Hard vs. Soft magic systems (+poll~)

[DokiDokiTsuna]

Which do you prefer overall, and why?

• Hard
• Soft

Show results

I hate to say it, but I prefer hard magic (RULES RULE). I just love making up all the little classifications and mechanics; and I love learning about them in other stories.

I only hate to say it because hard magic is already popular, even though soft magic has its own potential. For one thing, having a mysterious power in your story that abides by its own rules (maybe even by its own will) gives it a unique ambiance that you don't get in more 'organized' fantasy: something more perilous, unpredictable, naturalistic, even. It makes the universe an available tool for you to use to teach something to the characters, or to the audience.

In fact, that's basically one of the quotes I just read: "hard magic is a tool for the characters; soft magic is a tool for the author". It's not that either one is superior, they just shine especially well in different contexts.

[darthmongoose]

I do think both can be cool, like I love when magic is just mysterious and nobody quite understands how it works... But I'm naturally more inclined to create hard systems with very clearly defined rules in my own work. I like there to be solid rules I can explain to the audience so they can appreciate when a character does something cool or clever with it.

I do have one pet hate though, which is when in subsequent sequels, prequels and the like, people try to turn a setting's soft magic system into a harder one and they just ruin all the mystery and wonder, like how Midichlorians ruin The Force by turning it from this sort of mysterious faith-based thing that anyone could become strong at with awareness, training and courage into this genetic thing where you're born with a power level based on the specific number of special microorganisms you have.

[wrentemple]

I love hard magic systems adjacent to soft magic.

Take the Kingkiller Chronicles for instance. You have this elaborate, hard magic system based on the laws of thermodynamics...
and then there's Word magic and Fae magic just in the corner having their own nebulous, unknowable party.

I prefer soft overall tho. Less likely to write yourself into a corner.

[BlunderingAlbatross]

Hard magic is good when you've got schools of magic or whatever. Making it more of a science helps to suspend a bit of belief and when the reader knows the rules they'll be able to recognise when it goes wrong Divine (and fae) magic, however, should be more out of our understanding.

[DaphnePanda]

I like creating in a world with soft magic, but prefer reading worlds with hard magic. I love the idea that magic is limited more by the character's own understanding of the craft, not just by powers completely out of their control. Unfortunately, creating a system like that is so difficult. I tried once and I gave up. That quote sums it up perfectly.

[neardrive]

In overall, i like structured powers, with a reason and a logic that gives to the lector the oportunity of try to predict what can happen and what not. In a soft magic system, the outcome is completelly unpredectible, and it's harder to try surprise, because you already expects anything.

I have some stories in my backlog based on soft magic, but those feels more "cheese" to me than the ones that i use the hard one.

I don't know if i'm showing my point, my english sometimes is quite limited ^^'

And for the story i'm posting here on tapas, all the "magic" or "superpowers" are purelly based in some kind of "science" or "natural behavior", so it's like hard, i guess

[DukeOfOool]

I voted for hard, but I prefer a mix. My magic system has the very scientific aproach, where realitybenders can aproach everything like math and find the most effiecient way to do something, but there are also gods and beings that make little to no sense.

My favorite is a soft magic system inside a hard rule.

One of the gods in my universe, the seven haloed, who derives his power from promisses, each halo representing one of his unbreakable promises. One of these promises is to grant power to anybody, who holds their promises. These granted powers can be anything; simply luck or something based on the promis, helping the person to fullfil their promise. Does this make sense, maybe, but the seven haloed exist on a higher plane, so humans can only guess why this even works.

The promis part is absolut. One misstep and all your power is gone; but whatever the power itself is, is open.

Similar to a soldier, one doesn´t need to understand how the gun works to shoot.

[Jophiel]

I like soft :"o Magic isn't explained in my project due to an event involving a burning of the libraries with magical books so characters take up magic independently but with discretion. I do have a few notes about dark magic in-story such as how they're used/applied to because they can potentially meddle with someone's psyche. I prefer it soft especially if it's a large/diverse universe with different systems and the like.

[Chita]

I 100% prefer hard magic systems. First of all, I love to see the rules and worldbuilding built around the magic itself and second, knowing the rules of what can or can't be done helps you set your expectations and makes much more satisfying to see the characters get through conflict using creative ways to twist the power rules without breaking them.

[Iris-Grimoire]

I like halfway through. Love magic that is unknowable, limitless, and can theorically work with anything... But because we don't percieve the world through RNG, rules are needed to make it useable. It allows for stories where a character can do cool unexpected things and it's not a plot hole, but if you want a plan to be reliable and not just dumb luck, they have to study and practice like a science or instrument.

[SagaHolmgaard]

Mmmm both are reallly good! I think you can get just as cool and creative world building out of a soft magic system as with a hard magic system! I think for me... rules make it a little easier to write? But as a reader I'll enjoy either.

My comic has sorta a semi-hard magic system. People need to say or write spells to use magic, and people have divided it into sun-powered and moon-powered magic. But I purposely leave some parts open. I want it to feel a little bit like the people are trying to apply logic unto the magic system without having all the knowledge yet. Similar to how scientists might think they know something, but a new discovery can make them have to re-think how something works!

[nathanKmcwilliams]

Depends on the story you want to tell. But I tend to lean towards Hard Magic because I like to get technical.
BUT!
I don't like to expand on it in the comic itself too much, otherwise it becomes a talking match about who's power is stronger.
I like to provide supplemental information that goes along with the comic so I don't bog it down with minutiae.

[DiegoPalacios]

A common misconception about hard magic systems is that people believe it must have a lot of convoluted rules, but hard magic can be simple too.

A solid example of this is Bending in Avatar. People can control one of the four basic elements: eath, air, water and fire (except the avatar, who can master all four). Those require some gestures (unless you are really good at it), and it is possible to manipulate other things like blood, metal and lightning among others with more advanced techniques.

Personally i lean toward hard magic because it keeps clear what a character can and can`t do.

[Zhengo]

I think I prefer hard magic systems but not ones with rules that are presented as a parallel to science. With a lot of magic systems I play around with, I like creating rules that could be utilized to add emphasis to a character or story moment. Usually, this leads me to prefer magic that has rules based more on internal emotion rather than external materials or education.

For example, in one of the stories I'm developing, some characters possess weapons that would change form depending on their respective character's perception of themselves.

[DiegoPalacios]

Yeah, powers that represent a character`s psyche, emotions and personality are very interesting too.

[IdiotWithPencil]

wished there was a it depends option XD, I believe that magic systems should work for the story and theme, like for example the soft system of LotR is there specifically to be ambiguous and mysterious since the one who uses it is a mysterious character, while a hard system like the bending from avatar help it to teach the philosophy and growth of the characters.

I'll go with soft for now since you can have some crazy fun with that one like turning people into ducks before calling upon the fist of god upon them

[Rhonder]

I like Medium-ish, but leaning Hard. A lot of the media I consume has soft magic tbh, new abilities showing up for the rule of cool and the like and none of that bothers me much- I'm there for the ride!

But on the flip side, looking back at the stories that I've written with Magic, I lean towards harder systems... but still with some flexibility to them haha.

[DiegoPalacios]

But on the flip side, looking back at the stories that I've written with Magic, I lean towards harder systems... but still with some flexibility to them haha.

and that`s why some authors set rules on how the rules can be broken XD

[DukeOfOool]

A interesting example you be the stands in jjba, araki can basically bullshit anything whilst still making sense. If you think hard enough any ability can do everything.

[IdiotWithPencil]

same with the devil fruits of one piece =D oda really likes bringing out some crazy stupid powers from weird concepts XD
like juice juice fruit, let's you juice anything and then drink it to get bigger/more powerful =0 like WTF?