Magic System Notion Template to help writers build a magic system for their fantasy world! ✨🐉🌸
Follow the 16 steps to build your system, from the system structure to its source, users, abilities, and how it interacts with your story’s world and plot.
Magic is one of the defining characteristics of the fantasy genre. A writer has unlimited possibilities to choose from when building their w
Blood Magic, Necromancy & More: The Dark Side of Fantasy Magic
Magic in fantasy worlds is wonderful, thrilling, and sometimes even poetic.
But let’s not kid ourselves; not all magic is sparkles and unicorns.
There’s a whole lot of muck, blood, and sinister whispering in the shadows. Let’s take a stroll through the darker alleys of magic systems.
Just be careful where you step.
Blood Magic: The Price of Power
Blood magic sounds pretty cool until you…
Pic taken from googling "white decorative box" idk even what these things really look like. They're white. They're boxes. Idk.
So the way I've envisioned magic in my world is that it's basically a natural force that makes up all that can't be seen or understood. It creates/causes/allows hypothetical possibility. And it exists within a sort of shadow plane alongside our own, and what we see is just sort of a reflection, bits and pieces peeking through a veil.
This plane is where it is drawn from by a user. However, it must be drawn through a conduit of some kind (a staff/wand/other instrument) that is made of substances from this plane, because this is what filters out all the Bad Stuff that would be harmful if it came through in its pure form from this other realm.* Sometimes rifts occur and "dirty"/unfiltered magic comes through and this can be Very Bad. It can cause plague, crop failure, drought and extreme weather; or smaller, less noticeable effects like static in the air and untraceable humming or buzzing sounds.
Another way in which magic can be harmful is through energy loss. When magic is channeled into our realm, some fractions of its power are inherently lost in the process, and this ‘wasted’ magic can be equally harmful in large doses.
This is where Whiteboxes come in. A Whitebox is a device used when a magic user does Something Big which causes a lot of waste, to trap that wasted energy so it can’t escape into our plane. Because of this, Whiteboxes are highly dangerous - magic users will keep them close at hand or store them somewhere safe and hidden to ensure nobody will come across them by accident, but it does occasionally happen, and if they are handled incorrectly and that magical waste is let out...bad things happen. And the longer the waste is left in a Whitebox, the stronger and more concentrated it becomes.
Here's the bit I'm not sure about yet. What exactly are they made of? It must be some material that contains the wasted energy, but what could that be? I'll think about it.
*The danger, of course, is people who don't know this and use magic inadvertently. There is such a stigma and taboo surrounding magic at all, that nobody thinks to ask and further understand, and therefore mistakes happen. A lot of inexperienced and/or uneducated magic users often end up channeling magic directly through their own body rather than an instrument, which can both cause further leaks and physical harm to the user.
“Power swirled through their veins, burning tracks down their spine and bursting through the cracks in their mind.”
Magic. It’s one of the defining characteristics of the fantasy genre. A writer has unlimited possibilities to choose from when building their world and the magic that shapes it. Flying. Shapeshifting. Characters wielding fire or healing with a touch. Magic potions and runic spells. Demon magic and necromancy. Witch marks and superheroes.
This guide is designed to walk you through each step of building your magic, from choosing the structure to figuring out how it's cast and what powers are included. Hopefully by the end of this post you have a clear path to building a workable system of magic for your fantasy world.
Step One: Capturing the Feeling
Before we do anything else, take twenty minutes right here to do a free-write on what you want from your magic system.
Ask yourself: what emotions do you want your magic to create? In the reader? In your characters? In yourself? Do you want it to feel mysterious, mystical, disturbing, epic, powerful, sacred, moral, industrial, historical, epic?
You could also think about the story you’re telling: Is it an epic saga akin to Stormlight Archive or Wheel of Time? Or is it a smaller, character driven story like Fire by Kristin Cashore? Or a story about political maneuvering within a single kingdom like Twelve Houses by Sharon Shinn? The type of story you’re telling can help determine the magic system you use.
The bottom line is you want to capture the feeling of your magic.
Step Two: Choosing a Class
In my mind, magic systems fall into two major classes: Ability-Based and Spell-Based.
Ability-based is your basic superhero system — mages have a certain ability (or abilities), which could range from controlling light to super-speed. Their powers aren’t infinite. Mages could each have different, unique abilities, or they could choose from a set class (like Mistings from Mistborn).
Spell-based is your more classic magic — mages use power to cast spells, all (or most) have access to the same range of powers, and there are near infinite spells to choose from.
Like I mentioned in Step One, your choice should depend on the story you want to tell.
Think about your plot, world, and themes while we’re going through the two classes: which one will highlight or enhance the story you are telling?
Think about your characters: which class will fit them best?
Which one would you have the most fun writing?
Step Three: Theme
Once you know the class of your magic system, you need to consider its theme. This is where that free-write about the feeling of your magic is going to come in. Look at what you came up with. The emotions you wanted to evoke. The atmosphere. This is going to become your theme.
For instance — if you wanted your magic to feel disturbing, then maybe your theme will be necromancy or death magic.
Your theme is there to limit your magic. It will keep your system from feeling arbitrary, and will enhance the overall feeling of your world. It’s going to help you focus your abilities, powers, and limitations to create a unique system.
Step Four: Hard or Soft System
Some authors prefer to keep their magic shrouded in mystery and mysticism, while others love to lay out the rules and possibilities of their system with as much detail as a scientific experiment, with histories, theories, and runic charts in the back of the book (looking at you, Sanderson). Most systems are somewhere in the middle of the scale. You need to decide where you want yours to fall.
While deciding, consider Sanderson’s First Law of Magic: “An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is directly proportional to how well the reader understands said magic.”
If your reader knows and understands your magic, then you can use your abilities, powers, and cool effects to solve problems.
If your reader doesn’t know the rules, the powers, or how your magic works, then any time you use it to solve problems or plot issues, it will feel like deus ex machina. Though you can still use magic to cause problems and make things harder for your characters.
Step Five: Your Magic's Source
What is the origin of your magic? Power has to come from somewhere, assuming your world follows the laws of basic physics (which it doesn’t have too, but I would recommend having some sort of accepted laws of reality).
A few things to think about:
Is your magic powered by the character themselves (does it exist inside them)? Or do they need to draw on an outer source?
Remember that you can combine sources — such as in Mistborn, where ingesting metals gives the allomancers power, but that power is ultimately fueled by the god Preservation.
For the future: the source of your magic is going to play a large part in the limitations, rules, and abilities of that magic. For instance, if magic is fueled by the caster’s own life energy, it will severely limit the amount of spells they can cast. But if magic is an unlimited river of energy that runs through everything (like the Force), it will be much more abundant for huge epic magics.
Step Six: Powers & Abilities
I’m sure you have some ideas already, but now is the time to solidify what powers your magic grants or what spells your characters cast.
Stick to Your Theme: The most important thing here is to limit your powers with your theme. If you don’t, you’ll loose the theme completely, and your system will feel arbitrary and overused. Try brainstorming a list of powers or abilities that could fall under your theme. Note that this is the same if you are designing a spell-based system of magic or an ability-based system.
If you’re having trouble coming up with powers, then make the limits of your theme more general. If your powers feel too disconnected and random, then make your limits more specific.
Here are some other questions to consider:
Do all of your characters share the same abilities? Do casters get to decide what their ability is (a conscious choice) or are they simply born with a certain range of magic? Are some things harder to do than others?
Have you given your characters abilities that make them too powerful? Could they break the world, tear a hole in reality, or some other effect that would make your plot meaningless?
Step Seven: Casting Your Magic
Waving a wand, drawing a runic spell, gathering your will, burning metal, singing the right notes, or speaking an objects true name. Whether it’s with a thought, a gesture, speech, or a material object, there are as many ways of casting a spell as there are spells to cast.
Consider Your Theme and Story: The important thing here is to find how your characters use magic: what fits with your story, theme, and characterization? Will your characters cast spells against the forces of evil on a desolate battlefield, or will they use rituals and herbs to heal the sick in a wooded cabin, or sing their magic into being to cast illusions for the royal houses? An elaborate ritual won’t be very useful for a battle mage or a spy embedded in a foreign government.
Step Eight: Magic Users
You know what your magic can do, you know its source, and you know how it’s harnessed. Now you need to decide who has power.
Consider Your Characters and Story: how do those who use magic see themselves? How are they seen by others? Here are some questions for you to consider:
How accessible do you want magic? Is it limited to a certain few or can anyone use it?
If anyone can use it, do they? Or are there some who shun it?
Are mages simply born with magic, or can it be gained through training? Does it have to be stolen or bargained for?
Do people with magic think it’s a curse or blessing? Are your characters proud of their powers, or ashamed by them? How does this affect their personalities and motivations?
Consider Your Theme: go back to the feeling of your magic. What is it? What type of person fits into it? What kind of world does your magic exist in? Is it hidden and mysterious or built into the very fabric of your culture and civilizations?
Step Nine: Limitations
Consider Sanderson’s Second Law: Limitations > Powers.
This law is basically saying that your magic’s limitations should be stronger than your abilities. If your abilities are too overpowered, then your magic could end up breaking your story and plot.
The limitations of magic bring tension, drama, and risk to the story. They keep magic from being an easy way out by making your characters work harder, which can in turn up the stakes of your plot.
They can be the most interesting and engaging part of your system. For instance, mages that can control fire are pretty common, but what if a mage could only control fire if they were being burned at the time? That’s unique, interesting, and has story potential.
You build your limitations by determining the Rules, Cost, and Weaknesses of your magic. They may seem similar, and in some ways they overlap, but it’s important to consider each separately to build a complete system of magic.
Rules — what magic users must follow (could be breakable, with disastrous consequences, or absolute and above mortal control.) What can't your magic do? What are the limits or boundaries of its abilities? Remember, once you decide on your rules, you need to stick to them, or your magic won't feel believable.
Cost — the price a mage pays to cast magic. This could range from energy or stamina to actual life force or simply material cost or money. Remember, the higher your cost, the less your characters will use their magic.
If you want it to be a common and everyday thing, then you need a small, manageable cost.
If you want magic to be used only as a last resort, then have a high cost that few would think is worth paying.
Weaknesses — where does the magic fail? What can’t it do? How can it be beaten? What ways would the opposite side overcome the advantage of the mage’s power, workaround it, or make it useless? Weaknesses are intertwined with both the cost and rules of your magic, and so they may overlap. Take a look at your rules and costs and extrapolate to find the weak points of your magic.
For instance, if a rule of magic is that a mage has to see something in order to cast a spell on it, a weakness would be that their enemies could simply stay out of sight, or find a way to blind their opponent in order to make their magic useless. Could an enemy permanently blind a mage, and take away their power forever?
Step Ten: Extrapolation & Organization
Go deeper, not wider: a magic with unlimited power can be fun to play with, but it could be more unique to have a magic with a small collection of powers, that are each explored in depth.
Remember Sanderson’s Third Law of Magic: “Expand what you already have before you add something new.”
Before you start to add multiple abilities, schools, types, or magic systems together, consider the implications of what you already have: even an ability as simple as making plants grow could be used in dozens of different ways.
Could your character bring down a building by crumbling the foundation with tree roots? Could they grow a poison to take out an enemy? Could they grow foliage in order to hide from pursuers? Or grow a vine to climb up a cliff? How could your characters solve their problems, using what they have in different or unique ways?
Two characters with the same power can use that power differently. This can be a good way to go deep into characterization and personality, and really show how each character sees the world. Perhaps the power is manipulating bone — one character might use their power to heal, and mend, while another might use it to break bones and control their criminal empire.
Step Eleven: Name of Magic
There’s a lot to consider when naming your magic: here are a few questions to ask yourself.
What’s the magic itself called? Magic? Mana? Force? Energy? Or something unique like Aon Dor or BioChromatic Breath?
What are mages called? Wizards? Casters? Or something like Mistborn, Shapers, Riders, Radiants, or Powder Mages?
What is the act of magic called? Do mages cast a spell? Or weave a thread of magic? Or burn metal? Or draw in Stormlight?
Are there multiple names for the magic or magic users? If you have different cultures, nations or planets, perhaps they have their own words for mages. Like Dragon Riders and Argetlam (meaning silver hand) from Inheritance Cycle.
Consider your theme, or an element of your theme: what is the main focus of your magic? Does it have to do with fire? With metal? With wood or plant growth? Whatever it is can help you decide your names and terms.
Perhaps your characters are members of the thieves guild, and they’ve been hired to steal a magic gem from a corrupt lord. Perhaps magic in this world manifests as an ability to see through any wall, a skill perfect for thieving, so Thief is synonymous with mage.
Just Like Magic!
And that’s pretty much it. You now have a working magic system. As you start to write your story and further flesh out your world and characters, you’ll need to edit your magic accordingly. You’ll always be thinking of new things and exciting additions, but now that you have the bones, your magic system can grow to be functional, unique, and engaging for your readers.
This blog post was my very first draft at building a magic system and was originally posted on my website blog here. I later turned it into an even more depth guide in my downloadable Magic System Worldbuilding PDF Workbook and my even more extensive Ultimate Magic System Notion Template (found in my gumroad shop or my etsy shop!)
I recently started world-building for a new story idea (I know—bad when I'm supposed to be in the middle of revising my current project) and in trying to figure out the level of technology and feeling of my new world I got lost in google searches about the different punk genres.
So I decided to make a master list.
According to Wikipedia (a highly reputable source by all accounts) a punk genre can be described as “a world built on one particular technology that is extrapolated to a highly sophisticated level (this may even be a fantastical or anachronistic technology, akin to retro-futurism) a gritty transreal urban style, or a particular approach to social themes.”
There are so many (so so many) and some people roll their eyes at every new addition but I think the names and distinctions are interesting and fun (I mean, Magicpunk may just be regular fantasy, but it sounds so much cooler). I love the idea of scientific fantasy, and of blurry the lines between the sci-fi and fantasy genres. Who’s to stop you from mixing the culture of the Japanese samurai with an epic space opera in the stars?
This is an incomplete list. I've organized it by time period (loosely, because some overlap or can go anywhere). I've also provided an example of a published work (for those that have them).
Established Fantasy Punk Genres: An Incomplete List
Magicpunk/Dungeonpunk: Fantasy punk genre where the “one particular technology” that the world is build on is magic. You have trains running on lines of sorcerer-fueled energy and ships powered by wind magic and computers running on sub-dimensional energy from the demon realm. Popular examples include The Sleeping Dragon by Jonny Nexus and The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams.
Aetherpunk: Subgenre mix of Magicpunk/Dungeonpunk where the magic source of the technology is specifically the element of Aether. Often, if not always, also has Steampunk elements. The Aeronaut’s Windlass by Jim Butcher is the only example that comes to mind.
Mythpunk: A punk genre that is inspired by or incorporates myths and legends. These aren’t usually a retelling of a popular myth, but rather one that includes elements of the myth, or twists and changes the story around to it’s own ends. Popular examples would be American Gods by Neil Gaiman or Deathless by Catherynne Valente.
Stonepunk: Set in the stone age, this genre is characterized by the use of non-technology as technology, creating pseudo-tech and modern inventions with natural, basic resources like stone, wood, water, fire, clay, and rope. The Flintstones would be the best example.
Sandalpunk: Sandalpunk is on thin ice as a punk genre. Rather than being inspired or defined by a technology, it instead focuses on the period of time of the ancient world before the Middle Ages, often set in Greece or Rome. There aren’t many examples of it. But the name is cool.
Steampunk: Arguably the most popular punk genre (after Cyberpunk) featuring science fantasy stories set in Victorian era, with advanced technology powered by steam engines and clockwork mechanics. Doctor Who perhaps described it best, “The Victorian Age accelerated. Starships and missiles fueled by coal and driven by steam.” There are many examples, both in literature and film, including His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman, Mortal Engines by Philip Reeves and The Parosol Protectorate by Gail Carriger.
Clockpunk: Close-cousin subgenre of Steampunk, characterized by a lot of clocks and inspired by the pre-steam energy period of the Renaissance and Baroque eras. Pasquale’s Angel by Paul J. McAuley is more Clockpunk than Steampunk.
Silkpunk: Silkpunk is another subgenre of Steampunk, one generation removed. While steampunk is defined by it’s Victorian era brass and steam aesthetic, Silkpunk is inspired by East Asian culture during the period of the Silk Road. Examples include The Dandelion Dynasty by Ken Liu and The Tea Master and The Detective by Aliette de Bodard.
Cattlepunk: Yet another subgenre of Steampunk, Cattlepunk is the across-the-ocean-bastard-cousin set in the wild west of early America. Cowboys, bank robberies, and train heists meet robots, warmechs, magic, and super-weapons. The Wild Wild West and Firefly verse are classic movie examples. Book examples would be the Mistborn Era II series by Brandon Sanderson and The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. (And I didn’t realize until I just did all this research but based on examples this is like my favorite punk.)
Dieselpunk: This genre is set in the aesthetic of the 1920s-1950s era and is characterized by the use of diesel-powered technology. Commonly incorporates alternate history elements, as well as themes surrounding the Great Depression and World War II. It’s been called the darker and dirtier version of Steampunk with an emphasis on air travel and combat, dirigibles, and air pirates. Examples include The Iroon Dream by Norman Spinrad, Dreadnough by Cherie Priest, and Pirate Utopia by Bruce Sterling.
Atompunk: A retro-futuristic punk genre set in during the Cold War and characterized by atomic nuclear technology, ray guns, robots, hover cars, and interdimensional travel. Atompunk often deals with the themes of nuclear power gone wrong and alternate versions of the Cold War. The most popular example of this would be the Fallout games by Bethesda.
Capepunk: Capepunk is just superhero fiction set in the modern-era world where people have powers. Example would be any superhero story ever. I just think the name’s cool.
Gothicpunk: Gothicpunk is also usually set in the modern-era, but incorporates The Goth. Generally characterized by an underworld of supernatural creatures lying in wait and secretly controlling the workings of our world where humans are but cattle. This is basically dark Urban Fantasy, but it’s popular enough to get a distinction. Anne Rice’s Interview With a Vampire is an okay example. The movies Priest and Daybreakers are much better ones.
Cyberpunk: Cyberpunk, the grandfather of all of the punk genres. Characterized by dystopian and cynical future world in which technology has brought about cultural nihilism and a crap society. Often combined with Film Noir or detective fiction. (Fantastic Noir is a fantasy version of Cyberpunk). Heroes are most prone to be some form of hacker, rebel, or antihero fight against a totalitarian police state or corporate empire oppressing the people. Examples Neuromancer by William Gibson and the movie Blade Runner.
Post-Cyberpunk: This is Cyberpunks chipper, more optimistic sibling. It has all of the vision of a scientifically advanced cyber-culture without the gritty, dark, and edgy world elements. It still share’s the Cyberpunk elements of analyzing how technology interacts and impacts with society, just without such a grimdark view of humanity. Examples would be Agent G by C.T. Phipps and The Peace War by Vernor Vinge.
Biopunk: Biopunk is Cyberpunks genetically engineered half-sibling. This punk centers around organic technology with a healthy smattering of bio-augmentation and biotechnology. Examples include In the Courts of the Crimson Kings by S.M. Stirling, West of Eden by Harry Harrison, and Wolfish Nature by Vladimir Vasilyev.
Nanopunk: Also a subgenre of Cyberpunk with characterized by the use of nanites and nanotechnology as the predominate form of technology. Examples are Tech Heaven by Linda Nagata and Micro by Michael Crichton.
Solarpunk: Solarpunk is a genre characterized by it’s environmentally friendly technology meshed with African and Asian cultures and an emphasis in community, art, and a bright solar future where humanity has found a balance between technology and nature. Can also include many elements of Biopunk, but with a much more optomistic, for-the-future-of-species-and-environment outlook. Example works include Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor, Maurai by Poul Anderson, and Songs from the Stars by Norman Spinrad.
Apunkalypse: This genre is defined by the collapse of civilization where society is replaced by lawless bands of roving scavenger gangs or cities collapsing into decay or the rise of punks overthrows the rules of the past. Examples include Mad Max and Mortal Engines by Philip Reeves (which is also Steampunk, so it’s a good example of book incorporating more than one punk genre).
Desertpunk: Punk genre characterized by sand. Who doesn't love a good desert planet? Often features roaming tribes, wandering heroes, desert bandits, and sand storms. Can be combined with Cattlepunk, for a Western desert, or Apunkalypse, for an-after-the-end-of-the-world setting. Examples include Dune by Frank Herbert and Railsea by China Mieville.
Oceanpunk: This punk is set on the high seas. Often features floating cities of wood and iron lashed together and mighty nations fighting for dominion of the watery world and may also feature civilizations and cultures below the waves in underwater cities. Sometimes called Pirate Punk, because nothing breed pirate stories like ocean cities and sailing ships. Examples include The Scar by China Mieville, Tranquilium by Andrey Lazarchuk, and Dark Life by Kat Falls.
A master list of fantasy and science fiction punk genres for speculative fiction authors.
Did I Miss a Punk?
Can you guys think of any other punks to add? Either ones you've thought up, or any you've heard of that I don't have listed. I'd love to keep this list updated. I find it's useful to look through when creating a new world to get the overall feeling of what I'm going for with the story and world-building.
What punk are you writing in for your current WIP?
