# I need a simple test for magic ability.



## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 6, 2013)

My story requires my MC to perform a very simple, basic test to see if she has any talent as a magician. (Turns out she doesn't.) So, I need a reliable method that the magicians in this world can use to measure magical talent. Not how much magical potential they have, because my MC has that is spades, but rather the talent for controling and focusing it into spells. Even so, it has to be something that anyone can do without having to learn how.

Having a bit of trouble of thinking of anything suitable, though, so suggestions are welcome.

Magic in this story is mostly about mentally channeling a kind of natural energy, usually with some manner of staff or other tool, and use it to enforce ones will on the physical world. It's relatively limited and not terribly flashy by fantasy standards.


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## Saigonnus (Feb 6, 2013)

A simple crystal enchanted with the ability to detect magic, they they hold in their hand and focus their mind on it and if it glows there is magic.


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## Mindfire (Feb 6, 2013)

Tie stones to their feet and toss them in the river. If they sink, they're a witch! If they float, they're a powerful witch!


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## Wanara009 (Feb 6, 2013)

While what Saigonnus suggest is fine, I think simple movement spell would more universally applicable, especially in regions where there are none of those crystals around. 

Put them in a tent/shelter with flat floor, have a small pebble in front of them, and tell them to levitate/push/pull it without touching it. If they succeeded in doing so, then they have.


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## Nihal (Feb 6, 2013)

I don't know what you meant by "controlling". If it requires some kind of dexterity besides being able to keep the focus you could do something in similar fashion to those games where you must get a ring through a circuit of twisted wire without touching the wire. _Manually_.

It's a mundane test that could be done everywhere, a suggestion to contrast with the other ones. You don't need magic to measure the focus someone has and it's also a little funny because it's unexpected, has none of the glamour related to magic. I can imagine the MC with a "Are you f- kidding me?" face when learning the true nature of the test.


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## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 6, 2013)

Saigonnus said:


> A simple crystal enchanted with the ability to detect magic, they they hold in their hand and focus their mind on it and if it glows there is magic.



Not sure I like the crystal thing, but it would be kinda fun if the test was light a lightbulb that isn't plugged into anything.



Wanara009 said:


> While what Saigonnus suggest is fine, I think simple movement spell would more universally applicable, especially in regions where there are none of those crystals around.
> 
> Put them in a tent/shelter with flat floor, have a small pebble in front of them, and tell them to levitate/push/pull it without touching it. If they succeeded in doing so, then they have.



Actually, I think that's a little too advanced. Levitating stuff seems like the kind of thing they would learn after studying magic for a while, rather than a test to see if they are worth the effort.



Mindfire said:


> Tie stones to their feet and toss them in the river. If they sink, they're a witch! If they float, they're a powerful witch!



You are wise in the ways of science, sir knight.


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## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 6, 2013)

Nihal said:


> I don't know what you meant by "controlling". If it requires some kind of dexterity besides being able to keep the focus you could do something in similar fashion to those games where you must get a ring through a circuit of twisted wire without touching the wire. _Manually_.
> 
> It's a mundane test that could be done everywhere, a suggestion to contrast with the other ones. You don't need magic to measure the focus someone has and it's also a little funny because it's unexpected, has none of the glamour related to magic. I can imagine the MC with a "Are you f- kidding me?" face when learning the true nature of the test.



I dunno, it seems a bit weird that only solving a puzzle would decide wether or not you have the talent to learn magic. I should mention that the magical and mundane worlds are fairly separate in this story - either you have magic potential or you don't, and the muggles can't even _see _magic stuff most of the time.

Plus, it can't be anything you can guess ahead of time just by knowing or observing the subject. (For example, if the MC's magician sister knows she is terrible at puzzles, there would be no need to even do the test.)


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## Sheilawisz (Feb 6, 2013)

What if the person taking the test is supposed to attract butterflies, squirrels or small birds and demonstrate some degree of control over them??

The test could be carried out in a forest so there are animals nearby, it could be a nice scene for a story =)

Extracting the water from a leaf would be cool...


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## The Unseemly (Feb 6, 2013)

Maybe make it more sciencestific? There could be sort of unit for measuring magic (like kph or mph just more... magical), and whomever's performing the test could have the magic-measuring device that is understandable by anyone (sort of like a speed gun, as used by police forces).


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## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 7, 2013)

Sheilawisz said:


> What if the person taking the test is supposed to attract butterflies, squirrels or small birds and demonstrate some degree of control over them??
> 
> The test could be carried out in a forest so there are animals nearby, it could be a nice scene for a story =)
> 
> Extracting the water from a leaf would be cool...



I'd rather it's something that can be done anywhere. Anyway, my mages don't seem to be the outgoing types and it's an urban fantasy so most of the story takes place in a city. 



The Unseemly said:


> Maybe make it more sciencestific? There could be sort of unit for measuring magic (like kph or mph just more... magical), and whomever's performing the test could have the magic-measuring device that is understandable by anyone (sort of like a speed gun, as used by police forces).



Like I said, it's about measuring natural talent, not "how much magic" someone has. 

Magic energy in this story is called rÃ­, which is literally what makes the world go around. My MC is basically a huge living generator of the stuff, but thats's the problem: Her rÃ­ is so unbalanced it threatens to destroy her body when it goes haywire. 

There are a couple of ways to manage this problem, and the first they try is to see if they can simply teach her magic so she can control her rÃ­ on her own.


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## Nihilium 7th (Feb 7, 2013)

How about a test where the person being tested has on of their senses totally cut off somehow either through magic or by simply doing something like blindfolding them or giving them a herb that numbs the body. If their innate abilities compensate for the missing sense they pass the test.


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## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 7, 2013)

How do you mean, compensate?


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## Nihilium 7th (Feb 7, 2013)

Like if their body is numbed their abilities will find a way to give them a limited amount of feeling for a limited amount of time.


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## Penpilot (Feb 7, 2013)

Have them pee on a stick. If it turns blue, they're magical. If it turns red then they're not.


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## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 7, 2013)

Nihilium 7th said:


> Like if their body is numbed their abilities will find a way to give them a limited amount of feeling for a limited amount of time.



It's an interesting idea. Might suit the magic system in one of my other stories better, though. 



Penpilot said:


> Have them pee on a stick. If it turns blue, they're magical. If it turns red then they're not.



I don't think magic talent leaves biochemical markers.


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## wordwalker (Feb 7, 2013)

You say what you're testing for is control, and that levitation is too advanced for an untrained student. What about, not lifting things, but just _pushing_ something small-- sliding a pebble on the floor, or bending a flame or the flow of smoke or water. Maybe the MC gets mad and knocks the tent down instead with his excess energy.


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## Nihal (Feb 7, 2013)

Anders Ã„mting said:


> I dunno, it seems a bit weird that only solving a puzzle would decide wether or not you have the talent to learn magic. I should mention that the magical and mundane worlds are fairly separate in this story - either you have magic potential or you don't, and the muggles can't even _see _magic stuff most of the time.
> 
> Plus, it can't be anything you can guess ahead of time just by knowing or observing the subject. (For example, if the MC's magician sister knows she is terrible at puzzles, there would be no need to even do the test.)


It's not a puzzle, the circuit usually is obvious, it's a focus/endurance/dex test. If you look away or get distracted in this kind of test you hand may shake and you lose, you've got to be patient to finish this kind of game. This, assuming that the same "focus" you use to realize mundane tasks is used for magic.

As you said they already knew the subject has magical potential, they don't need to retest it. Also, it probably wouldn't the only test realized to check the whole "are you fit to be a mage?" thing.


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## Devor (Feb 7, 2013)

I remember hearing a WWII story about the underground safe houses for Allied pilots who crashed in Nazi-occupied France.  The safe houses had to determine if they were real pilots or spies, so in the middle of their interview, they would deck 'em.  At random.  To see what language they cursed in.

So a test might be something like that.  If while we're talking I hurl a bucket of boiling water on you, or do something similarly random and scary, does your gut instinct make you use magic to get out of it?


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## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 7, 2013)

wordwalker said:


> You say what you're testing for is control, and that levitation is too advanced for an untrained student. What about, not lifting things, but just _pushing_ something small-- sliding a pebble on the floor, or bending a flame or the flow of smoke or water. Maybe the MC gets mad and knocks the tent down instead with his excess energy.



It still seems too advanced. Basically, if you can move things with your mind, you are already using magic. And you can't use magic naturally, it's a skill that must be learned.

It's kinda like the Force in Star Wars. You can't have Anakin Skywalker prove his potential by levitating stuff before recieving the required Jedi training. So instead, they have to check his blood for midichlorians, which was pretty much a plot device designed for this expressed purpose.

(And, frankly, I'm starting to feel sympathetic to George Lucas now because coming up with this stuff is kinda hard.)



Nihal said:


> It's not a puzzle, the circuit usually is obvious, it's a focus/endurance/dex test. If you look away or get distracted in this kind of test you hand may shake and you lose, you've got to be patient to finish this kind of game.



Yes, well, same difference I'd say.

Let me put it this way: I don't think my MC being terrible at magic has anything to do with her personality or mental faculties. She is just naturally terrible at it. It's kinda like how some people are tone deaf while other have absolute pitch.



> This, assuming that the same "focus" you use to realize mundane tasks is used for magic.



Oh, I meant it more like focus as in "channel and project." Sorry for the misconception. The most important thing for a mage is the innate ability to manipulate magic power, as opposed to generating it.


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## Nihal (Feb 7, 2013)

It's ok, sometimes I may interpret things in a wrong context. Hah.

Anyway, just for note, the lamps idea made me remember the TV serie Fringe. This scene:


Spoiler: Ability


















It's a bomb, to defuse it she must mentally turn off all the lights.



Nothing against the idea, it's pretty cool, but it's the kind of thing that it's good to be aware of.


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## psychotick (Feb 7, 2013)

Hi,

I like Devor's idea. You don't want to test for magic you want to test for control. My thought would be to do it a little more methodically - something like this:

First element of controlling anything is being able to see it / feel it, so shove them in a room with half a dozen objects, half of them magical half of them not, and get them to pick out the ones that are. Then at least you know they've got the affinity.

Then the control itself, first the instinctive / natural control. Challenge them. No bucket of water but maybe a magical push. If someone pushes you, you resist. If someone pushes you magically you resist magically. So a gentle push, a slightly hot blast of air, etc. See if they resist and how they resist. A lack of control could mean that either they don't react / respond, or that they respond innappropriately, i.e. too much force etc or the wrong type of magic.

If they pass that, then the active control, move the pebble, light a candle etc. They could still have good instincts by the way and resist magical energies and yet be unable to actively use their magic.

Cheers, Greg.


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## DTowne (Feb 7, 2013)

Have you read Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy?

I don't remember the exact details but the character Lyra had to prove who she was by picking a specific leaf off a wall that looked identical to all others. The cloudpine (something like a witches broom) once belonged to the witch Serafina Pekkala. 

Something along those lines would work. It proved her natural instinct through use of a magic object.


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## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 7, 2013)

DTowne said:


> Have you read Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy?
> 
> I don't remember the exact details but the character Lyra had to prove who she was by picking a specific leaf off a wall that looked identical to all others. The cloudpine (something like a witches broom) once belonged to the witch Serafina Pekkala.
> 
> Something along those lines would work. It proved her natural instinct through use of a magic object.



I don't quite remember that scene, though it's been a couple of years since I read those books. Anyway, I kinda like the sound of that, though it sounds more like a sensing type test. (Basically all magic users in this setting can sense RÃ­, not just the magicians.)

Currently considering using some kind of Zener card type test, except using tarot cards. Still not 100% decided, though. Will have to sleep on it.


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## gowph3ar (Feb 10, 2013)

Mindfire said:


> Tie stones to their feet and toss them in the river. If they sink, they're a witch! If they float, they're a powerful witch!



ROFL I LoL'd thank you


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## Deleted member 2173 (Feb 11, 2013)

Why not have some sort of teacher or official that can simply sense what potential rests in the MC?  The level of the tester's honesty about the power the MC holds might make  for an interesting subplot.  Why would someone underplay what they know to be of great potential?  Or what is the consequence of the tester sharing the huge potential?


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## Anders Ã„mting (Feb 11, 2013)

Whitestone said:


> Why not have some sort of teacher or official that can simply sense what potential rests in the MC?  The level of the tester's honesty about the power the MC holds might make  for an interesting subplot.  Why would someone underplay what they know to be of great potential?  Or what is the consequence of the tester sharing the huge potential?



Well, see, sensing the strenght of someone's rÃ­ is easy - _anyone _with any kind of magical power can do that, even people who aren't real magicians. But that's kinda like seeing that a person is tall; it doesn't tell you anything about his talent for basketball.


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## Rob P (Feb 11, 2013)

There's a basic concept of magic that accepts every rock, plant, animal and person has energy within them and the use of magic is tapping into that energy, using it, controlling it, changing it to produce an outcome. This ri is energy and therefore the basic principle must be able to discern that energy. The next is channelling.

First test. Three covered buckets of water. One has a egg. Pick the right bucket.
Second test. Break the egg with only your mind.


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## mbartelsm (Feb 16, 2013)

a Magical compass, you tell your MC to concentrate on a certain object in front of her, if the compass (between her and the object) aligns itself to point that object then she is capable of focusing her magic


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## Addison (Feb 22, 2013)

It sounds like magic in your world isn't secret like Harry Potter. First of all, are all magicians the same with their magic? Can they all do the same spells or are there some who can only do fire, enchantments or something else? That said I have two ideas that can work, one of which is tweaked from my own WIP.

1.) Two stone discs on a table, one for each hand. She puts her hand on each slab and they change colors and designs to tell the magicians if she's magic and what kind. The stones read the heart, spirits, body, mind, each places where magic grows. So they'll change colors and such even if she doesn't have the magic gift. 

2.) A stone archway in the middle of a wall made of stained glass images and carved stone. It's filled with an opaque force, like a bubble. All she has to do is walk through it (it's thick), with her eyes shut and holding her breath which will be difficult as the substance could send chills or such which tempt her to breathe. When she's on the other side the arch way is no longer opaque, it's now filled with stained glass and stone carving. What it depicts to the magicians tells them of her gift, or lack thereof, and herself. 

Hope these were helpful.


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## Queshire (Feb 23, 2013)

How about you have this type of oil or liquid that's very reactive to magical energy. You could have a thermometer type thingie filled with it. The test would be holding on to that and trying to get the liquid to a certain point, not too high, not too low. So your main character might end up putting way too much energy in it by accident and cause it to explode.


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## Varamyrr (Feb 26, 2013)

gowph3ar said:


> ROFL I LoL'd thank you



True, but then again... it is a good way to detect an ability. Think about Highlander: Connor only realised he was immortal when he died(boatscene).


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## SMAndy85 (Apr 3, 2018)

I kind of like the crystal idea, but with a tweak.

So, this crystal reacts to magical power. Those with the Potential make it glow. More potential = more glowing. It glows in a specific colour to begin with. To test control, you ask them to choose a different colour, and try to focus it into the crystal. The more it changes, the more control they have. The crystal is specifically enchanted to make this test possible, so it's not necessarily a crystal, but a glass ball, or anything else like that. You'd need it to glow completely different colours, so it's obvious. like Red to Blue. It doesn't turn purple when it's half way, but instead half the crystal turns blue, and half stays red. You'd get a fine line, and have a distinct fraction of the crystal that changes, representing their level of control.

Is this control something that can be taught in your world? or is level of control the fixed thing based on the person, and the potential is something you train? Having some more information about that might help us come up with ideas.


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## shangrila (Apr 9, 2018)

A magical litmus test seems the simplest. People above have suggested similar but even a piece of paper could suffice; they push their magic into it and turn it into a certain colour. If they can make it that colour, they pass. If not, they fail. 

That also opens you up for further possibilities regarding their power.


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