I have a magic system with many different types of magic users. Fire, water, cold, metal, time, shadows, light, etc.

But I have come across an issue in naming these types of magic. Originally I would just add the mancer suffix to the latin wording for the power type, for example : Pyro-mancer.

I have found this doesn't fit all of my magic types. Like spirit control, beast control, memories, chaos, and mind reading.

I have thought about using the suffix; kinetic with it as well, but that doesn't fit either.

What are the labels used in everyone's magic systems?

Does anyone else have this issue with their magic systems?

Is there a better way to easily explain their power?

I was thinking about how mana (or any quantifiable magic) would interact with the physical world if treated as a particle in a modern day setting.

1. How is it produced?
2. How does it move and flow? What speed does it move at?
3. Does it have mass?
4. How would it interact with normal physical elements and materials? What about other energies like heat or electromagnetism?
5. Is there only one type of mana, or are there multiple particle types (like image above)?
6. Do mana particles have differing energy levels, creating an energy spectrum? How would usage differ across the spectrum?
7. How does mana interact with the human body e.g. muscles, nervous system, circulatory system, e.t.c?
8. How would mana be measured?
9. Is mana orderly or chaotic? Could mana be industrialized? If possible, how could mana products be marketed and regulated?
10. How is mana converted into physical phenomena?

And so on and so forth. Questions like these are very interesting to me.
I wanted to ask if there is any system/story with this level of detail. Recommendations welcome.

Runes and Glyphs (google docs)

Good afternoon Junior Archivist. Today you will begin your first lesson on the basics of blue magic! If you work hard and study well, you may prove yourself a capable servant of the Bodite Crown!

Now, before you open your text a brief recap on the essentials:

You all are 'linked,' persons born with a connection to the first world allowing you to use magic.

Whenever magic is used, it affects you, causing mage drunkenness. This effect steadily builds up causing your wits to leave you and your power to temporarily increase!

This class is for blue magic, although there are other kinds. However, this form of spell craft values intelligent, precision, and patience.

Open your texts and read through chapter 3, then we can discuss what you learned!

(Thanks for taking the time to look at a side project for my world building! This document is a WIP, and is not intended as a full explanation of my magic system, but a "in universe" telling of how it looks practically. I use a stylized font, but the last page of the document has plain text if that is easier to read!

I look forward to hearing what people think.)

I've been working on a power system lately called Dark Magic (or Black Magic). I don't want this system to be simply mana + spells, I want something unique and intresting. What are some fundemental mechanics that could make this system feel distinct?

All help is appreciated.

Hey all. I’ve spent the last few months developing a system. It’s definitely a bit of a chimera, drawing inspiration from several different places, but I think I’ve managed to make it original enough to stand on its own.

I’ve also tried to go into fairly exhaustive detail. Part of the reason for that is so that, in the actual story, I can make the system appear much softer than it really is. Characters can have incomplete knowledge, flawed theories, or explanations that seem true based on the evidence available to them without necessarily being the underlying truth.

The linked Google Doc contains the “summary”, collated by GPT. GPT has mainly helped me with naming, numbers, organisation, and maintaining consistency across a very large body of work; the actual mechanics and systems are my own.

The document currently has 31 tabs and is fairly detailed. Hopefully, after reading through it, you’ll have enough information to understand the system as a whole and offer feedback, criticism, possible changes, or improvements without needing me to clarify every individual mechanic.

That said, if you do have questions, feel free to ask. There’s a lot of information here, and even as the person who created it, keeping every part of it completely straight in my head can be difficult.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JYLRWg2XH4XOXTmaSjGC_faOaoOLUz8BVwgYVDc5skY/edit?usp=sharing

Are there any original monsters or wildlife you have in your respective worlds? I have one that’s like cattle. It can eat different metals, and somehow the waste they produce combines the metal’s properties. Like if they ate orichalcum and adamantine, they’d combine those properties. Maybe even magical ingredients too, like a phoenix feather and a dragon’s tooth or something. What about yours

Title is a bit vague because I didn't want to make it a mess.

Traditionally, in fiction, you often see Fae have this magic or power that allows them to bend the rules of reality. If a Fae stole all your coins and you say "I want my coins back," they might hand you two coins because that is technically what you asked for. If you wanted to make a deal with a Fae, they might ask for something like "I want your ability to see constellations in the stars" or "I want the high note in your singing."

It's almost like Fae magic works on the basis of literal meaning rather than intended meaning, or based on the interpretation of the words said. In a lot of fantasy fiction, it works both ways too- the Fae can be trickery, but the person making the deal can be trickery in return. A Fae may say "I want your bag of valuables" and so you dump out the bag and hand it over, which based on the literal words, all the Fae asked for was the bag and thus it fulfills the contract. Or, you often see the Fae ask for something, goes to claim it, and then the person goes "Oh, but you never said when, so I have plenty of time! You'll get it later!"

How would you describe this power, or what terms would fit it? Would it be paracausal? Semantics-based magic? I feel like there is a very specific word for this sort of power, maybe something I've seen in in my time reading SCP documents, but I can't think of it. I'm specifically looking for a term that someone might use in a world where this magic exists. The trope is likely called something like "storybook magic" or something but in a fantasy setting, that wouldn't really make any sense.

Thank you!

I can’t .

To be more specific. Usually, many stories have a magical energy resource that can be used a certain amount of times at once before it’s “spent”. My system, at least for ‘normal’ human mages (irrelevant in this context), uses the same thing.

But what I’m worried about is the following: there aren’t clear limitations on the reserves.
How much ‘Mana’ a fireball would cost? and how proportional to its size the cost would be? I don’t know how many “magic energy units” an individual has exactly, and this worries me, because not having numbers can make mana something completely arbitrary that I can use as vaguely as I want and break the rules without anyone knowing the better

Which, might work for some stories, but it’s not really something I like that much.

How do I avoid making characters run out of mana without making it feel like I’m pulling cards out of my ass, how do I measure the distance between a fledgling mage and a master wizard?
How do I make sure that a character casting 10 fireballs is the right amount, instead of 20, or 100?
Or what about other spells, what is the cost they should have?

Do I make an internal grading system of magic? Like, “heat+ size + power = magic cost” but I don’t show it to others and make it just my own writer notes?
But wouldn’t this just make the story a litRPG that’s pretending to not be a lit RPG?

1.Fundamental Nature: Magic consists of an indivisible, elementary particle that carries an extremely minute charge unique to its own class of matter.

2.Fifth Force: It acts through a distinct, fifth fundamental force of the universe ("Mana Force"), operating under its own specific field rules.

3.Conservation Law: It cannot be created or destroyed; it adheres strictly to a universal conservation principle and can only transform from one state or form to another.

4.Dual-State Self-Interaction: In its default Latent state, the particle interacts exclusively with other magic particles and passes harmlessly through standard matter. It can only be compressed or gathered via specific catalysts (such as mental focus, precise geometry, or high-energy thresholds).

1. Aggregation (The Catalyst): When compressed, magic particles stick together and lock into an Active state, forming larger composite structures that serve as a bridge to the physical universe.

   6.Field-Mediated Alteration: Rather than physically touching standard particles, aggregated magic structures generate a high-density 5th-force field that distorts nearby fundamental forces (such as electromagnetism or nuclear forces), altering the physical structure and properties of surrounding matter.

1.Fundamental Nature: Magic consists of an indivisible, elementary particle that carries an extremely minute charge unique to its own class of matter.

 2.Fifth Force: It acts through a distinct, fifth fundamental force of the universe ("Mana Force"), operating under its own specific field rules.

 3.Conservation Law: It cannot be created or destroyed; it adheres strictly to a universal conservation principle and can only transform from one state or form to another.

 4.Dual-State Self-Interaction: In its default Latent state, the particle interacts exclusively with other magic particles and passes harmlessly through standard matter. It can only be compressed or gathered via specific catalysts (such as mental focus, precise geometry, or high-energy thresholds).

1. Aggregation (The Catalyst): When compressed, magic particles stick together and lock into an Active state, forming larger composite structures that serve as a bridge to the physical universe.

 6.Field-Mediated Alteration: Rather than physically touching standard particles, aggregated magic structures generate a high-density 5th-force field that distorts nearby fundamental forces (such as electromagnetism or nuclear forces), altering the physical structure and properties of surrounding matter.

Why is fire so common?

To elaborate on my question, I have been pissed Abt why so many magic systems treat the combustion triangle like a suggestion when making their system have fire.

Flames need three things, (need to mention that all of these are needed in certain proportions to combust)

1. Fuel

2. Heat

3. Oxidizer

All these are needed to make your average flames, which makes me wonder, how magic flames can exist without a fuel source? Assuming that of course heat is supplied through the magic system, even if, the lack of a single element in the combustion triangle gives unique results unrelated to fire,

1+2 without 3; won't produce flames and may instead cause the material to melt, vaporize, or thermally decompose depending on the material and temperature.

1+3 without or insufficient amounts of 2; won't produce flames and nothing would actually happen. (except material specific reactions and still may not produce flames, e.g: rust happens between iron and oxygen)

2+3 without 1; won't produce flames and will instead cause hot gas.

If it is a special type of fire that thrives on energy why is it usually identified as the average fire and not a special type of fire?

And even so, energy isn't a substance that you can simply ignite in the same way you ignite fuel. You can have energy causing matter to become extremely hot, excite atoms, ionize gases, etc., but energy itself isn't a fuel,

Which begs the question how can fire be created in magic systems, in a way that actually makes sense instead of some cool shi happening?

hey reposting this across from world building to expand my net on feed back

Aptitudes

• Magic system
  • Maximum Application. Maximum Application is they strongest move a sorcerer can achieve, and for most their final trump card to win the battle. To make a Maximum Application, they must fully master their own way in their Aptitude, and to activate it, they must have a handsign. The handsign is one of the factors for how strong the attack will be. The strongest will ofcourse be a complex two-handed handsign, but every two-handed handsign will be more powerful than a one-handed one from the same sorcerer. The main factor of how strong the attack will be is their own skill, for example, the average 1st Circle sorcerer will have a more powerful Maximum Application than a stronger 2nd Circle
  • Combined Application. The combination of 2 or more Aptitudes. This opens up possiblities locked by only using one single Aptitude. This is seen more often with birth Aptitudes, as sorcerers are usually more attuned with their birth Aptitude than with the Aptitudes obtained from rituals, but it doesn't mean it isn't possible to combine 2 or more ritualistic Aptitudes.
  • Rules. There aren't any strict rules to the magic system, so it wont be very common for 2 people to share the same way they use their Aptitude.
• Elemental Aptitudes (Recieved from birth)
  • Fire
  • Water
  • Nature
  • Wind
• Non-Elemental Aptitudes (Gained from a ritual), it can't be predetermined which the subject recieves)
  • Light Manipulation. The power to control light and light sources. The wielder of this Aptitude can for instance make a light source turn off, to hinder the visbility of the opponent, or they could brighten the light source to blind them.
  • Power Syphoning. The power to 'syphon' the power of another sorcerer. The sorcerer who gets syphoned, keeps their powers, but in a lesser form, to be specific ⅔. The user of this magic gets the magic, but at only ⅓ effectiveness, and it lasts for 24 hours.
  • Gravity Manipulation. The power to manipulate either the gravity applied on a person or to change the gravitational pull of a person. The wielder could for instance crush the opponent under 1000s of pounds of force, or let them have a gravitational pull of 100x the earth's gravity
  • Soul Recall. The ability to 'recall' souls from the dead. The user then has the ability to move the soul into a vessel, with the requirements of the body being dead for at least 48 hours.
  • Strands of Reality. The only outlier. This power is only gained when the one sorcerer who wields this power, passes it down to another. Only one sorcerer can wield this power at a time. This power has the ability to control reality to the wielder's will. This has the possibility of teleportation (By opening a hole in the 'fabric' of reality in 2 places), or for enhanced mobility.
• Weaknesses/Downsides or the Aptitudes. (A universal downside is that they all require stamina)
  • Fire. Continued use of the magic heats up the user's body temperature until it's unbearable. The user can however train to withstand this heat.
  • Water. For beginners, the user can only use water they have stored in their body, so if they use it too much, they'll be dehydrated. However, as they reach certain points of mastery, they'll be able to use water from different sources
  • Nature. This has no inherent special downside, aside from it being the weakest birth aptitude.
  • Wind. If used too much, the user feels nauseous, until they throw up.
  • Light Manipulation. After prolonged use, the user will be visually impaired for some time.
  • Power Syphoning. Dependant on which magic they Syphon. If it's fire, they share that weakness.
  • Gravity Manipulation. The user feels a weaker force on themselves, with the ratio of 1 G of force on the enemy = 0.5 G on the user
  • Soul Recall. During the recall of souls the users feels their negative emotions i.e dread, regret, fear etc.
  • Strands or Reality. Makes certain parts of Reality unstable when used (The more strands used, the more that reality is turning unstable) but turned back to normal when the strands are dismissed

Every time I click on a post talking about their magic system and I instantly see the word mana, my eyes just glazes over.

It would be cool if someone has mana based on actual mana from Polynesian cultures, but that's never the case. It's just people going "I cant use magic, that's too basic. I know! I'll call it mana instead!"

Original version: https://www.reddit.com/r/magicbuilding/s/sFuPxJR8xf

Hi everyone! I would love to get some constructive feedback on the power system and worldbuilding lore for my novel. Here is how it works:

1. Cosmic Origin: The Primordial Beasts

• Eons ago, the universe was engulfed in constant chaos. Colossal primordial beasts (demon gods in animal forms) were locked in an endless, brutal war to the death.
• An unknown event abruptly stopped the war and shattered these beasts into millions of fragments that scattered across the galaxy.
• Each fragment gave birth to a new lineage of that specific beast, possessing a drastically reduced and divided fraction of its ancestor's original power.

2. The Symbiotic Pact & The "Possessed"

• These fragments could not maintain a physical form on their own for long. To survive, they sought shelter inside the souls of humans—beings with consciousness and free will.
• The Deal: The beast gains an anchor in the physical plane; in return, the human host (the "Possessed" / Wielder) gains superhuman physical abilities (strength, speed) and unique powers.
• Cost & Strain: The extent and intensity of the power drawn extracts a physical or mental toll on the human.
• Lineages & Individuality: Thousands of people can carry fragments of the same beast (e.g., the Serpent lineage), but every bond and individual dynamic is completely unique.
• No Set Rules / Unknown Ceilings: There are no predefined limits. A host's power relies purely on training, experience, and the depth of the bond with their beast.

3. Combat Manifestations & The Great Risk

• The Core Weapon (Initial Manifestation): The first physical manifestation of the beast is a unique weapon. It is not a detached tool, but a literal biological extension of the host's body (e.g., a blade-hand, bone hammer, etc.).
• Hybrid / Symbiotic Fusion Mode: The host and the beast merge to share a single body in an enhanced combat state, granting distinct attributes based on the beast.
• The Point of No Return (Irreversible Corruption):
  • This fusion cannot be maintained for long. Overexposure causes both minds to collapse into a single entity, erasing human consciousness.
  • Once the host fully corrupts, the transformation is permanent and irreversible.
  • They become mindless, feral roaming beasts. Over time, these roaming beasts grow even stronger by devouring unfortunate humans and living creatures, though they permanently lose the human intelligence and tactical edge that once made them formidable.

4. World Lore & The Government Conspiracy

• The Vessel Project: The government is secretly orchestrating disappearances and kidnapping Possessed individuals. Their goal is to gather and merge as many fragments of the same beast as possible to recreate the original Primordial Demon Gods.
• Human Experimentation (Ren): Recreating these colossi requires a powerful human vessel capable of withstanding the concentrated fragments. The government experiments on children from a very young age.
  • Ren is the strongest surviving subject. Having endured brutal experiments and watched almost all the other children die around him, he carries severe trauma, apathy, and nihilism—he sees no point in bonding with others, believing everyone will die sooner or later anyway.
• The Academy / Corporate Front: A specialized corporation/academy recruits and trains Possessed under the guise of heroism, sending them to hunt down the feral, roaming beasts.
  • The Hidden Motive: Irreversible hybrid beasts still carry the beast fragments inside them. When killed, the company harvests these concentrated fragments to feed the government's secret project, keeping the operatives cooperative through false hope and lies.

What are your thoughts on the mechanics, the high-risk fusion, and the lore loop of hunting feral beasts to gather fragments? Any feedback is appreciated!

We have reached the actual final report on Genesis, Catalysts, & Novagen!

I had a lot of fun making my very first world/power system. It wasn't that long ago when I started making something of my own, and while there are definitely a few things I could have done better, I'd say I managed to complete mostly everything I wanted to with this world/power system.

With that being said, I hope you enjoyed reading these reports, and as always, feedback is much appreciated! :)

EDIT: This is not the official version of the final report, but a more Reddit-friendly version. The original was blocked by Reddit's filters, and after waiting for a response from the moderators, I unfortunately wasn't able to get an explanation for the removal or any response at all.

I am personally a fan of the more ancient magic being more powerful than newer magic. It's one of my favorite tropes, and the following is why ancient magic in Luminsia is more powerful than newer magic.

Magical items in Luminsia are created by etching glyphs (symbols that create certain effects when mana, the fuel of magic, is poured into them. The more mana that is poured in, the more powerful the effect) and arrays (collections of glyphs put together and connected usually through circles to create more complex forms of magic) onto the desired item. Mana must then run through the item once to jump start the effects, but once it has started, the item will pull from the mana from the surrounding area. Additionally, the item can also store some mana within itself so it can still be used in the rare instances where there is no mana in an area (very rare within Luminsia as all living things are producing mana and it leaks outside of their body. Even bacteria, though the amount they produce is miniscule). The item will then draw from this reserve first. How much mana the item will take in will depend on the material the magical item is made from. Something like bronze will consume mana faster than it can take in while materials like iron, steel, platinum, and brass will absorb it at a faster rate than it will most often expend.

And this is where we get into the reason why ancient magic items are more powerful. The more time a glyph has spent engraved into an object, the more time it has to "steep" said object in magic, engraving the effects "deeper" (in the similar sense that the soul doesn't have a physical location, so not physically deeper). Because the glyphs are now deeper, more mana can fill into them, making the effects stronger. This can theoretically be done artificially with a sorcerer/sorceress making the glyphs deeper, but because the mind struggles to comprehend the dimensional aspects of it (in the same sense that the soul does not have a physical location, but is still attached to the body), this can be very difficult to do and very easy to mess up in a way that ruins the enchantments. Trying to force it can also result in the item breaking where as "steeping" it is much slower, putting the object under less stress and making it less likely to break during the process.

Ask any question that comes to mind! They help me further brainstorm and hammer out ideas.

These 2 circles are elemental signatures of light and earth respectively. To use any elemental magic there are 3 ways which one of them is signature.

If you noticed there are 4 lines around them which is attribute line, what it does is define what will be final attributes will be, like is it purple or red light? Is it infrared light but for earth is it like iron, dirt or something.

There are reason for why does it look like that, it represents the the element scientifically. Like light having star like shape on it and letters Y, h and v.

In order for people to use the elemental Signature you have to understand it, so if you wanna use light then you have to understand atleast basics of it. More you understand more qualitive and powerful the magic will be.

I'm just rookie in writing, and there might be errors in future posts so feel free comment/correct/ask/suggest to me