# Schools of magic



## Meister H (Mar 25, 2011)

Is it a good or bad idea to have different schools of magic? I've always felt it was weird when a magican could do almost anything just because he was a magic user and I always liked it better when a magican was bound to one or two schools of magic so you knew better what he could and couldn't do.

But a problem I can see with having schools of magic is it can become too crowded, when there are like 15 different schools of magic. any thoughts or tips on how to not make it to crowded?


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## Mythos (Mar 25, 2011)

If you don't want to crowd a world with schools of magic you can always fuse a few together, or just get rid of some. Personally, I would like a world with 15 different schools of magic as long as they aren't too one-sided or underdeveloped.


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## Rachel. (Mar 25, 2011)

No, I don't think it's a bad idea. It's just yet another variation on how magic could possibly work in a fantasy world. Most fantasy worlds are going to have their own unique magic system. Every setting is going to be different, with some having an endless supply of magic for anyone to draw from, and others with very specific schools that people either can or can't tap into.

Honestly, go with what feels reasonable to you. If you have fifteen schools of magic that are radically different from each other, then maybe fifteen schools is just the right amount. If you have about five schools in that fifteen that only have the most subtle of differences between each other, then I would consider a bit of merging. Schools of magic are *usually* (don't hold me to this lest someone decide to come throttle me) a broad classification anyway, with more sharply defined groupings that fall beneath the category. For example, Illusion could be a school, and glamor-like spells - instead of being their own school - could easily be slated beneath Illusion.

So, as long as there aren't a bazillion superfluous schools floating about in the setting, it should be good. Strive to have each and every one unique and well-defined, and it should be okay.


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## Ophiucha (Mar 25, 2011)

I don't think it matters much, as long as you don't need to throw in an infodump about them all. If you can avoid that, you can have 500 schools of magic for all that it matters to me, as a reader.


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## Telcontar (Mar 25, 2011)

I certainly think it makes sense to have different 'schools' whether they be cleanly separated into such or not. Real people have widely different talents even in the same field, using the same basic skillset. So too it should be with magic.


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## Ravana (Mar 26, 2011)

Meister H said:


> Is it a good or bad idea to have different schools of magic?



Depends entirely on what you mean by "schools," I suppose. I'm guessing you might be thinking of it in the terms magic is presented in D&D? 

No, I don't use "schools," in that sense. Depending on the setting, there may be different _kinds_ of magic, but those involve approaches to _obtaining_ the power, not necessarily what the power can do… and there is generally a heavy overlap. In other words, magic is magic, and the energy can be shaped to do pretty much the same things no matter how you've obtained it. There may be certain specialized exceptions to this–say, you can only summon demons if you happen to have demonic connections, whereas both a wizard who receives energy from a demonic pact and one who receives it through manipulating the primal forces of nature can start a fire, hypnotize someone, create illusions, fly, etc. I concern myself far more with the amount of energy that can be called upon, the processes required to shape it correctly, and what is necessary to control it without blowing the magician into a side-order of fantasy fries than I do with the specific outcomes of these.


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## Dragonsooth (Mar 26, 2011)

All you have to do when it comes to magick is decide what works within the confines of your own universe.  Harry Potter and S.M. Stirling certainly have different ideas when it comes to how magick works.  However, within the context of their respective worlds, neither appears weird or contradictory.  It's your story, and the greatest thing about being a writer is you truly get it YOUR way!!  Have fun with it!


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## Mdnight Falling (Mar 28, 2011)

you're god when it comes to your world... Make your magick system however you deem it should be >^.^<


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## Meister H (Mar 28, 2011)

Thank you all for your answers  My idea is to have like maybe 5 primary schools of magic, for exampel death and elemental. And every primary school is made up of a different number of sub schools, elemental for example have fire and earth.

So the idea is that a person can only know one primary school of magic and then either know several of that schools sub schools to be able to do many things but not being abel to do the most powerful spells. But if you only know one sub school you'll be abel to learn immensely powerful spells but from only one specified area. In this way characters can be extrmly powerful but only in a specified area so if we have for exampel a mage that only wields fire he could create giant fireballs and vulcanos etc. etc. but he would be useless if he went up against a mage which knew water and lightning, since the water mage could block out all his fire abilities even though he isn't nearly as strong in the water school as the other one is in his fire school. This system also makes sure that you know pretty much what a magican can do once his schools have been revealed


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