HellionHeloise
Scribe
In my WIP I have created a hard magic system (I'm hoping to come up with some "soft magic" elements that are more unknown and mystical later) that I would love feedback on concerning obvious flaws you may see that I don't. So, please feel free to critique it! Below is a summary of the magic system.
Magic is passed down genetically, but the society this is set in is not scientifically advanced enough to understand the nuances of genetics. Thus, it appears to be passed down by certain families, but there are some generations that are skipped & sometimes it seems as though it appears randomly.
Those with the inherited ability to perform magic come into their magical abilities during puberty.
The Source
All magical acts are connected to sources of potential energy. People who can perform magic have the ability to duplicate that potential energy and harness it for their own devices. Thus, practitioners are not "stealing" the potential energy, nor can they destroy the potential energy, they can only duplicate it from existing sources.
What is potential energy?
I'm using the definition used in Physics. Potential energy is any stored energy & there are many types. Chemical Potential Energy would be like the energy found in a battery. There is also electrical potential energy, which is not understood very well in this world either. The one I will use the most in this book, since the society does not understand chemical potential energy is gravitational potential energy. This is energy that is stored due to an object's position. It is dependent on the mass of the object, the height of the object above the ground or Earth, and the acceleration due to gravity. I will also use elastic potential energy, which is like the energy of a stretched rubber band.
How is magic performed?
1) The practitioner must identify a source of potential energy, either from their surroundings or from within his/herself (sources of potential energy from yourself usually have more to do with chemical potential energy & is less understood in this world, but you can also use gravitational PE like jumping & using energy from the fall). OR the practitioner must make a source of potential energy (I'll explain that later).
2) Once the potential energy source is found, then the practitioner has to use his/her intense mental focus to see & understand the energy, which is a very metaphysical experience--think out of body-- & then focus that energy into some action.
3) The action performed is going to be directly related to the amount of potential energy identified. For example, if a practitioner pulls back an arrow when using a bow & arrow (elastic potential energy), then the magical act he/she can perform will only be as impactful as the energy available. They could maybe use magic to make the arrow point true to the target or enhance its speed, but would not be able to do anything large.
How do surroundings impact magic performed?
-Physical surroundings strongly influence one's ability to find sources of potential energy. In a desert it will be harder to find potential energy, than if you were next to a river where you can use the gravitational energy from the current, etc. One of the best ways to use your surroundings is to harness the electrical potential energy of a lightening storm, then you can perform large magical acts.
-You can make sources of potential energy yourself by creating "potential energy traps." For example, you could set up a bunch of heavy objects ready to fall & use the gravitation potential energy of those large objects to perform magic.
These potential energy traps results in a "steam punk" kind of vibe to the story, because the most talented practitioners are those people who are clever enough to identify sources or make them themselves. They are almost like simple machine engineers in a way.
Also, any acts performed are limited to physical things. You cannot perform a magical act that will influence someone's thoughts, only someone's surroundings. You can physically heal people, but only up to a point.
Is this way too complicated? What flaws do you see?
Cheers,
HellionHeloise
Magic is passed down genetically, but the society this is set in is not scientifically advanced enough to understand the nuances of genetics. Thus, it appears to be passed down by certain families, but there are some generations that are skipped & sometimes it seems as though it appears randomly.
Those with the inherited ability to perform magic come into their magical abilities during puberty.
The Source
All magical acts are connected to sources of potential energy. People who can perform magic have the ability to duplicate that potential energy and harness it for their own devices. Thus, practitioners are not "stealing" the potential energy, nor can they destroy the potential energy, they can only duplicate it from existing sources.
What is potential energy?
I'm using the definition used in Physics. Potential energy is any stored energy & there are many types. Chemical Potential Energy would be like the energy found in a battery. There is also electrical potential energy, which is not understood very well in this world either. The one I will use the most in this book, since the society does not understand chemical potential energy is gravitational potential energy. This is energy that is stored due to an object's position. It is dependent on the mass of the object, the height of the object above the ground or Earth, and the acceleration due to gravity. I will also use elastic potential energy, which is like the energy of a stretched rubber band.
How is magic performed?
1) The practitioner must identify a source of potential energy, either from their surroundings or from within his/herself (sources of potential energy from yourself usually have more to do with chemical potential energy & is less understood in this world, but you can also use gravitational PE like jumping & using energy from the fall). OR the practitioner must make a source of potential energy (I'll explain that later).
2) Once the potential energy source is found, then the practitioner has to use his/her intense mental focus to see & understand the energy, which is a very metaphysical experience--think out of body-- & then focus that energy into some action.
3) The action performed is going to be directly related to the amount of potential energy identified. For example, if a practitioner pulls back an arrow when using a bow & arrow (elastic potential energy), then the magical act he/she can perform will only be as impactful as the energy available. They could maybe use magic to make the arrow point true to the target or enhance its speed, but would not be able to do anything large.
How do surroundings impact magic performed?
-Physical surroundings strongly influence one's ability to find sources of potential energy. In a desert it will be harder to find potential energy, than if you were next to a river where you can use the gravitational energy from the current, etc. One of the best ways to use your surroundings is to harness the electrical potential energy of a lightening storm, then you can perform large magical acts.
-You can make sources of potential energy yourself by creating "potential energy traps." For example, you could set up a bunch of heavy objects ready to fall & use the gravitation potential energy of those large objects to perform magic.
These potential energy traps results in a "steam punk" kind of vibe to the story, because the most talented practitioners are those people who are clever enough to identify sources or make them themselves. They are almost like simple machine engineers in a way.
Also, any acts performed are limited to physical things. You cannot perform a magical act that will influence someone's thoughts, only someone's surroundings. You can physically heal people, but only up to a point.
Is this way too complicated? What flaws do you see?
Cheers,
HellionHeloise