Let's discuss about your novel's magic system

[Diretooth]

Legend of the Otherworld Traveler features two kinds of magic: Etheric and Hermetic.
Etheric Magic is your typical Vancian system, a person has a certain amount of spells per eight hours of rest, relative to an individual's talent, amount of time they've practiced, and if they've undergone a trial to unlock that talent. Magic is reliant on knowledge, intuition, and, of course, the amount of spells available.
However, one does not need to know how fire works scientifically to cast a fireball, nor do they strictly need to follow their gut to do so- but in tandem, intuition and knowledge can make it all the more powerful. The amount of spells poured into an effect can make it more powerful.
Hermetic magic, however, is different. A Hermetic Mage, like the protagonist, does not have an amount of spells to cast per day. (Referred to as spell slots by said character). Rather, he casts his spells through an application of Mana Units, and can- after unlocking the capacity to have spell slots- can even break them down into Mana Units.
His magic does not require knowledge to work, rather, as long as he can envision a particular effect, and speak a Word of Power, he can cast a spell for far less MU than a Spell Slot (1000 MU).
Example: [Wind Scar: 100 MU. Wind-Element Slash deals ranged damage proportional to the strength of your wielded weapon.]
Note: LoT does not take place in an RPG Mechanics Universe, this is simply how the information best translates to the protagonist.

TL;DR, Etheric Magic is generally more powerful, but is reliant on spells per 8 hours. Hermetic Magic is basically Mana based and is generally weaker for less power and greater versatility.

[sorin_gran]

Interesting concept!

There is something I'm curious about regarding the interior/exterior magic you're talking about. Would adding an extra layer of skin/a layer of armour surrounding the body count as an interior or exterior ability?

If interior, then it seems that it can be used outside the user's body after all. (Unless the body you are talking about is the radius of his aura which may extend outside of his body (I prefer to call it personal space).

If exterior, then it seems that exterior abilities can do augmentation techniques alongside conjuring techniques which leaves the interior ability sector less viable since it only serves for augmentation purposes only. I have a solution for that but i'd like to hear your take on it first.

Passive is self-explanatory.

Command is like entering a verbal PIN code that activates the ability or is triggered if set parameters are met.

Direct: hmm, does that mean it has to be touched? By anyone? Or only its user? Maybe i'm misinterpreting your idea of direct altogether. Please let me know so I can understand your system further.

Other than the magic system. You seem to be quite proud of your story's ecosystem with diverse types of species with various magical perks and all sorts of good stuff.

I enjoyed reading into your system, feel free to further enlighten me about the intricacies of your system. I wish you the best of luck and I hope you can use your system to its fullest potential!

[Kaydreamer]

Leylines are where I got the root word 'Ley' from, so kinda! They both flow in currents which are stronger and weaker in places, and they pool in nexuses of energy at points. (Such as Stonehenge.) The difference with the Leystream is, in addition to moving in currents and being more intense in some areas than others, it makes up all matter in the universe. Everything is the Leystream. All matter. All people. Every atom is made from it.

If you've ever read into the theological philosophies of Baruch Spinoza, you'll see distinct similarities. Spinoza was Jewish, and rather than believing in 'God' as a divine entity separate from the universe, he conceptualised 'God' as being the universe. You know how some religious people will say 'God is in everything'? To Spinoza, God IS everything. Every rock, tree, mouse, star, and galaxy. And, of course, every soul.

I came up with the Leystream before even learning that Spinoza existed, and when I first heard about him I was absolutely mindblown that the Leystream I'd come up with was almost exactly like what this famous philosopher was excommunicated for writing a few hundred years ago. Good thing I wasn't born back then, they'd have probably burned me at the stake.

The closest fictional analogue is Phillip Pullman's 'Dust', which itself is Spinozan in origin, but it's not a true match. The Leystream wound up becoming even more integral to the nature of my universe, since without it there would be no universe.

And OH MY GOD, you know where I got the term 'Scrios' from! YES! I searched for the appropriate name for it for years. Depending on the dialect, it's the gaelic root word for both 'destruction' and 'erase'. Given the nature of the Leystream, and what Scrios does, to think of it as an eraser is deeply appropriate.

The Keepers are sentient! The Elves consider them gods. You'll learn a smidge about them in Blue Star Rebellion, two characters stumble upon an abandoned temple dedicated to one. But most of that lore I'm reserving for Dragonfeathers, the plot of which is very tied up with the Keepers.

And thanks so much! I've put years and years of thought into this magic system. I'm definitely having fun, haha. I absolutely adore worldbuilding. Especially when I can blend in philosophy and theology, which are super interesting on their own.

[DasIstWunderblyat]

Ah thank you. I am thinking my system is less interesting because it has no root in real-word mythical beliefs or system, or a lore behind it. Not to mention it is actually half-baked.

This is embarrassing LOL. Thank you for reminding the correct terminology, I should have used "self" (sorry sometimes I forgot my words, I will proofread if I made the same mistake on the actual series).

Basically, as long as it only primarily affect yourself, it is interior. For example you can make your blood poisonous and the poison eventually harm the enemy, it is interior because the actual magic is what turns your blood into poison, the enemy only harmed as an effect because your blood turned into a poison. When you do illusory magic where people around you see you as a disguise form of your choice, it is exterior because the actual magic is acting to disillusion the viewer, not changing your body. When the disguise magic is actually changing your body, then it is interior, and the viewer perception is altered because the changes you make to your body. I am however, thinking that this classification should exist in a less rigid dichotomy, there should be something in between isn't it?

Direct is in a term of when you consciously summon a fireball, a fireball is immediately present in front of you. No need to cast a spell, draw a sigil to summon a fireball, or fill a requirement beforehand. While the direct type sounded more practical than the other types, the command type allows more of a strategic use as its activation is delayed and it can be "programmed".

[djourner]

This one is right up my alley so let me chime in.
JTA's magic system is based around a few concepts I’ve already seen... but twisted in a way to fit the narrative. Thing is, JTA is meant to be huuuuuuuge series, and the magic system is absurdly complex in order for there to be room to expand as the seasons go on, so if I were to detail everything it would probably need over 10 pages of script. So let’s leave it a just the basics which I have already explored inside the story... After all, if I detailed everything, this would spoil some of the fun of reading, as I have a character who just loves to be a teacher :3

The base ‘packet of energy’ is called mana. Mana is a free form of energy that is produced and stored inside living beings, when mana exceeds the body’s capability to hold it, it will ‘leak out’ into inanimate non-living things. When those inanimate forces converge, a Ley line is formed carrying raw mana with it... So mana an life are intrinsically fused concepts, no mana = no life, no life = no mana.
People have ley lines too, it passes through their body and represents the most natural path magic courses through a person... Essentially these are you ‘mana veins’ getting the mana where it needs to be
These pathways are determined by a number of things, a bit of it is genetic, but most of it environmental/learned... Essentially, you own mind is capable of affecting how the mana inside your body behaves, and you do so both consciously and subconsciously.
When a person goes through certain events, they will awaken, the awakening is essentially the moment you become consciously aware of your ley lines, and from there on will feel them at all times... Only once awakened a person will be able to perform magic.
So far so good right? Now I apologize for Vernon as he would pull my ear in the simplification I’m about to do, but let’s move on.
There are three basics to magic, the three Cs, Conversion, Control and Channelization... Regardless of what you want to do with magic, you will learn about this, even if the particular ‘school’ might call it differently.
Conversion is essentially your ability to take the mana inside your body and activate it so it can be used, mana inside the body is inert so your conversion rate determines how fast you can get a spell going.
Control is your ability to create an image of the spell, the more vivid the image in your mind, the more precise the spell... Thing is, it’s not just imagining it, if you for instance wanted to create a fire, every aspect of that fire has to be clear in your mind. How it looks, the color, how it moves when the wind hits it, the smell, the spread of ash particles as it burns... The more perfect the image the more perfect the spell, and for bigger more impressive spells you need a bigger and more complex image.
Channelization is the third pillar, if conversion is about how fast you can do it and control is about how perfect it is, channelization is about how IT moves you... In JTA when you try and manifest certain effects you might notice your body moves on its own, maybe your fingers take a certain stance, maybe you feel like saying a word, or a poem, THAT is channelization, the opposite reaction in you... It makes the magic system dynamic and makes it so conjurers are not just bookworms, sometimes you gotta get that body moving, you wanna create a rock spire you need to move the rock too. You want to bend the water on a river, you better have some sway on you as well. And if your body is not trained to withstand it, you bet it’s going to break you
This is fun an all, but how does it affect the story? Well, for one let’s look at boys and see what they do...
Sadly Grey get’s shot down here as he has no magic, his body’s ley lines were destroyed due to growing around a dangerous substance... So no magic for him... But it’s alright, he doesn’t need it to be a badass.
Technically he does have magic in the form of sigils which are this preprogrammed magic symbols that sort of integrate magic and technology.
Next up we got Azreth... Azreth is a dragon, inside the story dragons are ‘naturally good’ at magic, this is because due to a number of advantages dragons have over normal people... Thing is, Azreth suffers from a very real human condition, ADHD, so while his species has a natural ease to perform magic, He is generally so unfocused he cannot properly absorb the knowledge he needs in order to have his magic work.
He celebrates even the tinniest of progresses he makes, while simultaneously dreading the fact that every other conjurer out there could beat the shit out of him in a magic contest... Good thing he doesn’t rely on magic for fighting, instead using it for supporting his aggressive hands on fighting style.
He quite literally has limitless potential, but takes a lot of effort to cross the barriers and get there... Luckily Vernon is a very patient guy, and very much willing to teach.
Vernon, our main good boi, suffers from a different problem. His mana is volatile causing him to constantly lose out mana every time he casts a spell... This wouldn’t be so bad if the mana he lost did not spontaneously combust inside his body damaging him... He had to study the fundamentals of magic in detail before he tried messing with his magic, because he literally risks his life everytime he does it.
In spite of how it hurts him... He is a phenomenal conjurer and even at the start of the story he has the knowledge to be one of the most powerful conjurers to ever exist in JTA. The thing is... He never will.
His conditions are permanent problems he has to deal with in order to survive, so he relies on carefully utilizing everything that he has with his limitations in mind in order to beat his opponents... If he overshoots, he is done for.
There are just two more things i’d like to mention... One is how the above ties into the basics.
Vernon is pretty much a master of all three concepts, there is very little he can improve, so the bulk of the magical learning in the series is pushed onto Azreth.
Vernon is actually teaching him over ‘the hard path’ magic has many shortcuts... Like you could memorize incantations, use particular instruments like wands and staff, use sigils, or even flat out copy other people’s magic by mimicking them... But he choses the hard way because once you master that, EVERYTHING ELSE becomes easier.
The little guy knows his stuff ;3

Secondly, is how magic is expressed.
You see... Magic in JTA is not static, there are no prime elements or gods that grant magic, it comes from the person... It in facts ties in to a person’s basest desires, the core of who the person really is.
If I describe that too much I’ll go into BIG spoiler territory, as how the characters magic is tied to who they are is also one of the fun parts of JTA puzzling.
Suffice to say, it’s not just the good parts. The bad parts of your psyche affect your magic as much or perhaps even more than the good ones... So, you might think your magic is a great thing until you remember that horrible inferiority complex you never solved and it’s now making you magic always fire at maximum power!
In the world of JTA growing in magical power means growing as a person, solving those pesky little problems you never wanted to deal with because you were too afraid.

Ok i’ll end this now... But goddamn there is so much more.
I haven’t even discussed subdivisions of the big Cs...
or how each and every school of magic applies them differently, like druids or wizards...
Or the forces of nature and the elder dragons and how they tie into the magic system...

I’ll also leave this here... in case the above peaked anyone’s interest ^^

Journey to Ataraxia | Tapas

[Ranty-cat]

Mine is derived directly from nature and then convert the mana into whatever element or type of usage you can.

[liaroger]

So I haven't published my novel anywhere because it's currently on hiatus (I'm too busy working on my comic and with my current job and also burnout), but since the comic takes place in the same world and I technically have a novel I'm working on I'll share anyway.
In my world there are angels and demons (and hybrids), and they have different abilities. Demons can control dead materials and energy, which requires a lot of practice to master and uses up quite a bit of energy. Most demons can easily create a fire by heating up the air around a flammable material, it comes naturally to them and is their main defense mechanism when in fight or flight mode. Changing the temperature of their surroundings can also just help them warm up or freeze things, but obviously the larger the area they heat or cool, the more it'll exhaust them and make them feel like they've been overdoing it with exercise or not eating and sleeping enough. Then there's stuff like telekinesis, and pretty much everything you see on Avatar. They can do it, but only with A LOT of training, and it's exhausting. Think about pro athletes and how much they have to train and adjust their lifestyle and diet. Some demons are "fitter" than the average and can do some minor telekinesis, which can help them carry and balance heavy things, or carry more at once, but the level of mastery required to e.g. build something with just demonic powers is something 99% of the population can't achieve.

Then there's angels. They have an interesting set of abilities, because they can control what's alive - contact telepathy, healing, but also injuring and killing people. Making plants grow or die. But again, there are limits and the more they train, the better they get. In order to heal anything, they need detailed knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of said tissue, body part or organ system. They can also use their powers to study those things, but just like there's a reason why med schools takes 6 years or more (usually more, trust me), your average angel won't learn all the ins and outs of the human (or angelic or demonic) body from touching your forehead and focusing for a few minutes. There are angelic doctors, especially surgeons, who study and train for years to master their field, and they couldn't just treat anything. And, again, energy is a limiting factor. Some angels used their powers to make crops grow in the past, but that's exhausting and sometimes impossible, depending on the soil. They need to know the plants they're working with. Even if they've mastered growing wheat, if put in a jungle with various plant species they're unfamiliar with, they wouldn't be able to do all that much with those plants unless they take some time to study them.
Another ability to have is to "spread" their emotions and transfer them to everyone within a certain radius. Basically, if they're having a panic attack and either trying to make everyone else have one or struggling to contain it, everyone within a certain radius that varies from person to person (especially demons who don't have that ability and therefore can't shield themselves from it) will experience those emotions as well, ranging from slight nervousness to a fullblown panic attack. Of course, they can also do the opposite and calm people down, which comes in very handy in crowds to prevent mass panic - but again, people need special training to cover a large enough radius and be able to 1) control their own emotions enough and 2) spread them to a lot of people effectively. The one exception are a few naturally gifted people with a lot of trauma, who will affect other people, especially other people who also have some trauma, and actually struggle to control ond prevent that.

Also, that clear divide between angels and demons is somewhat artificial (created by a certain narcissistic overlord while casting out the people who would become the first demons). They're actually technically the same species, and prior to that divide, their powers were more diverse and intermingled. No one could master all these skills, but there were people who had some angelic and some demonic powers, or some hybrid of the two, and since angels and demons can and do have kids, those kids will also have a combination of their.

Well, that was a long post. Sorry about that. But writing it all down was actually helpful, and I'm a teeny tiny bit proud of it. ^^

[cyborgmermaid]

My interpretation of Life and Death as elements has more to do with control over the soul (classic necromancy) and control over the corpse (modern necromancy).

Aether is used as general magic (things like ) since it's what connects all things in the universe.

[RyzaCobalion]

There is three ways to learn magic in my novel series. Sorcery Magic, Faith Magic, and Elemental Magic. While they are completely different magic systems they all drive from the same source, Demonic Mana. Mana that is highly powerful yet extremely unstable and poisonous to humans. Only demons can wield it. So before you can use any of the three magic system you can to control your own mana. Otherwise you'll deplet your own mana over one spell or blow yourself up because you look control over your own mana. How one can regenerate their is by absorbing the mana in the demonic realm's atmosphere. Though depend how much mana one has, it could take a few hours, to days or even months to replish your mana entirely if you don't have full control over it.

Sorcery Magic: Sorcery Magic originated from the human world but has fallen out of practice due to the passage of time and change of cultural impact as humans became more dependent of technology then magic, to the point where magic is now extinct in the human world. Sorcery magic in the demon realm works exactly the human counterpart. However due to demons live longer than humans they have advanced it to the point where casting and sorcery spell is extremely overpowered but not every can just cast the spell normal. Sorcery magic takes years of dedicated of research and development not just in spells, but also cursing, alchemy, remembering each spell on the top of your head, and especially creating new spells and curses. The most effective way of casting sorcery magic is a catylist wand or staff. Though it's extremely rare to see a scholar casting sorcery magic from your barehands. So far, only one has been recorded to do so.

Faith Magic: Faith magic derives from its human world counterpart as it was a magic used once by religious groups during the medieval period and the rennasaunce period to an extent. Ironic isn't it?Demons using religons as a base for one of their magic systems. But instead of driving their magic straight from a religious detity they drive from themselves. Faith in one self to cast their own spells. Faith magic is more on the defensive side as it's mostly used for creating defensive barrier magic, buff or debeuff magic and lastly healing magic and herbology. There very few of spells that offer offensive magic but they require high concentration before casting them. Which is one of the biggest requirements in casting faith magic is high concentration of gathering mana to casting any of these spells. Though unlike sorcery magic, anyone can learn this magic system with ease but still requires mental training before using it combat. Best form of casting them is either by having a tome book or having a talisman, usually as a necklace or braclet.

Elemental Magic: As the name suggests this magic system is based on the elements such as fire, water, air, lightning, and earth. However, this magic system is the most difficult to learn is requires not knowledge or normal concentration like Faith and Sorcery do but your entire body built to cast them with Martail Arts. As it derives from Eastern culture such as Wushu Kung Fu and Buddhism. Learning the martial art is one thing as it takes years to master the basics but one must also built and condition their own bodies to resist the magic you cast from your own fists or kicks. Otherwis you will run the risk of being killed by your own magic. Condition your own body to withstand the heat from your own fire magic or the shock from lightning magic takes decades of practice and conditioning. The other problem of learn the elemental magic system is not knowing which element is yours as everyone learns which element responds to them is very different from one another. Say you want to know fire magic at first only to know that earth magic is unlocked within you after your basic training is complete.

Out of all these magic systems which one would you learn?

The Dark Children of the Night | Tapas

[Zaboem]

I'm just about to start reading Mistborn, a series renowned for its magic systems. I previously read two of Brandon Peterson's other stories and quite liked the magic systems he created for both of those. He's been critized for actually having better magic systems than characters.

My cyberpunk novella is sticking to its genre. It has effects that could be described as magic and there is definitely a system there, but it adheres to the rules of the genre. So that's a hard magic system.

The Alien Fiction stories do have magic functioning with the trope of "sufficiently advanced technology... indistinguishable from magic." All of the three main characters are powerful enough to basically do anything they want, but I wanted some restrictions in place. The character Isis plays most heavily into the trope. She's actually the most powerful since her techno-magick is sort of capable of producing any effect. She's limited by casting times. Whereas the other aliens can invoke their powers at will, she has to spent hours in devleopment, her equivalent of performing a magic ritual. She also requires material components, like a lot of D&D spells do. The other restriction (mentioned but has not come into play yet) is that there are areas of space where her magic simply doesn't work because the underlying physics of some regions are too unstable. In those areas, she appoints a witch to tap into her energy and cast magic in her place which miiiiight work better (an untested hypothesis). So that's a very soft magic system -- which is good enough for my goofy comedy space opera.

No links because screw links, that's why

[Zaboem]

Of the three, I would choose Elemental Magic. It seems the most inherently safe choice. Even if I do screw up a spell, the limitations of my body hold me in check, and I won't end up accidentally turning everybody in the village into newts.

[RyzaCobalion]

i admire you for learning the most difficult of the three that I made. But with patience and practice, you'll be able to master it.

[denny_b_reese]

My story Embers possibly has three types of magic systems

Gods: gods and half-gods exist with their own powers and roles, but are extremely limited in what they can do in the human realm. for example the god of death can only possess a corpse for a few minutes

Elemental Spirits: There are elemental spirits, each controlling a specific element, and with their own will wich can choose to help or harm people.

Symbols and Willpower: If a person learns the symbol combinations they can cast various magic at the expense of their own energy. this magic uses lots of energy and the intent and willpower of the caster controls how powerful and long-lasting the spell is so there is always a risk of dying.

Embers: Path of Fire Book One | Tapas

[sorin_gran]

So Gods basically inherit the powers from their legend but in a limited capacity.

Elemental Spirits control an element specific to them. I don't really know how many elements you have so Im just gonna assume the basic 4 elements (Water, FIre, Earth, Air).

Symbols: Basically Runeology that uses the user's willpower as its fuel.

Other than the 3rd one which can have many unique symbols the user needs to learn in order to activate them. The others sound less like magic systems and more like magical birthrights.

Regardless, it would be interesting to see how you will use your magic system to excite your story in new ways. Good luck!

[Neverseen]

Sweats nervously: Yeah there are rules....... super complicated so the characters don't understand it (Cause I don't want to actually write out logical rules)