Worldbuilding & Writing: The Magic System
I've built my fair share of magic systems. They're one of the most fun segments of worldbuilding. One of the first things I typically decide, although it's not exactly required, is to choose whether I'm going to build a soft or hard magic system.
Similarly to how there is soft and hard worldbuilding, magic systems can be approached in the same way, but in all reality not either perspective is needed if you already have a good idea for what your plans are, nor does any particular category need to be adhered. A mix could easily suffice.
Hard Magic System
A hard magic system is known for having a rigid set of rules and explanations for how magic works, alongside foundations, laws, and limitations.
Examples
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Mistborn
Fullmetal Alchemist
My Hero Academia
Steven Universe
Soft Magic System
Meanwhile a soft magic system is far more flexible, and contains an air of mystery. Even if there are hard rules, they don't necessarily need to be explained or well known by the characters or reader.
Examples
Alice in Wonderland
Lord of the Rings
Star Wars
The Chronicles of Narnia
Hollow Knight
Mixed
But these categories are really only tools, and were coined by Brandon Anderson, so for a lot of writing we grew up with it wasn't often considered. People simply made their magic.
Examples
Naruto
Fear and Hunger
Darkest Dungeon
Adventure Time
Regular Show
Cookie Run
The Concept
And so.... we all have to start somewhere. It's time to build the bones of your magic system. I'm sure most of you have arrived to this post with an idea already in mind, so let's solidify that.
So tell me
What is magic in your world? What does it look like? What does it sound like? What makes it unique? It is through casting spells that are read off or is it in everybody naturally? Does everyone have magic? Can magic be stored? What makes something magical and something else not?
Once you got your basics down, the hard stuff follows suit
Casting & Fighting Style
What are the principles for magic being casted or used, because even if magic isn't exactly casted, surely it holds some sort of form, whether fluid or not.
I personally take great care in how magic casted, the appearance, the rituals, the style and dance of it all. This is where in my opinion one's magic system can stand out the most. Do people cast magic from their hands? Their focus and minds? Does it require a song and dance? Or an invocation? Or an ancient ritual?
How does the average person capable of magic access it? If magic is in everyone how do people learn to use it? That and many more questions are what I ask myself until eventually I have a magic system formed.
Requirements & Invocations
What is required in order to cast/use magic?
Can everyone do this?
What happens do those who can't?
Is any material, written or spoken word, or concoction needed to see the proper results of magic?
Is an energy, biological, effort, or otherwise required to use magic?
Do people rely on spellcasting focuses/tools to cast through (i.e. wands, tomes, staves)? Can it be anything (suitcase, toy plush, cane)? Can people do it straight from their hands, feet, body?
Is focus required?
You can always mix and match, there's no rule telling anyone their magic system can't be super complex or super simple. I personally prefer to make overly complex ones.
Religious/Spiritual vs Anatomical
Does the magic of a higher power ever affect the magic in your worldbuilding? Such as the ability for paladins and cleric's to call upon their god. Or a demigod being imbued with superhuman strength. Are there realms that were created by divine beings or materials that can be resourced from gods, angels, or demons.
Many of these same brainstorms can apply to the spiritual. Spirits, ancient animals of the forest, kami, youkai, and invoking one's ancestors could all easily be seen as a form of magic itself.
But what if magic is science and technology in a way? What if magic is anatomical? I'm a huge advocate for magic as a science, and for mana to run through one's veins. There's so much you could explore if magic is intertwined into one's health and/or anatomy.
Side Effects
I love when magic comes with side effects. I love angst. I love whump.
What happens if someone uses more magic than they can handle?
Can magic backfire?
Can magic fail?
Does using magic come with any side effects?
Do curses, hexes, vexes, blights exist?
What are the side effects of having magic used on you?
Can magic be used to hurt someone?
Can magic be used to hurt the caster?
Style
What does it look like?
I mean I don't have to ask much or infer much here.
Combat
Honestly, I could make an entire post alone about magic and combat utility, but for this sector I'm just going to say instead where there is an intelligent species and something to be innovated upon somebody will try to use it to kill someone else.
Health
Especially if magic is linked to one's anatomy, it would be intertwined with one's health. Double this if healing magic exist.
What makes things difficult is deciding how much magic affects one's health, and designing healing magic without it completely derailing the story/worldbuilding already at hand. I could make a whole post on healing magic too to be honest
Education & Legacy
Does the magic need to be passed on? How do younger generations learn of this magic? How do people maintain the magical artifacts of their world? Can people rely on mentors/teachers to train them? Etc. Etc.
Resources, Energy, Components
Energy
As they say you cannot create something from nothing, and usually when worldbuilding I apply that logic to magic too. Although you usually hear of energy or lifeforce such as mana, qi, ether, or lifeblood. You aren't technically limited to make life-energy your source (but I personally prefer to do it).
Whether a creature requires electricity, silk, shadow, soul, or blood there's all kinds of ideas for what powers someone's magical abilities.
But the resource to someone's power doesn't always have to be that simple. Maybe magic is more so a trade, you give something in return besides from energy. Maybe magic has a specialized source like a cursed sword or an amulet of power.
I mean there's endless ways one's magic can be sourced, and here's just a few examples I can think of
Soul and Silk in Hollowknight
Visions, Gnosis, and the Abyss from Genshin Impact
Possession & Mediums in Dandadan
Kyubey's wishes and magical girlhood in Madoka Magica
Cosmic Force in Star Wars
Crowns in Cult of the Lamb
Light in Sky: Children of the Light
Elements of Harmony in My Little Pony
Gems in Steven Universe
Religious spirituality in Faith
The Fears in The Magnus Archives
Resources & Components
You don't need to write down the ingredients to every potion and spell, but you do need to decide if ingredients are needed when it comes to magic. The same goes for vocal invocations, rituals, and dances. You can worry about the nitpicking and specialties later, because the easiest choice from here on out is to decide how most people acquire these recipes and resources.
Does the general public know about these requirements to magic? Is it seen as a typical everyday science? Can you go and find a store of magical maladies in every city? Or are people required to venture into the forest and find a witch's hut in order to achieve their wish?
World Standing
Now to tie the magic to the world around it, one of the most important aspects in my opinion. Without this step often times the magic doesn't really feel real to the characters, story, or worldbuilding. It can feel like a last minute McGuffin. In my own opinion, a magic system that feels detached to its characters or world often falls as a writing pet peeve of mine, although it's not really that serious.
Magic is just like technology in this instance.
What do most people think of magic? What do magic users think of magic? What advancements have been made using magic? Are there nonhuman/non-intelligence species that can use or interact with magic?
If magic is super prevalent then how is it integrated into everyday life? What technologies that would've been invented weren't in the stead of magic?
If magic is lesser known or discriminated against how does this affect the life of one that uses magic? Is it discriminated against through government means? Do mobs or organizations hunt/harm people who use magic? How do these groups put themselves on the same level as those who use magic in order to put them down?
If magic is part of some sort of secret society than how is it kept secret? The bigger the society more likely suspension of disbelief will be broken. Take for instance one of the biggest criticisms of Harry Potter (aside from all the blatant bigotry and transphobia of the writer) was how did these international magical organizations that were large to the point of having entire government ministries and terrorist organizations kept secret from normal human society 24/7.
The excuses made in the writing simply don't cut it, and it only gets stranger when you remember that some non-magical families have their kids sent to the big school. How did they find out about the school? Was a letter just sent? How are they convinced? Why would they agree to send their precious child to a random magical organization they've never heard of upon discovering that their kid might have magic powers?
What even decides if a family is magical or not? What even decides if a single person amongst a normal non-magical family is suddenly magical and needs to go to magic school that is also not known by the majority of humankind.
....Secret organizations aside let's talk innovation
Innovation, Innovation, Innovation
In a worldbuilding where magic is everything it should be everything. Intelligent species like humans are very good at innovation, and they will try to find the perfect use for everything they can get their hands on. How else could we have discovered the utility of drinking cow's milk, curdling milk into cheese, putting cheese between bread, inventing pizza, making ovens specially for pizza... etc. etc.
Everything you use in your daily life was once another human or civilization's innovation, and mankind will often reinvent the same thing over and over and over.
You analyze civilizations of ancient history and easily figure out why every coastline society has religious stories of a great flood. Anywhere with clay was bound to discover pottery. Anybody with brick was bound to place brick by brick together and create walls, then houses, then villages.
The same idea would apply theoretically to magic.
People would instinctively try to use magic in everything to discover its eventual uses, and since people aren't necessarily all saints, that includes weaponization.
If the magic in your worldbuilding is highly versatile it would be used in all kinds of things, from gardening, to warfare, to transportation, to animal husbandry, to agriculture, to family, and many more.
Higher Powers, Souls, & Spirits
Higher Powers
If higher powers do exist in your worldbuilding, does everyone believe in them? And does it really even matter?
Obviously if there is some kind of god running around in your worldbuilding with godly powers, it in someway, would be probably be tied to the magic. Whether if they exist simply as a god, and their magic never needs to be explained, or whether they rule over a specific branch of magic.... gods can be a powerful backbone in worldbuilding.
But focusing on their relationship to magic, what is theirs in your worldbuilding? Does the average magic user even know of their existence? Or do they prayer to a specific god or pantheon in hopes to receive just a smidge of their power?
Can people become gods through magic? Or see or commune with them? Or similar?
Souls & Spirits
And on a similar note... what about the paranormal in your worldbuilding? Do ghosts and spirits have any ties to magic? What about things such as youkai, cryptids, and kami? The undead?
Final Words
I'm sure there's a lot of typos throughout this post, but I'm satisfied with what I had say. There's some stuff here and there that could be it's own post.
