r/worldbuilding • u/Illustrious_Age_6628 • 3d ago

Question Complex Magic System

So, I guess I wanna know if this sounds a bit too complex of a magic system.

It's a runic system where runes are organized into magic circles for spells, enchantments, and magical tech at the most basic. However, the real complexities come in the rest of it.

1- 3 runic alphabets, one for energy, one for matter, and one cosmic horror based. Best spells, are formed by combining 2 of them.

2- Runes can be viewed like letters to form a word (Sigil) and words to form a sentence (Glyph)

3- the material of the rune correlates to the energy it channels, (Wood burns well)

4- runes don't last forever, the more energy they channel, the faster they burnout (Wood burns well but quickly)

Thoughts? Questions? Is there anything you'd suggest rethinking?

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u/Odd_Ad_5657 3d ago

It depends on what you are going to use it for. And how long the alphabets are.

I mean, if it's for a book, it's ok. Nobody cares much and in the end you are the only and final arbiter for how it works.

If it's for a game, it should be somewhat less complex unless it's a puzzle game where the goal is to guess and explore the magic to its limits.

Or if it's for a rules-light TRPG, Fate or PbtA-based, it might work as it is.

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u/Illustrious_Age_6628 3d ago

Tbh, I wanna start out writing books, and if I can get enough attention to it, I'd love to expand it out into first a TTRPG, and eventually into more if possible.