Books with emotion based magic system

[daydreamer]

i love your ideas and though i am still working it out wanted to share a little, i want to limit the emotions to five. basically, and unintentionally, the five from inside out. Each emotion has a different power that comes from it and skilled mages would be able to use triggers to force the emotions they feel while unskilled ones would have to deal with which one they are feeling now.
for example: if an unskilled mage is attacked and need anger to use offensive spells but they are afraid and can only use the power of fear, which is passive, they would have to try and survive or psych themselves up to use anger.

 

[skip.knox]

Have you tried writing a fight scene or two, to see how this plays out?

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

What powers are associated with which emotions?

 

[daydreamer]

Have you tried writing a fight scene or two, to see how this plays out?

I think i will, the story has been though out but i'm not great with magic system since always want them to be unique and have no hole eventually driving myself mad thinking. Maybe you can help me with something, originally the system did not allow for magic to be stored. when an emotion is kneaded with magical energy the result cant stay in the mage's body for too long or it could be fatal, so it had to be done on the spot and if i make it so that they can store the emotionally enhance energy then they would be no need to try and feel a certain way since you can just store up emotions when you feel them naturally. what do you think?

 

[daydreamer]

Have you tried writing a fight scene or two, to see how this plays out?

Empathy link for sadness, blasting (the only offensive, like energy blasts) for anger, awareness for fear, rushing (enter a state where your filled with overwhelming energy like a sugar rush which gives pain resistance, speed etc) for happiness and illusions for disgust.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

Empathy link for sadness, blasting (the only offensive, like energy blasts) for anger, awareness for fear, rushing (enter a state where your filled with overwhelming energy like a sugar rush which gives pain resistance, speed etc) for happiness and illusions for disgust.

It is a little bit strange that your emotions are the same as the ones in Inside Out. I'd fix that if I were you...it'll raise eyebrows.

 

[daydreamer]

It is a little bit strange that your emotions are the same as the ones in Inside Out. I'd fix that if I were you...it'll raise eyebrows.

I was using the emotions some guy, i can't remember his name, made a wheel of and stated were the primary emotions along with surprise, which i had no idea what to do with, but i guess i can work on it more.

 

[Tom]

This is a really interesting idea. I've always written magic as being strongly influenced by emotion, almost as an extension of it, but you've pushed it a step further by having emotion be the actual catalyst for magic. I think it has a lot of potential.

While I like that you've assigned specific types of magic to different emotions, are they always so clear-cut? Different people express their emotions in different ways, so maybe introducing some variety into the magic system could bring up some opportunities for characterization.

For instance, I have two characters who use their anger to channel destructive magic. One character becomes ice-calm and controlled when angry, and their magic is precise, subtle, and deadly. The other lashes out in rage, and their magic is barely controlled, more of a blast of raw power than anything else. Both are used as weapons, but each manifests according to their user's personality and how they handle their emotions.

Anyway, it's just an idea. Feel free to disregard if that's not the direction you want to go in.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

I was using the emotions some guy, i can't remember his name, made a wheel of and stated were the primary emotions along with surprise, which i had no idea what to do with, but i guess i can work on it more.

Hmm. I've seen something like that--I've seen lots of variations on it, in fact. All sorts of charts and wheels. But your selections made me think immediately of Inside Out...

 

[daydreamer]

This is a really interesting idea. I've always written magic as being strongly influenced by emotion, almost as an extension of it, but you've pushed it a step further by having emotion be the actual catalyst for magic. I think it has a lot of potential

While I like that you've assigned specific types of magic to different emotions, are they always so clear-cut? Different people express their emotions in different ways, so maybe introducing some variety into the magic system could bring up some opportunities for characterization.

For instance, I have two characters who use their anger to channel destructive magic. One character becomes ice-calm and controlled when angry, and their magic is precise, subtle, and deadly. The other lashes out in rage, and their magic is barely controlled, more of a blast of raw power than anything else. Both are used as weapons, but each manifests according to their user's personality and how they handle their emotions.

Anyway, it's just an idea. Feel free to disregard if that's not the direction you want to go in.

Actually this is really cool, i will definitely think on it.

 

[daydreamer]

Hmm. I've seen something like that--I've seen lots of variations on it, in fact. All sorts of charts and wheels. But your selections made me think immediately of Inside Out...

Actually its what the creators of inside out used and just like me they had no idea what to do with surprise and left him out, ill try and find some substitues and subemotions but i dont want too many abilities so the system will appear cluttered.

 

[DragonOfTheAerie]

Actually its what the creators of inside out used and just like me they had no idea what to do with surprise and left him out, ill try and find some substitues and subemotions but i dont want too many abilities so the system will appear cluttered.

Yeah. I think it's fine as-is, but subcategories and stuff could make things more interesting for sure. As others have said, emotions might manifest differently in different individuals.

 

[Caged Maiden]

One thing you might want to keep in mind is objects with meaning. I often advise writers I critique for to include seemingly innocuous items in their stories. One of the reasons for this, is because as humans we often place a huge amount of value on the things around us that have sentimental value. And just touching one of these items (an heirloom, a gift, an inheritance, or a token stolen from a past love) brings back strong feelings almost immediately.

A wooden coin they carved when they were too poor to possess any with value, a ring given by a grandmother who raised them because their parents were losers. I imagine for the astute wizard, some token of emotion would aid them in creating immediate emotional responses when they aren't feeling them. It may help your wizards heighten their powers, and it would certainly be amusing if a rival stole the focal item away in jealousy, or to hamper someone's magic.

 

[Jackarandajam]

Actually its what the creators of inside out used and just like me they had no idea what to do with surprise and left him out, ill try and find some substitues and subemotions but i dont want too many abilities so the system will appear cluttered.

It would be an interesting way to reveal your characters mindset. Like, generally when I'm surprised, I assume it's a good surprise, so I'm happy. I have a friend who draws a knife when he's surprised; anger. Another who responds in crippling, gasping fear, every time.
So when the confident guy pops a fear spell when surprised, it could be telling.

 

[Jordan R Murray]

It would be an interesting way to reveal your characters mindset. Like, generally when I'm surprised, I assume it's a good surprise, so I'm happy. I have a friend who draws a knife when he's surprised; anger. Another who responds in crippling, gasping fear, every time.
So when the confident guy pops a fear spell when surprised, it could be telling.

Along these same lines, surprise could also be a kind of interrupt spell for all the emotions - maybe the second or two it takes to react during a battle would be enough to change the outcome if someone has mixed emotions as a result.

 

[daydreamer]

Along these same lines, surprise could also be a kind of interrupt spell for all the emotions - maybe the second or two it takes to react during a battle would be enough to change the outcome if someone has mixed emotions as a result.

It sounds really interesting.

 

[finalcyan]

I'm starting my own book in this, literally googled checking if anyone had the same idea. Hopefully our systems don't have too many similarities, but some ideas stated were ones I had. Mine will be focusing alot on the concepts of empathy and apathy as well, but right now I'm really toying with the setting, and the factions/nations.

 

[Alaksander]

Thanks for the info, it is as u said i want my system to rely on emotion to perform magic. My mages would be trained with triggers for certain emotions. For instance, and this isnt what its going to be it, they may be train to be angry when they see red by conditioning so they may carry a red cloth to look at when anger is needed. This is a stupid example but i hope you get my drift.

I think this is a thoughtful insight into the fusion of logic and emotion into one and how that might be a source of power one can harness to interact with their true reality. one learns to paint everything with the emotional brush of creation. bring the reality of emotional perception into their thoughts, practice until doing it becomes as breathing in all we do, math science and reading etc.... learn to recall those thoughts and learn to separate how one feels during each memory the thoughts, actions and words one might have spoken. construct a mind palace to help find refugee and sanctuary for ones own storm of thoughts and emotions; to become an observer that sees meaning instead of a swimmer struggling to understand and survive. the waking mind is the conductor of emotions for the symphony of thoughts and actions orchestrating our bodies and senses to truly see and interact with reality.

 

[BearBear]

Neat idea, my current book has very light, highly trained magic hints without explicitly saying what happened or how and of course a lot of emotions to go with them but no explicit tie. Might use something like in the movie Firestarter, which is somewhat like how certain people describe supposed electrokinesis.

There's a remake apparently and since I never heard word one about it so I'm sure it's fantastic like most modern spin remakes are, as you know.