My Magic System

[virtualmayham]

Right now magic is not a huge part of my book, and when it is mentioned I don't go into to much detail on it, but I still devised a system of magic. It's used as kind of a mockery of the power of the Gods, the Creators. One of the races uses it to try to overthrow the Gods. The way I write, I like to be able to explain and back up everything that happens in my world. For example, the reason the Halflings are so small is because they have to be agile enough to dart from tree to tree in their dangerous forested homeland, or the reason Humans are so technologically advanced is because of the fact that, in my world, they are relatively sheltered in a valley. So, my magic system works in much the same way. My world is based on the concept that each coin has two sides, magic is the neutral side of creation, like the edge of the coin. The opposite is obviously destruction. My magic system works via the manipulation of energy. What the "wizards" do is summon an ancient power that the Gods gave them, intellect and the ability to think and build, and direct it towards the energy found in all living things. It does not use any sort of fancy words or spells, purely strength of mind and will. What happens if, for example, a "wizard" were to create a stone out of thin air, he would have to manipulate the molecules in the dirt to do so. So, what do you guys think? Is it to complex and weird? I will revise it, even though I don't go to in depth.

 

[JCFarnham]

There is very little weirdness or complexity there, not for me anyway.

Lets take the practical view of this, you have a group of wizards who draw on godly energies to alter things that more or less already exist. The one twist I see in this magic system in the one I italicised. It almost follows the conservation of energy doesn't it. That's a good way to take it. From what you've described, no wizard can do one thing without first effecting another. "Instant fire? Where's he pulling the heat from?" and so on.

That's a quick and simple limitation.

On not describing it much, I dislike it when an author tries to cram the mechanics of his baby (aka the magic system) down my throat. That why I enjoyed the magic in LoTR, its very undefined in most places and that gives it that certain mysterious quality, a sense of the fantastical unknown that many modern books for sake for the scientific approach as it were.

As long as you know what a wizard can and can't do in your setting then nothing can go wrong. Internal consistancy is the buzz word here.

 

[Melissa G. McPhail]

[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]I agree with the idea that the energy would have to come from somewhere. At least in your own mind, you would want to have worked out how this system really works, what are its limitations (there's little opportunity for conflict if everyone wields godly power in godly proportions), how does it affect those wielding it...there needs to be some balance to what they can do with it, an Achilles heel of some sort, or it doesn't seem as realistic.

I really like your idea of magic being neutral, the side of the coin as it were, and I like this description. It gives an instant concept of what you're taking about even though I dont understand how it works. I would be interested as a reader to understand more about that. How is magic neutral? This is an interesting challenge when magic would seem to stretch or evade the laws of physics, so in what way does it neutralize those laws? And/or, how does it balance forces or act as the in-between? I think the idea of neutrality in magic is very intriguing and could provide a lot of room for creativity. Many opportunities there.

I agree that you don't want to force a magic system down the readers's throat, certainly, but I also feel that understanding something of it gives the reader a better feel for the world overall and can be intrinsic to making the world feel real. GRRM's magic system is completely unexplained. It makes it very mysterious but is also really hard to pull off without frustrating the reader. Personally, I really enjoy learning about the various magic systems in different books - magic is a key element of fantasy after all, and the unique ways writers conceive of magic is part of what makes the genre so intriguing. A novel well paced will little bits of information given as you go keeps the reader guessing but still invested in the story. Definitely don't want to info dump your magic system! Learning about it as you go is so much a part of the fun of fantasy.

Good luck![/FONT]