LIGHTBRINGER MAGIC SYSTEM EXPLAINED (Spoiler Free)

[@thesilveralchemist7207]

Just a bit of a correction to the definition of the prism(spoiler free). A prism is a person who can "split" white light into the 7 colour's, as well as use all 7. Everyone else has to see the colour they want to draft, whether that's naturally or via coloured glasses.

[@familyg6161]

small error - normal drafters can only draft if they are seeing and absorbing the color they can use - the special ability of the prism is to split white light to produce any color luxen.

[@johncogan8689]

Agreed, hence why Mono Chromes etc use glasses tinted to their colour

[@Jeremy-dr3is]

No the prism can use the entire spectrum while others can only use one , two or possibly three colors. Don't correct someone and mislead them.

[@RalphNC09]

This was very helpful and ignited my interest in the book more. I was very confused at first.

[@KyleAPemberton]

A few small mistakes. This prism is not someone who can just draft all the colours; they are both a full spectrum polychrome (can draft all colours) and a light splitter (can pull any colour out of white light). But both full spectrum polychromes and light splitters exist outside of the prism just not together. Light splitters can also sense any lights spectra on their skin which is why they can draft their colours out of light that includes their colour.

[@dauntlessodin5648]

A Prism isn't JUST a full spectrum polychrome AND a lightsplitter. There's anither element that is very much a spoiler that leads to a Prism. A Prism never breaks the halo.

[@McMathwin]

I love the magic in this series.

[@jacobferguson6909]

The prism isn't the only one that can use all of the colors, there are other full spectrum polychromes. You have to be a full spectrum polychrome to even be considered in the running for the prism election.

[@kennedyogbedeagu8913]

This is definitely a spoiler

[@dakodareid3807]

That not right either tho. A prism spoiler ahead: A prism can be anyone they "consisicrate" the I don't think it's spelled right, but still anyone can be a prism and ifykyk but they need that knife

[@derrickbracy6930]

I just started the lightbringer novels...once again this was informative

[@L0rd0fChaos]

The prism can split light that is why he is the prism.... A drafter has to see that colour, if a blue drafter is in a white room, they can't draft blue, that iswhy they have coloured lenses, then everything is blue/red etc.

[@gazza2213]

thanks just started the series i found really helpful

[@johncogan8689]

TBH Not sure why people have issue with understanding what I think is possibly the most original magic system ever devised. Fairly simple to understand once you get further into the book. Decades of thinking of magic in the "standard sense" like a Gandalf/LotR type or Dungeons & Dragons etc might make people struggle but honestly it makes it more interesting imho to have the Luxon based system.

[@Psych0ize]

One thing I did not hear you talk about, but was hard to conceptualize while reading was that all of these drafted things have weight and mass. I would to see how that would actually work visually explored

[@Uhlbelk]

Should do a quick read through of the darksword trilogy. An interesting magical/society system.

[@Trisjack20]

Loved that series but then I read everything thoe two put out back in the day. Really different and fun. The idea of Life and catalysts especially.

[@bryanmcclure2220]

You should go though all of the standered colors

[@smilelolmandogbro]

My problem with the magic system was more all the things that kept getting added to it later, like the cards, like the seers, like the animal people. I feel that a lot of them came out of nowhere, and completely random things kept getting added to it.

[@TheLordofMetroids]

I can't help but feel the cards came out of Weeks playing hearthstone at 2am...

[@dauntlessodin5648]

These were all applications of the magic that i wondered about since they said you can use will and light to make magic happen. They make sense to me.

[@jinxx9515]

Best magic system in all of fantasy.

[@allisonbrowning4945]

Thank you! I'm loving this first book but man am I confused! Haha. Couldn't picture the skiffs\boats for the life of me, so I figured I'd KZbin the magic system.

[@Jeremy-dr3is]

What's confusing? They use light , bent to their will and they use the spectrum of light as substance that have different properties based on their color. It's pretty simple actually.

[@mumblemumble6641]

If you were going to write a magic system, what would it look like? Are there elements of other magic systems you would use?

[@Trisjack20]

I like a psionic based system. I liked to narrow it down and specialise it to make it (in my opinion more interesting) . So instead of just being able to do anything with the mind they are only able to affect the executive part of the brains function, or the con communicate telepathically but can't affect people's sensory apparatus, or physical being in any way, of being able to control the body through the mind but not able to read minds etc. By narrowing to these different classes of psionic power I hope to make the system more interesting and force the need for cooperation in the system and the culture. As well as of course generating natural conflict from the opposing viewpoints and abilities.

[@fierypickles4450]

So lanterns from DC, but with better costs?

[@kaseyfife5126]

Making Geoff Johns very proud. And yes, very much like that, it's a lot of fun.

[@TheLordofMetroids]

Lightbringer is one of the few series where I think you absolutely have to look at the glossary. Halfway through book one I was still asking "who is this Orhalam guy?" (Orhalam is their gods name)

[@rettbull9100]

Anyone feel this magic system was inspired by the green lantern books? It uses the colors in similar ways, except with a ring.

[@Trisjack20]

I don't think so not really though I see where you are coming from. Light emotion and creation. Yes the idea of light and emotions connected with colour, but Green lantern and light bringer didn't invent that, they both pull from our own human culture where colour is of course associated with sight via light reflection and colour has always been associated with emotions. Luxin is much much more narrow than the powers available to a Green Lantern or indeed any lantern. Being able to draft Green literally gives you a hard rubbery tough substance... that's it. You have to learn how to use that effectively to craft with engineering skill or your own physicality and military skill perhaps. you cannot just with sheer will power imagine a massive rocket launcher and than have one and it works and fires missiles. So what I would say it they were both inspired by the ideas from science about colours and how light slight is split and inspired by the association of emotions being linked to colour but not really from each other. They are just too intrinsically different. Also with the exception of maybe Red (really it's more sub red) none of the emotions line up for example. Green =dedicated willpower and determination or Green = wild abandon and freedom Blue =Hope, Blue= calm logic and hard control etc etc Also the point that you are born able to draft and it has nothing to do with your personality or choices its like having specific genetics where as the rings seek out those who exemplify what their ideals/emotions are. Just tells really different stories with really different motivations and systems. So I think if it had been more inspired by that rather than them both sharing the concept of ;lets use light as the magic' we'd see more of what makes green lantern great in the Lightbringer story and visa versa. Lots of systems use things like this if you look at Shad's 'Shadow Of the Conqueror he uses a light based system too but again I don't think it is really inspired by these. Or brandon Sanderson's use of a colour (not light) based system in his book Warbreaker. Doesn't feel at all like this system so I doubt they inspired each other. Anyway just my thoughts because I had them in my head and wanted to voice them.

[@jacobgraemoor5778]

Is there any given reason, especially when it comes to the prism, that luxen can't be drafted from looking up at the light of the moon? Edit: Huh, never mind, Gavin does indeed draft off the moon in the blinding knife, it was just weak.

[@TheMrFallout1]

You have to wield the wight of whatever you create

[@arktosmarz8834]

Honestly I felt the magic system was very simple granted if you knew the basic physics of light as a wave, I was hoping to see a little more with light as a particle, as for the cards I know some people complain about that but we know light can hold data and that's all the cards were. Seers are a little bit harder but I'm guessing they're more going off of ancient Sun gazers

[@ashwinarun9649]

Thanks. I planned of stopping the novel because i couldn't understand the magic

[@mjf69]

This is definitely the problem I'm having with the series so far. That's one thing I think Brandon Sanderson does so well in all his cosmere books. The "magic" systems are very simple and clearly defined in their use. Every mistborn book in the original trilogy starts with a description of how it works. The Final Empire spends a lot of the book delving into and describing how things work, and WE learn and experience things along with the protagonist. Whereas with Black Prism we're just dropped in. With a random "meaningless" kid and all this weird shit happening. It's a whole new world, with complex government, and a history, and a complex magic system. And we don't really get to gradually learn any of it along with the protagonist. It just exists. And it's even more difficult because it's an "imagination/will based" magic mainly. Whereas like I mentioned with Brandon Sanderson, most things are restricted to their nature. Also the use of the term White and Wight, when listening to the audio book is just baffling and frustrating. They couldn't come up with better terms. Brent really needed to start us out with Kip spending a long time with his mentor. Like learning the basics. And then switch over to Gavin and show us the mastery. Like have him show off to one of the classes. And that way we know the like "these are the basics all drafters learn." And then like "these are all the differences in colors and the things they can do". Because at this point it feels like any color can do anything as long as it's relevant to the story. Which turns it into a frustrating plot device instead of a fascinating magic system.

[@Nick_DIA]

I actually like it this way, I was frustrated at the mistborn because not all details were explained to me at the start, I have to say though at the end of the series I was incredibly satisfied with the explanations.

[@jasonsomers8224]

Where did you get the idea any color can do anything? When Gavin is building his boat engine, he talks about using blue luxen for its strength and green luxen for its flexibility. Red luxen is never described as a solid, its always a sticky jelly-like substance. Every color was explained fairly well before the Climax of the first book, except for maybe orange and sub red, but those two were explained before they were relevant. At no point did I feel the magic system had been insufficiently explained.

[@Brassblitz]

I feel like Brandon uses magic to resolve tension in the plot, and to make that more satisfying he explains the system in more detail. Otherwise it would be too much Deus ex machina. In lightbringer the magic system is only relevant in its utility in advancing the exploration of other themes. It's like you only get the to know the parts that directly influence the character's journey, or are important for the characters.

[@cameronsingletary8941]

hank you for this im 1/3 way through book one and i do not get the magic system

[@Atuleon]

Not finished the first book, just started reading. This video is full of spoilers ; ;

[@narcisilie7098]

Hi Daniel, I,m watching your channel and noticing a small error. Probably because you only read the first volume of Lightbringer. What I write below can be considered a Spoiler!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!! There are more people full spectrum drafters, but only one is Prism chosen and with the help of the dagger that Kip has from his mother is made Prism. With the same dagger, they can take his powers and forward it to the next Prism.

[@gloom_slug]

narcis ilie So warbreaker basically

[@Trisjack20]

Yes that is of course a massive spoiler which is why it was not mentioned. He knows that, he is just specifically not mentioning at as he has marked this as spoiler free specifically.

[@kovacsjanos2653]

can you please explain how gavin travels? i did not get the concept of sculling that fast

[@dauntlessodin5648]

Think of manually doing what a very fast speedboat does. In Gavin's case (since he can draft ridiculous amounts before getting lightsick) a racing boat.

[@presterjohn71]

A bit late to the party but I got the impression he was creating a simple jet propulsion system. All they are is tubes that narrow at the end etc.

[@thedaver8]

ahh, a blue drafter, I see.

[@barrynzay]

Not all Prisms can draft every color. Gavin couldnt draft all 7+, of the brothers only Dazen could draft them all...without anymore spoilers

[@litesdysfunction2485]

This was my understanding as well. Dazen can because he was a poly before he was a prism.

[@dauntlessodin5648]

Gavin COULD draft them all. Just not perfectly. He wasnt a superchromat, so he never could make solid yellow.

[@Covenfan-lg4mx]

What can yellow do to fight? I know it’s liquid

[@SuperJimmy675]

Covenfan1234 when yellow is liquid it bursts into light and you can make flashbombs out of them blinding your enemy, but if you manage to draft solid yellow it is the most hardest luxin in chromeria

[@timtim9o5]

Yellow can also be made into the strongest material when the frequency is balanced perfectly. It will make for an indestructible sword or wall, but requires immense skill to be able to draft.

[@pursnikitty]

timtim9o5 it’s not a skill per se. It’s whether the person drafting yellow is a superchromat or not. Look into tetrachromacy.

[@dauntlessodin5648]

@@pursnikitty There's still skill involved. Drafting perfect yellow is one of the most time-consuming forms of drafting, and only few people were shown to be able to do it quickly.

[@DoggyP00]

There's astonishingly little information about the magic system in this video.

[@paternenizerimana5839]

Can you explain it a bit more. Cause I never got in the series because of the magic system, after a few chapters of the first book, I always get stuck for some reason and I can't get past it.

[@Nick_DIA]

Dude your missing out on so much, this series is in the same league as the king killer chronicles, the night angel trilogy, demon cycle, kings dark tidings.

[@jasonsomers8224]

What are you still confused about?

[@erichsalvesen]

So there is only one 'Mistborn' character in this series?

[@christopherbaker8595]

Erich Salvesen I don't think there is any

[@erichsalvesen]

It sounds like there is one. Everyone is only able to 'burn' one magic except the one special that has all the magic because the author needs his main character to have no limitations.

[@TheLordofMetroids]

Actually, the Prism is more like the Lord Ruler then a Mistborn. The vast majority of drafters are monochromes, meaning they can only draft (burn) one color, but there are more then a hand full of biochromes (two colors) and pollychromes (more then two colors). In fact there are at least 4 characters who are not the Prism who are full spectrum pollychromes meaning they can draft "all" seven colors. See despite the fact that a full spectrum pollychrome can draft all the colors, they still need a light source to draft. They can't draft subred to make a fireball without heat nearby to steal it from, they can't draft a ball of blue luxin without seeing blue, or wearing glasses with blue lenses. Meaning that if someone wants to draft blue and red, they need to switch glasses after drafting one or be in a place where they can grab both blue and red light. The Prism breaks this rule, they are able to split light inside their own body, meaning they can draft any color so long as they have light. This allows the prism to do all sorts of crazy shit that no one else can. It might sound overpowered, from a story perspective but it is balanced by a few things. First, just with any drafter, the Prism is beholden to the sun, just like any other drafter, after sunset the Prism is just an ordinary person. Second, the Prism is not the main character of the series, though he is a central character. Third, there is a lot of lore and shady stuff around the Prism office, and the history of Prisms is a major plot point of the series. Fourth, this is a fantasy series, where a major character starts off in a position of ultimate power, I know you have seen this dance before, like, give it time.

[@erichsalvesen]

Bryan Wegner sounds like a terrible idea for a character.

[@christopherbaker8595]

Ohhhh i thought you meant a actual character from the cosmere, my bad

[@jackhampton914]

On book 3 and I’m still unclear what orange can do

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

Literally it’s lube.

[@erichsalvesen]

Daniel Greene oh my

[@TheLordofMetroids]

Superviloet is dict tape, Orange is WD-40.

[@MediumDon]

It's also used for illusions and stuff [SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1] think the spiders on brightwater wall

[@jasonsomers8224]

It isn't really important at first because one of its main functions was banned by the chromeria.

[@Blarg6306]

Really enjoy this series. Try the Night Angel trilogy, also by Brent Weeks. Not as good as Lightbringer, but still pretty good.

[@kv4648]

1:40 the avatar

[@13g95]

Guess I'm him!

[@fishh3ad]

Synesthesia much?

[@jasonsomers8224]

I thought it was really intuitive.

[@Jgallstar1]

Linkara is the true lightbringer

[@angelusdemorte3]

Daniel, you hate astrology... I have A Space GoT-like series with noble families who rule over each constellation (esp. the zodiacs)

[@JNFattorini]

"have"? Are you gonna tell us what it's called? Or is it still in your head?

[@angelusdemorte3]

@@JNFattorini Thank you for showing interest! It's (very much so) working title is " Cos King" or maybe it should be titled "The Cause King" because monarchs are selected only in times of need similar to roman dictators, when the Star Lords are being too Gucci. Sadly, it is all in my insane brain... but I know how it ends and have a loose outline.

[@sanjokkandel6475]

Hey, I like your video, how about doing some in depth about Game Of Thrones?and ofcourse book review of A Clash Of Kings, iam egarly waiting for that one.

[@emy7788]

The magic system was the reason why I put the book down after 100 pages or so. The magic was used heavily but it wasn't explained well enough to not be confusing. I'm definitely planning to give it another try though.

[@Animefan5890]

Leudname good, a poorly explained magic system is a poor reason to drop the STORY.

[@PSYCHOBEVO]

These complaints are weird. I had no problem understanding the magic system.

[@Animefan5890]

@@PSYCHOBEVO yeah, each color had a physical manifestation, a degraded manifestation, a scent, their own strengths, it's pretty well explained if you take the time to go over details.

[@PSYCHOBEVO]

@@Animefan5890, to be fair, I did read the overview of the magic system on Wikipedia, before starting the first book. But, still, I thought it was pretty thoroughly explained throughout the books.

[@ignigenaquintus]

The author explains that he did this on purpose, he didn’t wanted to explain it, in fact he wanted to take the approach of making it be known to the reader as the way Aristotle explained how or why water behaves a certain way, like the magic system is explained by people that have misconceptions about it that happen to work most of the time but it’s not the right answer or the right way to see, and by that it means that there are exceptions to rules that are widely believe to be true and the real rule don’t have exceptions but the character has to discover this for themselves which leads for them to coming up to more complete theories. Like Newton’s laws aren’t wrong but it’s not the whole answer because in certain conditions those can’t be applied and you need Einstein to come with General Relativity. Because of this, that I suspect has much to do with Weeks liking to build huge shocking moments of surprise in which suddenly something is revealed and that changes the meaning of a lot of what you have read in the story, the author can’t explain the details and the real system to you from the start, you have to guess and don’t accept the new information as the whole comprehensive theory. Maybe some people don’t like it, I think it’s almost genius stuff.

[@ДаниелМоллов]

Just subscribed when I heard 'I hate astrology'. What a pity. Don't hate something in which you never invested time to understand. Bless you.

[@DanielGreeneReviews]

1. Yes I understand astrology. 2. Don’t talk down to people when you’re dumb enough to believe in star magic.

[@cjlatta]

@@DanielGreeneReviews I never spent that much time trying to understand Astrology, but I probably would if it was instead called 'star magic.'