truly understand what can and cant be accomplished with magic, but thats okayyou dont feel you need to in order to enjoy the story. There are hints throughout the story that its actually sci-fi. Everything is made up of atoms and molecules, so someone with the power to influence those could, theoretically, create new stuff in a heartbeat. Our physical universe is merely the extent that we can see with our mortal Perceptions limits. There's a wide range of elements you can change to make your magic system unique, whether it's how it is wielded, what its source is or even what types of spells are used. Witches and wizards need to learn each spell individually and practice speaking their enchantments in exactly the right way in order to achieve the intended results. Lich could do for those who contain the energy, as liches go on living long after they should be gone, so essentially containing life energy past their due date. Weak to medium Hydro, very rare chance of getting weak Eco as well, Learns magic more easily than other races. (Unless you take the elements as actually solid, liquid, gas, and plasma, but this isnt mentioned in the show itself, might make magic too powerful, and there are some states of matter that dont fit into these groups). How do I come up with subtypes that would suit the main types of magic? This is what making sense means when it comes to magic. More so they come out on the other side changed The mystery is in the water that the Living Mother leaves behind on the plants when the sunlight returns again. That means Rowling doesnt have any guidelines to keep her from contradicting something shes already invented or from creating a spell that makes the plot pointless. Most priests wouldnt be any more concerned with gods than the average person. In actual weaving, warp threads keep tension during weaving and are the main structure of the fabric. but humanity is creative and designs massive jammers that are able to disable the nanites that enter within X radius of them. A substance can be traded on the market, gods can be prayed to, and individuals might be sensitive to magical energy or maybe everyone has machines that do it all for them. I want to encourage writers and worldbuilders to stray from this formula. Im probably a little late, but I saw this post and couldnt help but respond. You just feel the spell, you dont need to recite anything. I think that Ill change the names to be about the Towers, instead of what I have now. 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. The first step is building a metaphysical framework for how and why magic works. The only difference is Life energy contained in every living creature, and every creature has own Mind ball in place of real brain. If everybody is capable of wielding magic they will likely use it for everything, from war to daily life, but if only a portion of the population can wield it it means magic will be handled differently by those who can and those who can't wield it. Now its time to decide why magic cant do anything and everything the spellcaster wants, whenever they want. So the way the world works is that this physical world we see and interact with is one of an infinite number, which exists on one of the 12 Planes of Existence. So, if we want to maintain conservation of energy, we need to assume another power source. and not to be messed with lightly, as they can have devastating effects. In my mind, rituals are the middle ground between divine magic and holy magic. Such as the Sorcerers have staves and other magical items that are extensions of them selves(of course most people already knew that). He learned that as long as a person eventually restored the balance towards which nature is always striving, he or she could be enabled to have control over the elements. Some kind of mana system (where mana is the energy the mage uses to cast spells) will make the system rational in that case, because it will give natural limits a mage can only cast as long as they have mana left and they need to regain it afterwards (through rest, rituals, or whatever pleases you). There's a reason why I write about fantasy magic - magic is my most favourite thing! Magic would be cheaply acquired from soil the plant cant grow in, and they wouldnt have to worry about getting sick from overeating it. But those who have returned have never been inside the Tower. Let the dragon ride again on the winds of time. Silver drains magic and therefore hurts all creatures that are magic. This was implemented to further refine (/complicate?) Of course, like any contract, value is relative and subject to change based on circumstances. Because soft magic is often used by characters other than the protagonist, you should think about who the wielders will be. Im finding that my worldbuilding and plotting inform each other more in this story than others Ive worked on. Reversing entropy would be a matter of gestures as well as speeding it up. Paint is a very volatile substance that if held can burn off skin Good luck with your universe. Remember that specific effects are better than broad effects. Common People (Theyre so common that they dont really have a name.) Energy-based magic is easy to use because it comes with limitations. Limitations mean there will be tension in your story, without limitations anything and everything can happen, but generally not in a good way. Just remember that great ideas are only the start, solid implementation has to follow, and learning that takes a lot of time and practice. As bestselling author Brandon Sanderson explains, most magic systems can be classified as hard or soft in nature. All you need are the right ingredients, follow the right steps, and have the right mindset.