Magic System Development: Origins and Behavior

Where does it come from? Where does it go? The reader may never know but you sure should!

Know the source and behavior of the magic in your world – not just to help with consistency but for inspiration. The generation or creation of magic may be indued with spiritual, scientific, or historical significance. Changes in the behavior of magic may foretell (or be the result of) profound changes in your world.

While brainstorming, you probably want to place limits on magic and consequences for its use. After all, if magic exists, then it coexists with other parts of your environment and therefore affects those parts. Whether you remove something that existed naturally or add sommething that did not exist before. Either action has consequences for the environment – even if this environment is in another plane.

In summary, if there is magic in your world, make it part of the world

Share how you integrate magic into your world.

Magic Origin and Flow

Life is magic energy – and even rocks 'exist' and so generate a tiny amount of magic. There are three types of magic: Ordered, Chaotic, and Wild. Ordered and Wild magic flow in currents (ley lines) like electricity and also pools to form nodes. Destructive magic starts as a node and branches outward to form ley lines. Like an electic current, magic energy can't be handled directly -- except by Dragonkin who can merely redirect the energy flow. Mages can cast spells that draw on magic for power but can't touch the energy directly. Rather like a person can use an electric device but can't use the electricity directly. Someone can be both a Dragonkin and a mage.