WRITING DISCUSSION Writing a soft magic/power system based on dream logic?

[Havoccultist]

This is a question I've tried to find a good solution for for a while now, to mixed results given I keep approaching if from the perspective of what would work for a more traditional story or battle Shonen. Essentially my ideal power system is one where everyone is a reality warper and it's so soft as for there to not be much, if any, rules constraining it to allow for rule of cool moments without having to fall into lengthy technical explanations or pages of worldbuilding; as is the case with series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto to a degree, and Hunter x Hunter. Naturally if everyone can just manipulate reality however they please there wouldn't be any stakes, just as there wouldn't be if every character was an omnipotent god, but it's still something that calls the me. Mainly because the powerscaling aspect just doesn't mean much to me in the first place. Like yeah, character X can blink other made up people out of existence, great, but what draws me to like or hate them as a character, you know? Like Lucifer Morningstar from the Sandman series can just straight up warp reality in whatever ways he likes while Michael handles the pure creation ex nihilo aspects, and you'd think such a character would be incredibly boring to follow, yet Gaiman manages to make a character whose entire conflict is centered around free will versus predestination, while still having the insane levels of power without sacrificing tension in the overarching plot.

Mythology in comic form is the best way I can describe it honestly.

Anyway, getting back on track, I've tried my hand at making power systems based on dream logic before (using my own dreams as a basis). So far my best concept has been that everyone can manipulate reality under such a surreal power system, but the best are usually predicated by one of two things (and the best of the best have both in equal measure), those two things being creativity and will. With an overabundance of the latter you might be real good at blunt and straightforward solutions, since you can effectively force reality to enact the changes you want or override the changes of others, but find yourself being quickly defeated when it comes to things that require a more nuanced touch, and vice versa. You could be incredibly weak if someone's will or ego is greater than yours, but still manage to pull off far more imaginative manipulations of reality that hinder and/or defeat them due to their lack of freedom when it comes to how they approach a problem. The other method I've considered is something related to perception, but I feel like that gets too vague as to be useless.

Thing is, I've no idea if this would actually work in actual practice for any story or even RP. Especially since I'd like the only rule to be the creativity and will/ego one listed above. I suppose what I'm trying to go for is a power system that's still cool and surreal and maybe even descriptively or imaginatively appealing, without having to ground it so hard that it effectively becomes an overly complex wargame ruleset that gets whipped out every time characters fight. Or a system wherein characters have static power levels per se.

 

[huhui]

I think I'd suggest a few limitations to make the system more... balanced? Realistic? Definitely not the rules-heavy kind though.

Firstly, maybe trying to tap into the magic makes your mind hazier the more you try to use it, and to leave that state you need to wait for it to wear off or have someone/something smack you awake. Maybe someone who uses too much of their magic just straight up falls asleep. Mind haziness and fatigue put a huge damper on overexploitation of this power. A person's creativity and willpower would falter if they're tired out of their mind.

Secondly, the powers could draw heavily upon the user's past experiences, mainly events of the past few days, important memories, and deep traumas. (eg. someone who's been eating nothing but pasta for the past week could summon the Flying Spaghetti Monster lol)

The dream state could even shift into a nightmare state depending on various factors, and their powers start to work against them.

I think this concept would work excellently for a non-RP story, since one author would control all the characters, their egos and their fatigues. As for a roleplay... would probably need players with a more collaborative mindset. Definitely would work if all players are willing to discuss everything OOC before making a post.

 

[Spooder Queen]

This is a question I've tried to find a good solution for for a while now, to mixed results given I keep approaching if from the perspective of what would work for a more traditional story or battle Shonen. Essentially my ideal power system is one where everyone is a reality warper and it's so soft as for there to not be much, if any, rules constraining it to allow for rule of cool moments without having to fall into lengthy technical explanations or pages of worldbuilding; as is the case with series like Jujutsu Kaisen, Naruto to a degree, and Hunter x Hunter. Naturally if everyone can just manipulate reality however they please there wouldn't be any stakes, just as there wouldn't be if every character was an omnipotent god, but it's still something that calls the me. Mainly because the powerscaling aspect just doesn't mean much to me in the first place. Like yeah, character X can blink other made up people out of existence, great, but what draws me to like or hate them as a character, you know? Like Lucifer Morningstar from the Sandman series can just straight up warp reality in whatever ways he likes while Michael handles the pure creation ex nihilo aspects, and you'd think such a character would be incredibly boring to follow, yet Gaiman manages to make a character whose entire conflict is centered around free will versus predestination, while still having the insane levels of power without sacrificing tension in the overarching plot.

Mythology in comic form is the best way I can describe it honestly.

Anyway, getting back on track, I've tried my hand at making power systems based on dream logic before (using my own dreams as a basis). So far my best concept has been that everyone can manipulate reality under such a surreal power system, but the best are usually predicated by one of two things (and the best of the best have both in equal measure), those two things being creativity and will. With an overabundance of the latter you might be real good at blunt and straightforward solutions, since you can effectively force reality to enact the changes you want or override the changes of others, but find yourself being quickly defeated when it comes to things that require a more nuanced touch, and vice versa. You could be incredibly weak if someone's will or ego is greater than yours, but still manage to pull off far more imaginative manipulations of reality that hinder and/or defeat them due to their lack of freedom when it comes to how they approach a problem. The other method I've considered is something related to perception, but I feel like that gets too vague as to be useless.

Thing is, I've no idea if this would actually work in actual practice for any story or even RP. Especially since I'd like the only rule to be the creativity and will/ego one listed above. I suppose what I'm trying to go for is a power system that's still cool and surreal and maybe even descriptively or imaginatively appealing, without having to ground it so hard that it effectively becomes an overly complex wargame ruleset that gets whipped out every time characters fight. Or a system wherein characters have static power levels per se.

My magic system is complex.

"Magic is a force interacting with natural forces."
Magic works with nature and physics; it doesn't break them. So things like shadows stabbing people is a no-go. But fire being fire approved. However, few can understand the system. Of course, I also learned few read, so they likely didn't even read it at all. Lol

In short, KISS I found is best. And if you go the grandiose complex route, you better ensure it's consistent and internally holds up.