Magic systems.... Ah the best and most intreaguing part of any world, but also the most complicated and easiest to execute poorly.
And... I'm gonna need one???
Dear reader, please be aware that I have no idea what I'm doing, and so anything said in this post is subject to change. Also, any feedback is appreciated.
So I guess I need a Cohesive Magic System huh? You know I was excited for this, but now I'm just screaming and am racking my brain in pure frustration. HOW do you even create a magic system?!
With that being said, I have a few criteria for what I want in my world.
I need this to be a fairly soft magic system, which I can expand upon if needed. It needs to be big enough that different parts of the world would use different types of magics, or highlight different parts of the magic according to their needs. I want the magic to be powerful enough for spatial manipulation but grounded enough that there is an explanation to the magic.
The easiest way to go is to have an elemental magic system. However, while some of my favourite stories use elemental magic(Avatar, Shades of Magic, and Shadow and Bone), I think a typical elemental system would be limiting for the type of world I want to create. There are only so much you can do with four elements, and it I definitely want something more expansive. However, I am looking into other forms of elemental magic systems(such as The Chinees 5 element system, and the elemental magic similar to what Tomi Adeyemi did Children of Blood and Bone) where I can have more elements and more powers. But even then, I'm really not sure how I am going to create bizarre places
I really like the idea of illusion magic, and I have places in mind that rely very heavily on illusion magic. I'm not sure I can do that with the typical four element system. I can theoretically do it similar to how Alina bends light in the Grishaverse to make them invisible, where I can use light magic to manipulate small things, but it's really not nearly the scale I hope to work in.
There is also the case of where does the magic come from and who has access to it. Will it be something that only a few random people have or does everyone have it. Is it something that can be learned through training, and if so, who controls this knowledge? And how does magic affect social hierarchy? I think these will be the main thing that would help me decide what magic system I would be using.
Right now I'm leaning towards the option of Magic being something that everyone inherently has, but it needs to be trained to be mastered. I like the idea of how Pixar's Onward utilized magic, where magic exist, but it has been forgotten because man-made tech was easier to use and control.
This could lead to some really cool variations in the world. Vlandorn, which would be the hub of technological advancements, would be the most distant to magic, while Croasnt, which likely is more isolated than from the rest of the continents, would be more magically driven. The other two kingdoms would have magic, but definitely start adapting to the more technological norms.
I also am grappling with the idea that magic is "a gift from the gods" or something that's spiritual. Or maybe the idea that some believe it to be. That way I can basically build societies around these practices, and I can explore the different ideologies in relation to magic.
Anyways, the question of what type of magic system still exists, and I am as lost as ever. But you know what, that is for another time.
Thank you for sitting through this massive essay of me complaining about magic systems! Until Next time, Stay Magical!
-Nitya :D
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