fantasy magic system generator fantasy magic system generator

Its mysterious. Last, heres a fun chart showing the details of magic systems in the most popular works. New ideas in how my magic works have given me plot ideas, but I think Ill need to develop the plot more to refine how my magic system works within it. Humans access it by eating a special plant that bio-accumulates it. would be for instance the power to congure spectral weapons like a sword or bow and arrow, though they are powerful magic and would be taxing on ones body and life. Wraith, lich, or revenant for example. The story is at a climax when emotions are always high? Forms of Sky magic include air magic, lightning magic, and weather magic. 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. They instead study the laws of nature and learn to manipulate them. To me, it seemed like I had everything figured out and I could write a story now. In most, if not all movies, there clearly arent rules for magic, or if there are, there arent many. Hey! You need to make your sub-types of magic logical parts of the main type of magic. If I may make a suggestion as to how to tie these four together, have it not be the first time this has happened. If a mage has no limit to what they can do, why not simply find one who solves all the problems for your hero with the snap of a finger (or a well-conducted ritual)? Angelic and demonic can stay, but dont over-simplify things. Demigods have partial powers, which they inherit from their Olympian parents. 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. Hes also known as the God of Mischief. Prime / Mana worked a little differently, in that each rune slot had a certain number of Mana-Points that could be applied, up to a value equal to the Players skill/level. Almost all of the magic in Avatar: The Last Airbender is clearly linked to the same rules. All those rules are allow to create literally any classic spell, except teleportation/portals. Origami, cutting, painting, burning. Life is movement and if part of nature isnt moving (even the earth) then it resembles death and not life. and not to be messed with lightly, as they can have devastating effects. You can also read his books to see his systems in action; personally I recommend Elantris. If they need hand gestures to do magic, they cant do it while tied up. Or some effect it has on the world? (Known collectively as the Nasuverse after their writer, Kinoko Nasu) Namely, by this articles definition of rational magic, would the magic in the Nasuverse count as an example of a rational magic system? It depends on how you build up your magic system. Cool system, sounds like it has great story possibilities. Wavelength: Determines how strong the affect it has A genie grants three wisheswith a twist. 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. : some sort of selection criteria the nanites have Money? Hm, I had not planned on it, but it might be interesting. Learning about one doesnt give a better understanding of another. Common People (Theyre so common that they dont really have a name.) And that should be all, if anyone can help me with the names of the entire concept, please do. Most priests wouldnt be any more concerned with gods than the average person. Its not just about the energy needed to transform a body into energy and then back into mass, its also about controlling where the second transformation takes place (splicing would be a problem or manifesting through matter its what cost Heimlich from the Brian Helsing series his right lower arm). But its repeatedly said in the series that spells can be cast when the user feels strong emotion, so it could possibly be connected in that way to the old magic. 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. 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! GIVEN: obtained magic through an illegal potion or spell cast by a very powerful mage. Tolkien, we never find out exactly what Gandalf can and cant do with magic. More like youre a easily broken, magical gun (Aim, shoot fireball, repeat.) Certainly using more types adds complexity that might be a burden in shorter stories, but I think you could start with the type of thread that is most prevalent, and explain more rare threads as the story progresses. The plants begin to die, and in dying change color and surrender the rest of their water to Mother. On top of this, theres teleportation I still need to consider, which comes with its own host of issues. will you include other living beings that conduct photosynthesis like phytoplankton or algae? Frequency: The core strength of a Vibration, determines how far and fast it travels I agree. What about their views on the consumption of food and water? Look at the fight between Voldemort and Dumbledore in the fifth book/movie the one in the Ministry of Magic. Why are naiads more rare and powerful than tree nymphs? Cant help but feel its lacking in creativity and complexity, but thats for another day. 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). Trying to do anything that involves pushing against or even breaking natural law will require aid from outside forces. Can magic be used incorrectly or immorally? In the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, wand magic is like language. Limits can come in all sorts of varieties, the ones we've covered are: how to wield it (being disarmed), how to gain power, power limit, limited power source, cost of powers, the ability to combine powers or not, racial differences and whether or not you're born with a specific amount of power and talent or not. I would also like to point out that alchemy is not a religion, but an admittedly partially superstitious precursor to chemistry. would even mathematically work, as all existing particles and forces seem to be related by deep mathematical symmetries. A system where the only users of this magic are at first the cultists until the Heroes learn it out of necessity and self-defence, and accepting the price that it separates them farther from the group consensus of reality which is the measure by which society defines sanity, and that in fact belonging to a species of animal as social as humans are means that diverging too far from your species in the way you perceive and experience reality carries certain risks and costs to it, more or less well understood to tradition and to the majority of systems of magic because what most of these theories agree on is that the more minds believe that something is So, the more difficult it is for one individual Mind to impose a different understanding than what the Many agree on EVEN IN THE PERSONAL REALITY the putative magician themselves inhabits, and CERTAINLY if they have to use the force of their personality, belief and magic to convince other individuals that what THE MAGICIAN believes as fact is in actual good and honest coin Really So in the shared consense reality they all co-inhabit by reason of their shared belief that they do in fact have at least some things in common in their universes, enough to make a Reality of and enforce/defend it by the power of your shared beliefs. Avatar is, essentially, based on elemental magic which is the ability to control one or more elements. :-), Thanks! However, a few fantastical powers can go a long way toward livening up many fantasy stories. For every energy type, there are only 3 things you can do with the energy. Ive also seen your above comment. When the spell is done, the deactivated knots simply float around, unattended. So it goes like this, everyone in the world can use magic though alot choose not to because they dont want to get caught up in the conflict with all that do use it. Of course, I wasnt interested in my universe following all of the laws of physics in our universe. 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. In Dune, those who are exposed to spice develop powers over time. It could also be from astral radiation or human emotion. If you do, how will you split the elements between the two sides? Late to the party, but I wonder what is your take on the magic system in Type-Moon franchises such as the Fate series and Tsukihime? Another thing you have to keep in mind is how strong the spells are and if they're overpowered. Id love to hear more about what the magic can do. If youll allow my humble but informed opinion. Now its time to decide why magic cant do anything and everything the spellcaster wants, whenever they want. 405 Favourites 13 Comments 43.8K Views Revised and translated version of this. There are a few online articles about this: the ones I remember off the top of my head are Universal Fire and Universal Law, found on LessWrong. Telekinesis: You mention psychics using their own energy for telekinesis. Some kind of energy tentacles, if you want a picture. The twist? Eg- How fast you can make the ball move (The heavier the object the slower it moves) However, then I realized a key problem: Could I make this a logically consistent system? Or you go back to the idea that words shape the world, which is why we have the word enchantment which comes from chanting. 2023 Mythcreants LLC, all articles, art, recordings, and stories are the copyright of their respective authors. Do you want to bring in some elemental control? It sounds like youre going the scientific route with energy. Some of them, such as the Breath Weapons have been condenced a little bit for shortnesses sake. Perhaps the background magic I mentioned earlier could be involved. I disagree. If your mage has a limit on their powers (and having a human with unlimited powers is probably going to break a story, at least with that human being the hero), the limit must always be the same or you need to give a reason why it is different (the character is exhausted and thus cant muster as much magic or the character took a specific potion which boosted their powers, for instance). Ocean magic is strongest during winter. When youre brainstorming magical costs, try to be creative. I will admit my system does need more development to round it out some. Although they would have to learn it (Nullifying). As I said, I was also inspired by depictions of psychic powers in fiction, so I used this idea to explain telepathy (immaterial minds were the same substance, so they could have a way to directly communicate with each other) and telekinesis (if thoughts could generate energy, then maybe they could create enough energy to affect outside objects as well). I have read an anecdote in which members of a certain tribe classified an orange with a knife, rather than an orange with an apple as the Western researchers expected, reasoning that a knife cuts an orange so they belong together. Since there are clear rules in the Harry Potter series, we dont wonder why Harry doesnt just make up an all-powerful spell. My train of thought was a bit of a runaway train. Regardless, having nature spirits of various kinds that have power related to their aspect of nature is completely reasonable. It may sound similar to Avatar but it is growing. I think youre overthinking things a little in your example. Hello to anybody that sees this. Theres a reason why RPGs with team-based fight systems (I use those when playing around with the RPG Maker myself) are often based around the Tank/Damage Dealer/Buffer principle. A being of a higher Plane has the opposite effect, their presence and consciousness being far too much for the Universe to handle, and so it would just collapse on itself wherever the being would go. In general, creating a system that is more limited in effect and creates more problems with casting makes for better stories. After giving it some thought, I think the spirits will take memories as payment. To avoid adding a sense of arbitrariness, your choice of categories must feel natural. Specific effects include communicating with others, working together as a group, and riding inside the minds of others. If you use this source, decide why reality is so malleable is everyone in a dream or a virtual reality game? Lets say magic is generated by the vibration of continental plates, and each continental plate vibrates at its own frequency, creating different effects. Roughly, looks like extended noun+verb system, right? I really need a new name for the holy magic. 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. Sorry for the late reply I had went out for the past few days. Thats not a rational system, because theres no understandable rules to it. Magic can be taught and learned, though whether or not a persons good at it depends on their study/training, and their innate talent for the practice. So, if we want to maintain conservation of energy, we need to assume another power source. I also specifically mentioned that I was not including conservation of energy in my system, but you assumed it in your comment. Since paint depends on your mental state and will, if while using paint you have a sudden elevation of toxic emotions (extreme anger, fear, wish for destruction, narcissism, grief, blood-lust) your paint will go against the body causing a complete collapse (your senses null forcing you into a coma), a clear breakthrough (all thoughts and feelings stop and you focus on one thing with a slightly heightened power), a poisoned mind (you attack friend and foe alike as the paint starts to corrode your mind) or a transformation (into a monster). If George R.R. Now we go back to the Beginning. Random Magic Shop Generator. From this point onwards paint is incorporated into science and technology. Varren slumped into his chair, a curse leaving his lips as he had forgotten to blow out the torch in the hallway. How would a non-magic wielder fight a magic wielder? In other words, readers need to understand how your magic system works to ensure its use feels natural and believable within the context of the story. Because minds were immaterial, physical brain damage wouldnt really affect thoughts, personality, and so on, instead mostly things such as the ability to move and regulate basic bodily functions. Nanite clustering effects::kind of dangerous though, theyre a lot like tumors, and have a tendency to grow. However, most societies dont have the resources to crank out wizards. Caster is Eco, Given controls animals, which is basically mind control. I think your point is that in a story, there needs to be limits to magic, which I agree with. What effect does the use of magic have on the user? In your case, how exactly the will affects something: As fun as fantastical powers can be to write, crafting your magic system with care is key. A very interesting and well laid out post, though I dont quote agree with all the recommended reading. And after reading this article, Ive found there is one important question missing: How exactly magic affects the world? High Magic and Low Magic. The villain in S3 of A:LoK achieves it. I forgot Theosophy! 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. Fire born and living in constant motion, generating heat that is eventually extinguished, restoring the balance. Gaining power can be done through a whole range of methods, you could train, gain power through an artifact, channel power into 1 person or spell, enhance a body through magic (or other means), simply study magic and how it works, siphon souls from other magical beings, gain a blessing (or curse) of a god or demon and much more. Because water is more tangible than air and fire, it is likewise easier to hold on to. There are many assumptions in this article, it only focused on a small, known part of magic. As a quick example, just think about how many movies and books reuse the theme of elemental magicfire, water, earth, and air. 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. If you want to create a soft magic system, I have some good news: you dont need to come up with a set of systematic rules, or even an underlying logic. About the two types of fantasy magic systems Which POVs will best suit your story All about your publishing options There will also be practical tips that you can apply to your story straight away. Basically, all magic in the world draws power from six Primals, vast entities of the natural world: the Sky, Sun, Moon, Earth, Ocean and Stars. 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. Or maybe have subtypes based on the seven deadly sins and heavenly virtues? Taking this further would logical lead to even more powerful techniques, using vacuums to burst eardrums, rupture lungs, and using air pressure to launch objects in ways similar to the people that build vacuum cannons that launch ping pong balls at supersonic speeds. Some plants and animals have magic inherently inside them, creating a variety of results. However, a few benders can bend their element when its in a different form or less pure. This generator gives you names for their various alliances, covens, and clubs. So then, my idea was that even though minds were separate from bodies, they were normally closely tied so they could interact, which was why telepathy and telekinesis had things such as limits based on physical distance. But in case of computer game, need to implement those rules somehow. I understand your point. Thats why we have a character (in the Silmarillion, and referenced in passing in the songs and stories Aragorn tells the hobbits on Weathertop and they later hear much more about in Rivendell: a character like Luthien Tinuviel, who inherited her power from her connection to both the mortal (in the sense of not being a divinely descended spirit who chose to take bodily form; Tolkiens equivalent of greater and lesser angels whom he sees as having a role in the world; her father was a powerful Elf king but still in that sense mortal) and angelic (her mother, who was a lesser angel who fell in love with her father and chose to take on bodily form enough to bear his child but still remained of divine race) lines in her ahcestry. More so they come out on the other side changed The air swirled out into the hallway, successfully blowing out the lit torch but haphazardly knocking it off its supports. Conduits gather energy but dont cast spells with it, Interferers cant gather but they can cast, so the two types of magic users have to work together to cast spells. Fireball that damages a characters weapons/armor, while leaving the character unharmed. Whatever you figure out, it should have an internal logic. Moon magic: Moon magic draws power from the spirit and energy of the moon. Movement demands energy and that I deliver, either with my hands, with a machine, or with telekinesis. While both of these magic systems have mysterious aspects, in general they dont invoke wonder because they are understood. Theyre both perfectly legitimate forms of doing magic in a story IF DONE RIGHT. Below, Ive outlined six general steps you can follow to forge an effective magic system for your story. For Time and Space, Keeper will be the name. Just remember that great ideas are only the start, solid implementation has to follow, and learning that takes a lot of time and practice. From the other side, putting lot of fire energy into single point will produce real fire, moving air energies will make air blows.