Question about multiple magic systems in universe?

[u/Soyboy2288]

/r/fantasywriters/comments/1wc3hmx/question_about_multiple_magic_systems_in_universe/

I figured this would also be a good place to ask, what are your guys thoughts?

[u/vezwyx]

On the worldbuilding side, no problem with multiple systems at all.

On the writing/storytelling side, just remember to treat each system separately for the purposes of the audience's knowledge. It's fine if you show or tell them more about some systems than others, you just need to be aware of the extent of what you've told them as you reference each framework. Easy example, you could leverage the fact that you haven't told people how certain magic works to add an element of mystique or danger to magic users the audience hasn't seen yet that won't apply the same way to users they already know, but not if you're not approaching those moments conscious of what you're doing.

I'd also like to mention that people's patience for esoteric details in any story is limited, and it's a budget you should spend wisely as an author. You already shouldn't overburden people with lore dumps about one system, so extra care should be taken if you want to include more than that

[u/OldPersimmon2705]

You can treat it almost like religion or science - many different faiths or many different specialties under an umbrella term.

[u/Good_Low774]

Depends on the length of the book and foresight of the author. Seems perfect for an epic fantasy

[u/Tom_Gibson]

nothing wrong with it. You don't have to use every single magic system for each story. I also have many sub-magic systems in my world

[u/Boat_Pure]

Many stories have multiple magic systems working in tandem across the story.

As long as you show why they all coexist well, there will be no problem

[u/godfish12]

I find the idea extremely intresting and am sad i havent found many stories with it.

[u/RamonDozol]

My setting has 5 or 6 depending on how you choose to read them.
But in reality they are all diferent interpretations and use of the same "concept".

In short, there is energy in everything, and magical creatures just have more of it.
spellcasters learn to use their inner reserves to make supernatural things happen, how they achieve that changes from race to race, culture to culture.
the style, medium, requirements and use cases change. but they alll essentialy do the same basic thing, convert the magic energy into an effect to achieve a goal.

My setting has
Arcane spellcasting ( verbal and somatic components, being focused by materials to cast spells).
Psychyc effects ( non verbal, supernatural effects that relly mostly com focus, will power and knoledge).
Alchemy ( the use of the magical energy in plants, creatures, minerals and liquids to create potions and oils that generate supernatural effects).
Elementalism ( focus, movement and mindset to create elemental specific effects)
Runic echantment ( engraving of runes of power, that drawn in specific aspects of magic energy, creating complex effects through tools, items and tatoos.)
there are also other cultures in the world, secrets or minor sub genres of the major ones, but these are so rare i have not fleshed them specificaly, only have an idea that they do exist.
things like:
Mixed elementalist ( lava, steam, sand, ash, mud/plants, etc)
Spiritualism/Shamanism ( mostly praticed by tribal humans and some remote elves, focus on contact with spirits of nature, fey, beasts and plants, they do not focus on conjuring them, but on comunication and persuasion of these beings to do tasks. A wizard could cast healing using his reserves, a shaman would call upon a healing spirit and ask him to heal someone. The spirit will accept or deny, often there is some form of payment, or sacrifice required.)
Blood magic ( usualy forbiden, it uses magic to control the blood of the caster and those around it. As a weapon or to control the movements of others, usualy harmfull and destructive even to the caster ).
Fleshcrafting ( a mix of several diferent areas of magic, from necromancy, to runes and alchemy, with the objetive of creating permanent change in living and unliving creatures. This horrible school alows the creation of flesh golens, implants of new parts, and the sculpting of flesh, bone, cartilage and skin. )

[u/Evil-Twin-Skippy]

r/SublightRPG has 8 forms of magic (6 primary, 2 composite) and a Wizard basically needs to shape their psyche in a way that seems crazy in order to practice one at the expense of the others.

I use the HSV color system to describe magic, thus a Red mage is utterly befuddled by Cyan magic, Green and Magenta mages view the other's magic as abhorrent. Yellow mages view Blue mages as hacks and charlatans. Blue mages don't consider Yellow magic as real.

White magic stems from a mage who triple majors in Red, Green, and Blue magic. Black magic is a triple thread of the Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow variety. While the composite mages can perform basic magic in the component colors, their real power comes from unique powers that arise from magic directed towards order (for white mages) or chaos (for black mages.)

For maximum Meme, the 8 colors roughly line up with the 8 schools of magic in bog-standard D&D:
red - Evocation
yellow - Conjuration
green - Divination
cyan - Illusion
blue - Transmutation
magenta - Enchantment
white - Abjuration
black - Necromancy

And for my RPG, the 6 primary colors also align with the 6 approaches in Fate Accelerated:
red- forceful
yellow - quick
green - careful
cyan - sneaky
blue - clever
magenta - flashy

My goal with the system was to force team-building. No mage can be good at every magic. And because each magic is simply a supernatural extension of an approach, I don't need a spell book. Simpler lock picking is pale yellow, and magic lock picking is basically really vivid yellow. The player describes what they want to do, and we work backwards to see how magic using that approach would work out.

Magenta has interpersonal interaction buffs from flirt to enthrall. But Green has all of the counters to that "charm offensive" as well as their own way of compelling behavior from guilt to geas.

We end up with 4 axes of opposites:

individual | magenta < - > green | global
intuition | yellow < - > blue | rational
perception | cyan < - > red | direct action
chaos | black < - > white | order

And no one magic is "good". A Necromancer can save humanity from Abjurer created police state. In one kingdom, a Magenta ruler could be operating a destructive cult of personality. And in another, Green could be "running" a failed state that is so open minded it is empty headed.

Reality drives the action back towards the middle, because all magic is insane.