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Trying to develop different categories of magic

Roughdragon

Minstrel
In my story, the term "magic" is only one very broad term which typically refers to elemental magic, for example, fire and ice. These types of elemental magic are based on a wielder's pure emotion, and the power of these spells depend on how extreme the wielder's emotions are. "Sorcery", on the other hand, is a purely logic based practice, with the strength of spells depending on how much one has mastered the details and intricacies of sorcery. Would this seem like a fairly plausible magic system?
 

elemtilas

Inkling
In my story, the term "magic" is only one very broad term which typically refers to elemental magic, for example, fire and ice. These types of elemental magic are based on a wielder's pure emotion, and the power of these spells depend on how extreme the wielder's emotions are. "Sorcery", on the other hand, is a purely logic based practice, with the strength of spells depending on how much one has mastered the details and intricacies of sorcery. Would this seem like a fairly plausible magic system?

It wìll make sense if, woven into your story, you illuminate for your readers what distinguishes one branch of magic from another. As it stands, your concept of sorcery is pretty standard and well laid out. I'm not sure from your description if "magic" is intended to cover the whole gamut or just the "elemental magics". In any event, that description could use some work.

I get a clear idea of grimmoires, sigils chalked all over a dark room, cauldrons full of yuck and the prerequisite scantily clad young fellow lounging about while the sorcerer gets down her hard work of making the magic work.

I don't really get a clear idea about how the elemental magic works apart from emotion being somehow involved...
 

Roughdragon

Minstrel
It wìll make sense if, woven into your story, you illuminate for your readers what distinguishes one branch of magic from another. As it stands, your concept of sorcery is pretty standard and well laid out. I'm not sure from your description if "magic" is intended to cover the whole gamut or just the "elemental magics". In any event, that description could use some work.

I get a clear idea of grimmoires, sigils chalked all over a dark room, cauldrons full of yuck and the prerequisite scantily clad young fellow lounging about while the sorcerer gets down her hard work of making the magic work.

I don't really get a clear idea about how the elemental magic works apart from emotion being somehow involved...

"Magic" refers to the elemental magics, but unlike sorcery, it doesn't need to be studied much at all. All a magic caster has to do is memorize a word or short phrase. However, the power of a magical spell, unlike a sorcery spell, depends purely on how emotionally charged the caster is when the spell is cast.
 
Hi,

I think you're conflating two different ideas here. The power that the magic draws on and the type of magic.

My thought would be why should the way you draw / cast your magic have any connection to the type of magic? See if elemental magic means fire and ice, are you saying sorcerers can't cast those spells? I would say that both sorcerers and wizards can cast in the same fields of magic for want of a better term. But the way they cast will alter the types of spells they can cast in terms of say complexity. If you're casting from emotion I would expect your caststo be simple but powerful. Yes fireballs and lightning balsts. But no to things that require thought and patience, eg fire runes and heart starting zaps. If you're casting from intelligence, practice etc then yes to all the above, but your fireballs are small and weak etc.

Cheers, Greg.
 

Roughdragon

Minstrel
Hi,

I think you're conflating two different ideas here. The power that the magic draws on and the type of magic.

My thought would be why should the way you draw / cast your magic have any connection to the type of magic? See if elemental magic means fire and ice, are you saying sorcerers can't cast those spells? I would say that both sorcerers and wizards can cast in the same fields of magic for want of a better term. But the way they cast will alter the types of spells they can cast in terms of say complexity. If you're casting from emotion I would expect your caststo be simple but powerful. Yes fireballs and lightning balsts. But no to things that require thought and patience, eg fire runes and heart starting zaps. If you're casting from intelligence, practice etc then yes to all the above, but your fireballs are small and weak etc.

Cheers, Greg.

I should have mentioned this, but sorcery spells are different in that they are not based on the elements. They are, as you said, more intricate than magic due to the intense amount of study dedicated to learning to cast sorcery spells, but rather than the bombastic, emotion-fueled spells casted by magic users, sorceries are much more subtle, for example: Magic users would simply hurl a devastating elemental attack to deal with an enemy. A sorcerer on the other hand would use a spell to make himself invisible, then sneak up to their enemy in order to eliminate them, or they may enchant their own arrows in order to make them fly faster, or pierce armor.

Basically, think of sorcery as a sharpening stone and magic as a battle axe. Sorcery is more of a subtle practice, amplifying a user's self. Magic is much more of a weapon, used to destroy the opposition.

But yeah, even though magic and sorcery are two separate practices, sorcerers are able to learn to cast magic, and magic users are able to learn to cast sorceries.

Also, the reason why I based magic off of just the emotional aspect is that the elements seem to behave the same way. Elements such as fire, ice, and lightning seem to be very powerful on their own, elements that can wreak heavy amounts of destruction if left uncontrolled, like emotions can make a person violent and hostile.
 

elemtilas

Inkling
The explanation of elemental magic as distinct from enchanting magic makes much more sense now --- thanks! There's kind of a "like begets like" fundamental at work in this system: raw and chaotic emotion plus raw and chaotic elements kind of feed off each other and produce powerful elemental works; while refined intellect plus high art fuse to produce complex and subtle ensorcelment.

So, what happens when a sorcerer imbues her highly cerebral and refined art with loads of deep and potent emotion? Can she spawn little tiny sun-balls in her enemies' heads that will horifically burn them from the inside out as they go supernova?
 

Roughdragon

Minstrel
The explanation of elemental magic as distinct from enchanting magic makes much more sense now --- thanks! There's kind of a "like begets like" fundamental at work in this system: raw and chaotic emotion plus raw and chaotic elements kind of feed off each other and produce powerful elemental works; while refined intellect plus high art fuse to produce complex and subtle ensorcellment.

So, what happens when a sorcerer imbues her highly cerebral and refined art with loads of deep and potent emotion? Can she spawn little tiny sun-balls in her enemies' heads that will horrifically burn them from the inside out as they go supernova?

Yeah, in essence, people who master both sorcery and magic, though there have been very, very few due to the contrasting nature of thinking vs. feeling, can become some of the most powerful warriors in the realm.
 

skip.knox

toujours gai, archie
Moderator
Have you thought at all about non-combat magic? The more I delve into it, the more interested I become in exploring how magic gets used at home, on the farm, in town, at the tavern, etc.

With magic so closely tied to intellect and heart, does your magic become highly individualized? Or is a fireball a fireball and the two systems are simply variations on how to invoke it?
 

Roughdragon

Minstrel
Magic could be used for non-combat applications, of course, but the purpose of magic, and why it had been studied for so long and so intensely, was mostly for the combative edge it gave armies.

And as for the second question, yes, the magic varies depending on the person casting it, since the body is the catalyst for the spell, and everyone has unique intellect and emotions.
 

Dkenos

Dreamer
This is actually pretty interesting topic. I had not thought much about my own worlds magic outside of the simplistic use of the 7 elements and how the casters can use them and who can use them. The concept of having spells powered by emotions as well as knowledge is also intriguing, if not limiting what is possible for a person to learn. Perhaps saying that someone could have more affinity to one element of magic due to their personality would work instead? That way you leave the option of them learning in a hard and grueling manner.
 

Roughdragon

Minstrel
I suppose people can be inclined to use different elements depending on what emotion they are feeling at the moment. For example: Anger = Fire, Sadness = Water, Apathy = Ice, Excitement = Lightning. Of course, not all magic users know all of the elements, and the elements and emotions would be interchangeable
 
I think that having magic be split into two categories is cool...but the fact that one of the categories is named after the force itself is odd.
That would be like dividing dogs into Dogs and Pugs- you wouldn't say that, you would say Not-Pugs and Pugs. Okay, that's a weird example, but you get the idea.
Sorcery can continue to be called what it is, but I think you should pick an actual name for your elemental magic, because calling it just "magic" is bound to confuse everyone.
 
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