Willows' World Building Method: Magical Aspects of Worlds

Welcome back to Willow's World Building Method! This lesson will explain all about magic and how one can apply it to world building. This workshop is mainly focused on Fantasy and Supernatural worlds, however, the next workshops will be discussing aspects that all worlds (even ones without magic) can utilize when building, so stay tuned!

Magic is a powerful tool in most fantasy builds. There are many ways magic can effect your world and it's inhabitants. When I first think of implementing magic into my world, I want to decide how magic is present on the planet. This means the world builder should consider if magic had a major or minor part in forming the landscapes and atmospheres of your "earth". One of the definitions of Magic that I have found is, "a power that allows people (such as witches and wizards) to do impossible things by saying special words or performing special actions".(1)The world builder should also consider these questions: does everyone know how to utilize this magic? What types of practices are official for creating magic? Can this magic create things out of thin air? Or does it need tributes to create things? Can magic only come from objects? As well, when you consider how magic is present, it would be wise to also think of where the source of the world's magic is from. Did the celestial deities of your universe gift the world with magic? Or perhaps the core of your planet is made of pure magic? There are many possibilities for how your magic is presented on the planet.

Magic can come in many forms, or as one mighty source depending on the purpose of your build. I believe that Magic can have different form types depending on how it is used. For example, if you use the Magic to manipulate or bend the Elements, it's type would be "Elemental Magic". Another example is, if you had a type of magic that powered up everyday machinery, you could label it as "Mechanical Magic". The limit to how many forms the Magic in your world can take is your imagination! To give you some ideas of what types of magic there can be, I have found this resource for you. If you decide to have your magic as one all powerful source that is present in your world, than you must consider what it's major purpose is on the planet. For example, having a pure magic core at the center of your world can allow the planet to sustain itself and to always produce life upon it. The main goal, in my opinion, when using magic in your world build; is to allow your inhabitants to have an added level of mystery and supernatural power that they can grow with as a character.

Unleash your creativity when you are designing the magic system(s) in your world! With magic there is nothing your world and it's inhabitants can't accomplish. In my opinion, magic is a fun way to implement mysterious powers into your fantastical and supernatural worlds. Remember, magic can be both good and bad, and it is up to the world builder to decide whether one is more prevalent than another in their build. Always keep in mind the main purpose of your build, whether it be for a roleplay, book, video game or other wise. This will guide you as you implement the different aspects of my method for your own worlds. Magic is a wonderful thing to put into your world and there are so many aspects you can utilize. If you have any questions or anything to add to this guide, please give me feedback! Your views are much appreciated. The next Willow's World Building Method will discuss all about Geography & Climates and how they effect your build. This next lesson will be open to all world genres even those that do not implement magic. Thanks for reading and stay tuned!