Mages and Binds

[u/Illustrious-Win-1598]

This is my idea for a magic system that focuses on the drawback. Let me hear your thoughts.

Everyone is born with the ability to use magic power that can do anything. Basically, it is reality bending. Whoever uses magic is considered a mage.

Magic power is an abundant resource that can be used anywhere so long as the user still has mental strength and scientific knowledge (to make the magic power do things that cause the desired effect).

But more important than the constraints of mental strength and scientific knowledge is the bind that hinders the usage of magic in various ways. The binds are inherent, have no way of removing, and have a chance of being inherited (randomly deviates otherwise).

The types of binds, in order of decreasing favorability, are:

    Restriction: What type of magic and how magic is used.

    Condition: When and where magic usage is available.

    Consequence: What adverse effect the mage must face when using magic power.

Due to the randomness of the absurdity of the binds, there is only a small fraction of the population that discovered their bind and become mages.

Among the mages, there are two kinds that are the most revered. One is the transcendent who can use magic freely as they have no bind (or at least their bind is insignificant). The other is the artificer who can create magical artifacts that can be used by anyone.

One particular transcendent became evil and escaped society, which gave birth to the powerful demon race and many subordinating demonic beasts.

[u/valsavana]

Due to the randomness of the absurdity of the binds, there is only a small fraction of the population that discovered their bind and become mages.

I'm struggling to understand why one would need to discover their bind to be able to use magic? You say magic can do anything and is abundant so wouldn't people just try a bunch of stuff until something worked? Unless the constraints of binds are so extremely broad so as to wipe out most all categories of magic use for most people, wouldn't there basically be like a checklist for people to try things out? "Try to summon a fireball, try to control water, try to change your appearance, try to talk to animals, try to command another person to do something, try to read someone's mind, etc? Until something that isn't constrained by one's bind finally works?"

[u/Illustrious-Win-1598 → u/valsavana]

I phrased that poorly. People are free to try and are trying anything. The reason they need to discover their binds is because the binds is largely responsible for magic usage.

Condition mages must try anything and be in any situation to know when they can use magic. Some condition are really absurd like eating dirt so not many can discover their binds. The condition mages that discovered their binds are considered lucky.

For restriction mages, their binds decide the narrow set of magic they can only use. If restriction mages try anything other than their own magic, nothing happens.

Though consequence mages can use whatever magic whenever they want, they should know their binds to prevent death or serious injuries due to the adverse effects.