fantasy magic system generator fantasy magic system generator

Thank you the idea about energy. 2023 Mythcreants LLC, all articles, art, recordings, and stories are the copyright of their respective authors. This is what making sense means when it comes to magic. 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 Fortunately it's not that hard to create a magic system, so this guide will be relatively short, but the amount of work you'll have to put into the creation of your magic will depend entirely on how detailed you want to get. Using magic is physically draining. So when it comes to babies, you probably want to pick just one.. A water line would provide energy for a water mage, an earth line for an earth mage, and so on. Im probably a little late, but I saw this post and couldnt help but respond. Here, you would have to add something else, perhaps a boost a telepath receives (again, remember the unused potential of muscles, if you want to), which allows for them to reach out and tap into another brain. When an earthbender is blocked by a mountain, we know that with enough effort, they could create a tunnel through it. The fantasy genre is one of the fastest-growing genres in fiction, and this also applies to science fiction/fantasy novels. For now, Im thinking that the energy will be a 3D field spreaded around (basically, just a math function). Forms of moon magic include illusion magic, shadow magic, and spirit magic. It's an important aspect to think about as it'll heavily affect your story universe. Its a generic job title for people whose main concern is to maintain relationships with local spirits and practice holy magic so they can pacify demons. In order to fully capitalise on paint one must find a weapon they work well with and a fight style that suits your body. I wouldnt use categories of magic to add structure thats just adding more complexity. They can do things with water, and also move farther away from their source (something other nymphs cannot physically do). Spirits that become familiars dont affect ambient energy levels, making casters bound to them potential weapons, but also wild cards (whether theyll help you depends on both their own desires and their familiars). Chris Winkle mentioned Avatar as an example of a rational magic system, because its elements (fire, water, air, and earth) are natural classifications. In fact, they are drawing on residual energy left behind when a spirit interacts with the human world. Sorry about the comment length and the long worldbuilding paragraph. Thanks again for the advice! air benders can also create a vacuum around the head to suffocate some one (same guy did this in season 3). Possession can only occur between a creature that has magic and one that is magic. Can one person wield both of them or only one? Once eaten, the magical substance builds up in their systems until they focus their will to cast magic. Source Materials Who and what wields it How to wield it What are the powers? In the series Rowling shows that wands and spells channel the magic within an individual so witches and wizards are not without magic if they dont have a wand. 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. Im only using that as a place holder name because mostly priests use it but priest carries its own connotation thats probably also misleading. Been developing a magic system for a story of mine thats in its early development stages. I love your idea Madden, however if i may point out one significant flaw that you will very quickly need to address. The more unique you make it, the more memorable your book will be for readers. The person who got the powers is called the Given. 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. I would use something else than Gluttons. Id classify it as being more rational than say Disneys Aladdin, but it is still in a category of high fantasy where the limits as to what is possible are still a bit fuzzy. Why are some people spell book readers but not others? Im working on a story that has 3 magic systems. The Lord of the Rings is a low magic setting, but it is a high fantasy setting. The job is dangerous. First, if its similar to someone elses that is purely coincidental. More like youre a easily broken, magical gun (Aim, shoot fireball, repeat.) the frequent earthquakes that break up the surface of the earth and reshape it releasing gasses from below. This type of magic is tricky and potentially dangerous, as the faerie in question could seek out loopholes that benefit them and take more from the person than what was agreed. Its important to define what the magic user can manipulate and how/why. Even within one category, theres no way to extrapolate new spells because the rules are so eclectic. > 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. I would skip chemical energy though opens up too many things. I forgot Theosophy! 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. Or you go back to the idea that words shape the world, which is why we have the word enchantment which comes from chanting. The same is true, if I use telekinesis to move that boulder. The definitions for these are as follows: Random Treasure Generator. But it technically isnt magic if you put yourself in the characters shoes. Our physical universe is merely the extent that we can see with our mortal Perceptions limits. You can also use that fickleness, maybe, and some other things this answer mentioned, to weave in logical limitations on emotion-based magic that will make it perhaps more palatable to your readersin fact, in ways directly related to the example of exhaustion. This is because an all-powerful antagonist makes the story more exciting and perilous, while an all-powerful protagonist achieves the opposite effect. A person can use their mental conviction to create any of these energy forms by channeling the Ether (Breaking the law of Conservation- Something from Nothing). Magic in Tolkien is a reflection of _spiritual_ power. That source has to be available to a spellcaster, and that spellcaster needs to direct it to accomplish specific goals. Another way to look at it is evolution. However, it makes it harder to build tension when power levels can change at any given moment as needed, especially at climaxes, where emotions will naturally be high. :). lost nanotechnology (difficult to justify how that would be forgotten) First of all, why would there be a spell to dodge? In addition, the spells available for use arent completely based on nonsense, or taught completely irrationally. Do you think the metaphor works when stretched so far? Even without understanding the details, it feels like it all fits together. 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. Group B dont have magic at all. If you're using this generator, you might also find the Magical Artifact Generator useful. In this guide I will cover the major aspects part of most magic systems, hopefully it'll help you create your own magic system and provide you with a checklist of sorts to make sure you're not forgetting an important part. 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! Real transformation would be something like lead to gold, influencing the molecules to give up their bonds and settle into a new configuration (gods, it has been ages since my last chemistry lesson). There are plenty of sources you can use, like bodily energies, energies in the air, power bestowed by the gods, powers within blood, pools of magic in the world, a worldwide life force, magical artifacts and so on. Or does it speed up molecules/atoms to heat up an object (if we have mostly realistic world)? One final aspect to think about is whether or not those who cannot wield power can somehow gain the ability to do so and if those who can wield magic can lose the ability do so and if those changes can be reverted. Can a magic user be identified by their clothing, appearance, or some other distinguishing physical factor? Theres no balance, nothing to sacrifice for the use of magic. I have recently, but have wrote before, in my world created a new magic systems. Dont feel discouraged by the problems of your first draft, remember that you will solve them later. A rational magic system follows rules, thats what makes it a rational system. Harry realizes what hes done and looks for a counter-spell, instead of just hopelessly thinking Oh no! Others say that this is blasphemy; for a gift of water, if not taken from somewhere, would disrupt the balance, however little, and Mother would never stand for it. Anyway, before I get onto the reply for this comment, Ill briefly reply to your other comment (the one which mentioned an alternate magic system for Harry Potter at the end, which I couldnt reply to in that comment thread). Before you build your magic system, youll need to decide what kind of system you need to create for your story, because different magic serves different purposes. One of my characters is able to beg the Storm God for help without making a proper appeal because they danced nearly every day for 5 years. Character Power Generator Your character has the Illusions (Can create and destory illusions) ability! I know this is an old article, but it inspired me to create my magic system. I was actually thinking of precursor aliens having set everything up, but that raises a lot more questions of motivation and the ability to remain undetected. Likewise, its important to disabuse the audience of the notion that mood swings can decide key moments whenever its convenient. 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). Whether your source is limited or not is another important aspect you have to think about. . What themes will your magic system discuss? Practitioners are all female. 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. Start by looking for further implications of what youve already established. I will say that I do enjoy thinking about all of these issues. It does, although thats what I want to do. Most of the time, this yearning leads them to the Towers, where they are never seen again. 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. The Living Mother dreads chaos and wants balance. 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. Specific effects include communicating with others, working together as a group, and riding inside the minds of others. The most common form of magic is to make a contract with a specific spirit for a specific outcome, and then the spirit uses its power to reach that outcome (level of cooperation varies). Divine magic comes from appeals to the gods. Perhaps, the basic power influenced by the caster is stronger at a certain time of the month (new moon or full moon for instance) or of the day (noon, midnight, sundown, sunrise). People connected to the Moon and Star Primals are the only two that are common in a single place and can be found in any nation or culture. Wraith, lich, or revenant for example. Good luck! So what do you think? And I did read the other piece about magic but my system sounded alot simpler in head head so I didnt think it applied as much. Worldbuilding, Avatar, Magic Magic Systems Magic systems vary from colorful bears with tummy badges to ritual blood sacrifices. You need to lay down rules and follow them (which is where both Rowlings use of magic in Harry Potter and Lucas use of the Force in the original trilogy fail). You can also read his books to see his systems in action; personally I recommend Elantris. Untold masses dead, fear, uncertainty you get the idea. Random Magic Shop Generator. On Star Treks Mediocre Antagonistic Species. 2. However, you still need to put in the work to create a unique and compelling system that will serve the needs of your story. Im sorry. Thats because we know dragon glass can kill them and both weapons were forged by dragon flame. Examples of what an Interferer could do that Ive though of so far: make a gust blow faster (maybe carrying something along with it), making something fall/rise faster, increase the air pressure in a certain spot (very useful for strangling or pressure-point pushing!) Thank you so much for the reply! 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. (somewhere I have a document outlining Philosophical associations between Elements). Silver drains magic and therefore hurts all creatures that are magic. 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. Broken cities, old equipment, enchanted odds and ends from modern society. This is one of the most exciting things about writing fantasy: getting to design your own magic system. While she does talk about how it adds limitations, that doesnt actually seem to be her primary focus. 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. Your success depends on your knowledge of the gods, your relationship with the god, and your ability to make an appeal. We know it takes more kinetic energy to move a big rock than a small rock, so we can imagine it requires more magical energy too. This is the first step in learning magic, for depending on what Primal theyre affiliated with, their magic may not be useful at all times (a Sun mages magic is severely weakened at night, and an Earth mage is practically useless out at sea) and they need to rely on their mana for defense and offense. 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. Does the use of power exact a particular cost? Can magic be used incorrectly or immorally? Spells are also incredibly varied, which makes adding randomized details a . In a rational system, there would be an explanation for how magic works where it comes from, what limits there are, how it is used. Using the Harry Potter example, the rules of what magic can and cannot do are defined throughout the books new things are added throughout the series, but there is some structure in the form of spells, potions, etc., and a few laws that are hard limits (such as the no true resurrection one), yet the author of this post states it is not rational (although hard). The readers should, after reading a bit of the story, develop an understanding for how people do magic. Combustial (fire) The protagonist doesnt understand Naming well either, so we never expect him to solve major plot problems using soft magic. This is super helpful, thanks so much for taking the time to write it and to provide examples. 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). Some feel cohesive; others feel random. Ill consider what you said and make some changes. My magic system is based off of good and bad. I shall now splurge it out here If you like it, and you think you can bend it to fit your idea, then go for it!! Not that hard to extrapolate. 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. some sort of selection criteria the nanites have Cant help but feel its lacking in creativity and complexity, but thats for another day. If theyre distracted, panicking, drunk, or otherwise unable to focus the spell wont work. Some people are good at magic, others are not. you have to touch the person youre putting to sleep or touch the demon youre pacifying. o_o. The differences come into play when various factions go to war. Obviously you can also combine both ideas, just because you can combine spells doesn't mean you have to. And i aint going to be touching it ever again, so if you or anyone else finds some sort of use from it, have fun. 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. If Luke needs guidance to hit that exhaust port, the Force can guide him. If you fail to understand the role that magic will play in your story and develop your system accordingly, then you run the risk of undercutting the conflict and tension that keep readers turning pages. Hermione explains this to Ron in the seventh book when he mentions bringing food out of nowhere. But these machines are still not quite able to understand what it means to better humanity; many still die, while those that survive have varying effects placed upon them (perhaps theres some genetic basis, idk). High Fantasy and Low Fantasy. Readers know little, if anything, about the nature, origin, or limitations of the characters fantastical powers. Just watch out for the unaffected 1%. Its just something to be careful about. That can have a lot of applications. 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. Remember that specific effects are better than broad effects. Anyway, an Order ofMages (havent thought of a proper name yet) is working in overdrive to contain the outbreak, taking the dying, destroying corpses, etc to prevent the spread of the blight Or so you think 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. Then I really thought about the setting and that would breakwell, everything. That also means that magic is an entity of its own, hence experimenting with it can be highly dangerous. Fast forward a couple thousand years and some genius manges to find a way to control paint by collecting it into a special bottle. Can it be used to harm others or cause destruction? When picking the powers and spells for your magic system you'll have to keep in mind a few things. In my plant-based system, there could be a lineage with the biological adaptation to absorb the magical substance directly, without using the plant as an intermediary. I also had the idea that there would be some very powerful, old spirits who have long-standing contracts with humanity as a whole. Thank you! As a general rule, antagonists can use soft magic to solve problems, even though protagonists should only use hard magic. Magic system generator the magic system's origin is (1d? This same punishment theory may explain why humans are killed for trying to harness and redistribute sunlight. I see the basis of a rational magic system there, and you have good limits. Mystical Paths A slightly humorous generator that produces new mystical practices for characters. A grammar checker, style editor, and writing mentor in one package. Varren slumped into his chair, a curse leaving his lips as he had forgotten to blow out the torch in the hallway. Life a conspiracy to hide everyone selected (difficult to justify how they manage this). Nanite clustering effects::kind of dangerous though, theyre a lot like tumors, and have a tendency to grow. Aside from this, the only other limitation a mage has in magic is their stamina. As just one example, she talks about choosing only one source of magic but I think its possible to have multiple sources and still have well-thought out and limited magic systems. So Id rather go science fiction, or full-on, its my world, I make the rules magic. Those affected will suffer from chronic pain, skin lesions, and become prone to violence; but they will also gain super human strength. Relocating energy (in telekinesis or telepathy) is, however, less of a problem than dissolving a body and recreating it at another place, to its not the same as full teleportation. A hard magic system is magic with a clear set of rules. Stuff falls down, not up, for instance. The audience has no idea what they can do other than what theyve been directly told, so if they do anything new in a crisis, it will look like a deus ex machina. He exerts his own living will in opposition against the tendency towards balance. Rituals are easy to execute, but can be dangerous. 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. Each house is limited to one type of magic and students are not sorted by their character at the age of 11, but by what magic they have an affinity for. Students learn all of the spells by memorization, because theres no logic underpinning how they operate. 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. Youre deluding yourself if you think that. Ask yourself what kind of problems magic will cause your protagonists, and whether your antagonist will use magic to achieve their goals. Ask yourself what effects will help your protagonists solve the problems presented in your plot, and what effects will be fun to write about. 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. If Rowling had, for instance, done more with the four houses, things might have been different. If I can find a way to make it work, it would be cool if sound can be harnessed and redistributed as well. Light If I were you, I would make sure every complication you have is something thats important to you. The key traits of a soft magic system are outlined in the graphic below. That is, unless you have a good relationship with him. This allows for more ready, flexible use of magic, but one has to be careful how much they use at once or risk damaging both the spirit and themselves. There's a reason why I write about fantasy magic - magic is my most favourite thing! In this world i was playing with humanity had long ago developed nanotechnology as a means of improving quality of life; whether that meant cleaning up the environment, being used for medical purposes, or for body augmentation didnt really matter. As we dont seem to be focusing on that aspect much, however, I wont try to continue arguments about that part. What do you think? Ill give you a specific example of the cultural dependence I mentioned. Thanks! ), Im just really curious to know more about your magic! Thats not exactly what I mean Im talking about low-level How. It is pretty lose, yea, but it is still there and we have seen magic systems like this a thousand times. Naturally, youll want a few people in your setting with powers that are unusual among magic workers. Yeah, I think your fabric metaphor works great. The magical effects that affect the physical world all manipulate one of the four fundamental forces of physics. Is it connected to religion or religions of your world (since something based on the principle of good and bad [if you have to keep that, use evil instead of bad] should have a connection to religion)? If youll allow my humble but informed opinion. Gestures could be used to move molecules (that would be how Avatar does it). Plus, itll make the villain look rightfully confident and in control, rather than stupidly arrogant for powering up his adversary, and itll build up their threat level when the hero at seemingly full power wasnt a match for him. After all the Vibrations have finished their process, they Ripple and then whatever combination the Vibrations have will affect our world. I see some interesting potential with that. It doesnt have to make sense in our world, but in the world of the story, it does. Other than that, most answers are really just what do you want? However, I will say that if magic uses up energy in the environment putting out fires and stopping movement for instance that would probably create some interesting scenes. Limitations mean there will be tension in your story, without limitations anything and everything can happen, but generally not in a good way. Almost all of the magic in Avatar: The Last Airbender is clearly linked to the same rules. In addition, there are no boundaries on what magic could theoretically do in the Potterverse. Magic isn't real, so it can be anything we want. If they are limited, its usually not by some universal magical law, but rather a handicap in their source of power. Check out the Magic Generator Pack . As the Wizard unravels the Great Mysteries, and gains understanding of the Universe, they unlock additional rune slots, allowing for more complex, refined spells. Now, of course, this is magic and doesnt have to follow real life but by the same token, as in real physics, it doesnt necessarily have to seem sensible to humans (think of how weird quantum mechanics is). If so, what differentiates them? Either way, the recipients of the power lose whatever memories gained before or during their stay at the Towers. First, think through what magic is capable of doing in a theoretical best case scenario. These energies are not strictly bound to non-magical air, water, fire and so on, but definitely could affect each other: real fire produces fire energy, in water there are lot of water energy and so on. Humanity loses control of the system, the factories start belching out nanites into the atmosphere, these new nanites containing instructions that are corrupted, missing a few bytes here and or even having added a few. Once you've figured out who can wield it it's time to figure out how they can wield it. Even though there are no physical costs to using magic, being Grisha means losing their freedom to pursue the life they wanted. Another rare one is magic transference, my idea of that one is gaining an ability that an extinct race once used, examp. There are 2 other different types of magic to do with Time/Space & Meta Magic of youd like to hear more about the magic from the novel I wrote. Paint is everything and everywhere. The God of Parties, on the other hand, would be very chaotic. Get into religion and the systems of magical belief and practices really explodes. Some of them, such as the Breath Weapons have been condenced a little bit for shortnesses sake. Dryads are usually depicted as tree spirits, or tree nymphs. Not at all. 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. The term magical effects refers to the ways in which magic influences and alters the world around it.