Sci-fi + Magic...but not really

[Chirp]

I'm working on building a science fiction setting at the moment and I want to include some form of special power such as magic or psionics. But I don't want it to feel like magic or psionics. I want something that has a mystical superstition about it, without making it seem like a fantasy element. For example, something similar to The Force in Star Wars, more specifically the force as seen when wielded by the Nightsisters.

Now obviously in terms of game mechanics I will likely use a normal magic system to accomplish this. But when it comes to the flavor of it, I'm not sure how to describe it, or even what to call it, without it coming across as magic. My initial idea was to limit it's use, so the setting will be low-magic, and make it's primary use focused on artifice, alchemy and ritual. So there wont be people running around throwing fireballs and lightning bolts from their fingertips. But at the same time I want it to be a viable class option.

So I'm feeling rather stumped about how to go about doing this.

[AMFV]

One thing you could try is to get a non-westernized system of magic. I mean Star Wars pretty much ripped off Taoism (ish, but it's good enough to explain the concept). Basically the more removed something is from what people see in fantasy settings the more odd and mystical it will feel. You could do something like Astrology, where magic depends on the stars and their relative positions. Which is very different, and could lead to some really interesting things with space travel and what-not. You could do something like Animism, where every object has a spirit and magicians commune with the spirits inside the items, which could lead to some other really interesting things. After all what does the spirit of a starship want?

[nedz]

Intelligent Tech - basically all Tech items have embedded AIs which, due to boredom, have acquired a variety of miscellaneous features for themselves - which go beyond their original spec. See that bow-tie - it's really a camera, and that pen - it's got a freeze-ray inside, ...

[Comet]

If you want artifice or alchemy, the easiest way would be to come up with some sort of miraclous substance or paraphysical interaction that is somewhat plausible given one or two or however many imaginary elements. Eezo from Mass Effect or spice from Dune or what have you.

Then just have people in your universe get really, really excited about it. Like, cult excited. Suddenly you've got a religious institute or other form of gatekeeping organization forming around this process that should, in theory, be freely available to anyone who can get their hands on the materials required. These gatekeeping figures are your class of magic-users, restricting access to the materials or processes required for this magic to become commonplace.

[Lorsa]

One thing you could try is to get a non-westernized system of magic. I mean Star Wars pretty much ripped off Taoism (ish, but it's good enough to explain the concept). Basically the more removed something is from what people see in fantasy settings the more odd and mystical it will feel. You could do something like Astrology, where magic depends on the stars and their relative positions. Which is very different, and could lead to some really interesting things with space travel and what-not. You could do something like Animism, where every object has a spirit and magicians commune with the spirits inside the items, which could lead to some other really interesting things. After all what does the spirit of a starship want?

Astrology in sci-fi? Wow, that was a great idea! Why didn't I think of that before! It would make planetary positions strategically important for magic reasons. Awesome.

[Thinker]

For your flavor, you could do something with a symbiote that was discovered on another planet. They are intelligent and their mind melds with that of the host in many ways. They can access one another's memories and their personalities and ambitions meld into one. The symbiotes have no known upper age limit, but must be collected from a host who has died within a few days or else it will die. They can also live in a vast pool on the planet they were discovered in. Symbiotes grant their host a slew of abilities, which varies from symbiote to symbiote (think similar to clerical domains or spell schools). The symbiotes have been around for thousands of years and have developed their own sense of mysticism - primarily focused on the merging of minds and shared experiences.

I'm not sure what system you are using, but if it is 3.5 or similar, you can make spell casters a prestige class requiring some sort of knowledge or feat, which represents the training and experience required before the people who protect the symbiotes allow someone to be joined (since there is a limited number available). For GURPS, require an advantage or two. Basically, make it inaccessible without additional mechanical investment.

For your alternate magic flavor, a lot of flavor is implied by effects. Allowing fireballs and lightning bolts evokes a high fantasy feel, regardless of the described magic system. Pair down the list, rename spells, and change effects around to help get the feel that you want.

[TheYell]

Arthur C Clarke said any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. The example of his generation was television -- anybody could use it without knowing how it worked.

The trick of using that idea seems to be having the characters know it like algebra without being able to explain the complex theory simply.

it could be that the alignment of planets is key to getting any effect like summoning or transmutation -- we just didnt realize it until we visited other planets. Now anybody trained to trance and calculate the fields can figure out the harmonics but it takes years to learn how and maybe only a few have the Talent to make full use of a convergence. in a rational world they are guided to do so.

[TheYell]

If astrology is real then a villain could build a Death Star not to blow up planets but to wreck everyones patterns by orbiting and giving his minions a lunar cycle to employ. Like stormtrooper werewolves.

[Millstone85]

How about spells as domesticated five-dimensional lifeforms?

"Casting" a spell is all about knowing what signals and baits such a creature will respond to. And to the non-initiated, the results seem to come out of nowhere.

But of course, someone is going to call them midichlorians.

[Arbane]

Quantum Flux!

[Anonymouswizard]

Thanks to the power of handwavium, you can do anything!

To be serious, there are many ways to go about it. You could do something like the Force in Star Wars, which is Space Magic but not in-you-face about it. I personally also really like the astrology idea.

For 'magic from tech', if you have most devices being internet-enabled and are willing to be unrealistic about it, think of the sort of hacker who surrounds his cracking into devices with mystical trappings. Heck, have Technomancers like Shadowrun 4e and 5e does, it's the coolest 'technomagic' system I've seen (especially the 4e version).

[noob]

Administration is the ultimate form of magic and nobody can explain how it works.

[HammeredWharf]

You could read Lord of Light for inspiration. It's a brilliant and unusual take on this subject matter.

[TheYell]

You could read Lord of Light for inspiration. It's a brilliant and unusual take on this subject matter.

An awesome read. Though I guess it would create divine casters...

It's an unknown future where this starship was marooned on some world ages past. Its passengers were Hindu. That's important because they had true reincarnation and vat-grown custom bodies. And over the lifetimes the personality can acquire psionic powers that carry over from body to body, called Aspects. And the personality with an Aspect put in a body will train that body to use the powers of aspect, and these psychosomatic powers are called Attributes.

So the First, who knew vanished Earth, have millions of descendants and have god-like powers inherited over the centuries.

So they became the Hindu pantheon. Til some guy thought they got too pushy, and became the Buddha just to show them...

They did have technomagic or I guess it would be enhanced psionic items. Agni had a flame-wand that he could hold in his hand, but score the surface of the moon. Shiva had a trident of essential destruction. Kali had a screaming supersonic siren shaped like skulls. The hero had a belt that enhanced his power to bind electric forces to metal objects.

[Cluedrew]

You could do something like Astrology, where magic depends on the stars and their relative positions. Which is very different, and could lead to some really interesting things with space travel and what-not. You could do something like Animism, where every object has a spirit and magicians commune with the spirits inside the items, which could lead to some other really interesting things. After all what does the spirit of a starship want?

I feel like the astrology in space thing should have been done before, but I can't think of an example, its a fun idea.

For animism, maybe planit-ism? Draw magic from the planet itself? Which would make traveling in deep space rather unsettling for the casters.

Actually question, are you looking for something that is still ultimately magic, just with a different feel and different context, or do you want something that feels like magic but has a (made up) scientific explanation. Either way I would recommend mixing a few classic science fiction hand ways back into this. Like the warp gods in Warhammer 40000. Oh, and quantum physics is a fuzzy enough area to work in either context. Teleportation by "speed or location", divination by checking parallel realities, that sort of thing.

[TheYell]

Glory Road by Robert Heinlein is a good example of high fantasy blended with science fiction. The various dimensions are connected like the corners of a warped cube, so travel between dimensions is a matter of calculation and finding the right faerie circles. Physical laws arent the same across the Universes, so they have to pack for battle on worlds where gunpowder doesn't fire and compressed oils don't ignite. "Eye of toad, tongue of newt" is really a memnonic for the real chemical compounds that get added together. Travelers between universes are known locally as witches or sorcerers and they don't bother explaining the technology behind it.

[LokiRagnarok]

I feel like the astrology in space thing should have been done before, but I can't think of an example, its a fun idea.

For animism, maybe planit-ism? Draw magic from the planet itself? Which would make traveling in deep space rather unsettling for the casters.

For an example of planet-ism, check out Nico Alton-Hastur from Traitor's Sun by Marion Zimmer Bradley. http://darkover.wikia.com/wiki/Domenic_Alton-Hastur