Forbidden Magic

[ScaryMJDiamcreep]

In my world there are some magics that are forbidden. Just about everyone in the world, no matter what the opinion on mages is, will despise a practicer of Forbidden Magic, and many settlements have wanted signs for known Forbidden Mages. The Forbidden Magics that I've got so far are hemomancy and necromancy, and I'm thinking that lycanthropy might count as one, but I can't decide what other magic types would be Forbidden.

 

[Orc Knight]

Necromancy, depending on the usage of it could also be a pretty good business. As long as it's the 'talk to the spirits and ghosts' kind. It's what I use for Eld and actually comes in handy for getting rid of the undead. And I'd imagine mind control magic would be forbidden, maybe. Even with the use of love spells and and potions (the former is outright banned on Eld, the latter is considered a controlled substance). Don't understand why lycanthropy would be, unless it's more disease then an offshoot of shapeshifting. Disguise and infiltration magic might be at the very least banned or not to be used according to war codes and the like. Certain summoning magics could be banned, such as bringing the likes of demons and angels into a fight. If they're the sorts to wreak all sorts of havoc when they show up. Or other big monsters, such as a summon godzilla one.

But the opposite still probably applies, banned or not, someone is still probably going to use it.

 

[elemtilas]

Here you might look to the moral system(s) involved. Is it a sort of "I'll just make up my own damn morals as I go along, thank you!" kind of place or is there a credible external Source of moral law? Or is there a sort of "do whatever you like, so long as you can convince yourself you aren't really hurting anyone else" kind of scheme in place? Or something else entirely?

Probably those things that are locally immoral or unethical will be thaumically proscribed as well. If it's immoral to steal, then lock-picking or pilfering charms will probably be illegal. In another place where people are looser with what is right and wrong, well, if the owner of the locked door is away, who's really getting hurt if we charm the lock and go have a shufty! Actions that are universally condemned as immoral or unethical will almost certainly be condemned in their magical manifestations as well. E.g., necromancy.

 

[ScaryMJDiamcreep]

I think generally the Forbidden Spells would be ones that would, if my magic was in the real world, result in a death sentence or 10+ years in prison. So anything that is specifically for killing people would be Forbidden.

 

[skip.knox]

Practices can be condemned. They can be made illegal. But how will such laws be enforced? By whom? Who judges the accused?

 

[ScaryMJDiamcreep]

Let's see. If a mage sees someone using Forbidden Magic, then unless they feel like they might die, they'll try and kill that person. If they don't feel safe enough or strong enough to kill them, they'll make as best as possible a drawing or description of the person, and then travel as fast as possible to the nearest major settlement, then, depending on public opinion of mages, will either anonymously or very obviously drop off the drawing/description along with the crime of using "insert Forbidden Magic" here to the police force or equivolent in that settlement. From there, the police would put out wanted signs and let other nearby settlements know.

As for if a regular person sees, it'd probably work similar to the response of a mage who didn't feel safe, but without having to worry about being anonymous. Especially if the public hates mages.

And I forgot to say this in the other post, but I'm gonna say that lycanthropy is generally considered bad, as even the most controlled werewolf gains a little bit of bloodlust that makes people fear that they might be killed around them. Got a detail about lycanthropy that I just came up with for my world that I'll put in my werewolf thread.

 

[ThinkerX]

Sorcery (actually 'enhanced psionic abilities') are not well thought of in the main nations of my principle world. Such talents are uncanny and frightening (what would YOUR reaction be to somebody who could genuinely levitate or light a torch from across the room without trickery?) Usually, they are seen as a divine gift, and those demonstrating such are strongly urged to join the church - use 'Gods talents in Gods service.' These characters are regarded as priests or monks, and religion gives their powers a degree of social acceptability.

Those that cannot or will not join an accepted priestly order (many reasons, ranging from geography to corruption to social status and more) have greater independence, becoming wizards based in 'Circles' outside direct church control. However, even these wizards, regardless of normal social status (a very big thing) are still subject to periodic church review, with possible penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment to immolation (burning at the stake). The common belief, promoted by large fanatical factions, is that wizards (and even many psionic priests) are 'stealing Gods power,' an absolutely intolerable situation that can be resolved only with the death of the wizard. Occasionally, these fanatics will attain ascendance within the church hierarchy, which almost always results in bloody purges of witches and heretics and anybody else these people take a dislike to.

That said, there is one type of magic that is absolutely forbidden in most areas where the church holds sway: summoning of demons. mortal wizards in my worlds, especially humans, are rather wimpy in terms of magic. 'Demons,' though, are quite powerful, and quite eager to share a snippet of their power with mortal wizards in exchange for 'services.' Said services almost invariably result in widespread loss of life (sacrifices to fuel the demons ends), along with assorted 'curses' and anarchy. The pretty much automatic penalty for this magic is death by fire.

Necromancy...aka 'speaking with the dead' almost always gets the practitioner sent to the relevant saintly order. Animating corpses is seen as black magic, no doubt inspired by demons, and therefor worthy of immolation.

 

[elemtilas]

Practices can be condemned. They can be made illegal. But how will such laws be enforced? By whom? Who judges the accused?

Good points for consideration!

In The World, there's no magical police force (though there are Wizardly Courts). One thing about magic *there* is that much of it is, in effect, self-limiting. Take necromancy. Sure, it's romantic (in it's way) and a daring enterprise (depending on how you obtain your subject). It requires a lot of deep learning, expensive materials & ingredients (and an even more expensive cadre of naked "priestesses"). But for all the smelly oils and undulating girls, what do you actually end up with? Well, sure, you end up with an animated oracle, in the form of the previously decedent's head. Perhaps mounted on a nice oak pedestal. The famous Skull of Skanderdeg was a prime example. But what they don't tell you in the spell books is that the damn thing has a serious case of planned obsolescence!

I mean, when you're dead, your perspective becomes rather limited and you don't get around much. Skanderdeg used his quite effectively at first. But as his victorious armies advanced and his loot piled up, the wisdom and understanding of the Skull decreased. The Man it once was just didn't know the answers to Skanderdeg's widening queries. Within a couple years, it was completely useless, yet the barbarian king kept pestering it with questions and the Skull dutifully answered. And his kingdom fell around him.

Lich warriors? Yes, they're a mainstay of the necromancers' trade. Very handy in a fight (mace-fodder) and they're very popular among the madder sort of warlord. But how useful are they, really? I mean, they don't even have two brain cells to rub together! There's no muscle memory in the old bones and they can just about understand a command no more complex than "hack at anything that comes at you!". As often as not, that means they up mindlessly hacking away at each other. And while it's true you can get a good volume discount, you have to weigh all the pros and cons versus even a relatively small band of reasonably non-doofus barbarian mercenary warriors. Sure you have to feed, clothe & house mercenaries; you have to pay them and provide the occasional "comfort slave". And while they can be killed by a fairly skillful warrior defending his homeland, lich warriors provide little benefit beyond the terror factor. Old bones are easily whacked & cracked; they do not fight with any skill or instinct; and they fall apart within about six months, thus requiring replacement.

Necromancy? Useless!

Criminal & Princely Courts will laugh at the very thought of a charge of necromancy! Even the Thaumic Courts won't entertain such a case. Unless you're kidnapping noblemen's children with the intent of zombifying them or something icky like that. Probably get the proverbial slap on the metaphorical wrist and a modest fine.