#magic system ideas

[lavender-town-radio]

when u use magic ur palms glow with ur magic color. glowing paw pads 4 humans.

[redd956]

Magic system ideas I want to explore

Language = the magic, maybe language is how you cast it, maybe everybody is born with a body language base magic, but other languages increase it. Different regions speak different languages because that magic is attuned to their way of life or culture. Or maybe the language comes first, new dialects slowly drifting into new groups of magic.

Industrial/Military inspired magical abilities and enhanced powers, that are assigned to every child at birth deciding their role in society. Soldier children are never allowed to leave the military, and dodging it is an even greater task. Imagine siblings watching the other be whisked away for war, feeling guilty that they were assigned factory helpful magics instead. They have the choice to sign up and use their fire ability to perhaps aid their sibling in war, but that would lead them down one of the most brutal military paths. (military craft = alive???)

Magic comes from killing powerful magic beings. Becoming magic from doing so doesn’t make you a powerful magic being, but instead a mortal with magic. Eventually the mortal will die and the magic will leave the realm alongside them, a group finds that magic is evenly dispersed across them. The strongest amount a mortal can get is to kill a magical being alone. No one knows where these magical beings come from, and if they’re slowly hunting them into extinction for magic to never be seen again.

Familiar magic system, simple as that children find their familiars someday, and magic and whatnot comes with that. Familiars would primarily be beautiful immortal spirits that are animals, but I'm not against the idea that perhaps they could be something else. Something even wilder.

[aquadestinyswriting]

Magic and Emotion: Over-Channel and Miscasts

Happy Worldbuilding Wednesday everyone. I have been having thinky-thoughts about this subject since it's come up quite a lot in my writing recently. Have a super-long article about it.

Tags: @druidx, @sparrow-orion-writes, @ashirisu, @blind-the-winds, @philosophika, @the-down-upside-finch

The Basics of Magic

I have briefly explained how and why magic users in Titan can cast magic to begin with in the article about Burnout. However, I will provide a basic summary of that explanation here so that we are all on the same page:

The population of Titan has developed an extra layer of cells over their nervous system that exists purely to allow for the transfer of magical energy through the body. This extra layer exists in 99.7% of the general population, meaning that almost anyone in the world can learn magic to some degree. This extra layer of cells is referred to as an aetherial sheath, or Arcane Channel in common parlance. Those individuals who find it easier to manipulate magic have a thicker layer of these cells than average, though whether these individuals naturally have a thicker layer or whether the layer became thicker due to using magic is a highly contentious topic.

Now that we know how the people of Titan can channel magic, let’s look at where magic comes from.

Magic has three main sources in Titan; 

Natural magic is simply the magical energy that was left over from the world’s creation. It is found in nearly every living thing and is the most readily-accessible kind of magic in the world. This type of magic is incredibly volatile and easily affected by the emotional state of those capable of casting spells. This is the magic that makes up the ‘magical weave’ that all casters, no matter what kind, can sense.

Arcane magic is the next most readily-accessible form of magic after natural magic. Arcane magic is even more volatile than natural magic and is, as a result, harder to manipulate correctly. It is currently believed that Arcane magic is some sort of corruption of natural magic, though what caused said corruption is unknown. It is also the most powerful type of magic naturally found on Titan, which makes it extremely useful and sought-after for a large variety of different purposes. 

Divine magic is gifted by the Gods upon those who heed the Call to work in service to one or more of Them. While it is the hardest to access, it is also the safest type of magic to channel, as the amount of power a divine caster can put into any one spell is dependent on how much power a God, or Gods, are willing to grant at any given time. This type of magic is still affected by a caster’s emotional state, though it tends to be less volatile in this regard than either Natural magic or Arcane magic due to the ritualistic nature of casting.

A fourth source of magic does exist, Demonic. However, due to its very nature, it is a difficult type of magic to study in any great detail. All that you need to know, dear reader, is that this type of magic has been far more corrupted than even Arcane magic, and using it is extremely hazardous to any caster that is themselves not a demon. What is known, however, is that it is easier to manipulate and just as powerful as Arcane magic, making it an extremely useful ‘shortcut to power’ for those who don’t care about its corrupting influence.

Magic and Emotion

We have previously established that all kinds of magic are affected by the emotional state of spellcasters, simply due to the fact that magic can be manipulated by imposing one’s will upon the ‘weave’. Many are the stories of young children that have an innate ability to cast creating minor magical explosions during a tantrum. Most spellcasters grow out of this stage fairly quickly as they learn how to control their emotional state, though Sorcerors tend to experience a second surge of this kind of activity once they begin puberty. 

Sorcerors aside, most spellcasters feel drawn to one magical discipline or another from a young age. Wizards feel a calling to study the magic in the world and how it works, Bards will feel compelled to make music, tell tales or sing and share that joy with others, Druids and Rangers will feel a connection to the wild places of the world and Clerics will be Called into the service of one or more Gods. Paladins are a little more tricky; some feel a Call to serve the Gods, while others feel a compulsion to protect those weaker than themselves, or hold themselves and others to a strong moral compass. All of these casters are trained not just in how to manipulate magic, but also how to control their emotional state. Strong emotions and magic are very often an accident waiting to happen, especially as the caster grows in power and strength. 

What happens to a spell during when the caster is experiencing a particular, strong emotion varies wildly. Generally speaking; stress/desperation and anger tend to make a spell much more volatile and uncontrollable; though also much more powerful in effect, sadness and anxiety tend to cause spells to falter and fail, panic and fear most often lead to blind bursts of magical energy rather than the spell that may have been initially intended. 

Out of all of these, stress and anger are generally deemed to be ‘useful’ emotions for spellcasters of all types, especially those who regularly cast in combat situations. Despite the drawbacks of casting a more volatile spell, most casters agree that in desperate situations, more power is much more useful than a spell fizzling out altogether. Unfortunately, due to this, some spellcasters who are regularly placed into stressful situations while casting end up developing anger management issues; preferring to get angry rather than upset or scared even in situations where anger is not useful.

Even when not actively spellcasting, all casters will draw power towards themselves when strong emotions are present. This is a purely unconscious response to stress and is likely a response to an increase in adrenaline; the draw of power basically being a way for the caster to fight back, create cover for them to hide or flee or to manipulate the emotional state of the person or people causing them stress in order to avoid confrontation altogether. In all cases, if the drawn in magic is not dispelled or released in a safe manner, it will explode out from the caster in a non-aligned concussive blast. How large the explosion is and how much damage it causes is dependent on how much power was drawn, and how much power is drawn is entirely dependent on how extreme the adrenaline response is. Even relatively weak spellcasters can create a concussive force strong enough to knock unprepared people over if their stress levels are high enough.

One unfortunate side-effect of a significant draw of power by a caster who has not yet developed the capacity to safely store large amounts of magical energy, is over-channel.

Over-Channel

Over-channel, as explained in the article about Burnout, is a condition that occurs when a caster channels too much power through themselves at once. This damages the aetherial sheath and can, if handled improperly, lead to permanent disability or even death in the most severe cases. 

In the most minor cases, Over-channel leads to pain, usually in the hands and arms, and fatigue for a few days. More severe cases may end up with the caster losing consciousness and requiring weeks to recover. The severity of a case of Over-channel depends on several factors; how much power the caster channelled in comparison to how much they can normally safely channel at once, how long any power drawn was stored in the caster’s body and whether the power drawn was released via a controlled cast or was a blind blast of energy. The most severe cases of over-channel happen when a caster has drawn in a far larger amount of power than they can usually safely cast, the power has been stored for more than a minute and when the drawn power is released as a blind blast. As noted above, these conditions are usually found in cases where the caster was experiencing extreme emotional stress. This is why training in how to manage one’s emotional state is so important for casters of all types. 

The only instance where a caster may not experience over-channel despite all three conditions being met, is where a cleric is used by their God to channel Their Will. It is thought that, as the God is the caster, They temporarily bolster the body of their cleric in order for Their Will to be known physically. These displays of power are both awe-inspiring and frightening to behold. In these instances, the cleric is usually left only slightly fatigued by the experience.

Miscasting

Miscasting is another kind of magical accident that can happen when a caster is in an emotional state when casting a spell. It typically happens when a caster is panicking while trying to cast a specific spell, or becomes distracted in the middle of the cast. 

A miscast spell is simply a spell that is not cast correctly. It may be the result of a mis-spoken power word, a rushed prayer, an incorrect hand gesture or the caster trying to switch to another spell in the middle of a cast. Alcohol and other such substances can also affect the chances of miscasting a spell, so care must be taken not to overindulge to avoid any accidents.

The result of a miscast depends on the spell that was intended and how far through the spell the caster got. Some miscasts may result in an entirely different spell than the one the caster intended, while others may just result in the spell fizzling out altogether. In any case, the emotional state of the caster is usually a major component in why a spell was miscast.

As miscasts are more common in those spellcasters who are still training, anxiety is usually the largest contributor. Confidence is key when it comes to casting spells; after all, magic is first and foremost about imposing one’s will on the magical weave of the world. You cannot expect a spell to complete if you are not confident in your ability to cast it in the first place. 

Wizards also have the added difficulty of learning to speak, read and write a whole new language, typically draconic. Learning to properly pronounce and enunciate the verbal component of a spell takes time, as does learning how to write out the spell in the first place. Add on learning any somatic gestures and what magical spell components to use then is it any wonder that miscasts are most commonly seen among young wizards? 

Thankfully, unless the spell being cast is dangerous to the caster to begin with, most miscasts are relatively harmless. However, care must always be taken when casting destructive spells as miscasts of these may result in collateral damage that is not intended, such as a Fireball exploding too soon, a Flamestrike targeting the wrong area, or ending up on the wrong side of a continent or getting stuck in a cliff during a Teleport.

Summary

To conclude: while emotions are an intrinsic part of being mortal, care must be taken when attempting to cast while experiencing extreme emotions. Even when not actively casting, spellcasters must learn to become acutely aware of how their emotional state affects their environment. Learning how to effectively manage an unintentional draw of power is an absolute necessity in order to avoid blind explosions of magic and over-channel. This does not mean that every caster must avoid their feelings, if anything that would make the situation worse. Bottled up emotions require an outlet, and in spellcasters that tends to lead to a much larger draw of power and subsequent explosion of said power, leading to a severe case of over-channel that, as noted, can result in death. 

The safest thing any caster can do to manage this risk is to find healthy and safe outlets for their emotions, particularly anger and fear. Having healthy relationships with family and friends who can notice when a draw of power is occurring and who can then step in to help the caster safely release said power is probably the best way to manage any risks associated with this subject. 

[cepheusgalaxy]

[ID: #the internet. /end ID.]

Neither “the magic is going away” nor “the magic is just beginning” but “the magic has been around for fifty years and society has only partly adjusted”

[disgracefulthings]

Shang Qinghua, holding a present: Happy Birthday my king!

Mobei-Jun: ...what?

Shang Qinghua: Oh, once a year humans celebrate our birthdays with gifts, so I got you something!

Mobei-Jun: No I got that, I just don't know how you know it's my birthday, I don't even know when I was born

Shang Qinghua, sweating profusely: I guessed

[egophiliac]

So.... what are your thoughts on Ace's UM, if you haven't been asked this already?

sneaky magic for the sneakiest boy

no but really, I think it fits him really well! I had thought his UM would probably involve something kinda sleight-of-handy or pickpockety! and I looooved that it made such a nice loop-around back to episode 1. ❤️ I was. kind of half-expecting him to just run out and punch Riddle in the nose again. but instead this time 'twas he who offed the queen's head! it was great! and he did it while stone-cold terrified out of his mind! because Ace is the only remotely normal or well-adjusted person at NRC and therefore the only one who is like "we're going to literally die, this is super effed up". but he did it anyway!!!! I AM SO PROUD

[cepheusgalaxy]

Fantasy idea: You have a fairly hard magic system with set rules, perhaps a bit flexible, but nobody in your setting understands them so they treat it like soft magic

[deikshen]

I love getting Shen Qingqiu pregnant (and it's funny that just today I've done it twice already), so... Shen Yuan who transmigrates into Shen Qingqiu, and in the midst of his medical check-up with Mu Qingfang about that whole qi deviation thing, Mu Qingfang hints that perhaps the qi deviation was due to using too much of his qi to pause his pregnancy.

Shen Qingqiu it's like: pardon??? Pregnancy?????

Sure enough, the System confirms: Shen Qingqiu's body is pregnant! And Mu Qingfang, falling into all that of a certain amnesia after the qi deviation, explains to him that he has a pregnancy in a very early stage that he never wanted to interrupt, but "the responsibilities around him, responsibilities that only grew" were too much to have a baby at that time. And he's been putting off his baby's growth with qi... for a long time.

Shen Qingqiu asks him very, very quickly how the hell he can keep doing that. No. He's not having a baby. He's just getting a new body. He just died. What the fuck. Thanks, but no thanks.

Of course, later on, with Without-a-cure, it is very difficult to continue diverting his qi to keep the baby hidden and not growing inside him. At this point, Shen Qingqiu does not terminate the pregnancy just because... Because he does not feel capable. Plus, he feels a little guilty; the original goods could have terminated that pregnancy if he had wanted to. What gave him, an impostor in a stolen body, the right to end a life that the original Shen Qingqiu was so jealously protecting? He had already taken one life. He would not take a second.

So even he does need more qi about it, and if he needs Mu Qingfang's external qi to hide it during the larger outbreaks of Without-a-cure, Shen Qingqiu decides that maybe he'll give the baby a chance to be born when he has to throw Binghe into the Abyss. The house will be empty by then, won't it? And will be sad. And painful. And he'll need a distraction.

One month before the IAC, Shen Qingqiu lets go of the qi seal and allows the baby finally to continue growing. It is strange to feel it, and even stranger to feel it grow. Mu Qingfang congratulates him on his decision, explains what symptoms he will have to deal with in the coming weeks, what tea is best to avoid, what herbs he should drink. Shen Qingqiu is tense, distant and somewhat nervous, fearing something dangerous or close to a qi deviation since he was not actively sealing the baby now. His body still has to get used to the enormous hormonal chaos that will gradually subside; Shen Qingqiu is resigned and hateful, but he simply decides that it will not be something that will keep him awake at night.

The IAC passes. The morning after Shen Qingqiu throws Binghe into the abyss is painful and filled with tears and the first signs of morning sickness. Unfortunate timing, as many other Peak Lords and Sect Leaders see him nearly faint and run off to vomit.

What Shen Qingqiu doesn't expect (or, knowing the reputation of the original Shen Qingqiu, should expect) are the rumors.

Shen Qingqiu is jealously protecting his small belly bump, hiding it before it is necessary to say it, but it is inevitable that it will be discovered. It's surprisingly less well received than he expected. His refusal to speak about what happened to Luo Binghe, his refusal to give him up for dead, his enormous sadness, her refusal to tell the identity of the baby's other father... Shen Qingqiu is hearing the rumors from his own disciples before Shang Qinghua and his spy nets of An Ding disciples bring him the news that the rumors have already spread.

Apparently, everyone believes that Shen Qingqiu was having an affair with his spoiled disciple Luo Binghe ("He even bet so much on him and his victory in the IAC!"), and when a beast killed his beloved disciple, Shen Qingqiu fell into a heartbreaking sadness from which he could only be freed by the fruit of his love that was now growing in his womb.

Sensitive, loud, chaotic. Shang Qinghua mocks him. Shen Qingqiu hits him with his fan and insults him. Living with the author is an unpleasant nuisance when Shang Qinghua confirms that he never wrote about Shen Qingqiu being pregnant, although he didn't actually write about things that later happened either. The world filling in the plot holes, he says, and Shen Qingqiu hates it.

Pregnancy is a painless process. Shen Qingqiu suffers through it like anyone else, but he has his good moments. He gets excited about the baby. Mu Qingfang confirms to him that its a boy. He lulls him to sleep when he wakes him up in the middle of the night with kicks. Even before he is born, he is already causing trouble; Shen Qingqiu finds himself loving this little boy very much and wishing, after all this time, to finally meet him.

The baby is born. If Shen Qingqiu was curious about the identity of the second father, nothing on the baby's face tells it; it is a sweet and cute baby identical to Shen Qingqiu, except for some undeniably big and beautiful eyes.

He also has his own character: he cries a lot, he only calms down in Shen Qingqiu's arms, he hates strangers coming close, he cries when someone else carries him, and enjoys when Shen Qingqiu sings to him. He is quickly loved and spoiled by the entire sect and his disciples.

Shen Qingqiu allows himself to forget that he will only have four years to live for this baby. Luo Binghe will return seeking revenge, and Shen Qingqiu does not plan to escape; as long as he allows the baby to live, and as long as Cang Qiong don't burn, he can hand himself over to Luo Binghe's revenge.

(Of course he has prepared sun-moon dew mushrooms. He's not an idiot. He also has enough legal scrolls that in case he dies, his baby will stay with Shang Qinghua and the anonymous brother Shang; Shang Qinghua will run away with his little one and they will meet in a village far away, where the "anonymous brother" lived. Shen Qingqiu would raise his son as an anonymous herbalist and they would live as simple NPCs without bothering anyone.)

Shen Qingqiu has his beloved little baby and a plan. It is a surprise to him when, one night, there is a knock on his door. His baby is just over a year and a half old, he stammers a few words, he learned the dangerous art of walking and running; so little time, so much domestic comfort, of course Shen Qingqiu does not expect disciples returning from the Endless Abyss directly to his doorstep.

Yet there he is. Luo Binghe. Luo Binghe who looks at him with an unfathomable expression, dirty in blood, with torn robes. He is unbearably handsome, tall and with a heavy black sword on his back.

Shen Qingqiu is frozen, only thinking about running away with his baby, when Luo Binghe just falls to his knees in front of him.

("Shizun, the rumors are strong, even in the Abyss. When did this horrible disciple disgrace his Shizun like this? Will Shizun be able to forgive this one for his mistakes? If the Abyss was the punishment Shizun intended for this disciple's behaviour, then this one understands. Please forgive this horrible beast for his audacity.")

Shen Qingqiu had already made peace with the rumors. He actually tried to ignore them most of the time. So, for Luo Binghe of all people to believe them ("As if there was any way to forget... that!!! It takes two to make a baby, and you and I didn't do it...!!!"), and even more so, to feel guilty about them… As if something in Luo Binghe's head made him believe that if he were to get infected by the sex pollen of some flower, he could really dishonor his Shizun like that! For that you first need to want it with this Shizun, silly boy!

Shen Qingqiu knows that he has no chance to lie to him, less in something like that. As soon as Luo Binghe finds out that his son has no Heavenly Demon blood in his veins, it will be risky and dangerous. He wants to tell him the truth. He has to tell him the truth.

... However, who can blame a man for having a little hope that everything will eventually work out? Perhaps he should show the baby first, his little offspring, to making him understand that its a harmless baby and does not deserve to suffer. But who could blame him for wanting Luo Binghe to not notice the truth and just accept it and stay as if he had never left?

... Probably the same people who might blame Shen Qingqiu when he presented his sleeping son to Luo Binghe (after letting him bathe and eat something decent), and just a caress on his baby's pale forehead with the careful claw of Luo Binghe caused a red zuiyin to appear.

What the fuck, WHAT THE FUCK?! Airplane, WHO THE FUCK DID SHEN QINGQIU HAVE AN AFFAIR WITH??! WHAT OTHER HEAVENLY DEMONS ARE THERE?! HOW FUCKING LONG HAS THAT BABY BEEN HIDING?!

...

(Somewhere beneath the mountain, Tianlang-jun sneezes. Ah. Strong-willed human cultivators of pretty faces and bad temper. They were always his weakness. One would think that someone like Tianlang-jun would learn after being abandoned by a wandering cultivator apprenticed to a demonic cultivator with a very bad reputation, but, it was not the art of love also having a broken heart?)

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Magic Systems

Magic - change wrought through unnatural means

Most fantasy can be placed along a spectrum where there are 3 main points: soft magic at one end, hard magic at the other, and a middle ground between the two.

Soft Magic

Magic that is not well-defined for the reader.

Generally, we don’t understand where the magic comes from, who can use it, or what its limitations are.

Readers can see this type of magic being used.

But they can never anticipate when magic will be used in the plot because they can’t begin to guess how it works.

You can’t break a rule if the rules don’t exist!

Most stories that feature this system will have the magic users be secondary characters, allowing them to avoid explaining exactly how the magic works.

It’s also argued that without knowing everything about the magic, it tends to hold more wonder and excitement for readers.

Hard Magic

Has very rigid boundaries.

Readers know where the magic comes from, how it’s used, who uses it, and what its boundaries and limitations are.

We know the limitations of the characters and can understand why they can’t simply magic themselves out of any particular challenge.

Stories with hard magic systems do not need to avoid the main character being a magic-wielder, as they have the capacity to explain to the reader what is going on.

A lot of writers this system because it gives them very explicit guidelines to follow in their plot and creates some more satisfying pay-offs for readers.

The Middle Ground

The meeting point between the soft and hard systems.

We might understand a bit about the way the magic works, but not all our questions are answered.

While most of the content adheres to rules, these rules aren’t fully explored.

This system relies on the reader’s suspension of disbelief.

The main character can be a magic-wielder or not, and it’s up to the writer to determine when magic will be used in terms of plot.

How to Choose a System

You can and should use these guiding principles to build your magic system. Remember that you don’t have to choose one or the other. Your system can draw from aspects of both. Just stay aware of the weaknesses of the path you choose, and ensure you utilize its strengths.

Use a hard magic system if:

You are going to use magic to solve problems

Your audience is accustomed to the tropes of hard magic

You are okay with jumping through hoops to expand your system

Your magic doesn’t convey a theme

Use a soft magic system if:

You want to convey a theme through magic

You want to create a sense of wonder

You want the ability to expand easily

You want to be accessible to a broader audience

Your magic won’t regularly be used to solve problems

Branches of Magic

Like most writing processes, there isn’t really a correct place to begin designing a magic system. A common, and efficient, place to start, however, is by choosing what type of magic system(s) you wish to employ, such as:

Nature-based magic: water, earth, fire, air, and everything in between

Divination magic: see beyond sight and peer through time and space

Conjuring magic: move objects through space over any distance

Psychic magic: master the world of the mind

Life and death magic: tap into the very forces of life, death, and un-death with this surprisingly versatile collection

Animal- or creature-exclusive magic: some creatures just do it better

Magitech systems: the blurring lines of sorcery and science give magic a next-gen, high-tech flair

Eclectic magic: it doesn’t have to be “real” magic to have a real effect

Uncommon magic systems: the unsung heroes of fantasy magic

AALC Method

How to create your own magic system using the AALC (Appearance, Abilities, Limits & Cost) Method

Appearance

What the magic looks like

Makes the world feel more exotic

Can cause problems for characters but cannot solve them

Usually tied to a character arc

Abilities

What the magic does

Points calculated based on magical effect, range, number of people affected, and duration

Characters have a finite amount of fuel (mana) to use abilities

More powerful abilities require more fuel

The fuel does not have to be overt for the audience to understand

If points not overt, cannot solve conflicts unless a cost system is added

Limits

Unlimited uses of magical abilities

Abilities stratified in codified levels defined by their limits

The more the levels' abilities and limits are known by the audience, the more they can be used to solve conflicts

Focused on clever uses of abilities against stronger foes

Cost system can be added to enhance dramatic moments

Cost

Costs must be greater than or equal to abilities to make them dramatically satisfying

Costs can include time, exhaustion, materials, sanity, morality, etc.

Adds dilemma to magic by forcing characters to make choices

The greater the character's sacrifice, the more audience satisfaction at conflict resolution

Each system builds on the previous ones, so that Cost Systems use all four, while Point Systems only care about Abilities and Appearance.

Multiple systems can exist within the same story, and systems can harden over the course of the story.

The Force, for instance, has been a Soft, Point, Level, and Cost System depending on who wrote it at the time.

SOFT SYSTEMS (Appearance Only)

Window Dressing - magic for secondary characters; can instigate conflict but cannot solve it; e.g., Gandalf

Soft Villain - No explanation or upper limits needed; makes villains more powerful to make heroes greater underdogs; e.g., The Emperor

Chosen One - Unknown power keeps hero safe throughout story; can be considered plot armor unless earned through character arc

Sort Hero Incomplete - Curse or positive ability the character cannot control; hero still learning limits of ability at story's end; powers and arc continued in next adventure

Soft Hero Complete - Hero embraces ability to complete arc and solve main conflict; magic must become harder in subsequent adventures

POINT SYSTEMS (Appearance + Abilities)

Points Opaque - Non-explicit reservoir of energy fuels powers; cannot solve main problems without cost option because characters finding hidden energy reserve feels like deus ex machina

Points Hard - Both abiliites and points system must be explicit like in video games; becomes about resource management; easy to understand but takes sense of wonder out of magic

LEVEL SYSTEMS (Appearance + Abilities + Limits)

Soft Level Static - Unchanging power without upper limits; cannot solve conflicts because feels repetitive; power must be used cleverly; e.g., Wolverine's healing factor

Soft Level Advancing - Increased powers or new powers with unknown limits; cannot solve conflicts unless tied to a character arc like Soft Hero Complete, at which point "unlocks" new abilities

Hard Level Static - Unchanging abilities with clear-cut limits; can solve conflicts so long as setup is properly seeded, usually resulting in sacrifice; e.g., Genie

Hard Level Advancing - Well-established abilities with limits; can solve conflicts based upon clever uses of abilities, usually against stronger foes; e.g., Airbender

COST SYSTEMS (Appearance + Abilities + Limits + Cost)

Static Cost - Well-established cost remains consistent for each use of ability; can solve conflicts since based on personal sacrifice

Cost Fluctuating - Costs change based upon dramatic need; costs must be greater than or equal to ability; possible costs include lost time, money, sanity, health, memory, life, morality, etc.

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6 ⚜ Writing Notes ⚜ Writing Resources PDFs Writing Notes: Magic System ⚜ Fictional Items; Poisons ⚜ Fantasy

[cepheusgalaxy]

IDs:

1. A painting of a person with an Illuminati head wielding a staff. The image is captioned: "Don't listen to the bad wizard books. Male witches are called witches. Female wizards are called wizards. It's your job not your gender."

2. A 2x2 alignment chart with two vertical categories and two horizontal categories. The vertical categories are titled, "You use magic by:" and are split into "Letting it do its own thing" and "Controlling it". The horizontal categories are titles, "Your magic comes from:" and are split into "Inside you" and "Outside you". The terms occuping the squares are as following:

You use magic by letting it do its own thing + Your magic comes from inside you: Sorcerer

You use magic by letting it do its own thing + Your magic comes from outside you: Witch

You use magic by controlling it + Your magic comes from inside you: Wizard

You use magic by letting it do its own thing + Your magic comes from outside you: Warlock. /end ID.

[rarepears]

Twins Shen Jiu and Shen Yuan except that Shen Yuan “accidentally” eats a plant that causes his body to age 20 years over night so now Shen Jiu has Shen Yuan pretending to be his and Yue Qi’ dad as they run away from the slavers and start a new life in a quaint little town 3 hours away from Cang Qiong mountain sect.

[fairsweetlonging]

just thinking about how binghe had no idea that without-a-cure even had a cure and he spent all his years as a disciple thinking his shizun would at best be disabled for the rest of his life and at worst die a slow and painful death, and it was to save him.

[fireballazalea]

[cepheusgalaxy]

[Image description: A picture of a black and white book cover, showing multiple woman working in a textile factoruly. The title is pink and says: "Textiles". Below, in white, the subtitle: "The Whole History". It is also written "uses", "meanings" and "significance" near the subtitle. The author's name, Beverly Gordon, is writte on the top left corner of the cover. /end ID.]

Y'all ever open a book on a new subject, read a little bit, and have to put it back so you can process the way in which your mind was just expanded?

[gorgynei]

throws this person at you. and what if i said the tattoo is actually a deeply important part of the magic system of the world theyre from. hmm?

[candlecoo-sideb-art]

First Draft on Major Magic Types and Magic Sub-classes

Within the world of Seasonal Decay there are five Major Magic Types, every character within the world has one or more type depending on race.

These classes and their sub-classifications are as follows:

Divine Magic with its sub-classes being in order Contract, Detection, Divination, Healing and Warding.

People who have Divine Magic can harness one of the sub-classes. Whether it is predicting and/or manipulating future outcomes, restoring vitality or guarding people and objects from corruption, Divine Magic is the most highly respected Magic type in the world of Seasonal Decay. However, it is in only 12% of bloodlines.

Elemental Magic with its sub-classes in order are Alchemy, Destruction, Elements, Luck and Survival.

Elemental Magic encompasses magic pertaining to the aspects of the natural world. Such as the basics like Fire, Earth, Water and Air, to far more complex aspects such as manipulation of chance, fortune and survivability. This magic type is the most common with a 54% chance.

Infernal Magic and its sub-classes in order are Banishment, Concealment, Curse and Necro.

This is the rarest Magic Type with only an 8% chance of showing up in a bloodline. That and its less then pleasant nature give users of Infernal Magic a bad reputation. Not much is known about all uses of this magic, or if they are well known they are not shared outside of those who hold this Magic Type.

Mental Magic and its sub-classes in order are Communication, Control, Dream, and Illusion.

People with Mental Magic range from being able to relay messages through vast distances, walk through the minds of others in sleep, create imagery that isn't there and control the thoughts of others. Though some have suggested that Control Magic could branch off into it's own sub-sections, but further research is needed. This type only has a 10% chance of appearing.

Lastly is Physical Magic and it's sub-classes which are Altercation, Defense, Enhancement, Sensory and Transformation.

The second most common magic type with 16%, Physical Magic pertains to the ability to create shields and barriers, temporarily disguises, permanent changes of the flesh and heightening senses and attributes.