Still working on my magic system...

efreysson said:

And what I have in mind for magic so far is this: Rare individuals are simply born with an affinity for magic. In many this just manifests as having great intuition or knack for convincing people, though some realize their own potential and learn to harness it to a limited degree. To become an actual, multi-talented sorcerer requires guidance from an otherworldly being.

So a prospective sorcerer either uses his/her sensitivity to make contact with the spirit world and gain power and guidance from benevolent ancestors or "angels" (provided they use their power for noble reasons), OR they can draw the attention of demons, who will then grant power but at an ugly price, and often induce insanity as a twisted graduation gift.

As for the actual magic powers, I'm still ironing that one out, but most if it is of the non-flashy variety: Predicting events or seeing the past, finding people or objects, warding areas against enemies or creatures of darkness, creating magical weapons, healing the sick, mind control, inspiring certain emotions, and so on. Oh, and I don't think I'll go with a "magic language" or chanting in order to achieve effects: The sorcerer just focuses intensely and acts as a conduit for otherworldly power.

So, what do you fine AW'ers think?

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In my own long ago and tentative explorations of RW magick, the most together and and convincing practitioner I spoke to told me that there is no real difference between what we call 'psychic abilities' and what we call 'magick'. Both, he said, were manifestations of the same process of extending one's awarness and will outward into the fabric of the universe to increase perception and affect change.

The alleged differences came, he said, from various levels of understanding of the process (sometimes operating latently and unconciosly, as you mention) and different cultures and individuals attempting to package an explaination for one purpose or another. Candles, props, verbalization, formal rituals, drugs...he said all of this was extraneous to the actual process and primarily served, in those actually using thier abilities, as a placebo of sorts to overcome the natural, subconcious belief that such paranormal events were impossible and allow practitioners to believe they actually could do these things. This also included the trappings and rituals of religion, he said, with prayer, symbols, holy water etc serving the same function as the trappings of any other ritual system.

In his view, practitioners of such theistic belief systems were unable to achieve the levels of power attainable by 'independant' magi, because their training predjudiced them to believe that they needed the intervention of a third party rather than being able to do it themselves. Thus, the need to be 'in favor' added a thread for self-doubt to pull on and unravel thier power. At the highest levels, according to him, practitioners simply focused on the change they wanted and made it happen.

I'm not sure I buy all that, but it makes more logical sense to me than any other theory I've heard and, IMHO. makes a great background for a fantasy magic system. It's also supported to a degree by both fantasy magic trends and science. In fantasy, advancing magi frequently develop the ability to work magic with fewer trappings (consider silent and wandless magic from Harry Potter). Science, for it's part, has been telling us that previously unimagined interconnectivity is possible in the physical universe and, AFAIK, has long supported the notion that true faith and focus can create 'miraculous' effects in the human body (this has been offered as an explaination of both faith healing and the placebo effect).

And what I have in mind for magic so far is this: Rare individuals are simply born with an affinity for magic. In many this just manifests as having great intuition or knack for convincing people, though some realize their own potential and learn to harness it to a limited degree

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I feel like this has been done to death: the explanation for why magic is rare is because it just happens that way and the method magi use to find their powers manifests in some tricky, subtle way.


My opinion on your system is to rethink why the magic is so rare and try to come up with something a bit more unique, like there being roving demons that devour anyone born with the magic, so very few escape the demons - and even then, please don't make the infant stupidly, accidentally, powerful in magic and be able to drive off the demon (a la HP and Voldemort)

When it comes to how a magi learns of his/her power, instead of having it manifest in some usual subtle way, maybe there is a cabal of sorcerers somewhere that knows when a new magi is blossoming and then seeks them out, perhaps testing them on their progress without the new magi knowing what is going on.

The magic gene could just naturally be a rare mutation, similar to albinism. Or an inverted form of retardation.

Though calling it a mutation makes it sound like X-Men.

Eh, I guess if you have to, you have to. Good luck!

Thomas_Anderson said:

The magic gene could just naturally be a rare mutation, similar to albinism. Or an inverted form of retardation.

Though calling it a mutation makes it sound like X-Men.

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I think this would work very well alongside what you've decided on, so far, efreysson. And if you give magic users positives *and* negative aspects to their mutation, that would be keen. Such as--a potential telepath may be autistic, or a potential influencer may have something about them that just makes people wanna beat 'em up.

Or give them physical disabilities to go along with their abilities--like great intelligence is often linked with bad eyesight. Heh.

cat