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ZeroGear
2016-12-02, 12:02 AM
Before I start, allow me to preface this by saying this is more a discussion of fluff and not actual game mechanics, as these ideas can be adapted to fit any system or world. Now, on with the topic:

We all know that fantasy worlds and our real world can differ significantly, especially with the existence of magic. That being said, one of the most important things to help players immerse themselves in the game is making sure that everything in the setting exists within the realm of believability. As such, I would like to initiate small discussion on what rules magic actually follows. This is more of a thought-experiment, and anyone is free to contribute and/or adapt these ideas to suit their games. Remember, there are few absolutes in terms of being right or wrong here.
To start with, let's take a look at how various forms of fire magic could work within the universe:

When talking about fire in scientific terms, it is easy to conclude that it is a reaction that comes from fuel combining with oxygen and a spark to generate both heat and smoke. Therefore one can assume that fire magic works in a similar fashion. The difference here is the type of 'fuel' that is consumed and the resulting product. Unlike conventional fire, magical flames do not burn wood, coal, or paper. Instead, they use the 'spark' generated by ambient magical energy (commonly referred to as 'mana') to burn through the manifestation of cold. In short, magically created fire uses cold and air in order to burn and create heat.
However, while the heat-creating red flames are the most common, they are not the only form of fire magic. If one reverses the process, it is possible to produce blue flames that feed on heat and generate cold in their stead, freezing everything within its vicinity.
Similarly, yellow fire feeds on components of insulation and burns at such a high intensity that it turns into electrical current.
By contrast, indigo flames are fueled by conductivity, producing a caustic acid that melts though most materials.
There are also the gold flames (orange) that burn disease and inadvertently heal sickness as a result.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the toxic violet flames consume resistance and immunity to produce a virulent poison.
Then there are the light consuming black flame that produces near impenetrable darkness, and the shadow consuming white flame that creates pure, shadowless light.
Finally, there's the viridian flame of nature that consumes decay to produce fertile areas that accelerate plant growth.
All these variants of fire magic operate under similar rules:
-The magic requires the appropriate fuel to sustain itself.
-The magic 'burns' the appropriate fuel to generate its effect.
-The magic requires air in order to function (and can be stopped by cutting off its air supply).
-The magic generates smoke, although exact coloration will vary depending on the type of flame.
-Opposed flames, such as red and blue, of equal strength will cancel each other out.
-All forms of magic are sustained by the 'spark', and will cease to function if the source of mana is cut off.

So, anyone else have a set of rules by which magic functions?

Segev
2016-12-02, 11:28 AM
I've shared it before, but the one I prefer to use in any D&D-esq setting (particularly that uses spell slots) is that magic isn't best equated to science or technology, but to law.

It's a very animist take on things, assigning spirits to everything, with most being incredibly minor, sub-sentient things that just act like animals or even insects: doing what they do because it's their nature.

Spellcasters interact with spirits on varying levels. The most traditional level is that of a contractor. Sorcerers and bards befriend specific spirits or spirit courts and have specialized boons they can ask of them, giving them arrays of spells they can cast through the specificly formulated requests they can make. As they just have so many they can ask for in a day, they can decide as they use them what boon or service they want.

Wizards, instead, have very specific contracts. Provide this service or perform this activity, and gain the right to demand this other service from specific spiritual entities later on. Preparing their spells is the process of performing their part of the bargain. Casting them is invoking their rights and instructing the spirits on how to perform their duties. Mess up the casting, and you lose your prep as they do what you DID tell them to do, even if it's not what you meant and even if it amounts to nothing but a "fizzle."

"Spells," as wizards know them, can be complete contracts in and of themselves, but by and large they're actually hodge-podges of a number of contractual obligations, with notes on how to use them together to demand the overall spell effect cobbled together from minor effects and side-effects of other contracts. Researching a new spell can be either a process of negotiating a new contract with the right entities, or of studying other, extant ones and finding new ways to put them together. The latter tends, particularly, to be how wizards get their "free" spells due to discovery as they level up.

This is also why transcribing from one wizard's spellbook into your own is a lengthy process. It's not a neatly defined list of well-delineated spells; each "spell" is probably cross-references and reminder-hints and shorthand instructions on specific modifications to other rituals, and formalizing it into your own spellbook requires unpacking that and recompiling it into instructions YOU understand. Read magic probably contracts with spirits who understand magical legalism who do the ordering for you and present you with a more complete understanding of whole concepts.

Clerics gain their magics by being, essentially, officers of the court of their god(s). They pray for their spells in the morning, reaffirming their loyalties and requesting specific tools to aid them in their service to their god. Usually, their judgment is considered enough, but if their god has other ideas, he might give them different spells than they expected. Nearly all divine spirits can perform the healing or harming effects, which is why they can spontaneously swap out for cure or inflict spells.

Druids are similar, but they aren't officers so much as friends, allies, and even viewed simply as another spiritual member. They still spend time asking for the specific help they'll need, but, like wizards, might spend time trading tit for tat; doing things the nature spirits ask of them which the spirits couldn't do for themselves, and earning a favor or few from the same.

Favored Souls, instead, simply have boons granted them which they can call upon any divine servant of their patron to perform.

braveheart
2016-12-02, 01:27 PM
I use a similar system to above to handle how spell casting works in my games. however my arcane casters all are interacting with elemental dimensions. Most arcane casters create a small connection to another plane of existence, then interact with the plane or it's denizens to gain some effect, the arcane casters however are doing this in a rough and almost clumsy manner, and always run the risk of pulling something unintended into the material plane along with their spell. I use a the square of the spell level as a % chance of a planar leak. each caster type uses their own method of interacting with other planes to get their desired effect.

Wizards and other int. based castors utilize the material components for spells as currency in a kind of magical, interdimensional stock exchange. so a wizard will put his material component up for sale and the best offer on it within the casting time then sends their payment (the spells effect) to the wizard. spell preparation in this case is more about analyzing how the markets will behave over the course of the day, and preparing their payments (material components)

Sorcerers and Bards and other Wis. based arcane castors act more similarly to above having a number of beings that they have befriended on other planes and simply receive assistance from them when necessary


Divine magic on the other hand is done in a similar manor, however the divine being of the caster is acting as an intermediary and prevents planar leaks from occurring. Since a divine castor is doing the work of their god, all the god expects is for them to continue doing their work the god covers the methods of payment/befriending of entities personally so that the divine castor only needs to commune with their god.

PhoenixPhyre
2016-12-02, 02:41 PM
I have somewhat of a different take on magic and spellcasting in my setting. This setting is designed for 5e D&D, and I've tried to make the "rules" of magic match the game rules (at least to a large degree). More details are found at the link in my signature, but in short--

Magic power (aether) is created by living things growing (physically, mentally, or otherwise). Producing great art creates aether, for example. This ambient energy is not concentrated enough (usually) to use directly. Instead, magic users learn to create a collection of "pockets" in their soul that concentrate aether. They then release these pockets and funnel the released energy through patterns (either made with words, gestures, rituals, etc) called spells. Since releasing two packets simultaneously enough to sustain a spell is difficult, spells that require more energy require larger "pockets" (spell slots) to cast from. It takes time for the mental strain to ease, so restoring the spell slots requires time (and usually 8 hours of sleep).

How each of the spell-casting types gets their spells is what distinguishes them. Wizards learn to directly hack reality through study, druids make contracts with local spirits (paying them with spell energy), sorcerers gain them intuitively, etc. The spells themselves are the same, but how they're performed may vary by class (so a bard can't teach a wizard a spell, since he only knows it by the rhythm, etc while the wizard needs specific gestures in his idiosyncratic system).

Rodimal
2016-12-02, 02:47 PM
The Wizard's First Rule:
People are stupid.

Millstone85
2016-12-02, 05:39 PM
I like to imagine an energy cycle that goes like this:

. . . . nonmagic . . . .
. . ⬈ . . . . . ⬊ . .
radiant . . . necrotic
. . ⬉ . . . . . ⬋ . .
. . . . . . force . . . . . .

Too much necrotic energy leads to a "grey goo"-like scenario where all light, heat and eventually matter itself are replaced with magic.

Too much radiant energy leads to the disappearance of magic.

BlacKnight
2016-12-03, 04:51 AM
To justify D&D magic I came up with the following.
All living beings have aura. Casters can arrange their aura in complicated ways (preparing spells) then release it to obtain some effects (casting spells). When they do this the part of aura used return to its natural state and have to be arranged again. Spontaneous caster work the same, but their organized state of aura isn't linked to a specific spell but can be used for different effects.

So why can't casters use multiple lower slots for higher level spells ?
Aura is similar to energetic level of atoms. When a caster became more powerful he gains more levels of aura. But to use upper levels he have to fill the lower levels, and these can only accept spells of their level or lower.

All beings have aura and it stretch out from their bodies, overlaying their personal effects unconsciously. A lot of buffs and debuffs works on the aura of the target. This means that Invisibility works also on the items carried, because it's a mod of the aura. On the other side Flesh to Stone is a virus that hack the aura, affecting all the things enveloped by it.