Magic System Ideas for Your Next Fantasy Story
Your main character stands before her mentor, eyes wide with curiosity. She watches as his eyes flicker with a flash of yellow. He raises his hand horizontally in front of his face. In an instant, a fresh piece of gouda forms in his palm. Your main character looks confused as the mentor kneels down, and rests a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I am not the only one who can summon cheese, young one. One day, you too may wield this power. Together, we can create a cheddar world and vanquish the evil, Parma John, once and for all.”
Sounds a little cheesy, right?
This over-the-top example is meant to highlight just how crucial a magic system is to your story. Don’t get me wrong. I’d love to see how our brave heroes take down Parma John and his sidekick, Monterey Jack, as much as the next guy. But typically, you’ll want a magic system that’s a bit more thought out - one that ignites the imaginations of your readers.
To do this, you have to be sure that your magic system ideas make sense and that they fit well into the world you are creating. To do that, you have to really understand the world that your character lives in. If you’re feeling stuck on that front, check out this free fantasy worldbuilding template blog (some really smart guy wrote it) and it might just help you create the greatest fantasy world known to man. Who knows, it could be as big an invention as the wheel…of cheese.
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What’s Wrong With the Above Example?
I believe it’s just as helpful to look at bad examples of magic system ideas as it is to study the great ones. So, what’s wrong with conjuring cheese out of things air? A few things, actually.
First: How does the cheese magic even work?
Sure, this was just a snippet of a story (sign this petition for me to write the entire story. Or please don’t) but there’s no explanation behind the system. Is it a soft magic system (more on that later) where rules are vague? That’s fine, but if there are limitless amounts of cheese on tap, it may not be as thrilling for the readers. Adding consequences raises the stakes. How is cheese summoned? Can you summon different types of cheese, or is each person destined to summon brie for the rest of their lives?
Posing questions like these can push your system to the next level and make it more engaging.
Second: Where are the consequences?
As mentioned earlier, consequences are what elevate an average magic system idea to legendary status - think Allomancy levels of cool. For example, does creating cheese come with a cost? In order to make cheese do you have to take cheese from someone else? Can you only summon the amount of cheese which you have eaten throughout that day? Or maybe cheese is the currency in this world and our heroes have to bankrupt an entire economy in order to vanquish their foes?
Third: What is the process of learning this magic?
This is one of the juiciest parts (or cheesiest, to stay on theme) for me when I am brainstorming new magic system ideas. Perhaps only culinary wizards - chefs who specialize in the delicate art of crafting perfect melting cheeses - can teach this gift. The more intricate and challenging the learning process, the more rewarding it becomes when characters finally master it.
Putting your character in a position to learn the magic system not only makes the system more credible, it also adds some serious stakes. Will the hero learn enough before having to face Parma John beneath a raining fountain of cheese? Setting a time limit for your magic creates suspense and keeps your protagonist from becoming a Superman-esque figure who’s invincible. Instead, they become more like a Harry Potter who has faults, and has to somehow learn to cast more than expelliarmus.
As with all things, take this advice as far as it helps you. If you want to write a magic system that is mysterious, with not many rules and regulations, go for it! But for new writers, I generally recommend crafting a magic system with a bit more structure. This can help avoid pesky pot holes and keep fight scenes from becoming confusing chaos.
What Are the Different Types of Magic Systems?
As mentioned above, there are a variety of different magic systems out there. For the most part, these magic systems can be classified into two groups: hard magic and soft magic. Think of these two groups as a spectrum, meaning, you don’t have to choose just one. This spectrum allows you to take pieces from both groups and make your own unique magic system. Below, I have an example of what each system is and how they have been used in literature previously.
Hard Magic Systems
Hard magic systems are defined by their strict rules, limitations, and explanations. A great example of a hard magic system is Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series. In it, Vin learns Allomancy, a magic that allows its users to ingest bits of metal in order to ignite a specific power. There are sixteen types of metals people can use, but there are some who can only use specific types of metal and some who can use all types of metals (mistborns).
With Allomancy, we have numerous examples of a hard magic system. We know exactly how their magic works, we know what happens when certain metals are ingested, and we know the limitations and capabilities of each of the metal’s powers. This ensures that the reader knows exactly what will happen when a character ingests a metal, which not only adds stakes to the story (what happens when the metal runs out?) but also creates relatability and understanding. It also allows readers to understand the magic’s mechanics and strategize alongside the characters, offering a more engaging experience.
Soft Magic Systems
A soft magic system is less about rules, and more about the experience. One of my favorite examples of this is when Gandalf uses magic in The Lord of the Rings or in The Hobbit. We don’t exactly know where Gandalf gets his power, how powerful he actually is, or how any of his spells work. All we know is that when Gandalf shows up, things are about to get real.
This mysteriousness can also be very cool. You can have this magic be more about the experience for the reader, where it is very intertwined into your world and is never fully understood. Hey, maybe it’s not understood by your characters either and the more they use it, the more they understand how truly dangerous it is.
A Mix of Both
This may be a hot take, but I believe Harry Potter to be a mix of both a hard and soft magic system. Many people would classify it into a hard magic system, but I disagree. I think there are influences of both soft and hard magic and is a great example for someone who doesn’t want to live in either camp.
We understand that a wizard’s magic comes from the wand they wield and the spells they end up learning (hard magic) but we don’t fully understand why some wizards are more powerful than others (soft). We do know that they can be more powerful based on their blood (Harry Potter), how hard they study (Hermione), or how easily they understand the dark arts (Voldemort). We don’t fully understand how exactly spells are created (soft) or why a character chooses to use certain spells at certain times (time-turner anyone?)
In essence, this type of mix is great for those looking to use magic to enhance their overall story without revealing the secret sauce behind every single element of the magic system.
Magic System Ideas: Magically Hard to Think Of
Why are magic systems so hard to think of? I argue that there are two main reasons why so many writers struggle with creating a magic system:
A magic system must be unique
A magic system must have consequences
If you can accomplish creating a unique magic system that has interesting consequences, you just might have the real deal. Though, in today’s saturated market, creating something truly unique is as common as an indie writer actually finishing their book instead of just talking about it for months on end (I’m talking about me).
That is why I have created a magic system generator. In fact, I have created the only magic system generator you will ever need. Read more below, if you dare.
The Only Magic System Generator You Need and How to Create a Magic System
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