When I was in middle school, I was very fond of worldbuilding and designing ways that various worlds might work. Part of that, obviously, would include Magic Theory if we are speaking about worlds that include magic. So here's the point of this thread: Let's share/discuss various systems of magic theory you've thought up of over time! ((And of course, steal use other's peoples ideas as inspiration to improve our own theories)) Important item of commentary: Yes, there are people who define magic as "the act of performing/accomplishing the mystic unknown/impossible." However, that's a contradiction! The reason being, by Arthur C Clarke's third law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." In a world where magic is the norm, magic = science = technology! For people who perform magic, it is no longer mystical/unknown/impossible to them, because they are able to control or utilize it in some predictable way. Only people who do not understand magic say that it is unknown/impossible, but it is only that way because it subjectively appears to them so. The exception is if you've created a world where magic is performed by unpredictable mumbo-jumbo-faith-love-wish-upon-a-star prayer where the performer doesn't need to know a single thing other than: "I wish/pray this will happen!". However, at that point, what's the point of fancy spells, magic circles, and all that complicated stuff that's so popular? To me, that crosses more into the territory of holy/faith-performed miracles, precisely because it is unpredictable and the performer has no understanding of how to make phenomena occur. Magic has rules. ^ This statement inherently contradicts the statement: "Magic is inexplicable". Therefore, if you create a system where magic is able to occur in any predictable or controllable fashion, it necessitates that magic adheres to rules, and therefore can be described by some form of Magic Theory.
Simplies it please I'm a noob literally Ah and isn't science and magic closely related since one is physical action other is mental one Oh and nice pic by the way Ei Isnt language apart of the theory?
This is one of the rarer options available in the world I thought this up for, but using a small amount of mana to draw characters that can manipulate ambient magical energy. A sentence of characters would create a stronger effect while using less words allow you to manipulate the effect of the magic more freely.
TV Tropes got you covered. So You Want To / Write a Functional Magic System Also a bonus page for different types of functional magic for added measure.
I have passed by this manga called Risou No Himo Seikatsu, in chapter 6 there is a magic lesson there.
an advice. . . make sure she explodes first then go for the kill~ ps:are Alchemist part of this? Like those brothers. . . won't it be a problem if we bring Tatsuya here? or Hinata (Negi's dead) or Itatchi (Sasuke sucks with eyes) or Nagato? or welp even Watch-kun (Secret Society of the Magic-Sealed City) then i guess we can also include Abe no Seimei . . . . there's alot. . .
As a world building tool i read 3 main theories. 1) The world has a specific rule for how each magic works using a formula (either true language, glyphs, calculations, etc) 1a) In most cases this means that it can be changed or improved. 1b) It can have a true sound/language/form that means what will happen. This is the most systematized and tech-like ways. Even when the reader does't understand or is explained how this works, the characters themselves understand the system. This is also an archetype of xianxia magic. Examples of this are Descent of the God of Magic, Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei, etc. 2) It works via image, whatever helps the caster to improve. It can have any type of requirements depending on the user (usually to fortify the image) however they are not required. The effect may vary depending on the user mental state. Magi’s Grandson is an example of this. 3) It works because of a game system/setting. It's arbitrary, the result is always the same and can be improved in very little ways. Usually the cast has hard requirements that must be completed on every cast. Of course the MC usually finds a way to sidestep this. Max Level Newbie follow this setting with a twist (MC can change to the first system after learning). EDIT: There are several ways to design a magic system however the main one is that it should be possible for a character to do it, if it requires a machine then is not magic anymore but technology (read any of Andur's works for a character that creates technology from magic).
The relationship between science and magic has nothing to do with one being physical and the other being mental. What OP is basically saying is that magic by definition is no longer magic as soon as it becomes an established system. Think of it like this by definition magic could be thought of as a Mysterious Force, but if you create a world where people perfectly understand how to utilize this Force it is no longer Mysterious, it is an Understood Force, basically it is a science. A good example is FMA (Fullmetal Alchemist) The things they can do with Alchemy could definitely be thought of as magic, but the people of that world don't think of it as magic, they treat it as a science.
highest level of magic to me=if your will is strogs enough , it will affect the world around you, allowing one to cast and manipulate magic at will for you are the WORLD
Well for me this is a rule that i overheard before and made sense. Magic is just science that is not understood yet.
The world is made of energy and matter after that is magic; the magic is omnipresent in any place can have magic and at the same time no. the magic doesn't have a will; magicians are born with personal preferences and natural talent. magic is based in the will, the concept of magic is abstract even this book cant explain it but is a concept that is based on will, magician theories that magic is in our own imagination, whenever or not we can feel it or use it is another thing, transcendent intervention affects the power of the magic whenever are gods, demons, high humans or whatever the hell next. the magic is based on will in that aspect people will question the necessity of chanting and the necessity of chanting depends of the world that you are in, from the extor.. *ahem* questions that we manage to get the transcendent people to answer we discover that the majority of the worlds in this "reality" is owned by a god or a transcendent people there are some that are free to use or public like the biggest world that is called the divine realm or there is some prowblem with the world *ahem* universe, each universe have its natural rules that are created by the reality itself all of them are random and because of that there are some universes that doesnt have magic and the majority of them are "public domains"; but lets return ti magic. the magic is based of will and magic depending of the world the magic can be affected by chanting or not (in this book the general use of magic will be in the "divine realm" that is the most used world example) in the divine realm if you don't chant you use more mana, in that cases the majority of people chant but the magic it isn't so fast to activate, instead of waiting 5 seconds to finish the chant if you do it chantless it will take less than half a second but at least it will cost more than double than using the chant, the chant in general rule allows a common image of the magic, the rookie magicians use it because even if they have watched what will generate it will take them a lot of mental pressure to create a mental image of the magic, its said that the unnoficial God of magic when he was born he was capable of creating water out of his hands; the problem of the image is something difficult so the chant is used, the chant is an infinite repetitive network when you create a chant it means that you are the first magician to create an image of the magic and it will be registered in then mana itself of the world. another problem of magic is the backlash of the magic, in the comon magic it will only be the internal mana of the user but in high-end magic it will take a lot of mana and different tipes of things from life force, fisical objects, etc....