Can anyone explain the difference between magic system and power system if it exists? I think it depends on genre and type of media. If it is a fantasy setting then it will be called a magic system, if it is a shonen anime/manga or superheroes it will be called a power system.

What do you think about it?

I've always felt unsatisfied with magic being tied to genes and heritage. It seems too entrenched in the material for the nebulous kinds of magic that I prefer, and can stand out in certain systems that mechanically and thematically have nothing to do with bloodlines. It's also narratively unsatisfying if your protagonist is meant to be an underdog born with nothing, but in order for them to use your cool and interesting magic system, they have to have hit a certain genetic jackpot. So while I spend a lot of time developing the powers and mechanics of my systems, how people become casters in the first place is a question I put on the backburner.

But then I found a solution that I think suits my needs pretty well. Let me clarify that this isn't some game changing epiphany that I'm trying to preach. Basically, in my world where magic is a collection or interplay of cosmic forces, tied heavily with the development of sapience and conscious experience in general, I figure humans' magic abilities come from their brains, right? Well, maybe it's literally the geometric patterns of certain people's neural circuitry that open up the realms of magic to them. This in itself is a basic trope, but the key things it allows are for people to:

1.) Be born with abilities,

2.) Study using specific methods to gain abilities,

3.) Undergo intense, life changing surgical or medical processes to access abilities

When I say study, I don't mean the classic wizard towers and libraries and massive tomes and academies of Harry Potter-esuqe fantasy. Studying to "learn" magic means trying to actively rewire the way your mind processes and interprets the world, overhauling your inner philosophies and core beliefs as an individual, in the hopes of shaping a piece of your mind that you can't see. And the material you study is all mundane: physics, chemistry, geology, meteorology, philosophy, history. The knowledge alone won't change you enough; magic studying is far more abstract and personal an experience than regular academics.

An aspiring magic user doesn't memorize and practice spells, they work meticulously to parse patterns in reality that warp their state of mind in some unknowable way that will grant them access to well-documented, potent abilities bound to cosmic forces that can wash their minds away if they're not careful. And each magic system requires a different mental makeup to access of course.

Nor do certain bloodlines get lucky and pass down magic powers through generations. Any child born with the brain shape and circumstances to grow into a natural mage is not only incredibly rare(let's say 1 in a million), but also necessarily neurodivergent(not by any specific, real world conditions) and unlikely to retain the magical neural structures as their minds develop. Any adult magic users are either studied practitioners or insane, unstable anomalies.

This also leaves room for the existence of people whose brain patterns are similar but more basal than those of magic users and thereby have an instinctive perception for magic. They basically have an indirect advantage at learning magic, but not nearly enough to progress by themselves. These individuals exist outside of any categories of casters.

Finally, there is always an easier but riskier and more detrimental shortcut to supernatural power. Using Sanguifice, the system that deals with flesh and organic manipulation, different cultures have devised ways to engineer magic into living brains, each with varied side effects and debilitations, the most common being brain damage and drastic personality change. Studying magic is to gaining it by bloodcraft, what training to become a sprinter is to replacing your legs with bionics.

Please tell me if you have similar ideas in your systems, or if you've consumed media that has similar ideas!

View Poll

Litterally what the title says, what element would plastic fall under. In my opinion it wouldn't be any element because its, y'know, plastic, but bioplastic made from plants could fall under Plant or Wood or Flora or whatever you want to call it to sound original

I decided to do some worldbuilding just for fun. The world I've come up with is going through an industrial revolution and the "magic" comes from fuel from a magical rock. I want multiple fuels for this world but what are some things can I do with magic as a fuel instead of classical spells?

They are used interchangeably from what I've seen but is there a massive difference I am overlooking?

Hello, everyone! I hope you’re having a nice day! I’m posting this to info-dump about the magic system for my sci-fi setting, simply called Witchcraft. I find it fun to keep things simple.

Learning Witchcraft: Learning Witchcraft is a deeply spiritual and sometimes religious process. It requires being deeply in tune with your own thoughts and self, as well as being willing to accept and understand your own nature. Long meditations and soul-searching journeys are usually undertaken as part of the learning process.

Once you have become in tune with yourself enough that you can begin learning Witchcraft, you need to learn the basics. When you perform Witchcraft, you are controlling your metaphysical self, which is oftentimes your soul. Learning how to control it is not unlike learning to control your physical body. You have to learn how to walk, speak, and eventually motor control. A novice witch is essentially a spiritual newborn that learns by trial and error. The more fine tuned their control, the more Witchcraft they are capable of.

Fundamentals of Witchcraft: The fundamental components of Witchcraft are such; learning to control the three primary pieces of your soul, as well as how to maneuver your soul. The three primary pieces are The Sense, The Voice and The Hand.

Maneuvering the soul: Maneuvering your soul, as mentioned above, is not unlike learning to walk. First you can barely move at all, and as you grow more capable you eventually learn to crawl, and finally after much effort you can take steps. Learning to maneuver your soul is important because you cannot use Witchcraft on something your soul cannot reach. Meaning if a novice witch’s soul can only crawl, it’s going to be much harder and take much longer for their soul to reach a desired location. Furthermore, your ability to articulate your soul’s actions is what enables precise Witchcraft, rather than simply wildly flailing; this part mostly comes into play with The Hand.

The Sense: The Sense is the senses possessed by your soul. They mirror your own 5, and learning to use them is typically a key part of a witch’s journey. The Sense enables a witch to see, feel, hear, taste and smell the surroundings of their soul without needing to be there. This, for example, allows them to see far distances, feel if something is hot without harming themself, or hear a conversation in another part of a building.

The Voice: The Voice is your souls ability to speak. Using it, a witch can speak to the souls of others, allowing for silent communication across vast distances. This is oftentimes called “Telepathy.” This telepathic communication is only that, communication. It does not enable a witch to read the minds of other creatures. A witch adept at both The Sense and The Voice may be able to hear the response to their telepathy, but only two witches adept at the Voice can transmit complex thoughts between each other, and can only do so willingly.

The Hand: The Hand is your souls ability to manipulate the world around it. This manifests as an invisible, intangible force moving or interacting with objects or people. This is oftentimes called Telekinesis. Successfully using The Hand often requires a witch to have basic motor control with their soul; otherwise they are only capable of brute motions, which are also typically quite weak. A powerful witch can lift things far heavier with telekinesis than what their body could ever dream of lifting.

Advanced Witchcraft: The final level of Witchcraft is the ability to maneuver the soul not through space, but time. This is an incredibly difficult and taxing skill, requiring you to be a master witch to even consider attempting it. This skill enables for unique applications of Witchcraft, such as using The Sense to see the future, The Voice to communicate with your past self, or The Hand to arrange a perfect trap before your target ever arrives. This ability is not used lightly, for once a point in time has been observed, it must happen. Seeing into the future guarantees that future will come to pass, while attempting to alter the past will only ever change how an event occurred, not the final result.

Psychic Gifts: Some individuals are born with a unique soul. These unique souls must still abide by all the same principles and processes as other witches. However, these unique souls are able to use their gift to perform actions other witches cannot. A Pyrokinetic can use The Hand to create and control fire, a Medium can use The Sense to see the dead, and an Enchanter can use The Voice to give commands that others must obey. These unique souls are few and far between.

QnA: If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask!

Marks - What are they? 

Marks are deals made with higher, supernatural powers. They are one of the primary forms of magic, and are incredibly prevalent. These bargains are a give and a take, power is granted in exchange for some sort of price— generally, the higher the price, the stronger the Mark. Marks are represented via visual, tattoo-like patterns, that glow when used. 

Mark Classification

There are, generally, two classifications of Marks: Traditional and Special. Both Traditional and Special Marks have Faustian variants. People with Marks are known as Mark-Wielders. The supernatural beings who give out Marks are known as Patrons. Both Traditional and Special Marks have subtypes, leading to specific abilities granted by specific powers

Traditional Marks

Boons

Boons are Marks granted by Angels. They do not grant destructive powers, but instead, powers that enhance the Mark-wielder or allow them to assist others. The price for a Boon is normally some form of sacrifice in accordance with a religious tradition. 

EX:
The Guardian Archangel, Michael, grants a Boon, giving the Mark-wielder incredible strength and durability. In exchange, the wielder cannot cut their hair. 

EX 2: 
The Healer Archangel, Emmanuel, grants a Boon, giving the Mark-wielder the ability to heal others via physical contact with the Mark. In exchange, the Mark-Wielder’s body is weakened per healing. 

Pacts
Pacts are Marks granted by Demons and Devils. They give destructive, offensive powers, alongside corruptive, manipulative ones. The price for a Pact usually is some form of servitude, a dark sacrifice, worship, or a straight-up Faustian Bargain. Additionally, destructive abilities have intensive rules. 

EX:
One of many Succubi, Yathia, grants a Pact, giving the Mark-wielder the ability to seduce others with magical ease. The price is 100 years of servitude to Yathia, as some form of lesser demon or impish servant. 

EX 2:
A warmongering demon, Malakai, grants a Pact, giving the Mark-Wielder the ability to kick with several thousand megatons of force, enough to even level continents. Yet, they must have true hatred in their heart for their opponent, have consumed at least 2 gallons of blood, and they must have perfect form while kicking

Blessings

Blessings are Marks granted by Gods. They give incredible, reality-shaking powers, ones nearly beyond comprehension. They are exceedingly rare, and require nearly zealous devotion to the deity to be granted, or for some prophecy to be at play. 

EX: 
The Goddess of Destruction, Aharia The Conqueror, grants her high priestess the ability to annihilate matter and divine physiology. That high priestess, in exchange, must now be thousands of times more devout for the rest of her normal, mortal life, and serve as Aharia’s servant in what would normally be their afterlife

EX 2:
The God of Heroes, Lupus, grants a farmboy divine physiology, and the ability to condense and expand space. This farmboy is bound by prophecy to be a great hero, and now has next to no free will up until that point. 

Seals
Seals are Marks granted by nature spirits and miscellaneous, mischievous supernatural forces. They normally grant very versatile abilities, or several abilities, yet modify the Mark-Wielder in some way. Normally, the more dramatic the modification, the stronger the seal.

EX:
A powerful water spirit, Akari, makes a deal with a normal human. That human now has blue hair, elvish ears, and a more bubbly, overly positive personality, but they can now breathe underwater, and can both create and manipulate water freely. 

Beast Marks 
Beast-Marks are Marks given by beastly patrons, monsters with incredible magical power. No “deal” can be made, instead, the mark-wielder must be bitten to obtain the Mark. They are granted the physiology and instincts of that beast, both good and bad, and have to learn to control their instincts to not succumb to them. Additionally, those with Beast-Marks can transform into beast hybrids at will

EX:
A Mark-Wielder is bitten by a Direwolf, transforming them into a Lycan. The Mark-Wielder now has wolflike instincts, claws, enhanced statistics and senses, and the ability to transform into a werewolf. However, the desires of a feral beast now looms in their mind, desires they must fight off to remain sane. 

Special Marks
Special Marks are unique marks given by unique, special-class patrons. They break rules, set their own rules, and are generally distinct and one-of-a-kind. 

Hybrid Marks
Hybrid Marks are Marks that qualify as more than one type of Mark, granting unique abilities for unique prices. Hybrid Marks can only be given by especially powerful patrons, that have the qualities of several patron types. 

EX:
All four parts of Aharia grant a Special Mark, unlocking destruction-based, element-like abilities, enhancing the body, granting divine physiology, and granting smaller abilities with specific rules. In exchange, the user’s appearance, memories, and personality are permanently altered, they cannot cut their hair, must be incredibly, intensely zealous, and are basically Aharia’s slave for the rest of time.

EX 2:
The Fox Empress, Tamaraki, grants a special boon, allowing the Mark-Wielder to transform into a Fox Spirit, granting power over nature, energy, willpower, and the very powerful ability to hold four more Traditional Marks. In exchange, the personality, memories, and appearance of the Wielder is permanently altered, they owe Tamaraki 3 sacrifices a week, are now innately zealous, and must fight off their new, beastly instincts. 

Faustian Marks
Every Mark has different levels, the most extreme being Faustian Marks. Faustian Marks grant incredible powers, but like Faust, cost an incredible price.

Faustian Boons 
Faustian Boons cause Mark-Wielders to become Angelkin, vessels of their new Master’s will till death, and the mortal hands of the Angel that gave them power. They become altered physically, to reflect the Angel’s will and appearance. 

Faustian Pacts
There are three variants of a Faustian Pact

Variant 1
Mark-Wielders become Imps, lesser demons bound to serve their new Master for eternity

Variant 2
Mark-Wielders become hosts, possessed and controlled by the demon that granted them power, their bodies twisting to become devilish. Once the demon leaves, the Mark-wielder is left insane 

Variant 3
Mark Wielders fall victim to insanity and an incredible physical transformation. The insanity manifests in different ways, but always causes an irrational fear of the sun, and a weakness to light. 

Faustian Blessings
Faustian Blessings cause Mark-Wielders to fully transform into pseudo-gods, serving as servants, attendants, slaves, guards, or whatever their deity wishes. They are physically divine, and mentally altered by their deity to serve them better.

Faustian Seals
Faustian Seals completely reshape the identities of Mark-Wielders, yet grant power equal to the Spirit. Normally, Spirits use this as a chance to incarnate as a mortal, or create some form of a child or family member. Special Faustian Seals can cause Mark-Wielders to become Spirits themselves. 

Faustian Beast Marks
Faustian Beast Marks are granted via several beast-bites from different creatures. The user is now permanently stuck in a 75% Original Species 25% Beast Chimera state, and can shift into 50%/50% or 25%/75% at will. The instincts are now almost entirely dominant, and worked into their personality. 

Faustian Hybrid Mark
Faustian Hybrid Marks effectively rewrite a person as a lesser servant or aspect of their Patron. The Mark-Wielder’s soul is now effectively a piece of the Patron’s soul. They lose almost everything, but gain nigh-godly power. 

How to Gain a Mark

Marks can be gained in four ways

1: Deals
Making a deal with a Supernatural Being can lead to a Mark with a specific, known price being granted

2: Deals on Behalf
Others can negotiate for a Mark on your behalf. Be warned, they will set the terms, and therefore, the price. 

3: Hereditary
Lesser versions of Faustian Marks and Seals pass down through family lines. 

4: Gift
A Mark can be gifted by a Supernatural Being for some greater purpose or as a reward. 

How to Lose a Mark
You can lose a Mark in one of four ways

1: Deal-Breaking
Every Mark has three “strikes.” Going against a Mark’s deal is one “Strike,” which temporarily deactivates the Mark. Going against it again is two “Strikes,” weakening the Mark and temporarily deactivating it for a longer period of time. Breaking the deal a third time causes the Mark-User to lose the Mark. In the case of Pacts and Blessings, some sort of punishment can be doled out for any three. This does not apply to Seals

2: Passage 
If a Mark-Wielder has a child, they can willingly pass on the Mark to their child. Seals are automatically duplicated and passed on, with the Child having a lesser version, and lesser modifications.

3: Sacrifice
A Mark-Wielder, if brought within an inch of their life, can sacrifice a Mark to save their life, and return to full health

4: Agreement
If a price is just too much to pay, a Patron can be convinced to retract a Mark. 

Mark-Born
Mark-Born are the children of two people with the same Mark of any type. This child passively carries a stronger version of that Mark, and their personality and appearance are shaped by the Mark’s requirements. Mark-Born, additionally, has a passive connection to the Mark’s initial granter, being able to sense their presence, and in rare cases, communicate telepathically. Mark-Born, additionally, cannot lose their Mark under any circumstances. Lastly, a Mark-Born can sacrifice half of their Mark’s power, and give another person a Mark. 

Faustian Mark-Born
Faustian Mark-Born descend from two people with any two Faustian Marks. They have properties identical to a Mark-Born, with all contradictory statements being met with some form of middle ground. They are incredibly powerful, and seen as demigods, prophets, and symbols of both destruction and salvation. 

Mark Dynasties
Some families foster specific Marks, all members of the family eventually becoming Mark-Born. The longer a Mark is fostered within a family line, the stronger that Mark becomes. 

Wilts are dead flowers that are turned into wands. They needed to have died before they bloomed and treated with a tincture that hardens the stem. Though this all means nothing if the user can't get the flower to bloom after this.

What causes this is unknown, but any who can get the wand to bloom are able to cast magic. And more importantly, see the spirit world around them... so long as they hold onto the wand.

Using magic causes the flower of the wand to lose petals, meaning you can only use a wand for so long, before you need to make it bloom again. And it's rare to get it to bloom more than once.

Magic pertains to manipulation of the three plasms. Phantoplasm (illusions and memories), vitaplasm (lifeforce), and photoplasm (light).

Manipulating these essences allows for the creation of all sorts of effects. Phantoplasm is often used to manipulate the mind and memories. Vitaplasm can be used for healing or for creating horrible tumors or diseases in the body. Photoplasm is the most common combative as it is used to launch rays and beams of light as weapons.

Most witches have attempted to keep the peace between the physical and spiritual worlds. They unravel spirits, which are in essence just bundles of memories left by those who perished.

If this is disrespectful to include in my stories please let me know, but I plan on reading up on religious history and so far would like to tie my magic to 12 constellations, each influenced by one of the apostles. Being born under a constellation would determine your magical abilities. I was wondering if anyone had ideas for what each apostle’s constellation would be able to do? I’d like to hit the basics of elementals and stuff like sense manipulation. I appreciate any help!

In many fantasy settings it feels like a lot of the time a wizard-in-training will learn to do magic by reading a bunch of books, pointing their wand/staff at something, saying some special phrase then BOOM! They cast a spell. What makes me wonder though is how those actions translate into casting spells? What’s inside those books? Is it just a list of the special phrases mentioned? If so what’s stopping just a normal person off the street from picking up a wand and saying the same thing in order to spell cast? I guess that’s the big question I’m asking. In settings in which anyone can learn magic given the right amount of training (and perhaps some sort of wand/staff) what actions separate some random person vs a high level wizard?

To start with, in my world, iron is has a powerful effect on Fairy, otherworldly curses that defy explanation. Usually, when Fairy manifest, a smith would need to spend months crafting chains of iron made in specific shapes called Fairy Circles. These shapes hold the power to contain Fairy, but they need to be made specific to each curse.

However, after this, people could use these chains to control the Fairy contained within, making them potent tools or weapons.

One example of a powerful Fairy is the hungry mouth phenomenon.

This is where mouths start to manifest in walls, ceilings, and floors. They coerce people into feeding them blood, flesh, meat, etc., without actually saying anything.

This leads to the mouths growing bigger and requiring more sustenance.

The mouths sing a sort of tune that causes peaceful euphoric sensations. Like a drug of sorts. But they only do that when fed. And people get addicted to this music. But the reverse is if the people don't feed them, they sing a somber tune that causes painful withdrawals.

At first capture is the only way to deal with the Fairy. But after the Fairy Circles start to break down, people need to get creative in destroying the Fairy completely.

And that's the Fairy Chains magic system.

I would like to create a reverse magic to fight this magic system.

I like the idea that metal acts as a sort of anti-natural element. It represents progression and technology. While a natural magic might be interesting as a sort of counter.

As the previous magic is about subjugation of magical entities or phenomena, I think a magic about adaptation and surrender would be good as well.

So...

Waer or Wylden are the werewolves of this world. They change when a primal power builds in their veins.

Silver can be used to purge the primal power from the body. This is fine if the Wylden is in human form, but if they are transformed, they will rapidly turn back, tearing skin, breaking bone, and killing them.

Basically, a wylden gathers primal power in their body over time, and it enhances their physical aspects. In exchange, however, they become exhausted much faster.

Therefore, one needs to expend power to not burn out but not burn too much power as they may damage their body (muscle weakness, mind fog, temporary blindness, even cardiac arrest).

You can expend power through lashes (basically spells that use primal power to draw blood), feeding (the process of bestowing the curse onto another), or use of silver or artifacts.

I also had the idea of a primal power reservoir. So one can only store so much, so they have a maximum amount they could burn.

As you reach the end of your reservoir, you transform. Not only that, but you also grow more feral than closer you get the the end of your reservoir.

There is also the idea of the venom. A substance that poisons a wylden's reservoir. Causing it to weaken, then regrow larger. This over years allows one to hold even more primal power.

I'm creating a magic system with different types/categories

So far I have

• Water
• Fire
• Earth
• Air
• Nature
• Shapeshifting
• Electricity
• Illusion
• Time
• Gravity
• Mind -> control, reading, etc
• Light
• Darkness
• Teleportation
• Tailoring -> changing the look/makeup of something
• Super -> intelligence, senses, strength, speed

I'm trying to think of more, any suggestions?

A while ago I posted this same magic system, but now I've made a few alterations, and want to know if they improve or worsen it. Link to old post: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/comments/17xoxjw/when_the_moon_opens_its_eye/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

It started with the Dreamless Year, a year in which no humans ever had a single dream, unless it was of the moon, and those were fleeting and enigmatic.

The Gaze
First of all, an eldritch being residing within the moon has caused a single eye to emerge on it's surface, glowing with ethereal light. This light is called Corrupted Moonshine. It is corrupted because the moon still holds sway over it, filling it with malice. Moonshine causes anomalous effects on everything it touches, creating anomalies and transfiguring normal items and creatures into anomalous ones.

Anomalous creatures are called cryptids.

Seleca
In the oceans, a certain algae has adapted to absorb the Corrupted Moonshine of The Gaze instead of sunlight, and refine it, producing non-corrupted moonshine.

By cultivating this algae to grow on their own bodies, humans learned to wield Moonshine. However, too much exposure to it causes the algae to grow out of control, eventually taking them over and turning them into magical zombies called Moonwalkers.

The more they use the moonshine, the more algae covers their skin, and the faster they transform into zombies. The more algae covers their skin, the faster they can use moonshine.

Moonbloods

By culturing Seleca, the lunar algae, in the blood of cryptids, people can create strains that allow them to transform into and use the abilities of these beasts. People with these strains are called Moonbloods

It grows on their bodies, gradually overtaking them, transforming their blood into that of a cryptid. The more they allow to grow, the more beastly their base form becomes. The algae gradually purifies the blood, allowing them to use more power without losing themselves to the moon's influence.

By multiple, I mean multiple systems in one setting. Do any of your worlds have it?

How do they work, and look? Are they from a common place (a being, a place or thing), or from two entirely different things? Do they interact uniquely? Or are they like oil and fire mixing.

Can they be learned learned by anyone? If I know one, am I able to learn the other? Does that create a unique mix that interacts differently then the others?

Hello!

At this point, I've been trying to develop a magical ecosystem in which my story's respective magic can influence and affect the food chain, biology, and adaptive processes of the landscape it touches. Here's my rudimentary explanation for how a place like this is created. Please let me know what you think!

Background info, if you're interested:
What are Wells?Dungeon Deep-DiveWhen humans are mutated by the geist

Dungeons: an Ecosystem: 

Despite there being three known dungeons across the continent, only the dungeon of life is so well-known - and spoken about. Still, even this dungeon has secrets that haven’t been uncovered. 

Therefore, I’ll be using it here as my example. 

What makes a Dungeon?

The term dungeon is very misleading, as it implies an intentional, human-made structure. While dungeons do incorporate buildings or other structures, this is due to the fact that they were already standing prior to its creation, and were simply absorbed and repurposed as part of its birth. 

For a dungeon to form, a Great Well is needed (huge pool of natural power (geist)) and an uncontrolled release of that power. 

Wells are naturally very stable, and are composed of pure geist. But an experiment, or some other kind of magical provocation will trigger the Well’s sudden expansion and consumption of the area. In this case, since the experiment that caused the life dungeon’s original Well to collapse was a study of life geist, that directly translated into the nature and composition of the dungeon itself. 

Birth, Part 1: 

If tampering with a Great Well hits this critical point, the first thing that will occur is the collapse and subsequent release of all that stored-up geist. The huge reserves of pure geist, once released, are now very quickly converted into life geist. 

This ‘flood’ of power washes over everything in the area - the range is dependant on the strength of the Great Well - infusing plants, animals, and the very land itself. 

Geist is very rarely seen in its raw, uncontrolled form, let alone unleashed in such a volume. Like a super-efficient acid, everything it comes into contact with is broken down and absorbed into the geist itself. In the case of the life dungeon, everything within half a mile of the Well was scoured away, be it living or not. 

Luckily, this does not result into a giant, bottomless hole as the geist sinks into the earth, absorbing all. For one thing, this potent effect doesn’t last terribly long. In addition, raw geist, as it flows, will leave a rock-like residue, which quickly fills in the holes left behind by its power. 

If someone (from a safe distance) was in a position to witness this, they would have seen a violent flash of light from the site of the Great Well. Then, they would have watched as shimmering, incandescent raw life geist flooded across the land in all directions in a great wave. Where it flowed, trees collapsed and melted away, animals and humans and people too all seemed to collapse on themselves and melt into the flood. 

It only takes mere minutes for the geist to eat through the topside and begin sinking into the earth. The landscape is gone - all that’s left is an empty expense of a rugged, rocklike surface (geist residue). But beneath the surface, development continues…

Birth: Part 2: 

Because of its destructive capability, the raw geist’s horizontal expansion is limited, as it very soon began to eat into the earth beneath it. So while the site of the dungeon is a square half-mile, it burrows into the ground for many times that length. 

The geist continues to sink, absorbing anything and leaving that residue in its path. This residue, which coats the surface, will also serve to show below ground where the boundary of normal earth hits the underground network of the dungeon. 

Already, this process has become less uniform, and pockets of empty space are forming in places where the residue doesn’t form. Components taken from the surface by the geist are also being deposited in small amounts - but they don’t resemble their original forms. Twisted versions of buildings taken from above are deposited in these pockets. The smallest of the plants and animals taken also reform, but they have become magical, twisted geist creatures with only a passing resemblance to what they’d once been. 

Down and down the geist flows as it shrinks in volume, size, and production of residue. These pockets of space are getting larger as the geist eats away, but doesn’t produce the ‘rock’ residue to compensate. This means that as you go lower into a dungeon, the spaces within will get wider, and more complex. 

Birth: Part 3: 

(At this point, the people of this world don’t truly understand/haven’t discovered these processes yet)

Eventually, the geist, much diminished, will coalesce at the point far below the earth’s surface. No more absorption is possible - in fact, almost everything the geist has taken from the surface is now rebuilt and scattered all throughout the network of caverns it has created. 

All, except one last entity. 

The remaining geist, although still present, cannot exist in its raw form for much longer. However, this doesn’t mean that the geist will simply fade away. Instead it will latch onto an anchor - a vessel - that is strong enough to contain it. That means that, amidst all of the things the geist has taken, it will cling to one. 

Geist is not some sentient thing… but there are certain rules in place. These rules, barely known, are what direct the geist’s actions. Inanimate objects, unless treated correctly, are poor vessels for geist. Most plants and animals cannot contain it either. So, the remaining geist will cling to a human, keeping them absorbed in its mass to prevent itself from destabilizing. 

Thus ends the birth of a dungeon, and begins its long road of growth and development. 

Dungeon Development: 

Now that the geist has settled at the very bottom of the dungeon, and is linked to a human (most likely), the dungeon has finished growing in size. 

Within its rocky exterior, however, the mutated geist creatures will slowly carve out niches for themselves, establish a hierarchy and strange, magical ecosystem. Very rarely will they exit the dungeon - the place is still infused with life geist, thanks to the residue that forms the bulk of it, and so they thrive off of its rich, ambient power. 

As the years go by, the dungeon will reach equilibrium, and distinct levels will assert themselves, with different environments to boot, thanks to its inhabitants and any structures caught up in its creation. 

At the very bottom, the entity keeping the geist stable will slowly merge with the power completely. Eventually, they may become something new, unlike anything else seen before… they may even regain consciousness - or sentience. 

So Paleons (Homo Paleons) are human beings who have the ability to transform into a type of prehistoric animal. The way this works is said human beings have been posessed by the ghosts of their respective animals which came from the fossils that their dead bodies became over time. Only one ghost can posess one person at a time since a human body is not capable of handeling two fossil ghosts without exploding.

The way this posession works is more like a genetic fusion, physically they become one organism while retaining the human's conciousness and the genetic and mental memory of the animal. The way transformation works is said person needs to suffer a fatal injury in order to be brought back to life in their animal forms. When they trasnform back into a normal human being they shed their skin and can only do so after running out of energy and getting extremely tired. If they stay in their animal form for too long the latent animal conciousness from the ghost that posessed them will take over and completely transform their body into their respective animal permanently. This could result in death due to the intense bodily mutilation required to fully transform a human body into an animal body as well as the obvious death of the human's conciousness.

Paleons are not immortal, they can die but only in their transformed state the only exception is decapitation which kills Paleons in both their human and animal form. The only way they can transform or de transform anything about their bodies at will is only partially like for example choosing only to transform their arms into a velocirapotor claws but this is an advanced skill that requires a ton of training and concentration.

To identify a Paleon, they usually have partially grey hair for their age, distinctive glowing eyes with unnatural colors, superhuman senses and physical ability like enhances speed and strength and a physical trait they retain of the animal they can transform into on their heads like for example feathers on your forhead if you can transform into a velociraptor.

When it comes to superpowers Paleons gain the obvious physical advantages that their respective animal posesses like for example a Mammoth's strength, tusks and trunk which triples as an extra arm. However, apart from this they also gain supernatural abilities that are based on the cause of death of their respective animals like for example if this Mammoth in particular got stuck and drowned in a tar pit then you gain the ability to control and summon tar. These are traits Paleons can learn to control and if they are creative enough the possibilities become endless.

So this is the basic idea I have so far what do you guys think, does it have potential?

the world im tying to build takes place in the modern day, where creatures who look exactly like humans sit underneath society's noses and, from time to time, attack and kill them. I know, you dont have to tell me, as i was thinking all this up I thought "damn, this sounds a lot like tokyo ghoul.." and then i realized, what I need is something i guess you could say of an equivalent to kagune from tokyo ghoul. It's something, an ability or trait that really sets them apart from humans. Physically that is. The reader doesn't think of what's INSIDE of a ghoul when they see one, I think to them, ghoul = kagune. I could be wrong, but that's the way I like to see it, which is why I need help in thinking up something of the sort. What could these creatures do, what could they have, something powerful, terrifying, dynamic and bold that truly sets them apart? A power, you could call it, but i prefer it to be something physical. More organic.

So Paleons (Homo Paleons) are human beings who have the ability to transform into a type of prehistoric animal. The way this works is said human beings have been posessed by the ghosts of their respective animals which came from the fossils that their dead bodies became over time. Only one ghost can posess one person at a time since a human body is not capable of handeling two fossil ghosts without exploding.

The way this posession works is more like a genetic fusion, physically they become one organism while retaining the human's conciousness and the genetic and mental memory of the animal. The way transformation works is said person needs to suffer a fatal injury in order to be brought back to life in their animal forms. When they trasnform back into a normal human being they shed their skin and can only do so after running out of energy and getting extremely tired. If they stay in their animal form for too long the latent animal conciousness from the ghost that posessed them will take over and completely transform their body into their respective animal permanently. This could result in death due to the intense bodily mutilation required to fully transform a human body into an animal body as well as the obvious death of the human's conciousness.

Paleons are not immortal, they can die but only in their transformed state the only exception is decapitation which kills Paleons in both their human and animal form. The only way they can transform or de transform anything about their bodies at will is only partially like for example choosing only to transform their arms into a velocirapotor claws but this is an advanced skill that requires a ton of training and concentration.

To identify a Paleon, they usually have partially grey hair for their age, distinctive glowing eyes with unnatural colors, superhuman senses and physical ability like enhances speed and strength and a physical trait they retain of the animal they can transform into on their heads like for example feathers on your forhead if you can transform into a velociraptor.

When it comes to superpowers Paleons gain the obvious physical advantages that their respective animal posesses like for example a Mammoth's strength, tusks and trunk which triples as an extra arm. However, apart from this they also gain supernatural abilities that are based on the cause of death of their respective animals like for example if this Mammoth in particular got stuck and drowned in a tar pit then you gain the ability to control and summon tar. These are traits Paleons can learn to control and if they are creative enough the possibilities become endless.

So this is the basic idea I have so far what do you guys think, does it have potential?

Ok, soooo… I had this half baked idea while walking to school today. So basically, magic is used by vibrating your voice or an object at certain hertz rate, it produces specific effects, which would prob be related to the cymatic patterns it would make, but idk. Im thinking that the louder it is resonated, the more powerfull, but the quieter, the more precise. Please comment and give me suggestions, I have no idea how to expand on this 😭😭

Edit: ok so I had this idea where like people could do duets of different frequencies and make special effects, or maybe one could sing loud for power and one could sing low for control, etc. Also, spells could be cast with specialized Like tuning fork sets that are like put together so that you basically (and idk how to use tuning forks so dont yell at me 😭) only have to hit it once to make a spell, thus doing the duet for you. Does that make sense?? Ummm ye

Trying to write a battle Shonen universe about psychics/Mediums vs ghostly extradimensional threats.

Wanted some ideas on how to make it stand out. Something with a good variety of options for psychics to exorcize ghosts.

Basically, in my world there are Fairy, otherworldly phenomena that defy explanation. Usually, when Fairy manifest, a smith would need to spend months crafting chains of iron made in specific shapes called Fairy Circles. These shapes hold the power to contain Fairy, but they need to be made specific to each curse.

However, after this, people could use these chains to control the Fairy contained within, making them potent weapons.

Nowadays, Fairy have become hidden. The majority of the surviving Fairy are unseen and effect the world more subtly. This makes fighting them much harder. But there are those who can still find them.

One such entry on the long list of weird phenomena, is the secret mouths phenomenon.

This is where mouths start to manifest in walls, ceilings, and floors. The premise is these mouths start by whispering secrets. Most people can't see these mouths, but they hear them and they are subconsciously convinced the words they say are the truth. Eventually, when the mouths grow stronger, the words turn to suggestions that people will do.

I need to figure out a way to feed these mouths that is thematically linked to them. Something pg in execution as I want to make something with a broader audience.

Something like if you feed them paper they will start saying what was written on the paper. And those secrets make them stronger. Idk. Any ideas?

So- I've never done a ritual, but I wanna sell my soul and curse someone at my school bc they've been bullying a lot of people, and I want something to happen to them. Something bad I mean. Not like death, but like they're parents dying, or they get herpes in their mouth, or something like that. Major, or minor.

My magic system https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/comments/1gt5rki/my_full_magic_system_spells_rituals_arcane_gifts/

Mana just as basic shorthand term that anyone could understand .

My first Idea was Aether for it being the original substance that filled universe beyond the testerial sphere , so I though it would be a perfect for my sci-fi fantasy setting.

Vril comes from the novel of the same name where a hyper advanced society through manipulation of the Vril allowed them to reach that point, which is similar to the wizards in my setting and their socities .It also helps give a catchy name to mages that the others don't .

Another idea was that each of names could be used for riffering to different levels or purities of magical energy .

Magic is science because with magic you don't brake any rules of it if you levitate your just using mana to make a force enough to make your momentum 0 when you make fire ball you make a ball that burns with mana. And because of that anything magic doesn't brake any rules of physics i don't know why ppl call it braking the physics when talking about magic. You spend something to make something thats the number one rule of science. So tell me why? Why do we call it unorthodox, unnatural or barking the rules of reality

Like could Priest/Priestess work?

I am once again back to explain the most important part of my magic system (probably) in hopes that I can get more ideas to finally flesh it out and be done with it. I am further along than I used to be, hopefully just need one final piece and some polish, and then I can move on to more specifics of the world.

What my magic system is, specifically, trying to accomplish, is having everything you'd see in your standard fantasy magic system, the schools of magic, elements, the classes, but with my own twist on how they work.

Some exposition, this is not the entirety of my magic system, it's not even the entirety of this part of it, but it is still a major piece of it and, perhaps, the most important.

Two things to note: there are 8 Schools of Magic, based on a centralized idea, split into two, based on the give, and the take, of that idea.

The first one, Truth. The giving of Truth, is my settings version of divination. It is not the only way to divine, just the most prominent. There are certain Truths intrinsic to the world, and this let's you ask for them. With the give of Truth, you can know the Truth of the correct path to take to get back to the next town, the Truth of whether or not someone is following you down that path, and the Truth of if it is or isn't the person you drunkenly insulted back at the last bar.

The take of Truth, is simply False, illusions. This lets you obscure or take away those truths. To take the Truth of a scene is to create one that is False, such as an armed bodyguard to accompany you on your travels, the False of the way you're going, or the False of the beast pursuing your pursuer, leaving them none the wiser.

The second School involves Oaths. Oaths are a promise given to the world that takes you up on your word and compensates you, like you're trying to take a loan from a bank that needs collateral. These are where the priests and warlocks would slot into, and some druids. You can take an Oath that gives up the use of your arms for greater speed from your would be assailant, an Oath that gives up your intelligence and/or rationality in exchange for strength to fight them off, or an Oath to your King, or a God, some being of intrinsic power, than in exchange for a service you will get a piece of this power. So if your King was known for their Light magic, or you made an Oath with a Sun God, you may gain the ability to blind a foe and make your getaway.

The give of an Oath is a Curse. You're giving to the metaphorical bank of the world, and incurring a debt it needs to pay you. You're binding a Promise to a target, and making sure it comes to pass. This is where witches could be associated. You can Curse one to lose their steps as they stumble after you, Curse them to forget who they were chasing, and even evoke the name of a previously mentioned being of intrinsic power to use it against them, such as that flash of light simply making sure they stay blinded for long enough that they will no longer be a problem for you.

The third School is Permanence. The Permanence of a something or someone is making it stay as they are, seeing what someone or something is and simply keeping it that way. This is where abjurers and healers may be placed. To give Permanence is to lock that persons foot in place, keep that knife in their pocket, or that spell in the air. It's to keep the blood in your veins, the wringing from reaching your ears, the shockwave from moving you.

The taking of Permanence is change, Impermanence. This is where alteration and transmutation could be placed. It is making sure your body keeps moving, even if your legs no longer work. It is making their legs no longer work, even if their body wants to move. It's making your surroundings Impermanent, and thus moldable, creating a barrier between you and anything you'd need to keep away from.

The fourth School is Order. There is a way to the world, a nature to it, a way it should be and a path it should take. You can reinforce and mold that. There is a way things work and you can take advantage of that. Druids, Enchanters, Alchemists, natural and crafting associated classes for here. To give Order is to use what is, and give to it to make it more. It is to take that rose found along your path and create from it a briar. It is to take that knife you keep in your back pocket and make it sharper. It is to pick up a plant with a strong smell and a mushroom full of spores, and create a cloud of those spores that would prove too overwhelming to the senses to pass through.

The taking of Order is Chaos. It is looking at the way things work and deciding you have a better idea of how it should be. This is where you will find conjuration and evocation. Chaos is reaching into the other planes and asking for help, in any form it might come in, as you may not know when you ask. Maybe a beast from said plane will answer your call of aid and simply laze in the path behind you to ward off pursuers. Perhaps the plane will answer in the form of an item from it, one that may be capable of helping you in unpredictable ways. Chaos is disrupting the natural order and creating from where before there may have been nothing, so where before there were no stone shards you could fling at an opponent, now there are. Chaos is seeing where you should be in the world, and deciding that it's wrong, that you should've made it to the next town by now.

These four Schools are more set in stone, I know them better and I'm more likely to keep them as they are. They have some overlap in capability and they are meant to, as someone only gets one half of a school and should be able to make the most of it.

These next three, I've yet to figure out a fourth, are less defined as I go on, more subject to change, and mainly what I need help with. I need advice on the previous four as well but this is what I'm really looking for. My surety in them falls in descending order.

The fifth School of Magic is Balance. The Mind, Body, Spirit, and Soul of a person must be in Balance to properly function. And the more Balanced they are, the greater the efficiency and power of each.

To give Balance, is to reinforce yourself. To Balance parts of yourself to make them grow in strength, or to Balance them with outward energies or harmonies to make them resonate and effect each other.

Out in the world, there are different flavors of magic, colored by why they're apart of, which you can become more in tune with. A person naturally is able to coexist with these energies, but doesn't take advantage of them. An example is the underlying energy of the Earth, where becoming in time with it may make you more stable, hardy, enduring. Or of the wind which may make you quicker, more unpredictable, lighter. You can also give Balance to item or areas of the world to produce different effects.

There are also different parts of a person Mind, Body, Soul, and Spirit, like nodes or compartments, that when specifically targeted could produce different effects, kind of like chakras or pressure points.

To take would be to inflict Imbalance on something, making it become out of tune and disharmonic and clash with those energies or themselves. Again, depending on the type of it, or what's targeted, either on someone, something, or somewhere, a variety of effects can come about.

The sixth School of Magic is Origin. The Origin refers to the Origin of things as a whole, but often more specifically to magic.

To give Origin would be to return something to as it was, to try to restore something to an Origin, or to try and bring yourself closer to the Origin of magic.

In my mind, pushing yourself towards the Origin of magic makes your spells require much less knowhow and much more feeling, more will, capable of letting you use a variety of spells that perhaps aren't capable of being cast by any other School, or at the very least not in the same way. It makes you much more sorcerous in nature, much less academic as the others require specifics.

And taking from it would be to remove others from their Origin, which could mean many different things, or you taking their Origin, their magic, and mimicing it.

The final School of Magic that I even have an idea of is related to Fate, Destiny, and/or Luck. These would connect to forces intangible, to let people see these, manipulate them, affect them, etc.

The give and take may be straightforward, I'm not entirely sure what to make of it yet.

Then there should be a final eight School, of which I don't even have an idea for. My main issue is covering every possible type of magic or magic class, practice, that you'd see in any fantasy book or system or game out there, and then a little more that just isn't anywhere.

Any ideas on how I should change these, what I should add, if give and take should be looked at, what the seventh School could do, what the eighth School would even be, would be extremely helpful and highly welcomed.

I've been writing for over an hour now and my brains been exhausted, so hopefully that's everything. Any feedback is greatly appreciated, any questions I will do my best to answer. Thank you in advance.

I’ve always preferred soft magic in my settings because I like to use magic as a thematic or metaphorical literary device rather than a hard set of rules that move the plot forward (though I have dabbled in both).

In my current setting, which is a space fantasy, magic has a mystical quality that is not fully understood by all. It is known as ‘animus’, and takes the form of electromagnetic phenomena. In its raw form, it is wielded like lightning and has powerful offensive capabilities.

There is a point in the story where animus is used to create and improve on technologies, but its unpredictable nature makes it dangerous to tamper with, as some even believe it should be reserved to certain classes and gatekept for the benefit of society. When it is abused or overused, or its user is not in tune with it/does not allow it in, it can have unexpected consequences. For example, one of my characters struggles to summon the animus and is ostracized by her family for it, as her lineage dictates proficiency with this magic as a symbol of their status and rank. Meanwhile, her brother has a gradual downfall to his tragic flaw when he feels he is losing control and favour, and every subsequent forceful use of the animus to prove himself only accelerates his demise.

I want the magic to feel like it is alive in that even though there are people who believe they are masters of it, it really only shows mortals how they are one insignificant thread in the tapestry of the universe. It also serves as a metaphor for several characters and their arcs.

I just want to make sure a magic system like this isn’t too vague. I like magic with mystical and mysterious elements that showcase it as a force of nature, but I also want it to make sense.