Your own magic systems?

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

So I kind of have a lot of magic systems. Like 12 (ish) different systems. I’ll share one to start and I’ll share more if you guys are interested 

Divine Essence:

Five essences, stemming from five beings tied to the High God Entropy. I haven’t quite figured out exactly how the essences are harvested, but they are liquid and are used by being ingested.

Essence of Many:

Split a user’s mind and soul into multiple personalities, each with different perspectives and skill sets. Not used all that often in combat but sometimes used in strategizing.

Essence of Being

Solidify a user’s basic identity and sharpen their existing skills. Used fairly often in both combat and daily life for those who have access to it.

Essence of Abyss

Make a user devoid of emotion and make them resistant to pain. Used quite frequently in combat.

Essence of Form

Allow a user to change their physical form in nearly limitless ways, provided enough Essence. The effect wears off after a few hours post-ingesting. Used very often in combat.

Essence of Madness 

Make a user fly into a blind rage, in which they will kill anything in their path, friend or foe, in violent and painful ways until they run out of Essence. Also enhances strength, speed, reflexes, and prevents pain. Not used too often due to danger to allies, but very potent when one user faces many enemies.

 

[The Assassin In Red Oh/no]

Thats very cool... I like the relation to perception and self, I would love to hear more!

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

If you want more on Divine Essence I’m gonna need specific questions. I don’t have it super thought out. As for more magic systems, I’ll give a few options. 
Do we want the color magic system, the crystal magic system, the tattoo magic system, or the fire magic system next?

[The Assassin In Red Oh/no]

Definitely tattoo

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

Okay so it’s not exactly tattoos. They have the appearance of tattoos when complete but they start as symbols carved into flesh. 
Soulbinding(working name)

Sigil of Bearing 

Carved with a crystal knife, this symbol allows the bearer to hold and use a human soul. There is no upper limit to the number of souls that can be held, and souls can have variable power depending on the person the soul comes from. 

Sigil of Taking

When carved with the same crystal knife as a sigil of bearing, this sigil will transfer the soul of the bearer to the bearer of the sigil of bearing. This kills the victim. Once both sigils have been carved, they solidify into black markings resembling tattoos on human skin. The thickness of the lines on the marking indicate the power of the soul involved.

Sigil of Binding 

This sigil must be carved on both individuals involved and must be carved by the members of the pair. When this is done, the souls of the two are bound together, mildly enhancing the souls of both individuals and allowing for telepathic communication. When a member of the pair dies, their sigil turns to a sigil of taking and the other partner has theirs converted to a sigil of bearing, with the deceased soul being transferred to the living partner. 
 

Sigils can be carved into objects instead of people, but this only has an effect for sigils of bearing. Items can gain powers and even sentience when bound to one or more souls, and the process has been known to create powerful weapons.

[The Assassin In Red Oh/no]

How do you choose what soul is being affected? What kind of powers are gained from taking a soul?

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

The soul being affected is dependent on who is doing the carving and the order of carving, as well as the blade used for carving. It is actually predominantly dependent on the blade used. Kings have used assassins to gain souls for themselves just by having the assassin carry the same blade used to carve a digit of bearing. One digit of bearing can only take one soul, so it’s all up to who the associated sigil of taking is carved on. It must be carved sigil of bearing, then sigil of taking, in that order, or it won’t work.

Powers like enhanced speed, strength, thought, healing, and things like that can be achieved, and souls can be used to fuel effects like producing flames or bursts of energy or breaking down walls and things like that. If someone has enough souls they can become virtually invulnerable to harm.

[The Assassin In Red Oh/no]

Cool

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

What magic system should I do next?

[Ookla she/her]

The coolest magic system I've come up with is fairly simple: There are certain tattoos a person can get that Connect them to the land. This gives them powers. Depending on the specific design of the tattoos, the powers change.

For example: The Queen and King of the society that uses these tattoos the most get specific ones that give them the abilities to hear the song the land sings and to sense the intentions and desires of those around them, respectively. Regular people who get tattoos will either get glyphs (which enhance different physical attributes, like strength, stamina, or agility) or animals (which gives them the ability to turn into whatever animal they've been tattooed with and back at will).

It's a very binding-based magic system; in the tattoo society everyone is getting bound to the land, but in the neighboring kingdom, they use specific songs and dances to bind people to one another. In either case the bonds are considered unbreakable.

The really fun twist in all this, though, is that it all works based on perception--the tattoos only work if you perceive yourself as belonging to the land you're living in at the moment, so someone from the tattoo society living among the neighboring kingdom won't be able to access their power until they can get themselves to believe that they belong to the neighboring kingdom. Hopefully that makes sense.

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

So this is a magic system I have where the user gains powers from a gemstone if they’re touching it. The gemstone they can use is dependent on genetics, which also determine just how much power they can get from a given gemstone. Each person can use only one gemstone.

Gems wear out as they are used, eventually cracking and becoming unusable.

 

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

22 hours ago, TheSurvivorofDeath said:

What magic system should I do next?

What else have you got?

2 hours ago, TheSurvivorofDeath said:

So this is a magic system I have where the user gains powers from a gemstone if they’re touching it. The gemstone they can use is dependent on genetics, which also determine just how much power they can get from a given gemstone. Each person can use only one gemstone.

Gems wear out as they are used, eventually cracking and becoming unusable.

 

What happens if someone cracks their gemstone. Can they get a new one?

 

17 hours ago, Ookla said:

The coolest magic system I've come up with is fairly simple: There are certain tattoos a person can get that Connect them to the land. This gives them powers. Depending on the specific design of the tattoos, the powers change.

For example: The Queen and King of the society that uses these tattoos the most get specific ones that give them the abilities to hear the song the land sings and to sense the intentions and desires of those around them, respectively. Regular people who get tattoos will either get glyphs (which enhance different physical attributes, like strength, stamina, or agility) or animals (which gives them the ability to turn into whatever animal they've been tattooed with and back at will).

It's a very binding-based magic system; in the tattoo society everyone is getting bound to the land, but in the neighboring kingdom, they use specific songs and dances to bind people to one another. In either case the bonds are considered unbreakable.

The really fun twist in all this, though, is that it all works based on perception--the tattoos only work if you perceive yourself as belonging to the land you're living in at the moment, so someone from the tattoo society living among the neighboring kingdom won't be able to access their power until they can get themselves to believe that they belong to the neighboring kingdom. Hopefully that makes sense.

Now that is cool! What exactly does listening to the songs of the land mean?

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

21 minutes ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

What happens if someone cracks their gemstone. Can they get a new one?

Well if the gem is cracked just by impact it’s still usable unless fully shattered, and even then the pieces would still have some power to them. It’s just when the gem is used that it breaks in such a way to make it unusable. The actual cracking is just a side effect of the mechanic that makes the gem useless. But any gem of the same kind can be used, if one breaks.

22 minutes ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

What else have you got?

I have a fire magic system, a color magic system, a music magic system, a metal magic system, a spiritual magic system, a scar/burn based magic system, a gift magic system, a moon magic system, a coin magic system.

[Ookla she/her]

1 hour ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

Now that is cool! What exactly does listening to the songs of the land mean?

Oh, it just lets you know about stuff happening hundreds of miles away, or cause localized earthquakes, or use the magic of the Landsong to heal people and such. Assuming you know how to interpret the song, anyway.

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

2 hours ago, TheSurvivorofDeath said:

Well if the gem is cracked just by impact it’s still usable unless fully shattered, and even then the pieces would still have some power to them. It’s just when the gem is used that it breaks in such a way to make it unusable. The actual cracking is just a side effect of the mechanic that makes the gem useless. But any gem of the same kind can be used, if one breaks.

I have a fire magic system, a color magic system, a music magic system, a metal magic system, a spiritual magic system, a scar/burn based magic system, a gift magic system, a moon magic system, a coin magic system.

scar bassed magic?

1 hour ago, Ookla said:

Oh, it just lets you know about stuff happening hundreds of miles away, or cause localized earthquakes, or use the magic of the Landsong to heal people and such. Assuming you know how to interpret the song, anyway.

oh ok. how would one use the songs?

[TheSurvivorofDeath]

24 minutes ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

scar bassed magic?

Not the best pick. That’s one of my worst systems, but it shall be done.

Berserkers

This is a magic that comes from pain. The process must be performed in a specific temple, and it involves extreme pain. Scars are burned into the flesh of the prospective berserker using hot irons, typically traced along the extremities and to the chest, where a brand, specifically prepared for each individual, is placed. Once the  burns are complete, the person will be warped significantly. All individuals become impervious to flames and resistant to pain, and usually grow in stature, becoming muscular and taller. Beyond these features, berserkers have variability. Some are smart and some are dumb, some are fast and some are slow, some retain skills from before the change while others do not. But it all stems from pain and fire.

Like I said this isn’t my most thought out system, but when I take the time to develop it more it should do well in one of the stories I have planned, if I can keep it in.

[Ookla she/her]

2 hours ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

oh ok. how would one use the songs?

By singing along, of course! Once someone who can hear and understand them starts singing with them, they can start taking control of the music and changing the melodies and harmonies to create the effect they want. The idea is that different passages in the music mean different things are happening in different areas (this is how you can tell what's going on from miles and miles away), so if you change the music, you change what's going on in the land. But that's a very specialized effect; most people with the magical tattoos just decide to become their animal (if that's the sort of tattoo they have), and then they turn into it, or else the attribute their glyph tattoo is tied to is just permanently increased.

[Lunamor she/her]

The magic system I'm currently working on involves changing limits (name ideas welcome). There are three kinds: physical, intellectual, and metaphorical.

Physical limits are what they sound like. They are the easiest to change. Some examples of physical limits that can be changed:

• Noise limit
• Lifespan
• Growth
• Height (this can get gruesome if the upper limit is below someone's current height or the lower limit is above someone's height)
• Visibility
• Color
• How high something can jump

Intellectual limits are the capacity for certain types of thought. These involve changing an individual's abilities and don't impact others. Some examples of intellectual limits:

• Perception
• Speech
• Sentience (it's very difficult to change sentience levels, as it requires raising the intellectual limit of everything in general)
• Focus
• Ability to communicate

Metaphorical limits are more abstract concepts. They are the hardest to change, but you can get pretty creative with it and set limits on very arbitrary things. Examples:

• What something can "find"
• Unity (this could make something break apart into pieces on more than just a physical level)
• Luck
• Truth (this would impact what others believe and potentially reality itself)
• What qualifies as "prey"
• Time

Changing limits almost always causes additional, unpredictable changes. These can change something's appearance, personality, etc. This makes it incredibly dangerous to experiment with, depending on the limit and how far it is being pushed. Changing the limits of humans is both illegal and wildly foolhardy, so animals are often used in experiments instead. This has led to a variety of creatures being artificially created and embedding themselves in the ecosystem, reproducing and creating a new species. Limits can be changed for living creatures, objects, or general areas. Changing a limit permanently for every instance of it is theoretically possible, but would be incredibly difficult and almost certainly disastrous.

Altering limits requires Luminescence. This is a life force found in all living creatures that floats away when they die. It must be used immediately after death, although ways of storing/transporting it are being researched. This means magic users can frequently be seen carrying around potted plants to kill for their Luminescence. Sometimes killing an animal is required for more powerful changes, as they have more Luminescence. Humans have the most, so those seeking power in nefarious ways might kill someone to change a limit significantly. Theologians are split on what exactly Luminescence is. Some believe it is the soul, others just a strange biological quirk. (I'm not gonna go more into Luminescence for now since that would derail this post )

Edited June 5, 2024 by Lunamor
Typo

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

17 hours ago, Lunamor said:

The magic system I'm current working on involves changing limits (name ideas welcome). There are three kinds: physical, intellectual, and metaphorical.

Physical limits are what they sound like. They are the easiest to change. Some examples of physical limits that can be changed:

• Noise limit
• Lifespan
• Growth
• Height (this can get gruesome if the upper limit is below someone's current height or the lower limit is above someone's height)
• Visibility
• Color
• How high something can jump

Intellectual limits are the capacity for certain types of thought. These involve changing an individual's abilities and don't impact others. Some examples of intellectual limits:

• Perception
• Speech
• Sentience (it's very difficult to change sentience levels, as it requires raising the intellectual limit of everything in general)
• Focus
• Ability to communicate

Metaphorical limits are more abstract concepts. They are the hardest to change, but you can get pretty creative with it and set limits on very arbitrary things. Examples:

• What something can "find"
• Unity (this could make something break apart into pieces on more than just a physical level)
• Luck
• Truth (this would impact what others believe and potentially reality itself)
• What qualifies as "prey"
• Time

Changing limits almost always causes additional, unpredictable changes. These can change something's appearance, personality, etc. This makes it incredibly dangerous to experiment with, depending on the limit and how far it is being pushed. Changing the limits of humans is both illegal and wildly foolhardy, so animals are often used in experiments instead. This has led to a variety of creatures being artificially created and embedding themselves in the ecosystem, reproducing and creating a new species. Limits can be changed for living creatures, objects, or general areas. Changing a limit permanently for every instance of it is theoretically possible, but would be incredibly difficult and almost certainly disastrous.

Altering limits requires Luminescence. This is a life force found in all living creatures that floats away when they die. It must be used immediately after death, although ways of storing/transporting it are being researched. This means magic users can frequently be seen carrying around potted plants to kill for their Luminescence. Sometimes killing an animal is required for more powerful changes, as they have more Luminescence. Humans have the most, so those seeking power in nefarious ways might kill someone to change a limit significantly. Theologians are split on what exactly Luminescence is. Some believe it is the soul, others just a strange biological quirk. (I'm not gonna go more into Luminescence for now since that would derail this post )

How would someone go about changing limits for non living things?

[Lunamor she/her]

Just now, RoyalBeeMage said:

How would someone go about changing limits for non living things?

There isn’t much of a difference, although it would be a bit more predictable and probably more ethical. The length of time the limit stays changed would depend on what is being changed and how much Luminescence is available. Making a permanent limit change is very expensive due to the skill necessary.

As an example, someone could kill a plant and use that to completely lower the noise limit in an area. For a few seconds/minutes, they could make an area silent. If they raised the bottom limit, only loud noises could be heard (someone would need to yell to talk, but it would still sound just as loud). That would be either a strong physical change or lower metaphorical change, but if you are unskilled in metaphorical changes doing it that way could cause it to mess with any definition of “noise”.

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

4 minutes ago, Lunamor said:

There isn’t much of a difference, although it would be a bit more predictable and probably more ethical. The length of time the limit stays changed would depend on what is being changed and how much Luminescence is available. Making a permanent limit change is very expensive due to the skill necessary.

As an example, someone could kill a plant and use that to completely lower the noise limit in an area. For a few seconds/minutes, they could make an area silent. If they raised the bottom limit, only loud noises could be heard (someone would need to yell to talk, but it would still sound just as loud). That would be either a strong physical change or lower metaphorical change, but if you are unskilled in metaphorical changes doing it that way could cause it to mess with any definition of “noise”.

Interesting. Quick question for everyone on this thread but what would you think about someone writing a magic system that was about bloodlines?

[Lunamor she/her]

Just now, RoyalBeeMage said:

Interesting. Quick question for everyone on this thread but what would you think about someone writing a magic system that was about bloodlines?

Do you mean something like powers only attainable through your genetics or something individual to each different family?

[RoyalBeeMage he/him]

3 minutes ago, Lunamor said:

Do you mean something like powers only attainable through your genetics or something individual to each different family?

Kind of both. So there are these multiverse traveling litches whose phalactories are there bloodlines/descendents. They are able to bring new powers into their bloodlines and therefore themselves by making one of their children have a child with someone from a different bloodline with the disired powers

[Scars of Hathsin he/him]

I have been workshopping a magic system, where there is a language to the 'Soul' and using that language snips bit off your soul. However  it takes a long time to learn, but what you write happens. With most people only learning a few basic words in their life.

[Lunamor she/her]

1 minute ago, RoyalBeeMage said:

Kind of both. So there are these multiverse traveling litches whose phalactories are there bloodlines/descendents. They are able to bring new powers into their bloodlines and therefore themselves by making one of their children have a child with someone from a different bloodline with the disired powers

That’s interesting. Is it possible for a new magical bloodline/lich to be created? Depending on the lifespan of liches/if they can be completely immortal, you might wind up with powerscaling issues if their descendants all eventually cross the same bloodlines or if they wind up having an exponentially large amount of descendants and become unkillable. Also, to clarify, do the non-liches in the bloodlines get powers?

1 minute ago, Scars of Hathsin said:

I have been workshopping a magic system, where there is a language to the 'Soul' and using that language snips bit off your soul. However  it takes a long time to learn, but what you write happens. With most people only learning a few basic words in their life.

That sounds cool. What are the consequences of losing soul bits?