Magic Systems!!

@highscribeofaetherium

@hybridlore

Alright. Here we go. I have three magic systems that I’ve designed, at varying levels of completion. None of them are part of a fleshed-out world yet. I don’t have time to write them all out afresh right now, so I’m going to copy my documents about them into here.

Crystal Binding

Resonance Crystals
Resonance Crystals are rare symbiotic minerals that grant special abilities when attached to a host. A host of Resonance Crystals is called a Resonator.

Each Resonance Crystal instigates different behavior in hosts and grows more quickly when the host succumbs to its will. Eventually, a host may lose almost all agency and solely follow the “will” of the crystals controlling him. Such a person is called an Avatar.

The Eight Resonances
Connection: Allows spirit-linking, which creates a spiritual bond between people, allowing them to access one another’s thoughts, emotions, and memories.

Consciousness: Allows the splitting of consciousness.

Empathy: Allows the absorption and infusion of thoughts, ideas, and emotions.

Temporality: Allows the manipulation of time.

Fusion: Allows the merging of objects.

Destruction: Allows the fracturing of molecular bonds.

Recollection: Allows the user to absorb and dispense objects.

Presence: Allows reality-stepping, the process of phasing out of the physical realm.

Dynamism: Allows the transfer of energy.

Space: Allows the bending of forces.

The Resonances can be sorted onto a grid with one access indicating the effect of the power (combination, separation, absorption/dispensation, and distortion) and the subject of the power (spirits, objects, and forces) on the other.

(Unfortunately, I can’t add a table. I might be able to add an image of it later.)

Connection
Crystals: Luminous Aetherium

Connection allows a Resonator to create a spiritual connection to another person. This is easiest to do when in physical contact with the subject, but it can be done fairly easily as long as the subject is in close proximity. It can still be done over long distances, but the Resonator must be extremely powerful, or have an intimate connection with the subject already.

A “spirit-link,” as it is called, allows the user and the subject access to the other’s thoughts, feelings, and memories. The skill and power of the person affects how much they can sense the other person’s mind. An unskilled person might only detect vague emotions. Memories are the hardest to access, especially ones the other person isn’t currently thinking about. There is a certain risk to creating a soul-link, as the subject will have the same access to you as you have to him. As long as the subject is unpracticed, and not himself a soul-linker, the user will usually be able to access what he needs from the subject without the subject infiltrating his own mind.

Consciousness
Crystals: Ethralux

Consciousness allows Resonators to temporarily split their soul. The user is in direct, conscious control of these fragments, but his awareness is split as well, making each fragment, including the one that remains in his body, less aware than he usually would be. Fragments can appear to anyone the user wills them to be visible to.

Empathy
Crystals:

Empathy allows Resonators to absorb thoughts, ideas, and emotions from another person’s mind, and to infuse other thoughts, ideas, and emotions into another person’s mind. They can also strengthen already present ones. The most important aspect of this system is that these thoughts, ideas, and emotions have to come from or go somewhere. In absorption, the Resonator assimilates the thoughts, ideas, or emotions, while simultaneously erasing them from the subject’s mind. Conversely, in infusion, the Resonator is erasing thoughts from their own mind and implanting them into the subject. This power is extremely dangerous for both the user and the subject, as it is literally the power to rewrite a person’s beliefs.

Temporality
Crystals: Chronite

Temporality allows a Resonator to manipulate time. The user can only affect himself, either slowing himself down, or speeding himself up. Slowing oneself down allows for time outside to pass quicker from the user’s perspective, while speeding oneself up allows the user to accomplish things more quickly from the perspective of those outside. A side effect of this power is that while manipulating time, physical interactions can be unpredictable, as the user is literally bending spacetime.

Fusion
Crystals: Verdant Synthinite

Fusion allows Resonators to telekinetically merge objects. Exerting a force on one object exerts the same force on the other. This can be used to move an object from a distance, or to make an object seem unnaturally heavy by merging it with a heavy object. Resonators with this ability can store a copy of an object mentally, allowing them to merge it with another object.

Destruction
Crystals: Crimson Fragite

Destruction allows Resonators to shatter objects on the molecular level, making it easy to break even materials that are usually tough. Physical contact is required, and usually some sort of strike, although some skilled Resonators can shatter the bonds simply with touch.

Recollection
Crystals:

Recollection allows Resonators to absorb an object, causing it to disappear from the physical realm and take up residence inside the Resonator’s mind. The Resonator can rematerialize the object at will. It does not work on living creatures. The larger or more complex an object is, the harder it is to absorb. This Resonance is considered one of the least useful, although it does allow large objects to be transported easily.

Presence
Crystals: Phasmerite

Presence allows Resonators to phase objects, including part or all of their body out of the physical realm. To do this to objects, the object must be touching the Resonator. While outside of the physical realm, objects can move through other objects without touching them. If the Resonator stops touching the object, it reverts back to the physical realm. If a Resonator stays untethered from the physical realm for too long, they may be lost, effectively killing them.

Dynamism
Crystals: Aurinite

Dynamism allows a Resonator to absorb energy from one object and infuse it into another. This includes kinetic, thermal, gravitational, radiant, vibrational, magnetic, and electrical (although the latter has next to no known uses.)

Absorbing kinetic energy causes a moving object to slow or stop completely. Infusing kinetic energy into an object causes it to start moving. The amount of kinetic energy infused doesn’t directly affect how fast an object starts moving. The same amount of kinetic energy affects a small object more than a large one.

Absorbing thermal energy cools an object down. Infusing thermal energy heats an object up.

Absorbing gravitational energy causes an object to stop attracting or being attracted by other objects. Infusing gravitational energy causes an object to attract and be attracted by other objects more strongly. Gravitational energy can be infused at different rates. With the same amount of energy, one could infuse all of it at once, causing the object to exert a strong gravitational pull in one burst, or it could be used to slightly increase the gravitational pull for a longer period of time.

Absorbing radiant energy causes an illuminant object to dim or stop emitting light. Infusing radiant energy causes an object to glow or glow stronger. It can be infused faster for a greater level of light, but at the cost of lasting shorter.

Absorbing vibrational energy dampens sounds. Infusing vibrational energy re-emits the sounds into the object.

Magnetic energy functions the same way as gravitational energy. It is stronger, but only affects metal or magnetized objects.

Absorbing electrical energy blocks electric currents. Infusing electrical energy applies electric current to the object.

Space
Crystals: Sapphire Morphinite

Space allows Resonators to bend forces, essentially morphing space to control the trajectory of the force. Forces that can be manipulated include gravitational pulls, pushes and pulls, heat flow, light, and waves (sound.)

Manipulating gravity allows the Resonator to control the direction something falls. Changing the direction does not reset the object’s speed—from the object’s perspective, the world rotates around it. This prevents this ability from being used for human flight, as the ability cannot be used to slow an object down.

Manipulating pulls and pushes allows the Resonator to slightly alter the direction of the push of pull.

Manipulating heat flow allows the Resonator to force heat to flow into specific objects instead of dispersing evenly.

Manipulating light allows the Resonator to redirect beams of light. Skilled users can even direct all light beams out of an area, creating an area of impenetrable darkness.

Manipulating waves allows the Resonator to redirect them. Sound for example, can be pulled or pushed on essentially.

Crystals

Luminous Aetherium
Luminous Aetherium is a pale blue crystal that grants its hosts the Resonance of Connection. Aetherium crystals push hosts toward human relationships and encourage use of their Resonance to spy on other people’s emotions and thoughts. Aetherium Avatars are not as controlled by the crystal as Avatars of other types, but they are still heavily influenced. They tend to constantly use the Resonance of Connection to spy on and influence other people.

Ethralux
Ethralux is a florescent white crystal that grants its hosts the Resonance of Consciousness. These crystals don’t have an associated push, but users of it can come to see the split pieces of their soul as separate personalities or individuals or people.

Chronite
Chronite is a vibrant pink crystal that grants its hosts the Resonance of Temporality Chronite crystals push the host to try to control everything. Chronite Avatars seek to micromanage every aspect of life, including other people.

Verdant Synthinite
Verdant Synthinite is a pale green crystal that grants its hosts the Resonance of Fusion. Synthinite crystals push users into general obsession. Whereas the other crystals tend to cause obsession with a specific concept, Synthinite can cause obsession with just about anything. Synthinite Resonators can easily become obsessed with various things. A Synthinite Avatar becomes obsessed with something and constantly focuses on it.

Crimson Fragite
Crimson Fragite is a deep red crystal that grants its hosts the Resonance of Destruction. Fragite crystals grow aggressively inside its host. It pushes its host towards aggression and destruction. Fragite Avatars attack and kill without provocation and destroy wantonly.

Phasmerite
Phasmerite is a pale purple crystal that grants its hosts the Resonance of Presence. Phasmerite Crystals push the host to phase out of the physical realm constantly, and it can become an addiction. Phasmerite Avatars have spent so much time outside of the physical realm that they are constantly partially in and partially out of the physical realm, causing unpredictable interactions with physical objects.

Aurinite
Aurinite is a yellow crystal that grants its hosts the Resonance of Dynamism Aurinite crystals push their host to recklessness, driving him to move, and not spend time thinking. Aurinite Avatars become incredibly reckless, not thinking through their decisions (if they make any in the first place) and are essentially addicted to action.

Sapphire Morphinite
Sapphire Morphinite is a deep blue crystal that grants its hosts the Resonance of Space.

This is probably my favorite of the three. It isn’t complete, as you can see. Some of the crystals don’t have names yet, and some of them I’m having a hard time deciding what their mental effect on a person should be. I also am not a fan of the name of “Space” it doesn’t quite fit with the other names, so if someone else has an idea, let me know. On to the next one.

This one I’m not going to copy from my docs, because I can explain it fairly briefly.

Essenceburning

This system revolves around the classic elements (fire, earth, water, and air.) I call them “Essences” rather than “Elements,” because in their world (which hasn’t been developed yet,) they aren’t actually elements, as in the basic materials all things are made of. I’m not completely sold on the name “Essences” either though.
Users of the magic system don’t control these “essences” in the typical way that elemental magic usually works. Instead, they are fueled by the essences, but their abilities aren’t directly related to them.
Fire
People with this ability are called “Firesurgers.” They inhale flames to access their abilities. (Stormlight Archive fans might recognize the inspiration for this.) While using them, they gain incredible speed and reactions, as well as being on fire. (They are of course immune to flames.)
Water

People with this ability are called “Rainbringers.” They fuel their abilities using the water in their own bodies, and therefore must remain hydrated. Their abilities let them telekinetically push and pull water. (Similar to how in Mistborn, they can only push and pull metal directly towards or away from them.) Rainbringer can also force water to turn to ice or steam.
Air

People with this ability are called “Airshapers.” They fuel their abilities with the air in their lungs (so they have a much easier time than some of the others.) Their abilities let them control air.
Earth
People with this ability are called “Earthstanders.” They access their abilities by being in physical contact with the “earth.” How this works is that basically the planet releases an energy that they use which is conducted through natural materials. Dirt and stone conduct best, while metal blocks in completely. Earthstanders gain increased strength and resilience, and a limited ability to control stone.

Some people have multiple of these abilities, but it is rarer.

I don’t care too much for this system. It was heavily inspired by Mistborn’s magic system, and while I feel I did a decent job of making it unique, it feels pretty similar.
The last one is the least complete.

Metal Bonding

The basic idea is that certain people are capable of bonding pieces of metal so that they can control it directly with their mind. They use a certain type of spirit as a sort of intermediary. The spirit is the “glue” that binds the metal to the person. Some of the spirits are sentient, while others are more like animals.

That’s all! Thanks for reading. I would appreciate any sort of feedback or suggestions.

@highscribeofaetherium @jonas

I actually started a magic system forum a while back, but it fizzled out.

Personally, I’m very much a hard magic system kind of guy. As to the magic system of my and my sister’s universe, I’ve found it hard to properly approach in explanation, because there’s so many different layers to it, and when I try to explain the big picture, it doesn’t come out the way I would like it to, and it’s hard with the universe itself basically being its own physical magic system in a way. So I shall then start small this time, then work upwards.

The first magic system I’ve developed for my septre (Septrum analogue for planet) is one of language in the third era being named Omialia. In the beginning of Omialia, people never used spoken language to communicate, they instead used a form of telepathy simply called the Silence. The Silence is interesting as a magic system in its own right, but we are actually moving on. People did talk, just… not to one another, instead, they spoke the tongue of Lanusel.

Before I explain Lanusel, I will have an annoying side tangent to quickly explain the perceived physical nature of Omialia. Imagen a space of closely clustered planetoids, each having their own unique gravitational boundary. You may stand on the ground of one, but climb too high on a tree, then you may suddenly feel the pull of another, careful not to fall on your head! This is life, the words up and down are very knowingly subjective to even the most simple minded folk.

Anyway, Lanusel. Lanusel is a magical language, when spoken, one can manipulate the physical shape of the gravity boundary of each planetoid (the planetoids are called omias by the way). You can essentially describe the desired properties within the bounds of the system, and the omia of your focus shall stretch, shrink, or grow into whatever shape within the same original topology. Shrinking and expanding the boundary compounds and relives the pressure of the gravity respectively. This was a useful tool in the setting of Omialia, it allowed much easy traversal from omia to omia.

Eventually, as much as the Silence sounds fun and interesting to us, it became rather inconvenient to many of its speakers. The problem with the Silence was that every time you say something, everyone else within a very vast distance could hear you. There was no way of speaking quietly and secretly. Eventually, people began having the crazy thought of using the sounds coming out of their mouths to manipulate their setting, to instead make secret messages that only they understood. After the initial innovation, it quickly became a common practice from tribe to tribe, each having their own way of secretly communicating with one another without other tribes being able to listen in or understand. Because of this, both Silent speaking and gravity speaking where lost to time from lack of use. People learned to get around via different more mechanical methods.

Eventually while the Silence currently remains unrecovered, Lanusel was rediscovered by the Shoijel people, but only bits and pieces, basically creating a small spell book. Lanusel was not the only language found however, the Verna also uncovered Ilvwenir, a language of very different magical effects, it influences a particular stone that emits light, and also appears to have healing properties. Another was never rediscovered, but instead has always been remembered, Hish’kirr, or Siren speak. It was burned into ancient memories, and has existed in stories ever since, but was often considered a myth, until it was once again uttered. Hish’kirr influences the mind, specifically in a way that weakens the agency of those who hear it, making them easily manipulated.

Now I won’t get into any more details of the languages and how they specifically work as much, because I now intend to remove a layer, and see a little more of what’s going on underneath these seemingly unrelated concepts. This is going to seem completely unrelated, and will seem like a completely different system, so bear with me.

There are 7 kinds of elements. There are the 3 mundane elements (physical matter) the 3 spiritual elements (spirit matter), and the 1 etheric element. The 3 mundane are simple: solid, liquid, and gas… kinda. Given enough thought, these terms in our reality are very subjective

I actually started a magic system forum a while back, but it fizzled out.

Personally, I’m very much a hard magic system kind of guy. As to the magic system of my and my sister’s universe, I’ve found it hard to properly approach in explanation, because there’s so many different layers to it, and when I try to explain the big picture, it doesn’t come out the way I would like it to, and it’s hard with the universe itself basically being its own physical magic system in a way. So I shall then start small this time, then work upwards.

The first magic system I’ve developed for my septre (Septrum analogue for planet) is one of language in the third era being named Omialia. In the beginning of Omialia, people never used spoken language to communicate, they instead used a form of telepathy simply called the Silence. The Silence is interesting as a magic system in its own right, but we are actually moving on. People did talk, just… not to one another, instead, they spoke the tongue of Lanusel.

Before I explain Lanusel, I will have an annoying side tangent to quickly explain the perceived physical nature of Omialia. Imagen a space of closely clustered planetoids, each having their own unique gravitational boundary. You may stand on the ground of one, but climb too high on a tree, then you may suddenly feel the pull of another, careful not to fall on your head! This is life, the words up and down are very knowingly subjective to even the most simple minded folk.

Anyway, Lanusel. Lanusel is a magical language, when spoken, one can manipulate the physical shape of the gravity boundary of each planetoid (the planetoids are called omias by the way). You can essentially describe the desired properties within the bounds of the system, and the omia of your focus shall stretch, shrink, or grow into whatever shape within the same original topology. Shrinking and expanding the boundary compounds and relives the pressure of the gravity respectively, and can even be used to flip the pull of gravity to a push. This was a useful tool in the setting of Omialia, it allowed much easy traversal from omia to omia.

Eventually, as much as the Silence sounds fun and interesting to us, it became rather inconvenient to many of its speakers. The problem with the Silence was that every time you say something, everyone else within a very vast distance could hear you. There was no way of speaking quietly and secretly. Eventually, people began having the crazy thought of using the sounds coming out of their mouths to manipulate their setting, to instead make secret messages that only they understood. After the initial innovation, it quickly became a common practice from tribe to tribe, each having their own way of secretly communicating with one another without other tribes being able to listen in or understand. Because of this, both Silent speaking and gravity speaking where lost to time from lack of use. People learned to get around via different more mechanical methods.

Eventually while the Silence currently remains unrecovered, Lanusel was rediscovered by the Shoijel people, but only bits and pieces, basically creating a small spell book. Lanusel was not the only language found however, the Verna also uncovered Ilvwenir, a language of very different magical effects, it influences a particular stone that emits light, and also appears to have healing properties. Another was never rediscovered, but instead has always been remembered, Hish’kirr, or Siren speak. It was burned into ancient memories, and has existed in stories ever since, but was often considered a myth, until it was once again uttered. Hish’kirr influences the mind, specifically in a way that weakens the agency of those who hear it, making them easily manipulated.

Now I won’t get into any more details of the languages and how they specifically work as much, because I now intend to remove a layer, and see a little more of what’s going on underneath these seemingly unrelated concepts. This is going to seem completely unrelated, and will seem like a completely different system, so bear with me.

There are 7 kinds of elements. There are the 3 mundane elements (physical matter) the 3 spiritual elements (spirit matter), and the 1 etheric element. The 3 mundane are simple: solid, liquid, and gas… kinda. Given enough thought, these terms in our reality are very subjective, and wouldn’t really make to much sense to be fundamental elements of reality. However, remember that this is very much not our reality, this universe functions under fundamentally different laws. Solid to gas is still a gradient, but a much more linear transition. Substances that are straying from one element become less and less that element and become more and more the other, this also applies to the spiritual elements. The spiritual elements are sound, thought, and light. Similar gradient from one to another, the thought element might throw you off. Essentially, both sound and thought in this universe are particles like light, and exist in a gradient. The speed of the particle determines what kind of element it is. Thought specifically is the mid element, and is the particle that is used to transfer information within neurons (so basically the analogue of the electron). Then there is finally the ethereal element Etherum. Etherum is the particle that makes up the 3d manifold spacetime fabric of reality, and all other of the 7 elements exist and traverse on its surface.

Now each element has a parallel particle. These particles, or “stones”, have defined fields that push and pull as well as absorb and emit their respective element. Now say we have the light stone, all the other elements can actually influence light stone other than light itself. When exposed to another element in the right way, the recipient stone will change its boundary of influence accordingly without changing its topology.

That last bit might have finally sounded familiar. You see, gravity here has nothing to do with what we think of as gravity. Each omia has a core made from a stone alloy of all the mundane elements, meaning it pulls on everything that is solid, liquid, gas, and everything in-between. Now Lanusel is really the sound element in the unique way that specifically influences the mundane elements when combined.

Ilwenir simply controls the light stone, but Hish’kirr controls the mind. Within the brain, neurons are actually a system of thought stone, so Hish’kirr influences the structure of the thought stone, thus influencing the will of the recipient.

This also has to do with the Silence. The Silence is really a connection between the mind and etherum. Etherum stone isn’t involved, and that’s a whole other thing to finagle, but anyway, Etherum particles within the brain can work with the thought stone, and can create a system where signals can be sent through the whole fabric.

Now these are only a few possible languages of many that could be expressed with this system, but far more things can be explored with non languages. My sister explores a lot of another possibility with what she calls Savants. Individuals who have different stones imbedded into their body. There are countless many mini magic systems to explore with this, and there’s a lot of out there ideas that can actually be rationalized into the system of the 7. If they can’t, the reality is that this is even still not the whole picture, and there are in fact an infinite number of elements other than the 7, though they operate under completely different geometry axioms, and therefore behave in ways that are difficult to define, giving room for different effects we want to implement.

There is still so much I haven’t talked about, but that’s a comprehensive summery. I would also love any comments, questions, and critiques, I’ll reply to yours Jonas in a little bit!

@thearcaneaxiom Wow, that is a very interesting system. I think I get it, but that might be the most technical magic system I’ve ever seen. I like how it seems that you’re basically inventing your own science for your world.

What I’m wondering is, if people stopped speaking the Silence because everybody could overhear them, why did that mean they had to stop using Lanusel? And even if they started using regular speech to communicate, why would they give up Lanusel entirely if it was so powerful?

Another question: you used the word ‘Savant.’ I’ve only heard that word used in Mistborn, so I assumed it was a made-up word, but it isn’t being underlined in red when I type it, so I guess it’s real. What does it mean in real life?

@thearcaneaxiom Oh wait, does Lanusel only work when speaking the Silence? That would answer my first question, but even if they had to be heard by everyone, wouldn’t they still want to use the Silence to speak Lanusel, since it is so powerful?

But I had Charismatic Rebel when I had 19 posts.

@jonas

Ok, now for yours, these sound like really fun magic systems! I can definitely see the Sandersonisms, but they’re still definitely their own thing.

The Crystal magic system reminds me a bit of my own, as it is about crystalline structures manipulating fundamental aspects of reality. I do have a question on Dynamism though, when kinetic energy is transferred, what determines the directional vector when infused into an object? Is it perhaps the directional vector applied to the previous object before being absorbed? Or is it from the direction from being applied? Or perhaps the individual simply decides which way it goes?

On Essenceburning, I deffinitly seen the Stormlight and Mistborn, but were you also perhaps inspired partially by Avatar the last Airbender? Of course there’s the 4 elements, which isn’t saying much, but I see connections beyond that. This reminds me of a magic system I did a while back, where I thought instead of 4 elements, I used the 4 fundamental forces of nature. It was a very fun project, but I eventually decided to stop it because I couldn’t find a way to nerf them all, because almost all of them basically had the power to simply dissolve a human being at will, I guess that’s what happens when you tamper with what makes up reality at the most basic level😅

Overall, great magic systems! If you did develop a world for them, would they all coexist in a single cosmere-ian like universe, or would they be isolated from one another.