On magic

Subject: Re: On magic Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:47 pm

The most interesting type (in my opinion, anyways) of magic is Functional Magic. Functional Magic comes in a billion and one different flavors, some of which are nearly identical, and some of which can be pretty unique. If you’re a magic user, and you know exactly what you can and can not accomplish with magic, you are using either Semi-Functional or Functional Magic. If there are “Laws of Magic” or “Rules of Magic” and you can occasionally bend them when the situation calls for it (clash with archenemy, battle to prevent the end of the world as we know it, pretty much any other dramatic moment), then whatever system of magic you’re using is a type of Semi-Functional Magic. If the “Rules of Magic” are inviolable, absolute, pigs-will-fly-out-of-your-rear-before-you-manage-to-break-them, then you’re using a form of Functional Magic.

Functional Magic can range in power from from simple hedge magic and cantrips, all the way up to the universe-destroying ultimate spells. It can also vary in scope as well, but most Functional Magic systems tend to have their own divisions and fields of specialization. For example, the entire arcane magic system used by wizards and sorcerers in AD&D is one Functional Magic framework, distinct from the other Functional Magic framework used by divine spellcasters. AD&D arcane magic is divided into eight schools: Alteration, Divination, Invocation, Illusion, Necromancy, Enchantment, Conjuration, and Abjuration. Some of the schools are subdivided even further from there, which is how their elemental “schools” work.

In addition, while there is nothing to prevent a single mage from learning spells from multiple or even all schools, there is (in AD&D, anways) a system of benefits and penalties for choosing to specialize in a particular school of magic. This includes having spells from the opposing school “locked” to the caster, preventing them from learning them (or even using magical items created by that type of magic). The one thing all of these schools have in common is that they are all the end result of the design process, and not a “greater representation of how magic works” (to use Gregole’s words) in and of themselves. One could make the argument that a 9th school of magic in AD&D would be just choosing not to specialize, and pursuing magic in all of its forms; in effect, you are choosing to practice the AD&D version of High Magic.

Great. So, what’s my point? Well, if you consider how the spells and magic work (under a Functional Magic system) in pretty much any medium, you’ll see that everything falls under one or more fairly broad categories in terms of how they actually work. Some of the major classes of Functional Magic are the following:

Living Magic (sometimes called Wild Magic). Magic (the force itself, whatever it actually IS) as a living, breathing entity. It has its own will, it comes and goes as it pleases, and you can’t actually make it do anything… but you can give it a nudge in the right direction, or ask really nicely and maybe it will help out. In some forms, Living Magic can be sort of like The Force in Star Wars; in others, it can be wild and unpredictable, or devious and calculating. If you are calling on the Universe itself for help, and/or it actually talks to you, you are using some type of Living Magic. Although unpredictable and honestly, uncontrollable, Living Magic is distinct from Non-Functional Magic in one way; While extremely bizarre and nonsensical things sometimes/often/always happen to you, they aren’t happening for no reason at all. There is a reason why they happen, you just don’t know it and might not even be able to understand it.

Innate Magic (sometimes called Inherent Magic). You were born with powers beyond the understanding of mortals. Or perhaps not. The point is, it isn’t so much that you know magic, as it is that you are magic. For whatever reason, there’s something about you that has magical qualities/properties; maybe your eyes can see in absolute darkness as though it were noon on a sunny and cloudless day. You can teleport to any spot within your line of sight, or your breath makes magical spells unravel. Whatever the case, the abilities granted by Innate Magic can not be taught or granted to others, unless there are specific mitigating circumstances; it’s an ability everyone of your species has, or a genetically inherited trait, or the organ or biological feature responsible for the ability is somehow transplanted/grafted to another person. Innate/Inherent Magic is always rooted in a particular feature of a person- their soul, their eyes, their heart, their genes, etc.

Although it typically involves a specific ability or specific set of abilities rather than defined spellcasting abilities, sometimes this can be a rare system of magic that is used or can only be used by a specific group of people. This is one of the few types of magical abilities/skills that is inheritable. Contrary to popular fiction, having parents who were archmages does not mean that you are going to be a spell-flinging badass yourself. Magic doesn’t work that way, except when it does; If your parents were archmages, and you were born under a rare celestial conjunction, and there’s a prophecy about you saving the world, AND you manage to learn magic very quickly despite no prior training whatsoever… chances are you just hit the Innate Magic jackpot, son. So, you were born with awesome powers and you’re wondering what the downside is, right?

Well, one of three things is going to happen to you: 1) Other people envy you, because you’re all that and a bag of chips. Expect not to get invited to parties, but you probably don’t have to worry about much more than passive-aggressive hostility and resentment. 2) Other people hate and fear you, because you’re a freak with unholy powers and/or better than them in every way. Watch out for angry mobs with a penchant for bonfires and pitchforks. 3) Other people envy your power… and have decided to take it for themselves. Watch out for evil cults, priests/priestesses of dark gods, body harvesters, and pretty much anyone else who might want to ritually sacrifice you, cut you up for spell components, or slice out your organs and extremities so they can implant them in their own body. Hey, you KNEW there was going to be a downside, right?
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"Scientific Method tells us, 'If it isn't broken, break it and figure out how it works!'."
"Quantum Mechanics tells us, 'If it can be fixed, it isn't really broken!'."

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Subject: Re: On magic Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:48 pm

Alchemy. Yep, potions, elixirs, transmutation, reinforcement and enhancement of physical objects. Alchemy is Magical Chemistry 101, although it can be used as either a standalone system of magic, or integrated with other types of magic to create a composite system. Very common in conjunction with Hermetic magical systems, or eastern-based systems like Onmyoudou. Alchemy isn’t only “magical chemistry”, that’s just the basic theme of it. Pretty much any spell you can think of can be turned into a potion (or not, depending on the rules for that particular system). Quaff a high-level potion, and suddenly you can travel between planes of existence. The big drawbacks to any form of Alchemy (except the Full Metal Alchemist type, from what I’ve been told) is that it tends to require a lot of preparation… and trying to gather the reagents can and will end your life. Protip: If your alchemical formulae call for fairy wings, go back to the drawing board and figure out a way around it. Trust me, it’s better in the long run.

Artifact Magic (also known as Item-based or Device-based Magic). So, you can’t actually use magic yourself, meaning that you can’t cast spells. But you come from a long line of blacksmiths, some of whom have crafted legendary weapons. Swords for ancient Kings, man. Or maybe your people have been making magical items and trinkets for thousands of years and selling them for fun and profit. Whatever the case, you might not be able to throw fireballs, but you know how to make something that can. You are the (non-steampunk) fantasy equivalent of a mad scientist, inventor, or tinkerer. Artifact-based magic tends to be a bit more complex and… well, more “scientific” (for magic) than other magical systems. Sometimes, when developed far enough, you’ll find analogues for many types of technology under systems like these, which means that pseudo-scientific jargon may apply. The major advantage of artifact-based magic systems is that they are reliable and solid, assuming you know what the item does and how to use it. Typically, there’s no chance of miscasting or botching a spell, so long as you point the business end of the sword/wand/staff/whatever in the right direction; although if the artifact is damaged or cursed, you are basically playing Russian Roulette every time you use it. The downsides to artifact-based magic are the breakage, like previously mentioned; in addition, it tends to take a lot of preparation and hard work to craft magical items (particularly if they are of any significant power). Finally, the power isn’t actually yours, you’re just borrowing it. If something happens to the item (misplaced, stolen, broken, destroyed, develops a mind of its own), you are in trouble.

Thaumaturgy (also known as “Let’s Make a Deal”, see: Theurgy). So, it’s like this. You can’t really do much in the way of casting spells, but you like to read books. You found an ancient tome bound in human skin, and although it took you a while to figure out how to properly pronounce the words through all the bloodstains, you managed to reach out and touch someone. Thaumaturgy/Theurgy is all about knowing the right (or the wrong!) people. You decide to worship Bobo the Monkey God, and in turn, he lends you some of his divine power and lets you cast spells, or teaches you Monkey Fist Kung-Fu, or lets you summon King Kong to do your bidding. Or maybe you’re a tribal shaman, and you’re down with the local forest spirits, or the Great Animal Totem Spirits.

Whatever the case is, your style of magic involves dealing with supernatural beings in some context, and reaching some kind of understanding. Sometimes it involves a rigid contract, spiritual bond, a pledge to look out for the spirit/god/demon’s interests on your plane of existence, or maybe you just asked politely and they thought you were cool. Heck, maybe you’re just a black-hearted bastard with enough mystical muscle to make them do what you say, forget that asking nicely crap. Summoning magic, spells of binding, and Divine magic in AD&D all fall under the category of Thaumaturgy. Thaumaturgy is often linked in with other types of magic in a particular system, but it can be used standalone; Summoners in Final Fantasy games are an example of Thaumaturgy specialists.

Upside to Thaumaturgy? It can be absurdly powerful; assuming you know what you’re doing, stay on the good side of your patron/patrons, and they are willing to back you up… you are as powerful as your patron is. The downsides: 1) You are only as powerful as your patron lets you be. 2) There is no such thing as “no strings attached”. Expect to be inconvenienced at their leisure. Also, you do not want to tell them “No.” Trust me on this. 3) Okay, just because the spell says that you can call up the Lord of Destruction to smite your enemies? That doesn’t mean that you can control him, or understand the Elder Speech, or even survive long enough to introduce yourself. Think about what waking up an ancient being of unimaginable power actually entails, and why getting a unsolicited phone calls when you thought your number was unlisted ticks people off. Seriously, you don’t want to be that guy, when the party you’re annoying can smite you.

Ley Magic (also called Force Magic). “High Magic” sometimes falls under this category. You aren’t casting spells by rote or formula; If you’re a user of Ley Magic, you are grasping the raw energies or threads of Magic itself and weaving them as you will to accomplish… well, pretty much whatever you want. You might be capable of nothing more than any other mage around, or you might be an unstoppable God of Rock- er, Magic. The energy of magic ebbs and flows, waxes and wanes, and you can not only perceive it, but actually directly interact with it. Spellcasting with Ley Magic can be a clumsy, unrefined sort of thing, or it can be a fanciful, “Look, I’m playing music on the threads of the Universe!” affair. If the type of magic you use is extraordinarily effective in certain places and less effective or powerless in others, you have a personal place of power where you are strongest, and you can zip across the world traveling by ley lines; you might just be using a form of Ley Magic.

Abilities common (but not exclusive) to Ley Magic are metamagical effects; Being able to directly alter the effect of a spell and bend it to your will. Maybe you can make it last longer, shorten the duration of a harmful curse, negate a spell altogether, amplify a spell’s power or range, make your spells more difficult for someone else to dispel, etc. The advantages and disadvantages of Ley Magic vary greatly depending on the rules of that particular system- sometimes the caster is powerless away from certain places, or in certain “dead spots”, or maybe their magic doesn’t work in alternate universes, or perhaps they have to go through a certain period to attune themselves to the ley lines on that world, etc.

Rule-based Magic: Rule-based Magic is Functional Magic to the nth degree. The rules are even more important than in other types, because you either follow them, or one of three things happens: The magic either doesn’t work, it backfires horribly on you, or you invent something new and get to name it after yourself (“Pulling a Bigsby”). Rule-based Magic systems are heavily traditional, with most spells being developed through centuries of trial and error; The only people who break the rules are the maverick wizards who wind up eventually discovering something new and/or blowing themselves up. “Experimentation within bounds” is usually socially acceptable, but the “Hey, you know what would be cool?” approach to things tends not to go over well with the stuffy archmage council types (or pretty much any magical figure of authority). Like all other general types of magic, Rule-based Magic can be combined with others to form a particular system. Generally, Rule-based systems tend to be more advanced than other systems of magic (like tribal shamanism), and when most people think of “mages” or “wizards”, they are imagine some form of rule-based magic. Things like Hermetic Magic, I Ching, Onmyoudou, Kabbalah, Voodoun, AD&D Arcane Magic (in fact, most fantasy magic) are all mainly Rule-based Magic systems.
_________________
"Common Sense tells us, 'If it isn't broken, don't fix it!'."
"Scientific Method tells us, 'If it isn't broken, break it and figure out how it works!'."
"Quantum Mechanics tells us, 'If it can be fixed, it isn't really broken!'."

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Subject: Re: On magic Sat Jun 28, 2008 9:49 pm

Okay, that's enough spamming for me. Sad

It really didn't look that big in Wordpad, sorry. Embarassed

_________________
"Common Sense tells us, 'If it isn't broken, don't fix it!'."
"Scientific Method tells us, 'If it isn't broken, break it and figure out how it works!'."
"Quantum Mechanics tells us, 'If it can be fixed, it isn't really broken!'."

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Subject: Re: On magic Sat Jun 28, 2008 11:01 pm

Evil admin Joined : 08 Dec 2007 Posts : 1030

Wow !

VERY interesting take on magic here !
This seriously makes me wanting to go and establish things once and for all concerning magic on Felarya Razz

And it's also very nicely explained. Superb work ! Wink

Subject: Re: On magic Mon Jun 30, 2008 1:08 pm

Subject: Re: On magic Tue Jul 01, 2008 3:37 am

Hero Age : 24 Joined : 08 Dec 2007 Posts : 1074

Subject: Re: On magic Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:48 pm

Okay, here are a few of the examples I came up with, to show how drastic the differences between the same basic “field” of magic can be. Given the original topic of the thread, I came up with one for Elemental magic, one for Necromancy, and one for Illusion magic. Again, I apologize in advance for the length and if I come off as arrogant, condescending, lecturing, etc.; That really is not my intention, I just want to share my thoughts and hopefully get people to really start considering and discussing the possibilities.

Example #1 involves four “fire” Elementalists, all from different worlds. Here’s the background on them. This one is the longest, and the main reason I was hesitant to post it at all. Please humor me.

Elementalist A is a human (native to Felarya), from a small but thriving village at the foot of Mont Vylkren. His village is located in a small valley in the heart of the Pyrale Mountains, and is one of the few places in the region where one can find flourishing vegetation amidst the lava flows and searing stone. For centuries, “A’s” tribe has lived comfortably in one of the harshest environments in Felarya, and amazingly (for Felaryans) they are friendly and welcoming to outsiders, often showing hospitality to adventurers and explorers who come to challenge the mountains or search for artifacts in the ruins.

According to tribal legends, long ago the village was on the verge of being wiped out, due to attacks by elementals and fire succubi wandering down from the mountains. The chieftain’s young daughter, using a salve her people derived from the ice flowers that blossom in the volcanic region, scaled Mont Vylkren armed with nothing more than a flower. The legend says that she actually made it to the caldera of the volcano and threw the flower over the edge as a peace offering. In this manner, she impressed King Trazix with her courage and earned his favor. When she descended the volcano and returned to her people, it was with a smile and eyes that flickered like flame, ever flowing between shades of yellow, orange, and red.

Ever since then, it has been a rite of passage among “A’s” tribe to take an offering of friendship (usually some sort of fruit, vegetable, flower, or crafted object) up the summit and throw it into the volcano. It is a test of courage, endurance, and wit; most who do attempt it are never seen again. They fall prey to one of the many creatures who inhabit the volcano, or perish from exhaustion, or stumble into unstable terrain, flames, lava, or sulfuric gasses. For the average person, you would have to be insane to even attempt it. However, those who successfully reach the summit return with eyes like fire, a high tolerance for the extreme heat of the region, and the ability to use powerful fire magic.

Elementalist B is a naga (also native to Felarya), from the naga tribe that lives to the north of the Giant Tree. “B” is a young naga, who just developed her elemental affinity for fire; she has no formal magic training, and doesn’t even cast “spells”. That’s not the way her people do things! Instead, her fire magic is more of a raw connection to fire and the ability to control it instinctively. While the nagas in her tribe do sometimes tutor one another, it is very informal and generally accepted that everyone will learn magic at their own pace and in their own way.

Elementalist C is a non-Felaryan elf, from a world with a moderate level of magic. There, people only use elemental magic; there isn’t any other kind! It is impossible for anyone to manipulate the raw essence of magic, so things like Archmages who have learned every magical discipline are nothing but myths on “C’s” world. In fact, it has been proven again and again that it is impossible for a person to master more than one element in their lifetime, so magic on “C’s” world has become heavily divided into hundreds of elemental categories; each one representing a specific aspect of the universe as they understand it. Some of their elements include: Shadow, Light, Fire, Sound, Lightning, Metal, and Time.

“C” has been a fire mage for hundreds of years, and is an expert with her element, perfectly familiar with both its strengths and weaknesses, and comfortable with what she can and cannot accomplish using her magic.

Elementalist D is a human from a high-magic world, where magic universities are devoted to studying magic in all of its forms. “D” is actually an instructor at one of these institutes, and extremely knowledgeable on the five elements that exist in his world: Earth, Fire, Air, Water, and Aether. Each of the five elements has its own attributes and specialties, but most elemental spells actually involve the interaction of two or more elements to achieve a specific effect; For this reason, there are no “fire elementalists” or “water elementalists” on “D’s” world. You are either an elemental mage, in which case you study and use all five of the elements; or you are using some other type of magic. “D” can not even conceive of someone being able to only use magic based on a single element- it would be like being able to perceive only one color out of the visible light spectrum, and everything else being invisible to you.
_________________
"Common Sense tells us, 'If it isn't broken, don't fix it!'."
"Scientific Method tells us, 'If it isn't broken, break it and figure out how it works!'."
"Quantum Mechanics tells us, 'If it can be fixed, it isn't really broken!'."

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Subject: Re: On magic Tue Jul 01, 2008 8:58 pm

Now that we have our (completely hypothetical) subjects, we ask them a few questions:

1) Tell us the basics on how your magic works?

“A”: “Thaumaturgy. Respecting the spirits is very important to my people, and some of us become good friends with the elementals living in the Pyrale Mountains. Because of this bond, King Trazix allows us some influence over the element of fire. It is a privilege and a responsibility we take seriously; those who anger him or betray his trust tend to have it taken back.

… Those are the lucky ones.”

“B”: “Um… Innate, I guess? Don’t get me wrong, there are some Nagas who are just as good as anyone else when it comes to using magic, but we don’t really think too much about it. It’s kind of silly, the way the rest of you spend all that time researching and scribbling spells on scrolls. I don’t need any magic words to use what I have, I just… well, I just do. Most of us are like that, I think- don’t take my word for it, though- some of us just wind up developing a certain kind of magic, others never do. We don’t really know why, or even really care, it’s just the way it is. Like I said, we tend not to think too much about it.”

“C”: “Elemental magic is Rule-based magic, forget what the rest of them say. There are strict rules that govern an elements use and interactions with other elements, including a whole set of generative, co-dependant, and destructive relationships. Fire can generate Light, which can generate Shadow. Lightning can destroy Wood and generate Fire, while Fire can destroy Wood and generate Earth (Ash). Some elements are better at certain things than others, and you just can’t accomplish some things with certain elements, but in general it’s the experience and the creativity of the caster that matters.”

“D”: “What kind of elementalist only uses one element, anyways? There are some exceptions, but real elemental magic works mostly on the Ley/Force principle. ‘Elemental magic’ is mainly just a difference in viewpoint to begin with; Magic is Magic, most of the differences are due to a cultural perspective in terms of how you learned it. We have since developed different models for the universe that are more commonly accepted than the Theory of Five Elements, but everything in the Universe can still be related to by the interactions between Earth, Fire, Air, Water, and Aether. Some things, people, and places are more strongly attuned to a particular element, and some oppose or resist a particular element… but to say something like “Water beats Fire” is ridiculous. Magic is a complex and versatile force, not Rock-Paper-Scissors.”

2) What defines your “element”? Where does the line start, and where does it stop?

“A”: “Heat. It’s a spiritual connection; The heat that warms the depths of the earth, the blood flowing through our body, the passion that moves our souls. I have some influence over lava, rock, soil, flame. I can move heat into or draw it from an object, or even the air around me. I can’t affect water directly- I think it has something to do with King Trazix and the Queen of the water elementals not being on very good terms. My magic just fizzles out when it comes to water, but I can get around it; I can’t boil the water in a cup, but I can heat the cup until the water inside of it boils. If I ran into a water elemental, I would probably be in trouble, but I might be able come up with something on the spot. Or I might just get eaten. It happens.”

“B”: “Um… could you rephrase the question? Oh! Okay, uh, just fire, I guess? Well, and lightning. I guess it’s the spark that’s important, you just sorta ignite something and let it go. I don’t really have a problem dealing with water magic, it just comes down to which of us is stronger, really. I actually have more trouble dealing with another fire mage or fire creature, since I’m not immune to fire myself. Getting wet compared to getting burned? Yeah, kinda obvious which one I’d prefer.”

“C”: “… That makes no sense at all! “A” can manipulate earth and “B” can manipulate lightning?! That’s not fire magic!” *frothing rage* “Okay, I’m better now. Really. Fire is… Fire. Heat, molecules in motion, that sort of thing. You get the general idea. There’s some things I can do with that, some things I can’t. Nothing like hitting someone with lightning.” *mutters*

“D”: “This is ridiculous. Like I have said before, I don’t have “an element”. That is not how elemental magic works… at least for anyone past kindergarten. The elements aren’t quite so narrowly defined as these three make them out to be. If you must know, the “Fire” element represents everything in the Universe that is of a forceful, energetic, moving nature. Heat, flames, lightning, and light. Metabolism, body heat, predatory animals, and photosynthesis. Passion, motivation, anger, and ambition. Insisting that Fire and Lightning are two separate elements is like cutting off your arm and insisting that it is a separate organism from the rest of your body. The elements just aren’t that narrowly defined. No one element trumps another automatically; if I attack someone with a fireball spell and they defend with an ice barrier… I won’t win because I used fire against their ice. I’ll win because I’m stronger and more skilled than they are, or I’ll lose because the reverse is true.”

3) Okay, some disagreement on that point. Moving on… what is something that is impossible or nearly impossible to do with your magic, and what can you do that is particularly impressive.

“A”: “Well, I can’t fly. I can’t talk to spirits or anything like that, either- spirits of the dead, that is. None of my people can; our magic just doesn’t do that kind of stuff. No trans-dimensional portals, no raising the dead, no controlling the weather. Too bad, because we don’t get a whole lot of rain where I live.

What we can do… we have spells for healing, teleportation, divination, scrying, combat (obviously), soil enrichment, and navigation. I’m pretty good with healing spells myself; I know it’s not the first thing you think of when you picture fire magic, but when you’re feeling run down and exhausted being able to draw strength from the heat around you really helps! Messing with water elementals is right out- at least directly. My people have a way of dealing with fire-resistant and fire-immune creatures that works pretty well as long as there’s enough of us around. We just pull all the heat out of the air around them, and give them a good freezing. It’s pretty darn uncomfortable, from what I hear!”

“B”: “Swimming in lava and taking a nap in a raging wildfire is pretty impossible for me; I’m not a Fire Succubus, I’d get cooked! I don’t really have any “spells” that would help me survive in a situation like that, although I could try and redirect flames away from me. I can’t teleport or anything like that, either (I’m kind of jealous). On the other hand, I don’t have to worry about staying on a fire elemental’s good side, and my magic doesn’t fizzle out in water. Guess that counts for something! Y’know, I haven’t really thought much about exactly what I can and can’t do. Ask me again later!”

“C”: “I can make trans-universal portals.” *smug* “It is just a matter of scribing a proper circle and the right runes, and carefully channeling my fire magic to burn a gate through the boundary between universes. Don’t worry, it’s temporary; reality fixes itself after a while. Usually.

I can also create thermonuclear explosions, something “B” might want to keep in mind. I see how she keeps looking at me and licking her lips!” *coughs nervously* “What’s impossible for me… well, the Fire element can not be used for healing. At least, not where I come from. We just don’t have fire healing spells. Or soil enrichment, for that matter. To accomplish something like that would require the kind of elementalist who specializes in it, or at least cooperating with one. If I wanted to create a volcano, I’d go find an Earth mage and the two of us working together could do it. Teleportation… is tricky, but not impossible. Air mages and Lightning mages tend to have better transportation spells than we Fire mages do.”

“D”: “You can’t create a portal between dimensions with fire magic alone. I guarantee it. Now, I’m not saying that it’s impossible. Nothing is impossible with magic; but that would require an extremely complex spell, and I would have to weave together at least three elements to manage even a basic portal. You can’t just “burn a hole” through a dimension with a bonfire! That’s absurd. It requires manipulating a lot of energy, folding the fabric of space, not to mention being able to look across the universal boundaries in the first place to even find your destination… and furthermore…”

*It was around this point that “C” finished drawing the runic array around “D’s” chair and sent him on an all-expenses paid trip to Erebus, just to prove his point. Unfortunately, he forgot to pay attention to “B”, quickly becoming a snack for the hungry naga. By this point, “A’s” chair was already empty. Teleportation spells are handy indeed.*

Four different types of elemental magic, each with differing viewpoints and capabilities. Each one is the ‘right’ one for its user, and perhaps they all work on Felarya despite their differences. Maybe “D” would be able to replicate any spell one of the others did, given that the paradigm his magic system uses is more expansive than the others.

Perhaps through observation or instruction “B” could learn how to use some of the spells “C” knows, or at least crudely imitate them. But even if that is the case, it might not necessarily work in the reverse- Just because “B” can do what “C” can do, does not mean “C” can do what “B” can. There could be a whole set of limitations and advantages that are strictly based on the individual’s perception of magic, or his/her ability to perform magic, or some other internal or external factor. It's worth considering how it works, why it works, what works differently, and what doesn't work at all... at least, that's just what I think. Smile

Annnnnnnnd... think it is time to shut up for a while again. Embarassed

_________________
"Common Sense tells us, 'If it isn't broken, don't fix it!'."
"Scientific Method tells us, 'If it isn't broken, break it and figure out how it works!'."
"Quantum Mechanics tells us, 'If it can be fixed, it isn't really broken!'."

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Hero Age : 24 Joined : 08 Dec 2007 Posts : 1074

It was very funny Very Happy

But I want remark something, "A","B","C" and "D" are all used a ruled system of magic.
In Thaumaturgy, the laws are given by the divinity for A it's lord Trazix for this case but lord Trazix is not different from "B" ,"C" and "D" because Lord Trazix's magic can be innate, Ley or ruled after all he is the teacher of A.

"B" even if it's innate for her she can learn by herself or being taugh by her family about his power and how to control it, in that case she follows her own rule.

"C" and "D" study magic in two different countries, so their magic is strongly influenced by their society, culture or religion (teachings wrote by their priest or their divinity) Shocked

In the four case they all learn how to use magic from a "teacher", the difference is their environnment and their experience.

"A" learn from a very old and experienced entity, "B" start to learn with her parent and learn by herself "C" and "D" comes from the knowledge of their worlds, but they all manipulate the same thing the "fire"

The only difference between them, it's how they learn to use fire, but nothing say they can learn from each others. B will discover things she doesn't expect about her power, A can speak to Trazix from his discover and developp with him new spell or artefacts. "C" with his discovery enter in the story of his world. And "D" can open his own school of magic or his religion after all his knowledge can rival Trazix.

A, B, C and D even if they use different way they all do the same thing, no matter how they call it they all manipulate fire. The words are different the content is the same.

All the category are linked they are no real difference between they all follow their own laws. The two major difference are the wild magic and the ruled magic, Thaumaturgy, alchemy, arterfact and ley magic are rules-based system why because there are no universal law of magic, and they all follow their own rule. Even someone claimind using wild magic, use semi-functionnal magic because he tries to control it but the result is not why he expects.
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I can call the snows, and wind, and lightning. The trees may bend to me when I ask. The rivers may flow where I ask them to.
But I am granted these things because I ask , with respect in my heart, and I am willing to offer something in return. I request only the barest needs for myself and my people.

Evil admin Joined : 08 Dec 2007 Posts : 1030

That was a great explanation !
Funny, lively, and you really got your point across here Razz

Subject: Re: On magic Wed Jul 02, 2008 1:33 am

Hero Age : 24 Joined : 08 Dec 2007 Posts : 1074

Subject: Re: On magic Wed Jul 02, 2008 4:40 am