How to Build a Magic System

By Guest Author Joan McNulty-Pulver

So you are writing a fantasy novel, and it needs mystical magic. Have you decided on the rules? Why does magic have to have rules? Just think about today's technology. When you want to turn on your computer, you have to push the power button. If you don't, it won't turn on. That is a rule of technology.

Magic works the same way. If you want a spell to work, it must be said in a precise way or it may backfire or fizzle out. If a character is scrying, they need something to scry into, i.e. water, fire, a mirror, etc. Rules of magic have to work consistently throughout your world.

I am a big fan of the Dragon Lance Series by fantasy authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. In one of the early books, Raistlin owns a magical time travel device - it always finds it way back to its owner. Many books and two wars later, Fizban, also know as the God Paladine, gives one of the devices to Tas to travel back in time and speak at Caramon's funeral. Tas gets arrested and the device confiscated. While on his way to be incarcerated, he reaches into his pouch to find the device restored to his possession. Magic works when fantasy writers stick to the same rules even when applied to scenes and circumstances many books apart.

 

How to Start

First decide what type of magic system your fantasy world will have. Will it be simple or very complex? The more complex your system, the more rules will apply. Rules for one gadget or tool may not be the same for another. Although the time travel device always returned to its owner that does not mean all magical devices have to go back to the character who owns them. An enchanted stone could be stolen and never returned or a talisman could be lost and become the object of the quest in your book. For magic that works and makes sense to the reader, stay consistent throughout your book, trilogy, or series.

 

Simple and Complex Magic Systems

An example of a simple magic system is one that has a minimal amount of magic, such as scrying, a few spells, herbal remedies, and maybe a few curses, etc. Simple magical realms need the least amount of rules not only to figure out but also to remember as the story expands. More complex magic systems, such as in the Dragon Lance series or Harry Potter need more rules.

The following list of things to consider when creating magical systems for a fantasy world is not complete, but intended to generate a basic set of rules: