Categorizing & Designing Magic Systems

Magic is present in many alternate worlds, but how does it work, and what are the patterns we can find in different magic systems?
In Incoming, The Templin Institute discusses the theories and ideas found across alternate worlds.
New episodes every week.
Other Divisions & Branches:
🔹 Patreon | / templininstitute
🔹 The Templin Commissary | shop.templin.institute
🔹 Twitch | / templininstitute
🔹 The Templin Archives | / @templinarchives
🔹KZbin Membership | / @templininstitute
🔹Submit Your Episode Idea | ideas.templin.institute/
Communications & Media:
🔹 Website | www.templin.institute/
🔹 Discord | / discord
🔹 Facebook | / templininstitute
🔹 Twitter | / templinedu
🔹 Instagram | / templininstitute
🔹 Subreddit | / templininstitute
🔹 Mailing Address | Unit 144 - 919 Centre St SW Calgary, AB T2E 2P6
Background music: “White Atlantis” by Sergey Cheremisinov. User under a Attribution-NonCommercial License.
Ending music "Battle Forever" used under license from Shutterstock.com.

[@sunlocked5838]

One thing to always mention on hard magic systems is the inverse of Clarke's Law; "Any magic sufficiently studied becomes indistinguishable from science."

[@maneloliveira5687]

alchemy in Fullmetal Alchemist for example

[@seldonwright4345]

I just said that

[@gino14]

Magic is never more than just science we don't understand yet.

[@j2dragon109]

Reginald Uy I never liked that saying. Magic is a skill. Science is a method for understanding reality. Magic, if it existed, could be explained by science but it is not science itself.

[@j2dragon109]

STEMSWIM NO YOUR WROG! AN A POOPOO HEAD!

[@Cooky_McGee]

"The hardest magic system is physics" - some big brian dude from another comment section

[@Cooky_McGee]

@Mr. Obunga u heard me Mr. Obunga..

[@Cooky_McGee]

@Mr. Obunga i am commiting to the brian

[@TheGreatPower365]

Given it is the attempt to explain the world without using supernatural or magical explanations, I would suggest physics is the only system that doesn't use magic.

[@seanc9520]

To a certain rocket scientist, physics brought to a high enough level is no different from magic. At least to the average user. Like if we ever create hover boards, to a 3 year old, does it matter if it's done using physics or magic?

[@TheGreatPower365]

@@seanc9520 how is a three year old "average"? Of course someone that young might not be interested in how the device works. But then again they might. Why presume, and why make them so young in the first place? As to whether it matters, that depends on who you are talking to, but for the majority I would suggest it matters a great deal! If it is physics, it will matter to those for whom the hoverboard has potential economic or travel implications- can the technology be replicated, rescaled, applied in different ways, can it be weaponised etc etc. If it is magic it will likely matter even more! Where did this power come from, can anyone obtain it, what is its extent and potential, what does this mean for our view of life, the universe etc. In fact, for most people the revelation that magic exists would be the biggest, most mind blowing change to their world view they had ever experienced. I'm not trying to be an arse here, you have a point in that for most people it is the end result not the method that matters, at least most of the time. But if it is a physics vs magic question- I think most people would like to know the answer if the possibility of the answer being "magic" is in anyway worth considering.

[@Joshua-yf5mh]

It's not magic. It's waterbending, and it's... Yeah, yeah, an ancient art unique to our culture, blah blah blah.

[@ThePreciseClimber]

Ironically, the Polish dub of Avatar calls bending "magic." Water magic, fire magic, etc. I don't even...

[@PutoMedicoBrujo]

Latin america dub called it "control" agua control, fuego control, aire control someone in the dub department must love shadow the hedgehog You know, 'cause "chaos control" ...? I'll see my self out...

[@spinnerboyz]

@@PutoMedicoBrujo Love your name man hahahahh

[@PutoMedicoBrujo]

@@spinnerboyz Danke

[@darklordthomaspie6293]

Technically it is magic.

[@atrinoc0207]

I adore "incoming" episodes

[@nathanielbables8652]

Ditto

[@fakjbf3129]

I think it's important to realize that technology should also follow these rules. As they say, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. If your sci-fi universe has FTL, then either you need to explain how it works or you can't make it a focus of your story's plot. If all you want to say is that the special engine allows for FTL, then the only major problem you can have is that the bad guys turns off the engine.

[@delasee1383]

That's one of the things I like about Lord of the Rings. Magic such as the One Ring are more comparable to technology than might be in other settings, being simply "technology" crafted by a being which played a role in, and understands on an intuitive level, the workings of the physical universe.

[@victormihaylov3905]

(sorry for the bad english) yes I think the same. if you want one good book of sci-fi FTL war, read "The Forever War". critique of the war in vietnam and it have einstein law of relativity.

[@akxorvakarian3597]

So at that point i think is mass effect a hard system for tech and star wars the soft system

[@victormihaylov3905]

@@akxorvakarian3597 yop

[@yetejittpapisit6094]

There's a small issue with the main rule of technology: our knowledge. If we take humans from 8000 BC, and show them a lighter or a penicillin, they will call it magick and impossible technology. If future humans will show us individual per human pocket dimension for stuff, or nanorobot immune system, we call it magick and say that it's impossible. The main problem of technology is that we just can't understand how far we can get. We trying to apply old laws of storytelling to future. It's like human from 8000 BC will tell us about how lighter works with his language and his understanding. "ting make fire. God of fire live inside ting."

[@kumisz2]

Interesting (though not surprising) to see how well this definition fits the magic in Dresden Files. In that world, magic is a learned ability for humans, and can be greatly enhanced with even simple tools, like drawing a circle with chalk to serve as a foundation for a spell. The most interesting thing about it is that how established the whole thing feels. For example when Dresden summons a demon into a circle for questioning, the demon roars and attempts to break out of its confinement for a little while, and then Dresden just asks "Are you satisfied, demon?" and the demon answers "Quite." in perfect Oxford accent. Turns out the etiquette demands the summoned demon to attempt to break out of its confinement and do his best to kill its summoner, but since it decided it failed, it was ready to answer the questions Dresden might have. It's crazy.

[@TheStonewall117]

kumisz but you also have to be born with magic, which if I’m not mistaken, comes from ones maternal side. Anyone can dream a circle, but they don’t have that little ounce of “will” to give it power.

[@TheStonewall117]

Furthermore, Dresden Files are pure awesomeness.

[@kira-dk2mx]

That's what i love of the DF's magic system. It's varied and widespread like HP magic, but feels more grounded in reality, and has clear cut limitations, at least on the user's side.

[@an0nym0usguy49]

How do I like a comment twice?

[@connortobin3775]

​@@TheStonewall117 yes and no. While Dresden scoffs at pretenders' personal level of power, he does recognize that ritualistic magic can do some meaty shit given the right circumstances, and for some things don't require an ounce of magic (see the Necronomicon as mentioned in the Tomas Raith sidestory, the Never War) He's gone against muggles in Storm Front and Side Jobs, and both times ritual magic was plenty enough to put dresden, a wizard in the top 30 heavyweight combat wizards in the world (at a 10th the age of the other 29), in danger.

[@HelpFromAbove1]

I was so glad to hear Brandon Sanderson mentioned in the first 60 seconds. He is without question one of the greatest magic system designers in all of history, and should be included in every discussion like this.

[@thekinginyellow2890]

Amen, Sanderson is the absolute best!!

[@atreides213]

Darrell Leber He really is the uncontested mast of it. His magic systems almost seem like characters in and of themselves.

[@TheJmaster11111]

Makes me want to re-read the mistborn trilogy again. Hands down my favorite book series.

[@atreides213]

TheJmaster11111 Kelsier was my Ned Stark.

[@TheCrazydude17]

Allow me to render him contested. I would prefer the Inheritance Cycle or even Harry Potter in comparison to Brandon Sanderson's work, having read a few of his books myself. He's overrated, and people are too willing to get on their knees and worship him.

[@bronxshogun6033]

Jojo's Magic System: IT JUST WORKS!

[@xX_wiLLiam_Xx]

STANDO POWAH

[@TheNN]

As someone who wants to one day make an RPG with a highly intricate magic system and world around it, this has been a massively useful video.

[@psychoactivesorcerer7285]

I have a similar desire. I find it quite the challenge, especially when your trying for a more soft feeling. In an RPG things usually MUST have an explanation so that the players can reliably interact with it. The only way I see getting around it is introducing one or more harder systems for player use and them adding a few softer magical elements that MAY have some defined function but may also contain a random or unreliable element that the players have no control over.

[@benrudolph5582]

Perchance the LARP and / or GURPS system already has a framework? Too, I don't think SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) has one, since they are a historical reenactment group.

[@hulmhochberg8129]

Do you know the game outward? I think it conveys zhe feeling of a soft magic system perfectly. And is also really fun and varied.

[@lunokhod3937]

Mmm I like me some magic. Lemme explain my favourite one. Made in Abyss' "Curse of the Abyss" is probably my favourite magic system. The "Curse of the Abyss" is a strange and invisible force that exists only within the "Abyss", a huge hole in the ground, and it acts like a trapdoor, allowing humans to enter the Abyss, but not ascend out of it. Well, at least not without some sort of suffering. The curse reacts to human souls, inflicting physical and mental trauma as they go up. As you go deeper into the Abyss, the curse's effects get increasingly severe, ascend from the first layer of the abyss and you will only get mild nausea, but ascend from the fifth layer and you will loose your human form and become a blob of flesh with a human soul trapped inside. Lovely. Any deeper and you will face a certain and painful death. Even more lovely. The people living around the Abyss regard the curse like a science, and while scientists understand the basics of the curse, the origin of it is unknown. While no animals seem to be affected by the curse, some of the creatures in the Abyss have evolved to detect fluctuations in the curse, which are caused by both physical movement and human (and probably also animal) thought. The Orbed Piecer, for example, can actually detect the fine disturbances caused by thought and thus can basically read the mind of it's prey and predict its actions. Human scientists have also found ways of manipulating the curse, for example a certain scientist had the morally acceptable idea of using a human nervous system as a shield against the curse, allowing the user to ascend peacefully while the human nervous system absorbs the affects of the curse. Who knows what happens to the soul of the human sacrifice. I'm sure it's very very pleasant. And that's why I love the Curse of the Abyss so much. It shapes the environment of the Abyss, creating all the amazing creatures and mad scientists, and combined with the show's mostly excellent writing and beautiful art, it creates some one of the most believable and intriguing worlds in fiction. Oops I wrote an essay. But there you go.

[@parjai97]

F for Nanachi's friends...

[@pudlordtynan919]

A wizard did it

[@AnthanKrufix]

*Gandalf nods to Epic Sax guy*

[@syferpolski4344]

I was really hoping you'd start with Clarke's 3rd Law: "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic", which would have been a perfect fit for hard magic, but I like the episode either way. I really appreciate you mentioned Ursula Le Guin - she's quickly falling into obscurity and that saddens me greatly.

[@ledocteur7701]

I have a sci-fi universe where a lot of technologies are based on "energy", it's not just the energy we know like heat, kinetic and stuff like that, it's a raw form of energy, that is then manipulated and shifted to create thrusters, energy weapons, energy fields with different property that can range from a traditional energy shield, to hovercrafts to creating physical blades and tools that can change shape. that energy also as an associated "crystal" material, whish can store battery, is the base to anything that manipulates energy, and can also radiate energy away in specific forms like radiation or in raw form, it's also used as a construction material like carbon fiber but with carbon nanotubes instead, with crystal serving as the catalyst (aka the resin that is poured onto carbon fiber to create sheets) in a way, it's a single element apparated to a magic system that is then used as a base to create all kinds of technologies equivalent to stuff we can already do as well as stuff that we can't do. it allows me to avoid stupid errors due to not being an expert in every material and technology known to man, while also offering more liberties that couldn't be possible in a sci-fi universe based entirely on existing materials.

[@jackinthebox1993]

Incoming videos are literally my favorite. 😊

[@shiran31]

After reading the title, first thought "Oooo, I wonder if they'll talk about Brandon Sanderson and the Cosmere" Now I want a Cosmere video series.

[@jatzi1526]

Me too. But not right away cuz I havent finished reading it all

[@chinyoka2387]

I like "mysterious" magic systems. But as you mentioned, that doesn't have to be a soft magic system. The wargs in GoT have clearly defined rules and still had this mysterious vibe to them (maybe that's just because they barely ever used them for anything lol). I really want to make something like that as well.

[@terrorcop101]

For me, magic has to be an active part of the story; either as something the characters are striving for and gradually gaining over course of their adventures or it should be something that is familiar to the characters and used as a tool in conjunction with other tools throughout the story.

[@chimeraelite]

Personally I think the Dresden Files has one of the best magic systems, period. It's physically exhausting to the extreme when used excessively, and there are rules that are grounded in reality. Want to make a flame? You have to channel heat from somewhere, be it yourself or the area around you. Dresden made an ice bridge because he fired a massive pillar of flame into the sky. All the heat in the area in front of him (and a great deal of his own) was drained away. He nearly passed out (even simply chenneling magic/enegy takes a LOT of mental fortitude) and was nearly killed soon after. It's an amazing series by Jim Butcher and I hope you all take a second to read it.

[@TheStonewall117]

Chimera PARKOUR!!!

[@chimeraelite]

@@TheStonewall117 I miss Lash ;_;

[@kira-dk2mx]

I got started on the series after checking out the wiki, and I love how its varied and detailed, but not too detailed to take away its mystery.

[@shanebraaten9553]

It is a very good series 💯👍

[@archlorddestin]

One of the greatest "hard magic" systems I ever came across, was the magic in Eragon, where the spells a person could use were limited only by their imagination and the words they knew in the ancient language. If they knew the ancient word for fire, they could conjure and manipulate fire. However, there was another limitation in that whatever the spell did, it would use the same amount of energy as it would do to do the same thing, by non-magical means. For example, if you threw a fist sized rock by magic, you'd barely notice the energy drain. If you attempted to pick up a massive boulder and throw it, even if you succeeded, it would leave you exhausted. If you attempted a spell beyond your means, you could expend all your energy and die.

[@wolfgangervin2582]

TBH I prefer the flexibility of the Belgariad's Will and the Word (which Grammary was almost certainly based based on). Grammary is still a very good example of a hard magic system.

[@harrisonirving8751]

I totally agree, the whole time she was talking about hard magic systems I could only think of the Inheritance Cycle(the official name of the Eragon series) everything in it is incredibly well defined, balanced and logical.

[@SephirothRyu]

There was more "wild" sorts magic you could use in the setting of Eragon. Stuff that doesn't use the ancient language. But yeah, its a pretty good system, whose very nature evokes a question of "who in the past managed to tie their language to the very workings of magic?"

[@archlorddestin]

@@SephirothRyu Brom explained it as it not just being A word for the thing, it was THE word for the thing. Even people had true names. The ancient language was just the discovery of those true names for various things. The fact people (entirely new creations) had true names, it seems to me like it's some primordial rule of the universe that everything has a true name, assigned at it's creation by the universe itself.

[@isvuswright4882]

@@archlorddestin It kind of makes you wonder how the first speakers figured it out. How did they come to discover this language that seems to just be a verbal extension of the universe? Where Galbatorix found the Word was left really ambiguous, but he did have to spend decades looking for it, and he did find it written down by SOMEONE. Then there's the whole thing about wordless magic. Is the ancient language just a way to help people focus their thoughts, which are the real magic-making element? I have the first, third and fourth books practically memorized at this point, but I need to read Eldest. That's where a lot of the juiciest mechanics were explained.

[@orCane]

Holy crap! The sudden and unexpected disappearance of magic is a fantastic concept for the setting of a story, especially one in a world where magic users are the ruling class.

[@shanebraaten9553]

I seem to remember an old jrpg where this was the premise, unfortunately I cannot remember what it's called, I think it was on one of the original two PlayStations tho

[@JosephJoboLicayan]

That time when you realize Avatar did bending so well you didnt even realize (or atleast isnt the first thing you think of) it was a magic system.

[@QrazyQuarian]

It tells you right in the pilot episode that it's magic. Just because they put a name to it doesn't mean that it isn't.

[@reverie02]

i realized that immediately and it was the firs thing i thought of

[@ashleyberkowitz8772]

I love how D&D incorporates all the general categories of magic and can be either learned or innate

[@Eatmydbzballs]

*ALL HAIL MELLON LORD!!!*

[@pranavghantasala6808]

3:28 "When I have a problem, I cast Molotov cocktail and then I have a different problem" -Grand Archmage Jason Mendoza

[@polishscribe674]

I like the magic system of Gothic. In Myrthana, magic is said to be "the fifth element" and it's energy is completely measurable, the best example being magical Ore - a resource that holds a charge of magical energy, making creations such as Ore mound to blow up something possible. The mages of Gothic are basically a combination of priests and engineers.

[@coreymicallef365]

That's a really great episode, and I'm really glad you used FMA and ATLA as examples as they're possibly the best magic systems in media.

[@melonhead82]

There is one magic system that I found really unique, and it's found on the Bartimaeus Sequance by Johnathan Stroud. Magicians have to summon demons in order to use that demon's power as humans have no magical power of their except in conjurations. I highly recommend the series.

[@jonathandoe1367]

Yes! I loved it back when I read it in middle-school. It was pretty great.

[@melvinmbuthia883]

The best magic system I have ever seen in any story is nen from Hunter X Hunter but it starts at around episode 25. Still the most creative system have ever encountered, what power would you create?

[@rampagepotato4307]

Try Indexverse. It had two power systems lmao.

[@melvinmbuthia883]

@@rampagepotato4307 thanks

[@seanwaddell2659]

Will you guys be ever be able to cover the SCP universe? Like a GOI that has more definite roots or history? Or cover the 001 Swann proposal for the SCP foundation that would explain the indefinite history of the foundation?

[@frank_calvert]

But there are a ton of channels dedicated to that

[@ZontarDow]

SCP has taken a nosedive in quality in the past few years.

[@7OwlsWithALaptop]

Squishy Boi well nobody is asking them to dedicate their channel to it

[@guul66]

SCP lacks any real canon, so it'd be pretty much impossible to cover

[@henryambrose8607]

It's a massive collaborative writing project with no video footage to use and no single accepted canon. There is no way for them to cover it.

[@LocusChronos]

The ending section gave me slight chills, she's good.

[@theProphetofIrony]

I would have loved to see mention of the Empyrion (Warp) and Psykers from 40k. How they can control the warp but all the wile their powers telegraph their presence to Daemons who are constantly trying to consume or possess them, this limiting how much they can submerse/lose themselves in their powers lest they explode.

[@straydog3799]

I always loved the way that Shadowrun handled magic. You have a maximum number of spells based on your magic score. When you cast spells, you can make them as weak or powerful as you want, and the same spell has different variants based on area of effect and range (fire hands, flamethrower, fire ball). But there are three drawbacks. First drawback is that you must resist drain with each spell cast, so if you overclock a spell you run the risk of knocking yourself out or even killing yourself. You also leave a huge presence in the astral plane, making it easier to track. Finally, magic is affected by the world around you, and certain areas are changed by the type of magic cast or past events. These areas can enhance certain types of magic (such as toxic zones enhancing toxic magic, such as Chernobyl), make spellcasting ridiculously easy (such as Stonehenge), or attract shadow spirits or even shedim and/or has memories burned into it that affect any and all awakened mortals that enter it (Auschwitz being the glaring example).

[@JosephJoboLicayan]

Shouldve taken a look at Code Geass and its "magic" system and how well and clever it actually implements it within its context. Its a good example of Hard Magic but isnt on the extreme end of the spectrum.

[@TheRezro]

Code Geass isn't magic but BScience...

[@TheDcraft]

The magic system I'm employing falls under several different categories; charmed object, elemental, and religious, definitely, and possibly shamanistic and/or psychic. There's also other sources of magic.

[@richardkirstein2415]

This is the most critical moment in Templin’s channel. No human can create magic and master it.

[@Daimon-X]

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

[@blshouse]

Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.

[@henryambrose8607]

Any magic indistinguishable from advanced technology is sufficient.

[@benrudolph5582]

That's from the perspective of the user, hopefully not of tech support. :-p

[@Johmpa]

I loved to see this, a very well done presentation of Sandersons Laws of Magic was a joy to see. I recently saw some of his lectures and this covers the magic one nicely. The only thing I was missing was a mention of Sandersons 0th Law of Magic: "Always err on the side of Awesome."

[@UNSCPILOT]

I'm usually big on Syfy but this episode is convinced me to at least try and dabbling in a little bit of a magical system alongside, thanks for the awesome video!

[@calumdeighton]

As a Warhammer person, I've found this an interesting video; had the view of Warhammer's magic/psychic stuff to be very much a middle thing; thanks to it being a chaotic thing in nature. But this has been interesting.

[@ClassicIbanez]

I just begun creating my own homebrew RPG system and im just starting work on how the magic of the my world works. This video couldn't have come out at a more perfect time!

[@SC-zq6cu]

3:18 Shouldn't that be "Deus Ex Magica" ?

[@agentj3627]

I... guess...?

[@TheRezro]

Saying is reference to device (machina) used to put plot resolving character (deus) on the stage in Greek theater. Not every DEM need to be magic, but magic is one of most abused DEM's ever.

[@CyrusB1]

I can't get over how well thought through these ideas are. Well done. Definitely worth a rewatch.

[@killerwolfxx7]

I'm sort of bummed you didn't bring up The Dresden Files, easily one of my favorite magic systems with so many different facets

[@RogueClonet-kk6tk]

I wanted to say thank your for making this, I am in the process of writing a short story that I have had kicking around my brain for a while that involves magic. My problem was my magic system was untenable and this has given me some great ideas on how to make a usable magic system and given me an idea for evolution of the heroes powers..

[@darkmagicaldreamer2503]

The Best Episode so far i must say. Great work Templin Institute.

[@SundiataWTF]

excellent video. It lays out much of what I've been reading for years in clear, concise language.

[@EpicBoyScout]

Surprised that DnD wasn't included or mentioned in this well made video. Though I would characterize them into the harder end of the magic. Also they are far into the learned scale, as any creature in Dungeons and Dragons with at least average intelligence can learn to cast at least basic magic.

[@TheRezro]

I would define D&D as mixed systems. It has lot of hard elements but in principle is soft.

[@pikadragon2783]

Well, there is 'wish' and 'divine intervention'. And the magical power of homebrew.

[@QrazyQuarian]

Every time somebody uses DnD instead of D&D, a dolphin gets hit with a jetski. Good day.

[@QrazyQuarian]

@@TheRezro Why though? Magic is extremely well-defined. So much so, in fact, that when Mystra nuked high-level magic after the first-ever 12th level spell it made 100% perfect sense. If you're suggesting that it's soft magic because some people such as Sorcerers don't have to study their magic to understand it, then you misunderstood the definition of soft magic like most people. It's not whether or not characters in the universe understand it, it's about whether or not we the audience understand it. That's why Harry Potter's parents defending him during his duel against Voldemort in The Goblet of Fire wasn't a copout. He didn't understand it, but we the audience have been made to understand that love is a more powerful magic than anything a wand or potion could produce. Is it cringey to say that he was saved by the "power of love"? Yes, but its power was explained to us previously and has a place in that magical system, even if Harry didn't understand what he was wielding.

[@TheRezro]

@@QrazyQuarian Learn what those terms mean before entering this discussion 🙄

[@blshouse]

Babylon 5 had multiple magic systems throughout its episodes. The mainstay were the Telepaths, exceptionally rare Telepaths were also Telekinetics, Technomages who use technology advanced to the point it is indistinguishable from magic to the uninitiated, and alien psychics who can see and predict the future.

[@kaleikaumaka89]

Great video, clearly defines and clarifies trends in a lot of magic systems

[@danenagai1157]

Lovely to see your videos at such an early time.

[@Thalassicus01]

I was pleasantly surprised to find you expanded on Hello Future Me's discussion of the topic by adding the learned/innate axis. Great analysis!

[@mig.vidales]

This video was AWESOME!! Loved it so much!

[@Sarah-Rae]

Thank you! Best video I've seen on the subject!

[@apdarkness905]

Thank you for doing a video that explains the difference in magic systems that Sanderson laid out, this video was extremely informative and well put together. I liked it very much indeed. If you guys are open to recommendations on future videos, and bear in mind that I might have put forward this one already, but how about a video exploring the *Blackwood Detective Agency* from the *Call of Cthulhu Collectible Card Game,* that could be interesting.

[@baalzhamon8491]

Robert Jordan and The Wheel of Time, awesome books. And it does go into some detail about how the Aes Sedai channel their power

[@brycedunlap298]

Alright, let me say that when I saw this video, I was hoping for specifically Fullmetal Alchemist and Avatar to be in here, so I'm really happy about that. And the specific part about alchemy, that was one of the best puns you guys have ever used, very well done. I remember a similar video being made by HelloFutureMe that was also good, but his was from a more literature-based point of view, while this one was very factual and analytical. Excellently done! One of my favorite videos to date.

[@aaronbiduk813]

So warhammer falls pretty close to the middle right beacause some psykers are taught some are instinctual

[@Emperor528]

I think psykery is instinctual, the training mostly comes from harnessing it, channeling it and protecting yourself from Chaos. Unless of course you play for Chaos, then go nuts.

[@aaronbiduk813]

But dont navigators have zero power unless they get trained

[@Lightscribe225]

@@aaronbiduk813 Navigators do have power. Their training is so they don't accidentally daemons everywhere.

[@SonsOfLorgar]

@@Lightscribe225 you say that as if daemons everywhere is a bad thing... ;)

[@mariusdire]

Psykers are sort of a middle ground. They are innate in that they have the abilities from birth. However they need to be trained to fulfil their potential and avoid the risks of becoming a portal for warp entities. However Chaos sorcerers, although normally psykers, don't have to be. They simply need to follow the correct rituals (although a sorcerers who is also a psyker may be able to cut some corners).

[@Yuno08888]

This is simply magical! I really needed this...i'm very thankful.

[@vegaobscurax23]

I absolutely love this channel. Keep up the great work.

[@chrisshorten4406]

If Yugioh and My Little Pony has taught me anything, it's that friendship is the greatest magic.

[@anthonyhernandez7799]

Definitely coming back to this time and time again

[@archivistdarrowphayne2432]

I love you guys. You're getting my thumbs up purely on the inclusion of sanderson's laws of magic. It's a fantastic video by the way but the fact that you are Sanderson readers or at least view his laws as sound just ups my appreciation for this channel and it's creators. You two are the best.

[@rolanddeschain5161]

Reading the title I wondered if you'd mention Sanderson and I'm so happy you did. He's the pro at magic systems. Also talking about Sanderson, would you ever do a video on some of his books? I think that'd be great!

[@tokitomurau7203]

It's pretty convenient that you guys made this video because I recently started writing a fantasy story, and this video is a big help

[@Alpharius93]

I loved this episode! Such a good idea =D

[@Transmissional]

Genuine video, very well done. Loved the identifying of *magic*. Also happy you used Warhammer scenes haha, wonder where 40k would fall in your charts. Anywho excited for the next one.

[@floraevoli3330]

The way this is made is so awesome. With the blue voice thingy and all that

[@seanmorse1389]

Awesome job on this one!

[@argosbrave6415]

Love the presentation here. Instant subscribe

[@vallettapetracyneran8587]

Thank you for this. This may help me solve sot problems I am having in my writing

[@Sibliseidan]

Grea video, the best by the institute so far.

[@BigHeadClan]

Terry Goodkind has a great magic system in the Sword Of Truth series, awesome fantasy series for anyone looking for a good read.

[@markfoshee4768]

Amazing video as always. Covered ever magic system I could think of and some I didn't even know about, wish had cover magic from the dresden files but other than that, an awesome video

[@advisorv]

I hope Shad from Shadiversity is listening to this. He also starts from Sanderson whenever he talks about magic.

[@Mexico47]

This was beyond amazing!!!!

[@chrisscha2088]

Very, very interesting. Great Video👍

[@sithlord906]

Great video as always. I hope you do a follow-up video explaining the impact of magic on the world it comes from. Like for example the economy, religion, daily life, floura and fana ex you know the world and society as a whole if magic was apart of it. I also want to know if you will also do a video explaing the opposit of magic which is Technology more specifically pseudoscience and fantastical technology in Science Fiction. Since a lot of the arguments you made about magic can be applied oppositly and relevant to pseudoscience and fantastical technology in Science Fiction. As a famous science fiction writer once said `Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic´.

[@ciCCapROSTi]

Good work. I'm not really a fan of Sanderson's rules, because they are misused more often than not, but they say something fundamental. The second part of the video was great on the other hand, made me think about magic. What important example you forgot? Vancian magic, of course. Strict formulas of a freely flowing magic, much like programming, in theory you could use machine code to do whatever you want, but nobody is smart enough for that, so we use programs, prewritten snippets of code.

[@que0947]

excellent video! thought provoking content as always bravo!

[@MrRWWorthington]

I love your channel!!!! Please keep making these great videos!! 😍

[@danielwaugh2215]

I love these episodes! This was really well thought out! And wonder if there be some categorising of things like why aliens would invade earth or a planet, or the soft/hard science. or maybe the science fantasy of how magic and science work together in some worlds could perhaps look into the Magic the Gathering perhaps

[@starfuryms582]

Sorcery, or "The Will and the Word" from David Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorian series. Great example of a system that falls somewhere in the middle of the Hard-Soft scale. They can do almost anything they can imagine, but there are also very strict limitations, with dire consequences if you break them.

[@lazebrowneyes]

Amazing video!

[@wilsonriley1856]

Don’t forget the book “Eragon”. I find that the fantasy elements and magic system are pretty well-developed

[@Jay2480]

Yes

[@pawelp531]

First, I want to say I appreciate the hard work behind the video and the way it clearly lays out most of what we know about magic systems so far. One thing I have doubts is the placement of some of the magic systems on the spectrums in the video. For example, Star Wars is marked as heavily soft, but I'd say by the time you start devouring books, you have a pretty good understanding of the limitations and possibilities of what Jedi can do. There's a limited amount of canon powers they can wield and we can expect a rookie jedi not to be able to perform certain feats that a master jedi could easily do. Therefore, I think the right place for SW on hard/soft spectrum is somewhere closer towards the middle, still leaning to the soft side though.

[@krispalermo8133]

Star Wars table top RPG, starting with WEG west end games d6 system, the WotC wizard of the coast D&D/Star Wars d20 - 3rdE, then 3.5e, follow with 4e Saga Edition, and what even they got out currently now. Then 1990's novels and Darkhorse comics really inspire RPG players to bend and break the rules of WotC 3e system for dramatic effect in game play.

[@HelpFromAbove1]

I would really like to see this channel do an entire series on the Cosmere. Any chance you would consider that?

[@shanebraaten9553]

Apparently Not... It's been 3+ years now....

[@alexandrelessard7168]

i have an idea for a fictional world but i didn't know how to make the magic in it work in the story until i saw your video, it was really helpfull, great job

[@David_Blake91]

I very much like how Sanderson approaches the whole build-up of magic, and how he created his laws, based on Clarke's Three Laws about technology. And here you explained it very well!

[@jatzi1526]

I really want a book focused on a bad guy. In fantasy we always hear about these terrible bad guys waging wars in the past, distant or recent, and for once I'd like a book focused on someone like that. I dont care if they win or lose but it'd be interesting to see a story from that side. Anyone know something like that?

[@Eunhwas_Armory]

The Chronicles of Malus Darkblade. Seriously good stuff.

[@shawngillogly6873]

I do think a couple points of discussion should be opened on this. While in general, I agree with Sanderson's Laws, I think calling the 1st a "Law" as such is a stretch. Harry Potter itself broke its laws all over the place. The magic rules seemed to reset every book at times. No one really complained about this until Rowling started dumping on her material herself in the past few years. Also both The Black Company & The Malazan Book of the Fallen have detailed magic systems that it is many books before the readers understand. In the latter, we're introduced to Holds long before Warrens are fully explained. And how otatarel nullifies magic is a mystery until literally the last third of the last book of the main sequence. I think it's important the author know the rules, present them consistently, and expand our knowledge of the system. I do not think it's necessary to exposit the rules of magic before using it. Or for the characters to be right about it all the time. For examples of the last, see both David Drake's Lord of the Isles series, and Jim Butcher's Dresden Files & Codex Alera.

[@darrentibbils9271]

I'm very thankful for this video. I'm maintaining an effort to write for the sake of exploring my own imagination, and although it's easy to find inspiration in published fiction and instructional or analytical content, it's still really difficult to dissect what I'm learning and reorganize it into something of my own. This video ranks high among analytical videos I've watched, even though I've already heard most of the ideas in it. I'd love an in-depth analysis of a fantasy world with a lot of fleshed-out variety in it, like Cyrodiil. Perhaps you could consider questions such as these: If everyone in Cyrodiil has innate magical ability, why is the study of magic not their highest priority? Why do farmers and miners use simple iron tools when the magical "technology" exists to move objects telepathically or create explosions? What is the process by which necromancers can compel a corpse to walk again, or healers mend wounds? Why do alchemical ingredients have such novel properties while food is still merely nourishment, with small exception? Where does the energy to cast spells come from? Why is it depleted by spell casting, and restored merely by living? Season 2 of Netflix's Castlevania came out a couple weeks ago, and I enjoyed it even more than Season 1. Perhaps you could include this in a future Incoming episode, or another episode type. (Spoiler Alert) I particularly enjoyed learning about the Devil Forgemasters Hector and Isaac, Sypha's attack on Dracula's castle, and Dracula's death. When Dracula is killed it seems as though the souls of the people he had killed came flooding out of him. Where did he keep them all? How are they used to make him more powerful? My all-time favorite fantastical universe is Garth Nix's Old Kingdom, which has a strong emphasis on necromancy and enchantment. I could talk about it all day long but I hardly know anyone else who knows of it. A Templin Institute video on THAT series would be like a dozen Christmas presents in one.

[@yafes_han]

I like you so much just for putting Sanderson's rules of magic there.

[@TheRezro]

Generally we can distinguish three main types of magic, usually defining whole systems, though not being mutually exclusive. Hard Magic what is specific set of rules (example: Alchemy from Full Metal Alchemist), Soft Magic what can do everything, but usually fallow eldritch logic with tendency of not being realizable to offset it being OP. And technology as magic, according to third law of Clarke. But speaking in more detail about common systems we usually distinguish: Ritual Magic (so set of magic worlds, gestures and practices causing effect utilized by Wizards and Mages), Inherited Magic aka Sorcery, what usually rely on emotions and tend to drain energy of caster, but usually don't rely on complex knowledge but emotions. And finally contracts with higher entity. Either more direct like summoning utilized by warlocks or faith, what is more collective contract signed by whole groups with entity perceived as deity. Those usually are less realizable as priests tend to not have leverage over they contractor.

[@old-worldghost3451]

I was just watching the magic system videos by Hello Future Me

[@luked1367]

I have to say i kept expect a cut away with a wizard did it. But seriously Hello Future me did a very good video similar to this.

[@ReaverLordTonus]

For magic systems, oh boy am I getting a headache on mine. The best way I can describe it is... [deep breath] Imagine the code system from The Matrix, where select few able to read it somehow interpret it into a visual manifestation of what is going on in real time, only in this case it's writing that code to manifest and manipulate physical matter. "Programing" the code it into a cog wheel made of a luminescent material with the physical properties of iron but the visual properties of corundum with essentially a blueprint of a machine or elemental effect while it simultaneously absorbs raw materials required to create it. Then when the cog wheel is electrically stimulated it will then manifest and assemble the desired machinery or effect around it, when deactivated the manifestation will then disassemble and store it again where materials and programming can repair and improve upon it. This allows a skilled craftsman to design impossible machines that will be magically constructed, resulting in complex weapons and armor, Cannons that manifest and fire bolts of energy, stationary engines that can produce sufficient thrust to defy gravity, and other creations all powered by magic. Then there are the people in my world where (thanks to generations of exposure due to geographic isolation) have the material in their bloodstream instead of iron and are actually able to manipulate it to perform elemental magic without the aid of a mechanical apparatus but require they literally have every runic symbol in the code tattooed on their skin using ink infused with the material to act as an interface that requires a lifetime of training to master. like I said, a headache

[@TBD98]

Awesome Video.

[@cameronpearce5943]

This was brilliant :D

[@AEixilimar]

I really enjoy how Brent Weeks does his magic through both The Night Angel trilogy and his recent works of The Light Bringer series, both are interesting and The Light Bringer series is much to be desired in a magic world.

[@TLhikan]

I'd love if you guys did more videos featuring the Cosmere.

[@1995yuda]

Brilliant!

[@TheMajorStranger]

As soon as i read the name of the video i knew you guys needed to talk about Brandon Sanderson. That man has invented over a dozen (so far) different magic system in the Cosmere universe and every single one of them work perfectly!

[@Lulu-ex7fc]

very helpful video.