SandersonFanderson Posted February 22, 2019 Report Share Posted February 22, 2019 I was wondering if anyone could provide some input on the magic system in my novel. It's not fully fleshed out yet and I need some help developing it. The wizards in my novel have certain types of magic that they are born good at, and others that can be developed over time. There are also aspects of it that they can never master (example: A character who is born exceptional at influencing the elements. They struggle with telepathy, but they can still perform it to some degree. However, they are never able to shapeshift). My question is: What could be a determining factor of the magic they can and can't do? My friend had the idea that it could depend on genetics and ancestry, say someone who's ancestors were from Antarctica had power over heat and fire. Or we had an idea that maybe wizards with different powers came together in clans a long time ago and they all migrated to different places, meaning that where you're from could determine your power set. I'm just trying to come up with a better plan for my magic system, since it's not very together at the moment. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mailnaise Posted February 22, 2019 Report Share Posted February 22, 2019 The ancestry one is pretty solid. While reading your post it was the first thing to come to my mind. I'm gonna think about this more though. I like your idea. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Invocation Posted February 22, 2019 Report Share Posted February 22, 2019 Could make it a little bit of influence from the ancestry, like you're already thinking, and also a little bit from location of birth or zodiac sign or something. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quantus Posted February 22, 2019 Report Share Posted February 22, 2019 I like the Ancestry bit. I think it would depend on the Source of the magic in these different tribes, and also if you want it to be a hard barrier or something that has a more environmental and/or cultural connection (which may determine whether you can have a character that crosses the boundaries later). Ask yourself if it's innate to the Magic, a restriction resulting of Mindset or Culture, or a lack of the original environmental Exposure (which with interbreeding might go away). If it's just divergent tribes, those lines would be easiest to blur. If it's because they are sourced in entirely different magic sources (Earth Magic vs Life Magic or some such) then the Elementalist's telepathy likely isn't even operating on the same fundamental principles as "real" Telepathy, such that it can mimic some of the more rudimentary applications but is simply physically unable to accomplish the more advanced applications. So an elementalist that can bend light and a shapeshifter that can change their skin can both appear to become invisible, but they are getting there by different paths so the Ligthbender will never be able to grow claws and the shapeshifter will never be able to fire a laser beam. Another way to go is to make the distinction more about cultural Mindset than literal genetics. In your example, maybe a successful Elementalists has to be so focused on bludgeoning Primal Energies to do their will that they become unable to take the softer, more cooperative approach necessary for subtle telepathy, or are too externally focused to be able to reach the Sympathic and/or Introspective mental-space needed to connect to another form and Shapeshift. Then maybe somewhere along the road a person is born of both, or reaches a mental balance between the two, and learns to Shapeshift into a Rock Golem. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kureshi Ironclaw Posted February 24, 2019 Report Share Posted February 24, 2019 On 2/23/2019 at 3:48 AM, Quantus said: Another way to go is to make the distinction more about cultural Mindset than literal genetics. In your example, maybe a successful Elementalists has to be so focused on bludgeoning Primal Energies to do their will that they become unable to take the softer, more cooperative approach necessary for subtle telepathy, or are too externally focused to be able to reach the Sympathic and/or Introspective mental-space needed to connect to another form and Shapeshift. Then maybe somewhere along the road a person is born of both, or reaches a mental balance between the two, and learns to Shapeshift into a Rock Golem. I like this take on it. Ancestry and genetics is by no means a bad idea but it has been done many times before. This is a bit of a fresher interpretation and it allows some people to interact with the magic system in different ways. Some people will probably be able to figure out how to use magic from outside their culture and this will probably make their culture treat them differently. They could be ostracised because everyone believes they're a spy for the enemy, or the government and military may want to study their power to weaponise it against enemy tribes. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SandersonFanderson Posted February 24, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2019 On 2/22/2019 at 9:48 AM, Quantus said: If it's because they are sourced in entirely different magic sources (Earth Magic vs Life Magic or some such) then the Elementalist's telepathy likely isn't even operating on the same fundamental principles as "real" Telepathy, such that it can mimic some of the more rudimentary applications but is simply physically unable to accomplish the more advanced applications. So an elementalist that can bend light and a shapeshifter that can change their skin can both appear to become invisible, but they are getting there by different paths so the Ligthbender will never be able to grow claws and the shapeshifter will never be able to fire a laser beam. Another way to go is to make the distinction more about cultural Mindset than literal genetics. In your example, maybe a successful Elementalists has to be so focused on bludgeoning Primal Energies to do their will that they become unable to take the softer, more cooperative approach necessary for subtle telepathy, or are too externally focused to be able to reach the Sympathic and/or Introspective mental-space needed to connect to another form and Shapeshift. Then maybe somewhere along the road a person is born of both, or reaches a mental balance between the two, and learns to Shapeshift into a Rock Golem. I like these ideas, thank you! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quantus Posted February 25, 2019 Report Share Posted February 25, 2019 On 2/23/2019 at 11:23 PM, SandersonFanderson said: I like these ideas, thank you! Any time, Im curious to see where you go with it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Young Pyromancer Posted February 28, 2019 Report Share Posted February 28, 2019 Maybe as a youth people are trained however they want, whether specializing in one area or spending a little bit of time in all of them, and at a certain age, their strengths ‘lock in’. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pagliacci Posted March 1, 2019 Report Share Posted March 1, 2019 (edited) 2 hours ago, The Young Pyromancer said: Maybe as a youth people are trained however they want, whether specializing in one area or spending a little bit of time in all of them, and at a certain age, their strengths ‘lock in’. The Skulduggery Pleasant books did something like that. Edited March 1, 2019 by Pagliacci 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Invocation Posted March 1, 2019 Report Share Posted March 1, 2019 5 minutes ago, Pagliacci said: The Skulduggery Pleasant books did something like that. Everything's been done at this point, so it's more like what spin you can put on it at this point. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pagliacci Posted March 1, 2019 Report Share Posted March 1, 2019 Just now, Invocation said: Everything's been done at this point, so it's more like what spin you can put on it at this point. This is very true. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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