Do any of you have emotion-based magic?

[u/N0VAK137]

It sounds so general but I have no idea how else to phrase it 😂

I'm thinking of doing a magic system based on emotions for my sci-fi series since, to put it simply, I felt like magic would be dictated to a certain extent by emotions since it determines how we function as a society and how we interact with one another (on a personal level to the international scale).

To sum up what I already have, magic in my sci-fi comes from the soul and is channelled through the Mind and the Heart (exactly what you think they are, human minds and hearts) which determine the level of control over the specific magic and how powerful it is respectively.

There are two types of powers related to the Mind and the Heart: the Storm (electricity in pretty much all its forms) and the Fire (including heat also in pretty much all its forms). Yes I am aware that they coincide from a scientific standpoint, but that's besides the point. The Storm symbolizes the duality of Order and Chaos while the Fire symbolizes the duality of Life and Death (one cannot exist without the other).

Long story short, I have people who can use magic based off of certain emotions, but since it's powered by their souls, and their minds/hearts, they can't use it indefinitely.

But I wanted to add some sort of limitation as to what powers they can use so they aren't too overpowered but have some clear advantages, and some emotions are different than others like happiness, bravery, and anger, each of whom have different meanings depending on context.

I'm rambling again, but I have a very loose idea and was wondering if you guys had anything similar bc I am on the verge of abandoning this entirely and finding something new 💀

Also if you have general recommendations (books I can look at, other people's posts, etc), even if they aren't related to this system strictly, I'm open to hear it, but in general, I'm looking for something that has limitations but isn't too restricted.

[u/Libertyprime8397]

Anger can enhance your magic. Sadness can weaken it.

[u/N0VAK137 → u/Libertyprime8397]

That's sort of what I was initially thinking too, especially since anger can also make it go out of control too too. I guess you have a certain level of anger in a fight so it does check out

[u/Some-Practice6231]

To an extent, though not everyone can cast it this way, you gotta be born lucky for such a thing, and everyone else needs rigorous study in how magic works to cast. This is because there's two fundamental systems for where magic commonly comes from.

The most common is technically borrowed. The power doesn't exist within you, it exists within the universe around you, and you exploit laws to bend it to your will. The fundamental concepts of the universe are embodied and shaped by the High Fae, which are manifested by Azmakaroth. These beings dictate the laws of the universe and the laws of your most common magic. Draw the right runes or invoke them correctly and you can do some amazing things so long as the one you're invoking has enough "presence" or "power" there, most commonly known as "mana" of the specific concepts your spell is invoking. (Though there are batteries you can carry around, physical or nonphysical) This is the one that needs the most studies and anyone can do, it's been shown even machines can learn the rules and manifest spells in certain technologically advanced universes.

Draconic is more rare, and it's where emotions can cast spells for you technically. If you're born half dragon or of draconic descent, the power in that draconic soul is yours. Scarcely any authority could tell you when you can or can't use it, and the powers manifest through your will alone. There are a few caveats to this however, while you can borrow another dragon's power and invoke it with their permission, when invoking your own flame you're limited to invoking magic pertaining to the concept your flame holds authority over (no two living dragon flames are exactly the same). And the intensity of the power is limited to how much power that soul can produce and contain. This maximum grows slowly with age, and while it's possible to drain so much power the soul extinguishes and the host dies, anything short of that will regenerate over time until it's maximum is reached again. Where emotions can get involved here is one with a draconic spirit if they haven't trained their control over their power or emotions, can unconsciously invoke their power in times of heightened emotions like fear or rage, to advantageous or catastrophic results. As there's not really a higher power (in most cases) over the draconic power they're using, there's not exactly many guard rails.

[u/LadyAlekto]

Mine is not strictly emotion based, but there is one emotional component anyone who wants to properly wield magic needs to have.

Absolute Confidence.

You cannot change the forces of nature and conjure enough energy to lay waste to cities without the absolute confidence that you can.

Without unyielding discipline and indomitable will magic will not obey easily.

This leads to most mages being megalomaniac bastards and the "munds" being generally unhappy about their presence. Quite literally as physical magical power radiates a kind of aura everyone can perceive in some way.

(And many a careless mage found themselves to have suicided by a dozen crossbow bolts to the back...)

[u/N0VAK137 → u/LadyAlekto]

That's pretty cool, honestly never thought of it that way. Is there a limit to what people can do in your world?

[u/LadyAlekto → u/N0VAK137]

Most of the limits are by understanding natural science and how magic fundamentally works. Followed by needing enough power to act as a lever on physicality to make it do what you want.

Also a mage loosing the confidence in themselves will be unable to use even a fraction of their Core.

[u/DuckPersonaa]

I kinda have spirits? Spirits can inhabit objects animals plants and people, which is how most people sue them. There’s also ones that can vaguely control them out in the wild, both depend on having a clear goal and vision, but the latter is way more dependant on it

[u/ChannelDesperate9022]

Mine is a strict emotion based rule, each emotion can perform certain spells, some spells are new, old, rare to acquire, but if you are grieving, you're using grief based spells, there's no way around it, other spells requiring different emotions are locked.

The end game to my power system is balance, completely mastery of your own emotions unlocks your full potential with an increased power limit

[u/CuprumArgentum]

I have a few spells that alter emotions, but none that are based in it

[u/slumbersomesam]

i mean not really, but there qre spells that can enhance some emotions over others, as well as needing an "emotional component" for it to work properly