Limiting the power of Magic and Magical Weapons

[Xenodeus Blade]

In my world, magic is a prominant force but its not as common as in most fantasys. First off, all magic is punishable by death. After an event called the Mage War, most of the planet was left in ruins, causing all technology to revert back into the Dark Ages. Mages still exist, some actually survivers of the Mage War, but they are in hiding because the events of the War was so devestating, its effects are still felt after two thousand years.

Also magic weapons aren't really that impressive. They are not given special powers or anything of the like. Most magical weapons are basically regular weapons but slightly stronger than average. There are some weapons that have special abilities, but they are exceptions.

The closest thing in my world that can be an equivelent to other magical weapons are weapons made by the Iminori, a race of semi-divine humans that were nearly wiped out during Mage War, and with them, the art of making their weapons.

The reason why Iminori weapons are so powerful is because they are forged from Sunstone, a glass-like substance that is nearly impossible to forge because they actually absorb heat.

Iminori weapons can in some ways be similar to Valaryian Steel swords from Game of Thrones, but unlike them, there is actually a limited number of them. Where as Game of Thrones has almost 3000 Valaryian Steel weapons, there are barely a hundred Iminori weapons.

Is this a good idea or not?

[Queshire]

Hm..... It's a good idea, but I have a problem with the normal magical weapons. IF magic is punishable with death, AND normal magical weapons don't provide any concrete benefit to their wielder THEN nobody would use normal magical weapons. IF nobody would use normal magical weapons THEN they are just an extra detail distracting from your plot.

Basically, what I'm trying to get at is that you need to make the normal magical weapons more impressive in order to justify the risk of using them, or get rid of them all together. I understand you're trying to down play the deus ex machina-ness of magic, but it seems to me like you're pulling it in two different directions.

[shangrila]

I agree with Queshire, your magic weapons don't seem to have a point. If having them would mean death and they're basically just built stronger (you could, for example, swap the magic element with some other kind of metal and I doubt your story would miss a beat), then what reason would people have to use them?

Other than that it seems good.

[Xenodeus Blade]

People using magic is punishable by death. Using magic weapons is ok.

[Hans]

Does this apply to artifact magic in general?
What is with the making of magic swords? Does this count as punishable magic?

[Robert Donnell]

You have to nerf the character’s’ magic or else the story will not be all that interesting.

[Brian Scott Allen]

Perhaps this is because I am a nerd for government and politics but it would be interesting, perhaps, to make using magic weapons by the common man punishable by imprisonment yet for the government to use these weapons secretly. Clearly this is a glaring hypocrisy in the governmental structure and because of such could add tension between the rulers and the people at large.

[Xenodeus Blade]

Ok here is how magic works in my world. Anyone who practices, uses, or does anything with magic will automatically be hunted down and burned at the stake.

Weapons created by magic are ok because, there is no way to tell if a weapon is magical unless you are a mage. Certain magical weapons, like elvish swords, are an easy tell because elves tend to use the same design for all of their weapons, either a leaf-shaped blade or a cresent moon shape. Dwarven weapons are not considered magical weapons because they focus more on science and various methods of creating stronger steel. In my world, mithril is not good for making weapons such as swords or axes.

Iminori weapons are not outlawed because since their kind is nearly extinct aside from a few wonder tribes, they do it out of respect. Also they were not create with the use of magic, but divine power, so their power come directly from the Gods. Also the weapons are somewhat sentient, so the wielder is not given the power right away, but prove that they are worthy and have to earn it.

[Ravana]

Perhaps this is because I am a nerd for government and politics but it would be interesting, perhaps, to make using magic weapons by the common man punishable by imprisonment yet for the government to use these weapons secretly. Clearly this is a glaring hypocrisy in the governmental structure and because of such could add tension between the rulers and the people at large.

Why secretly? There have been plenty of societies where commoners couldn't carry weapons, period. Why do you think Okinawans learned to fight with millstone sticks, rice flails and boat paddles? (Okay, the story of weapons' origin may be a myth… but it does make a point. And they were prohibited from carrying weapons under Japanese rule.) Allowing them to carry non-magical ones would be generous by comparison.

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Xenodeus: note that none of what you said has anything to do with "limiting the power" of magic or magical weapons—only the scope of use. Traditionally, of course, magic usually needs to be practiced for someone to get good at it… the inability to do so might present limits on the power levels actually developed. But it's also often traditional that any literate clown can read off spells of massive power—even if this usually leads only to tears, and to people feeling they have good reasons to outlaw magic.

Far from setting yourself up to avoid magical deus ex machina situations, it seems to me you've all but guaranteed them: these rarer-than-usual, more-powerful-than-usual weapons are hardly likely to be effectively countered by anything they'll run up against—the difference between Sting and Stormbringer. (Except that in Moorcock's world, there was only one other sword that could match up with Stormbringer, not a hundred. Even Saberhagen only had twelve.) Purely from a plot-functional point of view, it's hard for me to see them as being anything other than a way for your "worthy" protagonist to bludgeon his way past all opposition. If you want to limit the effects of magic, do it by limiting magic, not by preventing it from being used by anyone inconvenient to your storyline.

[Brian Scott Allen]

Well Ravana there is a saying in politics; "It's not the scandal but the cover-up that kills you." If a government is covering up that people can't use magical weapons but the government can the people would be angry. However, if that was an openly stated fact the people wouldn't care and simply accept it for what it is.