- Invitation Status
- Looking for partners
- Posting Speed
- One post per day
- 1-3 posts per week
- One post per week
- Writing Levels
- Intermediate
- Adept
- Advanced
- Preferred Character Gender
- No Preferences
- Genres
- Urban Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Quest, Sci-Fi, Time Travel and World Hopping, Steampunk, Action/Adventure, Modern Drama, Mystery, Slice of Life, Romance, and many more.
Different types of Magic
This thread outlines, explains, and gives examples of different kinds of magic systems. Furthermore, this thread attempts as much as possible to emphasize the huge variety in each kind of magic, and encourages the reader to put his or her own spin and unique style into it, should they choose to create a system based on any of these styles.
If you know of a magical system that is not covered or touched on in this post, feel free to tack on your additions in the comment; I'll edit them into this post as quickly as I can.
Spoken/Sound magic
This is magic that requires some kind of sound to pull off. Like all magic types, there are many variations on what kind of sound is required, such as:
Written/Drawn magic
This is magic which uses an inscription of one kind or another in order to carry out its effects. Alchemy circles, paper charms, rune stones, and magical scrolls are all examples of written magic.
What has to/can be written on is as varied as what should be written. Here are some of the more common examples:
Component/Item magic
This is magic that you need to have certain tools, components, ingredients, or items on hand in order to perform. Magical potions, crystals, and wands/staffs are all examples of component/item magic. It is not to be confused with Enchanting, which is an action (not, to my mind, a category of magic) in which one imparts a spell via any magic system and empowers a normal object with it. The object's only role in Enchanting is as the recipient, whereas Component/Item magic uses it as part of the spell's casting process. This particular type of magic can be further sub-categorized into Ingredient magic and Tools magic.
Ingredient magic
This kind of magic is the subcategory which requires the combination or singular use of ordinary items in combination with magic power to cast spells. It may make use of:
Tool Magic
Tool magic is when an item is required to cast a spell, but does not (usually) require any alteration from the caster. They differ from Enchanted items in that the tool is not the recipient of the spell, but the item used to direct/power/channel it.
Elemental Magic
This is magic that draws its power from, or uses elements of the natural environment. The most common elements are Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water, but elements such as light, darkness, spirit, lightning, and almost any other part of nature can also be used. The most common ways of using this magic are either
Mental/Spiritual
This is magic that requires nothing more than the user's own power. In this case, the source of magic is almost always the user themselves, and could be described as their soul, their spirit, their chi, or any other variation on these terms. What a person could conceivably do with their mental/spiritual magic is limited only by the designer. A common theme with this kind of magic is for the kinds of spells which reflect the caster's personality. The actual method of casting is also widely varied, and usually crosses over with or simply utilizes one of the other methods in this list. Some versions require physical gestures or movements to channel one's personal magic into a spell, others can be used while standing still.
Summon Magic
This is magic which allows the user to call a thing or being to them from another place, or to create it out of nothing but their own magical power. Beings that are summoned can be either independent or completely controlled by the caster, and may be from the same plane/world as the caster, or a completely different one. Things that could be summoned include:
This thread outlines, explains, and gives examples of different kinds of magic systems. Furthermore, this thread attempts as much as possible to emphasize the huge variety in each kind of magic, and encourages the reader to put his or her own spin and unique style into it, should they choose to create a system based on any of these styles.
If you know of a magical system that is not covered or touched on in this post, feel free to tack on your additions in the comment; I'll edit them into this post as quickly as I can.
Spoken/Sound magic
This is magic that requires some kind of sound to pull off. Like all magic types, there are many variations on what kind of sound is required, such as:
- Chanting
- Single words
- Poems
- Songs
- Spoken commands
- Music
Written/Drawn magic
This is magic which uses an inscription of one kind or another in order to carry out its effects. Alchemy circles, paper charms, rune stones, and magical scrolls are all examples of written magic.
What has to/can be written on is as varied as what should be written. Here are some of the more common examples:
- Wishes for good luck written on small charms
- Symbols representing the desired affect
- Written poems
- Written commands
- Collections of symbols/icons
- Single words
- Pictures
- Pictures of Faces
Component/Item magic
This is magic that you need to have certain tools, components, ingredients, or items on hand in order to perform. Magical potions, crystals, and wands/staffs are all examples of component/item magic. It is not to be confused with Enchanting, which is an action (not, to my mind, a category of magic) in which one imparts a spell via any magic system and empowers a normal object with it. The object's only role in Enchanting is as the recipient, whereas Component/Item magic uses it as part of the spell's casting process. This particular type of magic can be further sub-categorized into Ingredient magic and Tools magic.
Ingredient magic
This kind of magic is the subcategory which requires the combination or singular use of ordinary items in combination with magic power to cast spells. It may make use of:
- Earth/minerals
- Plants and/or their fruit/blossoms
- Bones/body parts
- Animals (living or dead)
- Man-made items
Tool Magic
Tool magic is when an item is required to cast a spell, but does not (usually) require any alteration from the caster. They differ from Enchanted items in that the tool is not the recipient of the spell, but the item used to direct/power/channel it.
- Wands
- Staffs
- Crystals
- Stones
- Keys
Elemental Magic
This is magic that draws its power from, or uses elements of the natural environment. The most common elements are Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water, but elements such as light, darkness, spirit, lightning, and almost any other part of nature can also be used. The most common ways of using this magic are either
- The elements as the source of magical power
- The caster as the source of magical power
Mental/Spiritual
This is magic that requires nothing more than the user's own power. In this case, the source of magic is almost always the user themselves, and could be described as their soul, their spirit, their chi, or any other variation on these terms. What a person could conceivably do with their mental/spiritual magic is limited only by the designer. A common theme with this kind of magic is for the kinds of spells which reflect the caster's personality. The actual method of casting is also widely varied, and usually crosses over with or simply utilizes one of the other methods in this list. Some versions require physical gestures or movements to channel one's personal magic into a spell, others can be used while standing still.
Summon Magic
This is magic which allows the user to call a thing or being to them from another place, or to create it out of nothing but their own magical power. Beings that are summoned can be either independent or completely controlled by the caster, and may be from the same plane/world as the caster, or a completely different one. Things that could be summoned include:
- Spirits
- Fantasy creatures (fairies, etc)
- Normal animals
- People
- Ghosts
- Tools
- Benign items (i.e: food)
Last edited: