McAnally's (The Community Pub) > Author Craft

Making Generic Magic more Appealing

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The Corvidian:
Crutches and batteries, that is my take on magic.

Lanodantheon:
Writing a totally 100% original magic system would be an act of brilliance. One of the reasons "Standard" magic systems are so common is the same reason MMORPGs and the like based on Tolkienesque fantasy are so common: the style is easy to grasp. Magic in particular is drawn from mythology and ideology from all over the world and the more common the better. Talking about a magic system that only builds and not destroy relates it to the idea that energy cannot be created or destroyed, only redirected.

Also, all magic systems are related to the ideology of the work. For example, a magic system that contains inherent Light Sides and Dark Sides reflect the author's belief that there are self-evident forces of Good and Evil in the world. The idea that magic comes from life also reflect the belief that life itself is sacred and powerful. Magic that comes from Gods and/or Spirits reinforces the belief that believing in and worshiping such things gives you power. The list of examples goes on.

Your magic system can look like whatever you wish it to be. How easy something is to do magically is only limited to how difficult you want it to be. Fire could be the easiest spell in the world while in mine the easiest could be nuclear fission.

One way to make magic fresh, yet familiar is to take an old system and stand it on its ear. Depending on the story told this could end up in a very humorous or moving situation. For example: say you are playing with the idea of Summoning Angels/Spirits for your magic system(Just an example). In most stories with this kind of magic(I think) the more favors you want the Angels/Spirits, the more sacrifices they need.
You could turn this on it's ear quite easily for either comedic or moving effect:

For moving effect you could look at Summoning as more like taking away the free will of these creatures. The more time they spend answering their summoner's calls, the more time they are away from home and their free will is taken from them.

For comedic effect, you could depict summoning as the worst Joe-Job on the planet. The Angel/Spirit is trying to get some sleep in his night cap when BAM! the Summoner summons him and he has to leave his wife and 2.5 kids in the dead of night AGAIN to answer the call of some b@$%&*# sorcerer who can't do anything on his own without calling somebody in the middle of the night on another plane of existence. And now from some reason I could see that scene in my head played by Jason Lee....

OZ:
Have you read any Dave Duncan? He is far from my favorite author. As a matter of fact he only wrote one series that I really enjoyed but he comes up with some of the most creative magic systems that I have read. I sometimes skim even his books that I don't like just because I am fascinated by how magic works in most of his worlds.

The first thing that I try to figure out when I'm developing a magic system is the base. Is it a spiritual system that draws it's powers from spirits or demons or gods ( like David Eddings Begariad) or is magic more like science? Is it something requiring great intellect and years of study. Is it something inherited like Harry Potter or the x-men (yes I said the x-men's powers are magical although they are considered scientific within their own universe ) or does it draw from Nature? Maybe a combination of the above elements. Once I figure a base for magic the other components usuallly fall into place.

seekmore:

--- Quote from: OZ on May 20, 2009, 05:46:34 AM ---The first thing that I try to figure out when I'm developing a magic system is the base. Is it a spiritual system that draws it's powers from spirits or demons or gods ( like David Eddings Begariad) or is magic more like science? Is it something requiring great intellect and years of study. Is it something inherited like Harry Potter or the x-men (yes I said the x-men's powers are magical although they are considered scientific within their own universe ) or does it draw from Nature? Maybe a combination of the above elements. Once I figure a base for magic the other components usuallly fall into place.

--- End quote ---

Why do the messy equating mutate powers with magic when there plenty of literal magic running rampant through the X-Men Universe.

SlimMason:
Juggernaught gets his powers from a magic stone. Perhaps it is the Blarney Stone since Mr. Juggernaut is such an eloquent speaker.

The trap I fall into is details. The detail that has snared me today is wheather magic predates humans or not. Was there a spirt realm before hummans came along? A lot of magical creatures are based in myth and folklore. Perhapes they caused myth and folklore, or perhaps they where formed from the collecective unconcience of the humans that believe in them. It sounds like an important question, but I know the truth... IT'S A TRAP!

I can't deside on a setting, or if the magic is a secret or not.

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