CREATING MAGIC SYSTEMS

Loads of people want to create magic systems. Let's talk about how to develop a well-rounded one for a fantasy world!
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[@DanielGreeneReviews]

What’s the magic system you’re working on??

[@ericbroussedegersigny3344]

Is pumping magical energy from a slave race of humanoids alright ?

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

@@ericbroussedegersigny3344 thats... intense.

[@ericbroussedegersigny3344]

@@DanielGreeneReviews says the one who started his whole universe by a gruesome child murder

[@milospollonia1121]

Well, one of the ramifications is a desert made out of the ashes of the fallen... I swear I'm not mad!

[@kendalldoer5466]

My “magic system” I’m thinking about is a system where you gain immortality only by having the one you love most die. The trick is that the only people who take this deal necessarily love *themself* the most, so they die before they ever achieve immortality. The story revolves around a genius trying to take advantage of the system to gain immortality without getting killed, but I’m a discovery writer and Idk how he does it yet lol

[@rustage]

my magic system involves people gaining power directly proportional to the amount of daniel greene videos they watch

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

ULTIMATE POWER!!

[@wixit3461]

sou you're saying i'm all powerful?

[@milospollonia1121]

**palpatine voice** UUUUNLIMITED POWAAAAAAAAH

[@resir9807]

so real life basically

[@cameronqueen8202]

The cost is every time they watch Daniel spank a book it takes a year off their life.

[@GeeOff]

One thing to keep in mind for anybody making their own magic system - don't worry about another author having something similar to yours. Understandably, there is always an initial surge of terror when you look at what someone else has crafted and go "But that's what I was gonna do!" What's more important than broad strokes is specificity. The way you portray your magic and how your story, world, and characters interact with it will be what set your interpretation apart from other authors, even if otherwise things seem similar. Be confident in your own voice, and lean into what you've got a passion for. Don't get bogged down trying to chase down the golden original idea or trying to be too clever.

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

I mean there are magic systems that are in multiple series by different authors and that’s okay! Just don’t directly copy something from a current modern author I’d say.

[@PhoenixCrown]

Yea I like how Daniel put it: Use existing art as inspiration, a jumping off point. Go read your favorite book or watch your favorite show again, and the smallest "what if" can drastically change the system and make it your own.

[@hafiz7611]

A good example of such is Avatar: The Last Airbender vs The Wheel of Time. They both have the four elements as integral parts of their magic systems but utilize and incorporate them in such different ways that they end up being completely different in practice and practical application.

[@ThrottleKitty]

My magic system I've been working on for many years is based on "Sympathetic Magic", something that many amazing authors have made magic systems based on the past few years. I used them to make mine more specific, more detailed, etc. I'm glad to see similar magic systems, honestly.

[@joshuatempleton9556]

@@hafiz7611 WoT uses 5 elements you are forgetting spirit. vs Avatars 4, in the WoT various elements can be mixed into weaves to create effects. where avatar is essentially manipulation of raw element.

[@muhammadhashir6136]

How to create a magic system Step one: Get two magic systems to fall in love with each other Step two: Officiate their wedding Boom, u have my guide. If u r a magic system, start making ur moves.

[@karlwilker579]

So... compounding from Mistborn?

[@muhammadhashir6136]

@@karlwilker579 lols u r too sickly innocent

[@zombiedemon1762]

What if the Avatar magic system makes a baby with the Vampire Diaries or Supernatural magic system? Actually imagine Avatar but every element has its own dark side equivalent. So if Aang joined the Elemental Sith,he might have,Hell Fire,Hell Air,Hell Water,and Hell Earth bending.

[@merlinmeurer5339]

Hot magic systems in your area.

[@phoebecao4442]

Works especially well for hard magic systems

[@DragonArmyBooks]

So...You're saying that I have to come up with a magic system BETTER than allomancy? Got it. Got it.

[@FelineElaj]

I'm going to get crusified for saying it in this particular comment section, but allomancy is a bit overrated, to my mind. It's good, sure, but some people tend to treat it as the best thing since sliced bread. While, to me, it's too much like a simple superpower. Not a lot of inspiration, wonder, *magic* to it.

[@Valiguss]

@@FelineElaj I agree honestly but I think that’s probably a hard vs soft flavor and thing with his worlds I personally really hate dnd style magic with mages and stuff it’s pretty boring I much prefer harder more integrated magic thst isn’t considered magic like bending and alimancy, I just don’t like allowance cause it’s too codified and too limited. Surgebinding though I’d amazing, it changes everything and everything revolves around it but it’s still mystical cause it was just rediscovered, and has a much wider variety of powers and applications

[@FelineElaj]

@@Valiguss yes, surgebinding has a lot more mystery and wonder to it, because it needs to be rediscovered and is based on "soft" foundation (oaths, abstract notions like "honor" or "bringing things together"). But there's much more to alternatives than just "D&D magic" out there. Examples: magic of names, done three different ways in "Wizard of Earthsea", Kingkiller Chronicles and The Black Company cycle. Fey magic vs "bookish" magic in "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell". Wild magic of the white gold in Chronicles of Thomas Covenant. Pacts with the Elemental Lords in books about Elric. Heck, even the "D&D magic" is based on amazing magic of the Dying Earth books by Jack Vance, where spells were literally spell-demons that had to be lured in and trapped in a wizard's mind, and only two to four spells could be held at a time. Casting a spell was essentially letting the demon escape, so to cast it again the spell needed to be lured in and trapped again. So many great magic systems, but all I hear is talk about Sanderson's works. Yes, Sanderson is a great author, but come on, his works are not the only ones or the very best. Among the best? Sure. But not the pinnacle of magic systems. Edit: spelling.

[@henrikfitch4017]

@@FelineElaj I'm more of a hard magic fan. I love when magic is quantifiable, measurable and especially when it requires smart thinking, not who has the biggest emotional breakdown. I guess I like it when magic is more like science, more a force of nature. No. A law of nature than power. But to each their own. I can definitely see why people might prefer soft magic

[@FelineElaj]

@@henrikfitch4017 thing is, hard vs soft is not usually a dichotomy, but a spectrum. Magic can be wondrous *and* require clever thinking, but without being sterile like science or ruled by pure emotion. What I don't like is tye position some people have, like "there is hard magic, and then there is silly stuff with unicorns and no rules at all". Take "Earthsea" books by Ursula Le Guin, for example. Magic in these books are on the softer side, but it has rules. Basically, magic having rules and requiring balance is kinda the point of the story. Yet, it is definitely not science, because it is mystical and dangerous.

[@Zetamen7]

I really like how you went "Radiation? Yeah, that" with the Grohalind

[@thesamuraiman]

I'm curious where that name came from.

[@milospollonia1121]

@@thesamuraiman sounds Nordic to me, so that's where he probably got inspiration

[@DS-mi9ru]

@@thesamuraiman In reverse it spells Dnilahorg, which if you translate it from Icelandic means absolutely nothing.

[@kendalldoer5466]

I’m so glad that the picture for this is Avatar, Daniel has finally succumbed to the masterpiece that is The Last Airbender

[@TheRacoonGhost]

thought it was a hello future me video when i clicked, not sure if im disapointed or excited!

[@ardequerade3155]

@@TheRacoonGhost is it even possible for hellofutureme to make more magic system videos? i mean i certainly wouldnt complain but there are lots already

[@VocaloidThalia]

@@ardequerade3155 he will never run out of excuses to talk about ATLA.

[@fr3nch246]

Lolll @@VocaloidThalia

[@RubenRodriguez-co9jx]

Me: paying attention to Daniel. Brain: what is that girl doing? Why did she pick up that tomato then put it back? Oh right, Daniel's talking. Back to Daniel.

[@PhoenixCrown]

I had to rewind b/c that stock video was so distracting. What was that chick doing? haha

[@RubenRodriguez-co9jx]

@@PhoenixCrown yeah, some of the green screen effects were fine. It was those that had other people doing different things that were too distracting.

[@jonathanstarr1104]

She's able to magically eat food by looking at it.

[@willing1043]

Anyone notice that the snow was falling sideways? And it went vertically up the side of the tree?

[@RubenRodriguez-co9jx]

@@willing1043 not surprising to me. It snows where I live and I've seen it happen like that.

[@N.Traveler]

7:05 "If your magic system is like explosion based, and your people are just out there throwing it around: as a reader I'm gonna be thinking, 'how in the world was this ever safely taught?'" MHA and Bakugo entered the chat.

[@elainasynranelt]

Megumin has entered the chat

[@tokiomitohsaka7770]

It actually makes sense. When little kids get their quirks, they are very weak. Little Bakugo’s explosions were tiny and weak, and over time they grew more powerful. This gives them time to learn to control them before they are too dangerous. Of course there are some people who aren’t that lucky, like Deku, who got his quirk late in life and the quirk was already more powerful than they could handle, and don’t get me started on Eri… They even said that with every generation, the average quirks become more powerful and it can create problems.

[@elaz925]

That was Shigaraki's villian origin. In a world of Quirks developing suddenly at age 4, a child might go to pet their dog and end up deleting their whole family.

[@alicedodobirb2808]

@@elaz925 he hit alt + f4 smh

[@jazzyaz8634]

The disheveled goblin can now not only do magic, but *make* magic

[@hahaimout1693]

I usually see superheroes as a great inspiration, just one power of one superhero opens a lot of posibilities for an entire magic system

[@Rand0mPeon]

Meanwhile, Batman: Money is a great magic system

[@hahaimout1693]

@@Rand0mPeon You wanna know why?

[@Rand0mPeon]

@@hahaimout1693 Sure, why not?

[@hahaimout1693]

@@Rand0mPeon because he's batman

[@aplatypusguy27]

trying to write a magic system where people can control dragons and other massive mythological beasts through spirits... it's a pretty rough idea right now. Idk we'll see how it ends up working out.

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

That’s freakin SWEET!

[@resir9807]

That IS pretty sweet

[@PhoenixCrown]

Uh yea that's really cool. Do you intend to make the magic users powerful in their own right or dependent on the power of their spirit/beast? Either way, that's a great starting point!

[@atharvadeshpande4749]

Thats Such a Cool Idea, Imma steal it. 😂😂😂

[@pougetguillaume4632]

Hippity hoppity your magic system is now my property /s

[@MetalGildarts]

“Stay away from time travel” THIS. I Stan this. Also my magic system is similar to Allomancy but different.

[@MarkusAldawn]

is it swallowing different trees' bark and gain power to photosynthesise

[@luketufts6827]

When time travel is done well and in a way where there aren’t any plot holes, it is EPIC. It’s just dangerous 🙂

[@whosaidthat84]

If time travel is the main element then it can be done well, but if it's thrown in after the fact then it becomes muddy.

[@luketufts6827]

@@whosaidthat84 totally

[@MetalGildarts]

@@MarkusAldawn lol

[@robertm.8653]

" Think of them not as rules, they're more like... guidelines! "

[@CharlieThunder24]

smiles in jack sparrow

[@valhatan3907]

That is my writing advice motto😂

[@abskorditis1232]

Could you make more videos explaining magic systems?

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

There is planned videos!

[@nroke1684]

@@DanielGreeneReviews are*

[@frostbite7770]

@@nroke1684 Seriously?

[@raisedbystories4287]

I think a huge factor that should influence your magic system is your narrative. Label out you major plot points that require your system to be a certain way. You can create a system before writing a story however I think that will be very limiting for your narrative. But hey maybe that constraint can be a good thing!

[@PhoenixCrown]

Hard agree here. I just made a similar comment, but having some kind of outline and knowing where your story ends makes the magic system a lot easier to create. Everything in your world should serve the narrative imo. In writing my book, I had multiple times where I was like "I want the magic to do this... but I've already limited myself with that..." My advice is don't change everything; ask yourself, "How can I have both?" THIS is where true creativity enters, solving problems with constraints.

[@ardequerade3155]

you can still design a magic system that has the potential to achieve any plot point you may need, but balancing that freedom with the right restrictions in order to make it satisfying can be difficult

[@joshuaneuhauser8372]

I disagree. I think that although it is more limiting to what you can do in your story, that just forces you to make your characters use their abilities more creatively. I personally prefer the challenge.

[@maximeteppe7627]

that's really a matter of which comes first, your story or your world/magic. both approaches are valid. having a solid grasp of the magic will help you tell how a scene should unfold 90% of the time, and having a strong sense if your story will help you come up with magic that compliments the plot and vibe.

[@pRahvi0]

@@maximeteppe7627 I think it's what Brandon Sanderson among others would call _discovery writing vs. outlining._ You can either create a premise and explore what comes out of it, or you can pre-set what you want to happen in the story and then come up with ways it would make sense the most. And of course, it's usually an iterative process with bits of both.

[@joshuabrown7815]

Radiation poisoning as punishment for using magic, Lightbringer wants to know your location

[@Avarn388]

I have an idea for a magic system based on wavelengths. Basically the soul can produce aura in the form of a wavelength that can produce effects based on a category one is specialized in like strength, mental magic etc. a weakness is that the frequency of a wavelength can affect how much energy you use up. So a higher hertz wavelength can deplete you faster. And you may lack control. Yet inversely a lower hertz wavelength you have greater control and energy output but the trade off is that it is not as strong.

[@l-mnf6517]

I love this idea. I would recommend to explore the impact of the medium your using the magic in: i.e. Water will impact the length of the waves, making the ability significally less "cost-effective".

[@andrew5744]

Awesome, love magic systems based on science

[@shifra1967]

I find it interesting when the person sets their own boundaries to keep themselves from becoming crazy

[@exalted5203]

Great Idea.

[@guillater]

Although i’m not here for a debate with just everyone, i’d like to say that (until cursed child which as we all know was... meh) time travel in Harry Potter worked that way because time is pictured as circular, not linear. Everything thats going to happen already happened an infinite amount of time. Buckbeak never died in Harry Potter because he was always saved by him and Hermione. So even though they could travel back to Tom Riddle’s birth (which they can’t because time turners only work for a couple of hours) they would fail to kill him because he wasn’t killed up to their point in time. A good example of limitation in time travel when time is circular is the show Dark on netflix. The show sucks and breaks its own rules by the end (cause hey, power of love right?), but you understand their version of time travel well. I got carried away. My bad 😅

[@TheHazeKiller]

The more of a soft magic system you have, the more you need to focus on the "yes, but : no, and" dichotomy.

[@JoriamRamos]

I particularly love magic systems that are not violence-focused - and I loved your tips, cause nothing there points at physical conflict :) particularly the exercise of going out and 'inserting' the magic in your daily activities. Good stuff!

[@matt_9112]

Guess that magic system 'd only fit a story without humans in it...

[@JoriamRamos]

@@matt_9112 Why would you say that? I mean, I can perfectly make a magic system that it's about coloring flowers so that they convey a specific emotion to whoever smells them. Is this going to be used in wartime? Well, I guess. You'll find some use, humans are crafty. But is this magic system focused on war and violent conflict? Not at all. This is what I mean here! Not everything is about violence, even if our media goes very heavily towards that direction. But we've got our exceptions - look at Miyazaki's work for example. Great magic, some violent forms of magic, but overall the point of the systems is something else.

[@matt_9112]

@@JoriamRamos Just a joke/variation of the "humans will weapon it's anything" saying. I guess what are saying is more about the focus of the stories as such, not the magic system in particular. If the story is focused on a conflict, the magic will usually be shown in use in said conflict, rather than other stuff (usually used for setup/exposition). E.g. healing, which is basically usefully everywhere, but we usually get to see healing "war" injuries in stories focused on war. Imagine 40 pages of Gandalf/Aang/Moraine/Melisandre colouring flowers or healing random people, in the respective stories, if done well it could be world building/some philosophical elaboration, but mostly it'd be seen as a distraction in those stories, since it's totally outside the focus.

[@PhoenixCrown]

@@matt_9112 Yea humans use everything as either a weapon or a tool for profit =/ The main thing to keep in mind is story is based on CONFLICT. So your magic system should somehow support a narrative full of conflict. Doesn't need to be violent; that's just the shit that we fantasy nerds usually eat up.

[@JoriamRamos]

@@matt_9112 yeah, you're totally right. And I get it - a story must have conflict, right? What better to raise the stakes than mortal peril? I have nothing against any particular war of physical-conflict based narrative (I enjoy so many of them!), but I do have something against the ubiquity of it in pop media. Can't we have more stories with other things as central conflict? Even with many mega successful counter examples, war and death and blood are still at the epicenter of the media universes I dwell on. But hey, I'm sure Gandalf would deeply appreciate emotional flower magic, if anyone hhahah

[@cagankaplan5302]

Last year when I was struggling with the problems in my magic system, you uploaded the video where you explain the Grohalind. That video actually inspired me to take a step back and re-create the system so that it is both creative and original, and also fits the story, complementing the themes explored in the book. So THANK YOU! I'm really confident with my magic system now, and I hope I can publish it someday! :)

[@odinseinherji9719]

If you don’t mind me asking, what’s your magic system about?

[@Armistice_]

One of my all-time favorite systems is Forgery, from The Emperor's Soul. Altering the history of an object in order to change its current state, and all of the ramifications of the system related to the narrative of the novella, it's just fucking brilliant

[@pharrigan-hikes]

Awesome! I love watching Tim's magic system series on Hello Future Me. Great to get your take. Looking forward to more.

[@JoriamRamos]

Since you asked, here's one thing that helps me when making my own magic systems: is there any element in our society that I can borrow the emotional reactions to it? Something as big and as complex as a magic system, that a lot of people have a lot of feelings for? Examples: emotions towards money, towards law, towards nations, towards work. I can use the many interesting and nuanced emotional views people have about those things and do my best to apply them to something as big as them in my worlds.

[@fakjbf3129]

4:36 You cannot change the past with a time turner! There is only ever one timeline in the Harry Potter universe, time turners allow you to experience that same timeline more than once but whatever actions you take as a time traveller will have already happened in your past. Harry was hit with a rock that Hermione threw, that rock was always thrown by Hermione and Hermione always threw that rock. There is no timeline where Harry wasn't hit by a rock or where someone other than a time traveling Hermione threw it. You can't use a time turner to go back and kill someone because that would require two timelines, one where they lived and one where they died. That is fundamentally not how time travel in the Harry Potter universe works.

[@jakehopkins6989]

Harry wasn't hit by a rock in the books, though. The films added that

[@fakjbf3129]

@@jakehopkins6989 I know it's just a lot easier to explain that example than about how Buckbeak never died and was always saved by them using the time turners, or how Harry always saved himself with the Patronus.

[@robertrasmussen5690]

What if instead of a rock he came up and stabbed himself... Defend time travel now LIBERAL

[@Calebgoblin]

This is the moment that I've been waiting for I watched Tim's videos 87 times, I need MOARE

[@sheldonwong12]

That is a great shirt, good sir!

[@dan200smx7]

Did you come up with the "kids playing in a square" analogy yourself? Cos that is the most insightful way I've ever heard a soft magic system described! Kudos!

[@lianneeden4873]

I love how practical these tips are. Most videos about magic systems just repeat Sanderson's laws, but you really gave me a place to start and pointed out how to go from there while still leaving plenty of creative freedom. Great video!

[@ghoulkinggruul7345]

Thematic Consistency is definitely the one thing that brings a magic system together. If your magic doesn't play into the themes and tone of the story, it's going to feel artificial and well, "constructed". Magic that acts as an extension of the overarching elements of the story allows for a far more in-depth analysis to its inner workings and its role within the story and setting.

[@federicopalacios7439]

Hence why LotR has such a soft system, one of the biggest themes in the story is that power corrupts. Gandalf is very powerful but he doesn't abuse his magic, he barely ever uses it, contrary to Saruman who basically spams his spells, and is a corrupted person.

[@ghoulkinggruul7345]

@@federicopalacios7439 Exactly. Magic should service the story and setting, not the other way around.

[@harley2166]

I just read the way of kings for the first time, and only heard snippets of the magic before hand and never understood it as it always seemed complex. however as i read it i realised my magic system in the book ive been on and off writing for years, was nearly the exact same...just no way near as well explained, and didn't rely on stormlight but natural energy instead. i am now reworking my magic else it looks like a copy aha

[@alethearia]

I want more of this from you, sir person man. I really love getting insite of small moments in the writing process. We have a lot of "do the thing" writing tips, but I like the "when I was struggling I would do something totally unrelated and try to think 'hmm, magic?' And sometimes no, but sometimes yes!" Makes the struggle feel valid.

[@NorthernDruid]

Rules vs boundaries resonated really well with me, and also made me more set on describing magic systems as tighter or looser rather than softer or harder.

[@AielKing]

Nice video. Kinda reminds me of a book I had on fleshing out D&D villains. You gotta think about tons of random stuff that may or may not actually have anything to do with the story in order to develop a better understanding of the thing

[@haku8135]

"Go out into the world" Ah, good times.

[@JCbeMe]

Love how you very obviously just went on a Jarvis (always be plugging) binge. Quality inspiration from one quality youtuber to another. Love to see it.

[@vylore]

i’ve been watching a ton of videos about writing hard magic systems. this was by far the most helpful. thanks!!

[@axl4630]

M8 you looking good been taking care of that bod more i see :)

[@alexanderwheeler3943]

"Stay the f**k away from time travel" Ten years too late for that man. It's in the story and neither you nor I can change that

[@zombiedemon1762]

What if somehow Avatar had TIME BENDERS. Time as a secret fith or sixth element. How would that work? What would it look like? Would that work at all in any way? I bet you never imagined holding a sword that is literally made of time itself as a material thing. Smash monsters with the power or fabric of time shaped into a giant TIME HAMMER.

[@zombiedemon1762]

Maybe when a sword made from the fabric of time cuts someone,it actually makes it as if they were cut in the past.

[@zombiedemon1762]

Also if time was a form of material,would it have mass or be intangible like light?

[@heinricheverson]

@@zombiedemon1762 I would make them be a support class where the time benders can bend time and space within a given area and rewind time by a bit similar to the sands of time in the prince of persia series.

[@IvanTheTerrible77]

Omg thank you for this! I'm currently writing my first book and was having a bit of trouble with the magic system. It's like you read my mind!

[@halfway2hell33383]

Always watch your vids on my lunch, b4 I write, this was a great help, hope your book goes well dude

[@LoreMIpsum-vs6dx]

Just a note.... I love magic systems where the magic user becomes **stronger** as they get older displaying a more deep and intimate devotion to the lore .

[@ChristmasLore]

That's something missing from basically all YA. People are all empowered...teens. It's one of the reasons I dislike it so much, I guess, after reading your comment. Because on the other hand I really love older characters like Gandalf, Dumbledore, or Merlin. There's something about that wiseness and ... kindness that seems to come with age. And it does well with greater power. Good point!

[@jaymassey2749]

Not to toot my own horn (toot toot) but I conceptualized a magic system that gained power and diversity from memory to combat this very trope. There can be no young prodigy wizards simply due the fact that they don't have the life experience to give form to their power.

[@oliverschoneck7750]

That would make how alzheimers is viewed interesting

[@PhoenixCrown]

Wow love how you went through this! My experience was similar in a few ways: I'm fascinated by physics, the cosmos, black holes, dark energy etc. and this made it easy to conceive an epic--even that word doesn't do it justice--magic system. But then I needed there to be intrigue, limitations etc. so I made a much harder system constrained by human structure and control systems. Much of my story (theme) centers around breaking these systems. The hard system is a play off the 4 elements, but instead of earth, water, air, and fire, I have crystal (solid), river (liquid), wind (gas), and lightning (plasma). The soft system is... much softer =) What do you guys think?

[@nbeutler1134]

That’s sweet. I have a similar fascination with the idea of cosmic laws being turned into magic. My rough idea for my system set in a fantasy/sci fi floating islands in space setting is pretty simple- manipulation of gravity and matter. I feel like it is super broad and am trying to figure out limitations.

[@PhoenixCrown]

@@nbeutler1134 That's really cool sounding. If it helps, as I agonized repeatedly over the exact... classification of my magic, I realized that it can be as simple as "everything is energy" or as complex as breaking the power down into phases of matter, time, gravity, human emotion etc... In other words, you can do it however you want, so don't agonize, just have fun with something that makes sense =)

[@Bogrin]

Man some of your ideas are really great! Been working on a couple magic systems for a book I’m writing that I think will benefit greatly from this! One is based on a combination of astrophysics and constellation runes! The other is all based on fungal symbiotes!

[@rorangarrowson5]

Thank. This should help. I want a hard magic system but it feel weak so far. Now I know what to change and how to make it better.

[@dylanthechillinvillain2488]

Okay so I had to post this somewhere else as the comment is suuuuper buried under the amazing ideas of everyone else. Hey this isn’t great, especially since it’s my first tackle of hard core magic. I was super inspired by your work Daniel and I can’t wait to read your novella. The cultural blends come from the Philippines all the way to Ancient Egyptian Priests, but here it is: Can’t remember the name of it as I took a break from writing that particular story for a little bit. But basically it’s this gruesome magic where by killing a foe you basically inherit their energy, talents, and strength for their entire lifetime. There are also “soul-infused” or magic animals so you can inherit their abilities as well (Example a fire breathing bird you get the power to shoot flames). However by simply holding in all this raw magic you basically begin to loose your personal identity as you hold in this chaotic soul which is also trapped inside you. This can usually lead to what we call in the real world as DID (dissociative identity disorder) and they begin to basically devolve and seclude themselves until they are basically a crazy hermit. To prevent “hermitization” magic users must use talisman and other, usually homemade, energy obsorbers. However again there is a problem with these too, as time goes on it becomes harder to determine what talisman was made in a holy temple and which was made in some guys hut. All talisman have breaking points, just some last longer than others. But any who when a talisman breaks or is overstored it will break and leak all the chaotic souls and dark energy into the land around you. Souls basically have a shell life and if they get bad they will undoubtedly soil. So basically adventurers/wizards must bury and store the ancient relics in private/secure storage so that they may leak in private and be restored. There is so much more but this is my hard-ish system which I’m currently working on for a South East Asian inspired world, primarily based in an archipelago like the amazing Philippines.

[@alinasophie746]

woah this is so cool!!!! it sounds so fun to write and develop

[@dylanthechillinvillain2488]

@@alinasophie746 lol thanks! I never thought this would see the light of day by anyone else. I actually just started reworking on the project, I have no clue where I’ll post it though. Many adventures to tell, hopefully I’ll get to write it all.

[@colorblockpoprocks6973]

as someone with DID, I have a huge habit of involving my multiplicity in my plots and themes and magic. but, since i know the machinations of the condition, i also like to make it more "connected" by drawing a *lot* of parallels between the irl condition and how the magic system functions, even just within the individual body lol

[@zombiedemon1762]

Imagine a witch is casting her magic spells. Now imagine that all her magic spells are somehow based on the supernatural manipulation of Gamma Radiation or green poisonous radioactive smoke.

[@sarahhowell6781]

This was a fun look into your creative process. I'm definitely going to steal parts of this process.

[@mayeenmdtasin8584]

I just came up with a bunch of ideas of my power system thanks to this video. Thanks a bunch Dan!

[@Geebie93]

Most ideas I come up with I end up googling first and then I end up finding out that Brando Sando has already done it 😂

[@matthewdennis1739]

You can still do something similar, just do it differently. Look at Lightbringer. It works off of color, just like awakening, but is drastically different.

[@milospollonia1121]

@@matthewdennis1739 And they weren't the first. You could argue (and Brandon has confirmed) that octarin and the Discworld color stuff was an inspiration for Awakening.

[@matthewdennis1739]

@@milospollonia1121 Exactly, everything forms out of that which comes before it. Dont worry so much about has someone done it before, but "has someone done it like this" before.

[@maximeteppe7627]

@@matthewdennis1739 Haven't read lightbringer, but I felt kinda cheated by awakening. I felt like not having color play a role in the specific effects was a missed opportunity. Overall, Warbreaker didn't make that great a use of awakening to create fun puzzles to be solved with magic. Not that it has to, since it's a one shot novel and already has to cover a lot of ground over relatively few pages.

[@matthewdennis1739]

@@maximeteppe7627 I get what you're saying. It isnt the best magic system Sanderson has made, but I loved Warbreaker overall. It's a magic system I would like to get to see more. Here's hoping we might get it in Stormlight Archive.

[@bethanygreenwood8259]

Plug that book boi!! I definitely like a "Science Based" magic system.

[@s1lf3x31]

you would love my idea then haha.But yeh, Daniel comsmic brain just did its homework

[@CamWolfeAuthor]

One of my favourite magic systems was from a really lesser known Fantasy series (Everman Saga) James Maxwell wrote this interesting mix of runes and enchanting, allowed for a ton of flexibility but still had rules in place. Groovy as hell 👌 I'm also a fan of magic systems that rely on limited resources

[@tokiomitohsaka7770]

If you like limited resources magic, you would probably appreciate the Nasuverse. Since the end of the age of the gods, mysteries are a limited resource and the more mages know a spell, the less effective it becomes for each of the user with the same mana usage. This is the main reason mages do everything they can to keep magecraft a secret, because if it became public, more people who have potential to learn it would and they would become weaker. Mages also keep their research secret from other mages to prevent their spells from being stolen and thus weaker.

[@oliviabell2908]

I’m using this as a source for a school project (and my suitably insane magic system based on pair/human counterweight magic). Your video is easily accessible and just really nice to have on in the background while I quote things.

[@progressivebeats3363]

DANIEL WE NEED YOUR BERSERK REVIEW!! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this amazing manga!

[@theatheistbear3117]

He dropped the manga. Couldn’t handle it. XD

[@Brychan1102]

I don't think the Time Turner is a plot hole. When they go back in time they don't change anything, they just do what they've already seen. They don't change the future, they're just doing what happened. Different to BTTF like time travel where 1 change can change everything.

[@fakjbf3129]

Yep, anyone who thinks time turners could have solved any problems doesn't understand how time turners work. You can use them to experience the same events from a different perspective, but there is only ever one timeline. The Harry Potter universe is entirely deterministic, there is no free will, everything anyone ever does in that universe is set in stone and unchangeable.

[@ryanratchford2530]

this was a really engaging, well structutred and comprehensive and helpful essay thanks! definelty will be rewatching this a lot!

[@skafiend167]

I started using a certain world building website recently, and it made me think about a lot of this, but I hadn't come up with a way of really defining things until now. Literally, as I watched this video, it started clicking into place

[@dyballocks1296]

Love these type of videos, they have definitely shaped the way I've crafted my story and my world building for the story I want to write. So thank you Daniel! My magic system is very broad tbh, many of the people with magical abilities (al'vogan) only have one ability (e.g super speed in combat, invisibility) but they are hunted, killed and experimented on by a powerful group of bounty hunters who have their own government, city etc. There are people called the Divine who control one element which are earth, wind, fire and water but none of these have been seen for two thousand years due to the previous Divine almost destroying and taking over the world. These Divine have the chance to learn more abilities as their power level increases. Well my story starts with three of these new Divine discovering their powers and dealing with the possibility of them having such an historically abhorrent gift. Haven't really discovered the complete ins and outs yet but I have some ideas in my head for rules and limitations.

[@Nasser851000]

The Cosmere has the best magic systems :)

[@theatheistbear3117]

No.

[@dellieborton]

Thank you!! This is the best and most hands on advice I've heard and it sounds amazing! I will definitely be utilizing 👏

[@mousermind]

I'm kind of pleasantly surprised by this guy. Daniel wrote a book, but unlike some others I used to watch, his output quality hasn't diminished. This vid in particular was better thought out than any other comparable videos on the topic I've seen so far.

[@TomFranklinX]

Magical abilities should be INTELLIGENT, virtually all the magic systems out there have simple and straightforward uses, with little opportunities for creative applications (in combat).

[@emieldhondt2536]

Time travel is nice if it's predetermined The universe exists as if the time travel already happened What ever the characters do doesn't change since it already happened You can use it once to show that they can try but can't actually change the course of time Like Harry Potter But you can't come back on that system after the series is done and introduce a play where time travel works completely differently also like Harry Potter

[@zombiedemon1762]

Or you could make it so time travel can only create/change alternate time lines while the main time line keeps the same past,present,and future as always. Basically DBZ Future Trunks style.

[@zombiedemon1762]

Maybe your time travel rips apart your atoms and puts you back together in the past...so you only do it for something worth the risk.

[@zombiedemon1762]

@Doofus. That might work. Maybe the time wizard has a limited amount of magic energy that is used to cast his time spells. Maybe the only ways to recharge the time magic are very dangerous so he or she cannot just carelessly use time travel as a solution to all problems.

[@zombiedemon1762]

@Doofus. Awesome. Maybe you could also have a sword with time magic fused into it so everything and everyone cut by the sword is actually cut in the past.

[@zombiedemon1762]

Then another time weapon sends every injury it caused into the future. So if its also a sword,cut the target and the damage it deals won't happen until later but you cannot control or predict how much later.

[@jamiea.chalmers192]

Imagining how you could use your magic system while going through your day is such an amazing idea that seems so obvious now that I’ve heard it. Thank you!! I’ll definitely be using it.

[@zombiedemon1762]

I wonder how Iron Man would use the force from Star Wars. Maybe create artificial electronic midichlorians for his robot armor to use the force?

[@zombiedemon1762]

Maybe vampires like Dracula would use telekinesis to pull the blood out of living people from a distance. Maybe vampires with that kind of power would beat their enemy by making the blood of the enemy explode inside them. Vampire hunters might avoid that by making their blood generate safe amounts of artificial sunlight.

[@willow1601]

For my magic system I forced myself to name 2-3 ways the magic could be used for military and 2-3 ways it could interact with the economy/everyday life. This way the worldbuilding essentially wrote itself 😅

[@C-VI]

fam, this video doesn't just apply for writing novels, it also works perfectly for writing reports and such, because you just gave me a whole lot of inspiration.

[@BookishDrummer]

I do like cool magic systems, I'm just not a huge fan when they get so complicated that you feel like you need a pamphlet to figure everything out (Looking at you Mistborn).

[@David-un4cs]

The Bands of Mourning had me straight up setting the book down constantly so I could work out an understanding in my head.

[@theatheistbear3117]

In my opinion Mistborn’s magic isn’t complicated enough for my taste.

[@theatheistbear3117]

@Not Another Minute Well what “hard magic” systems are, is a power system. It’s got nothing to do with magic.

[@BookishDrummer]

@@theatheistbear3117 lol to each his own. Your name has me curious as to what a religious bear would be? Haha

[@kiernanknox2314]

two books into a fantasy series that I was writing, I finally broke down and realized that the magic system that I had created made no freaking sense. so I had to go back and rewrite everything

[@PhoenixCrown]

I had a lot of rework as well. It was as I was writing and finishing my first book, but as I thought more about how the series would proceed and end, I realized there were necessary changes. Definitely good to have some kind of roadmap of the theme and narrative before defining everything.

[@wellofeternity3327]

Right now I am in the process of creating my own magic system and I have come up with an option to use tables to indicate the different aspects that I want to include in my magic system, their relationships and capabilities. Structuring is a very useful thing. It helps to understand what is responsible for what, what consequences it carries and how it is achieved.

[@JustXavier]

This was excellent. Seriously hope you do more vids like this.

[@applejackjk18]

This is why wild magic sorcerers in my dnd setting are illegal, social pariahs, and are basically sent to an asylum. Imagine if every time you did a difficult math problem there was a 2% chance you explode.

[@MarkusAldawn]

sounds like normal maths idk what you mean

[@myself2noone]

Well if you're a chemist...

[@David-un4cs]

Like SpaceX, but YOU are the rocket 😳

[@milospollonia1121]

Daniel supporting LGBTQ+ is my new favorite thing. Thanks for using your audience for such a great cause, Daniel!

[@DenNavnlos]

Some really valuable information you lay out here! Consequences for magic make for much stronger reason to use specific magic, or to sacrifice some comforting aspects of life to utilize magic, in a way that having magic just freely available without limit or repercussion just makes your world endlessly chaotic and makes truly powerful magic worthless. It isn't interesting if everyone can launch cascades of fire from their hands and fly infinitely. I'm also loving the idea of combining magic systems, and would love to hear that breakdown from you in the future! Great video, man!

[@alexkidpaum6331]

Really looking forward to the hard magic system within a soft one video!!

[@thesun564]

Hey this is actually the best video I’ve seen about this so far.

[@miainsel3467]

Just ordered the book, I’m so excited to read it!

[@OnionBun]

was watching your video when i had a flash of brilliance for some lore for my story. thanks for the bump. it actually was kind of unrelated to anything you were talking about, but thanks none the less.

[@kimrunelundberg1734]

Just gotta say, after hearing about your magic systems and your passion about your book. You made me do a first on books. i pre-ordered your book. cant wait to read it! :)

[@aggietrombonist]

Great video! Best advice video I’ve seen regarding magic systems.

[@odinseinherji9719]

The Grohalind almost sounds like a disease, the radiation, the short life expectancy, basically being a candle that eventually burns out (or in Daniel’s case, Ignites) it’s actually extremely interesting, nothing like any magic system I’ve seen before.

[@saadwani9175]

I've been waiting for this for so long.

[@ZendikarMage42750]

As someone who's been trying to iron out the kinks of my own magic system for the past 10+ years, I found a lot of this quite helpful. One thing I'd like to add is that if you have any experience running table top games, try porting your magic system into that and run some games with it for your friends. I did that for my magic system in Cogent Roleplay (shout out to Shadiversity) and ran two separate campaigns with it. Seeing how the players interacted with the magic system and utilized it in each campaign taught me way more about what needed to change in the system and how I needed to describe it than I could ever have come up with on my own.

[@zaydlokhandwala1458]

This is such a cool video!!! I love this- it's like the best advice I've ever gotten I actually planned a new magic system that I might use because of this video

[@Rift2123]

always be plugging i love your energy for the new book keep it coming can only imagine the satisfaction the upcoming release date must have

[@adamrhodes9946]

I can't wait for your book

[@matthewdennis1739]

I've been toying with a lot of interesting ideas. I'm a big cosmere fan, and as someone fascinated by food systems I'm been thinking about something where people can manifest different fundamental powers from different foods. A little bit allomancy, a little bit what Lift does, but tuned to different ethnic dishes and genetic signatures. I think this is a great opportunity to really work in different ethnicities since food is deeply cultural, and can really make the magic deeply cultural, allowing for an exploration of assimilation, cultural transmission, us vs. them narratives, in and out group dynamics, and multiculturalism.

[@anicealien]

3:41 That's funny, because I watched Avatar for the first time five-six years ago and was inspired by its magic system. I started thinking about a story that I'm still developing today.

[@WyattWeir65]

Expert level editing. 1:41 Galactic Daniel is my new favorite.

[@beebeebees]

just preordered your book hope it turns out well!

[@trappedowl67]

Watching this finally had it hit me. Music, but the notes are runes arranged along a bar, each different rune combines into different magics based on the runes initially used. An example I could use is the ocarina of time where the song of time is the way it is due to the notes played into the conduit

[@davidgreene616]

Well I would say making sure you're magic represents the themes of the story is more important then anything. Aang's journey as a character is about adopting the more thematic side of the elements. He's already free like air, but he needs to learn the flow of water, the strong will of earth, and the control of fire.(be a man) Basing you're magic system on radiation I assume means there's going to be a theme of "temperance." As those without a tempered heart end up dead, or destroying others.

[@davidgreene616]

Oh, and to that end I think time travel is fine as long as it serves the themes of the story.

[@alecstewy2215]

Ya know I’ve seen a lot of videos about magic systems and this is the only one that teaches you how to actually come up with one instead of just talking about a bunch of examples, good video!

[@laurelelasselin]

I took an "element" from KOTLC and made a magic system where people have a magical ability that's sorted into an element! (Not just bending, stuff like reading minds is in Water, teleporting is Air, magical healing is Earth...) Except the elves, they're different. But unless someone asks I'm not telling you everything - and I'm putting this in my book so you'd better not steal it!

[@ibg_music7525]

I'm looking forward to see where this series/world goes.

[@katiejo3663]

THANK YOU! this was so, so helpful!

[@richardrahl1001]

One of the best videos you’ve ever made. Well done.

[@tuumef1799]

Thanks for the advice and breakdown of possible mechanics.

[@raydogz101]

I am interested in the "going hard in the softer magic system" video :)

[@ArielSubotzky]

One thing I like in magic is emotional and mental impacts from using a magic. A good implementation is that this kind of magic leads to this mindset while using it and that kind of magic leads to that mindset while using it. I don't think I've seen this in an actual book but i would quite like to see it or hopefully use it