Hi, Sup Forums! Sorry if this is the wrong board for this sort of stuff, but I'm making a fantasy-type comic.
Do any of you writers and creators have any tips on how to handle magic? (to make it not the answer to everything and inconsistent 'n stuff)
/tg/ is a lot more constructive on this sort of thing. I know firsthand how that is.
Ill help you if you want though. What do you mean by consistent magic?
I think he means stuff like natural laws and rituals so magic isn't pulled out of people's arses.
Just make clear rules about what is and isn't possible.
Then I'd suggest looking up the Seals of Solomon, druidism, hellblazer, and blood magic to see how they handle it. Usually it involves extensive preparation, rituals, rare materials or sacrifices, and a special time or place. Think less casting fire ball and more making a deal with spirits to kill cattle. That sort of thing.
Maybe that's the wrong word, but I mean I'd like to avoid the usual pitfall of 'it's magic, aint gotta explain shit' and 'why didn't they just use magic'?
that too, actually.
The magic in the world I'm magic is like science, in a way. Anyone can do it, but most are either too lazy to or can't really understand the advanced mechanics of it. Some people are naturally born with a better talent at it, some even have magical pools that they can call on within themselves (magic is otherwise taken from elsewhere, be it the elements, space stuff, other dimensions, etc)
It has a corrupting nature, though, which affects some more than others. It may even mutate you, making you a sorta x-men style super powered being, in a way.
The MC is a warlock, his arm is corrupted so he takes it easy on the spells (he also has a melded on gauntlet that gets in the way of spells while slowing the corruption).
I'd just like help to figure out a way to not make magic a deus-ex-machina
Magic is inheritly something that goes beyond explaination. That's what makes it magic. Sure you can put some rules and drawbacks on it, but at the end of the day, it's still arbitrary and mostly un-understandable. It should be dangerous, with either high risks or high prices. Also, it'd help to know what myth/fiction you're taking inspiration from. And are you me? I had a similar arm-corruption-kept-at bay-by-a-gauntlet idea a while ago.
You can just use the corruption as a limiter. Unless they're suicidal I doubt people want to succumb to that kinda shit.
Have it where simple utility spells like making a small light source comes to little or no lasting repercussions, whereas damage-dealers and other powerful spells come at a great cost that does not go away easily.
You just have to keep the corruption threatening without it being "oh man he's taking in all this corruption but he's still doing alright." Make it count.
Maybe, baby. But mine is a western, so maybe not.
His arm is sorta turning into a portal, with cracks in it showing weird colors and lights.
I want to sort of take a more... super powers approach to it?
Honestly I'm shit at powers and magic, but scifi and fantasy are my favorite genres /:
I've been watching House a lot lately, and I'm sorta giving him that addiction to pain killers type deal, along with the gauntlet muffling spells, to limit what he can do.
No long range spells cos of the gauntlet, so everything has to be touch within arm's reach, and no huge spells without knocking himself out with pain and corrupting his arm further.
He sorta circumvents the whole 'no long range spells' by applying magic properties to his bullets, like making them fire bullets or whatever.
I'm just not sure...................................where I can make it stop. Like how can I make him not make every bullet OP (he hunts dragons n shizz and the bullets in this universe are crystal, so weaker than RL lead bullets somehow)
A portal eh? To where? Another realm or dimension? If so he may have the ability to summon demons and spirits through it at a faster rate than normal rituals, or store things and eject them like hammer space, or have the typical Lovecraft tentacles and beasties spring forth and have small control over them. Absorb magical energy via the arm, and redirect it into himself, at the cost of detrimental corruption.
I'm sure you can think something up. Maybe have the crystals be in limited supply. Maybe have the dragons be generally resilient except in extremely small weak points. Maybe have it where the bullets are merely a tool for your MC to get in close with his magic.
shit, I love you.
Thanks
this thread actually helped a lot, thanks guys!!!
I was more worried about limiting the types of things he can do, but maybe I'll just make him a sort of smart-but-lazy guy so he only knows a few tricks, but once I figure out everything I can make him do more types of magic?
I love flexible type of abilities, things that come off as simple at first, but with lots of possibilities, like how spider-man can use his spider webs to do various things, or how luffy in one piece does all kinds of crazy stuff with his strechy limbs
Ideally he'd have something like that to start, simple and flexible, but I have no idea what. But I think that's probably just up to me to find out what that'll be.
I'm gonna start trolling through the 'random' page on that superpower wiki, see if anything inspires.
Thanks guy, will be deleting soon!
Good luck. And if you need an artist, I'm capable of passable drawfagging
Thank you!!
Drawing is my main thing, actually. Probably why writing is harder for me. I'm not great, but me and my pal are starting a publishing company, but we're starting first online.
Hopefully, if all goes well I'll be able to show you all something.
If we do end up actually accomplishing this, hit me up if you're interesting in doing something with us (you'll have your creator owned rights and all that stuff, we're trying to be a little dark horse)
Cool man. Good luck and I hope you're successful. It'd be cool to see your progress
"Inconsistent" magic isn't a problem, especially if you establish that there are different traditions or paths.
actually, one last thing
any good recs that feature cool or unique powers/magic?
either shows, movies, books, comics, cartoons, anime, or whatever
I think The Witcher might be just what you need.
Bartimeus trilogy, FMA:B
The Dresden Files has a pretty thorough system. It's interesting alone as an attempt to unite almost every magic system, mythology, and magical concept under one umbrella system, so there's a lot of room for creativity.
But like that other user said, magic at the end of the day is arbitrary and impossible to grasp intuitively the way we can with, say, a sword fight.
The anime Darker than Black has some interesting powers, so maybe check that out too.
alright, I know I've said this a million times, but thank you all, sincerely
Time to go art 'n stuff!
That should really be something tied to the nature of your setting/story; it's not something to ponder independently. If you find yourself doing that, it's quite possible your story doesn't need magic.
Work out specific rules that magic works on so that there is no mysticism or questions unanswered. Keep that info entirely to yourself and only hint at those restrictions but never let anything you create go beyond them
The Kingkiller Chronicles, The Wheel of Time, Unsounded and Autumnlands all have magic systems worth drawing inspiration from. Many TTRPGs also offer stuff to look into. Runequest 6 for example dumps a bunch of magic systems/mechanics on you and says "check all that apply"
>FMA:B
Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, I presume. I heard of it...it's a more faithful adaption of the original Full Metal Alchemist manga compared to the first series (I know of this because I've stumbled upon bits of the latter back then and I heard of them in a magazine).
I haven't seen one episode of either of the two though. I'm not sure which one to pick to begin, anons. Should I check out Brotherhood (because more fidelity)? Should I check the first anime (apparently pretty good despite deviations)? What about both?
I felt the first anime provided a better story while Brotherhood had less interesting characterizations and fell into too many cliches of the genre. I understand this is an unpopular opinion though
Where is magic ultimately from? Why does it corrupt? What purpose does it serve in the world/for it's inhabitants? What is the reason for the variance in natural aptitude? Especially if it's a learnable skill.
I haven't watched the original anime in a while, but I would say Brotherhood is best just because of how much better the ending is.
The original's ending keeps adding crazy shit up until it ends, while Brotherhood's ending is a huge satisfying payoff for everything that's been built up.
Hi, Sup Forums! Sorry if this is the wrong board for this sort of stuff, but I'm making a scifi-type comic.
Do any of you writers and creators have any tips on how to handle science? (to make it not the answer to everything and inconsistent 'n stuff)
Hi, Sup Forums! Sorry if this is the wrong board for this sort of stuff, but I'm making a superhero-type comic.
Do any of you writers and creators have any tips on how to handle superpowers? (to make them not the answer to everything and inconsistent 'n stuff)
Google Sanderson's first law of magic for longer version, but basically, give magic clear rules and limits. The more they have the more can wizard save the day without coming off like a deus ex macina, as long as you stick to the rules.
I would seek out /tg/ or even /lit/ before coming here.
make magic like some sort of "old world" thing that is fading and with very few practitians in current age... or do it Tolkien style
Gaiman's Books of Magic. Mini, not ongoing. You'll see all sorts of diverse magic there.
Just read the manga, its better than both.
make magic into a sort of 'science'. give it consistent rules about its use and application and and leave any unexplained elements of magic plausible within the story
an example a bit more sci fi is "magic is a form of energy that permeates the universe and can be use to crate matter and manipulate things but it cannot otherwise brake the laws of physics barring temporarily reversing entropy. it can also be temporarily depleted in an area by overusing it. Aetherologists theorize that the energy is somehow tied to dark matter/dark energy or is perhaps left over energy from the matter/antimatter annihilation event at the beginning of the universe. it can also be converted to other types of energy such as heat and electricity"
In the French "heroic fantasy" series Lanfeust, every person in the world has a single power ranging from the useful (teleporting) to the useless (farting out your ears).
But you can only use your power when close enough to a Sage, who relays the magic from a central source (in his case an ancient alien creature).
To become a Sage you have to give up your own power and study at a central academy like place called the Conservatorium.
>Rules on Magic, how to use it properly in fiction, and how to use it improperly
>Suspension of Disbelief will allow you to get away with certain contrivances. The primary difference between reality and fiction is plot contrivance after all.
>People will not complain if your character uses magic to solve their problems as long as the method is consistent to that end you should establish clear cut rules on how magic works and observe them religiously
>you do not necessarily have to reveal these rules in depth to the reader but if you fail to follow consistent logic your reader's suspension of disbelief will be damaged.
>you can even make discovering the rules of how magic works a major plot element and have your PoV character learn alongside the reader
TL;DR
set up some rules, follow them, find some time in the narrative to explain the rules and why they work. Magic especially at least needs a handful of hard laws it follows if you want to maintain reader interest.