Describe Your Magic System in a Few Sentences

Crystal Glacia, I like your idea a lot. It's the only one I've seen that explains how Pokemon can do the things they do as well as making sense.

I need a witty quote to put in here.

Aether: Magic is essentially the blood of a dead god. Some mortals are born with a mutation that allows them to interact with this omnipresent substance and shape it to their will. However, this has severe limitations:

1. Because so very few people can really comprehend how atoms and such work, spells to catch things on fire/freeze things/disentigrate things are extremely rare. Most battle-magic is basically shaped force; I.E, a spear of magical force that stabs through armour, or a sphere that flies through the air and knocks the enemy off their feet, or a shield to deflect incoming objects.

2. You can only hold a certain amount of the magic without exploding*

You tend to develop a tolerance for it like a drug, so more experienced mages can use it more. There are three primary methods of shaping magic in a way that avoids killing the user:

1. Vancinari focusing. The mage takes a large amount of time to carefully pre-shape all the spells they can handle. After they are prepared, the mage can use them as fast as they can aim their minds. However, they are at a disadvantage afterwards, because it takes them longer to shape a spell than the other types of mages. The practitioners are called Vancin. And yes, it is a blatant Shout-Out.

2. Sygian focusing. The practitioners are called Scions. The rarest type of mage, they constantly keep their body brimming with as much magic as possible, which they use essentially as a limb. They have a much smaller amount of magic than others, but theirs is never expended as long as there is a 'line' of it to their body. As such, this magic tends to manifest as essentially telekinesis with a limited range.

3. Spellshaping. These mages focus on developing their skill at forming spells as fast as possible. they craft and utilize each spell one at a time. Depending on the skill of the user, this could take anywhere from a minute to a few seconds.

My name is Cu Chulainn. Beside the raging sea I am left to moan. Sorrow I am, for I brought down my only son.

I used to have a system, but it turned into a bizzare "perception equals reality" thing based off chaos theory and statistics. Funny thing is, I wrote it for a fiction story but I now believe it exists in real life. It's not really magic, just the odd bits of life. Mundane magic, if that makes sense.

edited 7th Apr '11 11:33:11 PM by Gvzbgul

Okay, kind of a long one coming up so here we go.

There are two main broad types of magic users, one hybrid, and psychic power. Psychic power may as well be magic however for how it works.

Wizards: These are the "scientists" of the setting. Wizards cast spells by formula and anlyze other forms of magic to duplicate their spells into wizardry. Out of all the magic users wizards are the most likely to have large arcane libraries because they have the most need for instructions and recipies. Wizardry is very stable and reliable, but takes a long time to learn and often costs a lot in materials.

Sorcerers: Sorcerers people who have an inborn instinct for using magic. Unlike wizards sorcerers cast magic using their own energy, either physical or mental. Using their physical energy makes them more hungry and weak, using their mental energy makes them more tired and unfocused. This means that sorcerers can usually cast less spells per day than a well prepared wizard. It goes without saying that being physically and metally fit is a great benefit to sorcerers and allows them to cast spells more often and more easily. If sorcerers strain themselves too much they can fall unconcious.

Psychics: Psychics use raw mental power to impose their will upon reality. Similar to sorcerers psychic power is also an inborn ability, however unlike sorcerers they can only cast using mental energy. Due to limited power psychics have difficulty doing anything flashy. Psychics can read your mind (or try to) without using much effort but moving things with their mind in only slightly easier that moving things with their hands. Setting things on fire is nearly impossible and KEEPING things on fire IS. In a fight most phychics employ barriers and enhance their punches/swordswings/bullets with extra kinetic energy. Psychic powers and magic do not mix. Either they completely nullify each other or have no effect on each other.

Mages: Mages are anyone who practices more than one disipline of magic. Many sorcerers who feel they have reached their limit also study wizardry to increase their effectiveness. Much rarer is someone who has both psychic power and sorcery. These mages have more versatility than pure psychics or sorcerers but due to a shared power source they are about equal in power to either.

Hell, I can do it in a laconic one sentence version.

The ability to be a Reality Warper is proportional to one's desire to create fiction, inversely proportional to one's mental ability to create nonderivative fiction, and inversely proportional to one's mental ability to use Reality Warping strategically.

At first I didn't realize I needed all this stuff...

Magic is a state of hightened understanding of reality where each 'stage' is more addictive than the last. Using magic causes one's thirst to increase until they are entirely consumed with a lust for knowledge and power, sometimes with pyroactive results (or worse). The only way to use magic 'safely' is through alchemy, wherein a spell that would take seconds to channel takes hours to prepare.

Swordsman Troper — Reclaiming The Blade — Watch

I have two.

The First: To use magic, people must have three things, The ''Soul''; an extradementional energy source that is attached to each human, The Flow; which allows people to control the magic that comes through, and The Isolation; which keeps the energy from completely destroying you. Everyone has them, but not in the extent required to be a full wizard. Power in different kinds of magic comes from how deeply you feel emotions. (i.e. Emos are powerful at necromancy(despair/hopelessness), anger powers fire etc.) The Second: Magic comes from taping into "The Beginning", a quasi-entity that formed the universes. Humans are not the only ones who can do this, though animals can't use it in such a wide variety of ways. "The Beginning" is a fairly good entity (if amoral) that is at odds with "The End", but the powers of both can be used for both good and evil.

edited 10th Apr '11 4:24:11 PM by Poisonarrow

Feminist in the streets, sex slave in the sheets

no magic

occasional miracles

There are three types of magic. One is natural racial magic; the now-extinct Utiveans and Taureans had this, as do some members of the Taureans' descendants, the people of the Illuminated Isles and Castenas. This is more powerful than Sigil magic, but hard to control and addictive, which is what lead to the Taureans' destruction. The second, and by far the most common, is Sigil magic, which comes from making a connection with magical objects called the Four Sigils, which are kept in the four cities of the Sybaritian Alliance (Castenas, Marcanthia, Engerova and Libernea). The third type is demonic magic, which is done by demons (duh), and by far the most powerful. The final is a bit of a variation, not being an innate ability - by bathing in the magic-polluted Inkwater Marsh in the city of Trasona, people can gain the ability to form powerful bladed carapaces around themselves.

Sigil magic deserves a more in-depth study, due to its being the dominant type. Basically, what the mage can do is limited only by imagination and training, but it's Cast From Hitpoints - if you don't undergo rigorous training to avoid it, using extremely powerful magic will kill you. Spells are cast by speaking incantations and making gestures - you can cast spells without one or the other, but not without either, and their power will be extremely diluted anyway. Magic does not need physical components, apart from a particular type practiced by the High Sages ("palace crones") of Marcanthia. By offering the gifts of blood, gold and steel, and speaking a particular devotion, a visitor can receive a prophecy from the sages. Engerovans have also developed an innate magical resistance to heat (living on a volcanic island in the middle of the extremely hot Smoking Lagoon, it's kind of necessary).

Mages are scientists who don't need no fucking lab. Although it certainly is helpful.

2 magics in 1 setting

Mind: this is the usual use will to warp the laws of physics root, requires lot of concentration, its not as powerful as soul magic, anybody can learn it

Soul: souls cause disturbances which could be called ripples on the universe but only powerful souls can down right break the laws of physics, normally only powerful emotions can cause magic but some people can use Mind magic to call and direct the ripples at will even though theres still a margin of error, less tiresome because usually only comes in short burst and with mind magic trick it requires less concentration then mind magic, much more powerful then mind magic, few people have the powerful souls soul magic requires.

edited 19th Apr '11 6:06:50 PM by Temassasin

The universe exist(ed) as a bunch of particles inside a soup of consuming void, which was devouring it. "God", for lack of a better term, pushed the void back from between the spaces to outside the universe with a command.

Magic was later made from this command, so it is the opposite of all-consuming: self-propagating. Magic left alone becomes stronger over time. This is why it can break the laws of physics, and it's also the root of all life (life also being self-propagating).

People with magic talent just have more magic than others. It also means that powerful mages are extremely difficult to kill.

Look, you can't make me speak in a logical, coherent, intelligent bananna.

In my story certain people are "graced by the almighty one", pretty much they're given powers by a god like character. These powers work by either manipulating the energy around them or funneling energy from other dimensions into this one, so it appears as if they are creating something from nothing. Some of the really powerful ones can transport people to these other dimensions where there powers are much stronger.

edited 22nd Apr '11 7:45:21 PM by Xaz

whoever is reading this hello

Okay... In my universe, magic energies and its manifestations are created and controled by symbolism. The classic "if you believe in it, it works" combined with "willpower-triggered magic". Anyone can create magic energy and use it, but first has to actually, truly believe in it, as it is just a manifestation of one's toughts and desires. Only a magic power that can be logically created as an idea, will become real. There's also "psychic magic", that isn't actual magic. This uses the electromagnetic properties of one's brain to interact with the world, only strong minds can use it notably. Allows telepathy, telekinesis, controlling object's composition and in extreme cases, reality warping.

I cannot understand how a lot of geeks are still single ):

Magic is originated from mana, a source of energy that is practically limitless and controlled by thoughts or instincts. All creatures who possesses freewill can control it. The user is actually converting the ever-present mana in the air through his body to mold it into the form he wants when he's "performing magic", with his will acting as a medium and his thoughts as a steer. As a rule, this takes time, and you can fire and reload twice in the time one of these take to manifest. With practice, though, it comes a little faster each times.

Yes, it is a glorified nitrogen cycle, and surprisingly, it is not set in a medieval world. More like a post-Apocalypse one.

In mine, magic is hereditary, demon learn demon magic, dragons learn dragon magic, and humans learn regular magic. If you a hybrid, like a demonic-dragon such as my main character, you learn all of you ancestor's magic types

What I am working with is that magic is a language and so various analogies follow. The weakest apprentice carries around a book and often says "my hovercraft is full of eels". Powerful wizards are "fully fluent" and can "debate" one another. However, the most powerful dispense with the language to engage the "signified" directly. A mechanistic, logical style leads to rapid increases in power but the most power and flexibility comes from a holistic understanding of the process.

There are a few other mechanisms such as focuses or material components and such that are catalysts or mnemonics.

Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are probably right.

I just finished retooling it.

As an homage to Mage:The Ascension, Belief Makes It Real. Reality is flexible, and can be warped.

Mot belief as in faith, but belief as in positive, 200%, utterly batshit insane certainty that you are warping reality. There are many different techniques for achieving it, and thus there are a bunch of magical traditions.

Everyone is theoretically capable of doing it, but some poeple have either talent or appropriate training.

From religious ritual to use of psychedelics and deep meditation, to harnessing the power of blood sacrifice... Anything might work, as long as it's worked by a willworker that knwos what he's doing, or thinks he knows with the appropriate, nigh-impossible primal certainty.

Of course, that's how magic 'works'', but the magic users themselves have not grasped it, and they typically believe the dogma and propaganda of their magical tradition.

edited 10th May '11 3:25:32 AM by SavageHeathen

You exist because we allow it and you will end because we demand it.

I've changed the magick system for my Dark Tales.

I'm basing sorcery on realistic folk magick, so it works through the principles of similarity and contact. there are also five laws that affect magick: the law of exchange - nothing is free and debt attracts bad luck. the law of vows - spoken statements of intent are binding and broken vows attract bad luck. the law of entrance - it is bad luck to enter a private dwelling uninvited. the law of inevitability - change is unavoidable, yet history repeats itself. the law of destiny - sometimes the effect demands its cause.

You activate reagentswith a story, drawing out their innate magickal qualities.

Love Spell example: "If you say LOVE within nine paces of a rabbit's heart, anyone who sees it will fall in love with you."

Mysticism is divine channeling - angels, demons, saints, noble dragons and fey regents are all deities. Monks and nuns are mystics who live is cloisters.

edited 10th May '11 12:34:18 PM by nekomoon14

Level 3 Social Justice Necromancer. Chaotic Good.

Pre-industrial Earth.

Another reality exists beside the mundane world, there are some locations were matter from this reality seeps into the world and solidifies into a crystalline form. These crystals work as inanimate reality warpers, in their raw state they will change the area around then at random, but prolonged exposure to a specific environment will have an effect on their powers. For example, burning a crystal for long enough will cause it to loss any ability that doesn’t involve raising temperatures or setting fires. Devices have been built to suppress and release their powers at the whim of their user.

A major background event involves one civilization’s attempt to create their own merging point in order to increase their supply of these crystals, it didn't quite work.

You say I am loved, when I don’t feel a thing. You say I am strong, when I think I am weak. You say I am held, when I am falling short.

In a setting I've been working on, magic is based on the manipulation of an elementary particle called a materion, present in all objects and in the air around everything. As the materions hold everything together, one can manipulate reality by arranging the materions around an object into an appropriate vessel for the spell via an effort of will, then manipulating reality within that "circuit" to produce the desired result. For example, a simple "fireball" spell involves creating a circular materion formation and then altering the oxygen within that circle to ignite it, then creating a materion circuit to push it forward, hurling it towards the enemy. And even that spell alone has thousands of permutations: the color and intensity of the flames, the size, the shape (transforming a fireball into a fire lance), even the number of fireballs launched at one time.

There are several types of magic in the world, and though all of them are equally correct, they differ in means and ideologies. I will outline several of them below.

• Alchemy: The popular conception of alchemy is that it is a pseudo-magical art because it relies less on materion manipulation and more on the use of chemical processes. However, that is only half of it; a sub-branch of alchemy— transmutation— relies on materion manipulation. Using materion manipulation— usually via sigils— can allow an alchemist to change the properties of a material or even transform it into a new material. Unlike Fullmetal Alchemist, human transmutation is allowed in a limited form for medicine, allowing for surgery and other medical procedures to be completed faster and more efficiently. Alchemy is also the nearest of the magic arts to the non-magical sciences (such as engineering and medicine) of this world.

• Runic Magic: By the tracing of certain characters taken from the magical processes of a long-dead empire, materions can be made to run in a certain pattern. Tracing the rune on a piece of solid material allows the effects of the spell to be longer-lasting. Runes are often used as a crucial component of Magitek, where multiple runes are carved to create, say, a combustion engine using a fire spell. Combining runes can create new effects, so this is probably the freest school of magic, as with the knowledge of several runes, one can improvise many spells. Of course, some mages will turn up their noses at this magic form because "It's Easy, So It Sucks!" and tell its practicioners to "use better magic systems, you noobs!"

• Logomancy: Logomancy is a more traditional form of magic, using "magic words" to accomplish the arrangement of materions. Or at least, that is how the uneducated view things. In practice, the "magic words" are but mantras specifically written and made to focus the mind on the act of visualizing the patterns one wishes to create. However, the mutable nature of language can make it hard to differentiate actual spells from gibberish, and charlatans have profited from foolish or inexperienced logomancers' desire to learn more spells by selling books of "magic spells" that contain no real spells— or worse, spells that backfire on the user— whatsoever. The Logomancer's Guild has sought to control this by creating a list of approved logomancy grimoires and bringing logomancy research under its aegis. Still, one cannot be too cautious about logomancer's grimoires.

• Arcane Magic: Arcane Magic is a rather obscure form of magic that few practice. It seeks to use materions and the creation of patterns from them as a bridge for the soul to commune with the universal creator, the Aion Teleios, and to gain the knowledge written in the Aion Teleios' Akashic Recordings. Upon gaining a link to the Recordings, one becomes a Reality Warper for a limited amount of time, allowing the arcanist to reject the current reality and substitute his own, if he/she so wishes. Unfortunately, Arcane Magic has largely been abandoned save in the domain of theoreticals; its reputation as "fuzzy-headed, pseudo-religious piffle that dares masquerade as magic" (Quote Not Mine) does not endear it to more "scientific" mages, and the rise of false arcanists has only made things worse. As such, most true arcanists are found in the Magical Families, where their social position and reputation allows them to practice such magic without (overt) scorn.

• Eldritch Magic: A sub-branch of Arcane Magic, Eldritch Magic involves exploiting the rules of the universe themselves by finding tiny glitches in reality and, via application of materion patterns, opening them wide enough to cause controllable disturbances in reality. This is, of course, all theoretical. In practice, using Eldritch Magic is more likely to kill the caster or drive him/her insane... or summon an Eldritch Abomination. Such unpredictability and danger has led the authorities to ban the practice of Eldritch Magic, and any books detailing it are either burned or hidden away in very hard-to-reach places, and its practitioners executed or mind-wiped. One can never be too paranoid when it comes to the Things Beyond...

In addition to these several schools, several magical bloodlines also exist. These people usually have strange hair and eye colors, such as white or purple. The cause of such mutations is a far higher concentration of materions in their body than others; such a thing is an inheritable trait, leading to the formation of Magical Families. Most families may have multiple specialties (the Kalzen family specializes in runes and logomancy), though most have at least one field they are well-known for (the Elcarios family— where one of my protagonists comes from— is one of the few old arcanist families taken seriously).

TL;DR:

• Magic depends on the manipulation of a Minovsky Particle, and there are many ways to accomplish it.
• One can be born with latent magical potential, but blood doesn't make the mage; training does.
• This system is basically Tales of the Abyss's Fonic particle system mashed up with stuff from Limyaael and the Nasuverse.
• I definitely need my own thread for building on this.

edited 22nd May '11 2:41:00 AM by Icarael

"Stealing is a crime and drugs is a crime too BUT if you steal drugs the two crimes cancel out and it’s like basically doing a good."

If I did it right, this should actually be interesting to read.

...

First, conservation of energy is in effect here. You can't pull a fireball out of your ass (well, actually...) for no cost. The energy to do that has to come from somewhere. This can be nearly anything, yourself, a nearby thunderstorm's lightning (obviously dangerous), a fire... any release of energy. In theory, you can use living things also, but this is illegal because it will probably kill it. Some areas have innate magical energy in them, similar to the idea of magical ley-lines without the line part.

With that in mind, there are a few general categories you can put all types of spells into:

High-cost spells: This type of spell requires a great deal of energy, or a moderate amount of energy over a long period of time. Attempting to cast this without an external energy source is a great way to kill yourself. An example is forcing a thunderstorm to form in dry, stable air.*

Arguably the most dangerous type of spell, but also with the most potential.

Low-cost spells: Something that doesn't require much energy, like starting a splint of wood on fire (but not tapping that release of energy) or picking something up without touching it (more on that later). In general, if casting a spell from yourself would leave you no more than exhausted, it falls under this category.

Neutral spells: It requires energy to cast, but the result ends up releasing around the same amount of energy that you use to do it, such as forcing a wet piece of wood to burn - it takes a lot of energy to dry it, but you can get a lot from the combustion. The distinction between these and low cost spells is that you do not gain anything from a low-cost spell.

Energy gaining spells: Exactly what it sounds like. Whatever you did (probably burning something) is now running away on its own and you have to take a lot of energy from it to keep it under control. That thunderstorm you made? Turns out the air wasn't so stable and just needed a good boost, it's exploding into a massive supercell storm and you are struggling to keep it from tearing the countryside a new one. Less dangerous to you, more dangerous to everyone else (usually). Much potential for a runaway reaction here. Sometimes that's intended, as far as the weaponized spells go.

-

After attempting explaining to the authorities why you shouldn't be held responsible for the damage caused by large hail your storm produced*

and getting out on bail (if they let you out), we can continue.

Types of magic:

Elemental magic: Two subtypes, which are extremely straightforward: Thermal*

involving the exchange of heat and non-thermal*

^{Physical, healing, ext.}

which does not involve the exchange of heat. Use your imagination here, if it doesn't fall into one of the categories below it belongs here.

Transportation magic: You're moving something from point A to point B without changing its state. When done improperly it can change it anyways, usually involving tearing it apart. This may involve teleportation, portals, or just moving the object without needing to touch it. This is an extremely advanced field of magic where things can easily go wrong.

Combat magic: Magic that is practical to fight things with. It needs to be effective, low-cost and relatively hard to detect. This can be as simple as accelerating a handful of stones or iron balls to 900mph in the direction of an enemy, or as complex as giving your sword/staff a powerful electrical charge while blocking yourself from conducting it to provide a nasty shock to the next thing you hit.*

Shadow magic: Anything considered illegal by the majority of the world. Not all of it is what you'd expect to be "shadow magic", the previously mentioned weather manipulation falls here. This also includes things that are obviously shadow magic, like stealing someone's soul or raising the dead. So, all the really fun stuff, but also a lot of the nasty stuff that's likely to, ya know, blow the planet up, put a volcano in someone's back yard or summon the legions of hell and stuff like that.

-

Spells are also categorized depending on how much energy is involved:

If you don't know what a Joule is, Google it.

(C)lass 1 spell: <1,000 (J)oules (a unit of energy)

C2: 1,000J - 10Kilojoules

C3: 10KJ-100KJ

C4: 100KJ - 10,000 KJ

C5: 10^7 J - 10^9 J

C6: 10^9 J - 10^12 J

C7: 10^12 J - 10^15 J *

C8: 10^15 J - 10^20 J *

C9: 10^20 J - 10^25 J *

C10: 10^25 J+

Anything above C4 (A million Joules) is rare, and the larges spells ever cast only fall into C7. The higher categories are theoretical.

-

The category, energy class and type of spell combine to determine how it is cast, what tools you need to cast it. About those casting tools...

The first thing you'd need to know is how to control magical energy. Even if you know what to do, this isn't easy past basic magic - advanced magic requires a level of concentration most are not capable of.

Communicating how to control magic is done with spell runes which is a written language designed just for this purpose. This serves another purpose - if it wasn't written in a special language, a random person could come across a tome of some form of advanced magic and do some serious damage. It can be spoken, but this is not very common.

High-energy spells will require something to conduct it for you or it will burn you *

. This object may get hot, but most spells will not cause this unless cast improperly.

In rare cases, odd items will be required, or odd chemicals for a specific property.

However, the knowledge to do this is kept very secret in small groups, primarily for control but also because the danger is realized, because chances are everything short of cracking the planet in two has happened before.

This feels vague and insufficient, so if I left any big holes just ask what that's bout. If I put in everything I wanted to, I'd need my own thread :P

edited 22nd May '11 2:38:15 AM by Lessinath

"This thread has gone so far south it's surrounded by nesting penguins. " — Madrugada

This post was blanked upon request.

edited 21st Dec '13 4:44:11 AM by BestOf

I'd say I'm being refined Into the web I descend Killing those I've left behind I have been Endarkened

Reality is made from magic, if you go down far enough the scale of elemental particles you'll eventually run into the point where quantum physics and magic are one and the same. This gives a substantial edge to Earth's mages when magic is rediscovered in the 2020s since most worlds never bothered to come up with non-magical scientific means of explaining the universe. As a result, Earth leads the field in cutting edge quantum magics research, high-energy arcanophysics and nuclear alchemy...

A mage is somebody born with an innate connection to this underlying structure of reality, able to sense and manipulate it. A spell is a set 'pattern' of magical energies known to produce a specific result. Spells are difficult to remember due to their complexity so mages traditionally add mnemotic aides like formulae, chants or specific movements. A spell can be cast in one of three ways.

- It can be carefully prepared and refined using mathemagical formulae and the laws of arcane geometry. This is colloquially known as Wizardry and produces precise, energy-efficient but somewhat time-consuming results.

- It can be cast by applying brute force to a simple pattern, achieving the result through sheer willpower. This is commonly known as Sorcery and produces quick-and-dirty, high-power solutions.

- It can be cast by relying on instinct, subconscious cues and altered states of mind to properly attune the caster's mind to the flow of magical energies. This is called Witchcraft (a best-possible-translation many Earth mages are fairly unhappy with, but they've yet to come up with a better word) and offers efficient, quick and powerful effects...if it works properly. It is also the least reliable form of spellcasting and can go completely off the rails in fun and exciting ways.

In addition, a mage can 'prepare' a pattern and keep it 'stored' for ready access. This was quickly nicknamed 'Vancian casting' by Earth mages. It allows for a lot of spells to be cast in a very short time, but the mage using it is effectively walking around with the equivalent of several high-powered steel springs under extreme tension in their brain, which can lead to...messy ends.

edited 26th Jan '13 8:39:01 AM by MattStriker