How to box a character into a corner in magic systems… p2

METHODS AND MEDIA (continuation)

So, Ferage the mage isn’t immune to every ailment but he needs to cross a country in the hands(?) of… the plague. All in order to get some mucus to create super potion G. What’s next is to box him into a corner. We’re going to limit his usage of spell/potion “cure it all” to three times. And expose him to a manticore, a horde of dancers and a beautiful girl wasting away in the road. Ferage is no fool but he isn’t a bad egg. Now, he is out of magic to perform the spell. Is he going to make it to the isolated villa?

What we do when thinking how magic is used is saving up in answers for later. When we’re out of options. We can limit the magic power to mana, a predetermined prime number of spells… (bullets). Witches, warlocks and elves get tired, eat and sleep.

Limiting the usage of magic can be used to create scenes that help with the daily-life like feeling; helping to create relatable situations. Like eating or going to sleep. So long our magic logic has no cheese holes and is totally self-contained.

Otherwise, we will need a good looking actor to have audience to forget plot holes whenever we get ourselves into closed alleys because we didn’t pay attention to our own magic system or we didn’t think it through enough.

CHANGE, RANGE AND MEDIA

What’s the bullet’s speed, its trajectory and its penetration force? What does the bullet do once it reaches the target? [Yes, I know, bullets do kill, I mean your magic bullet]. What’s the media shooting the bullet? A revolver, a Beretta or a rifle? Meaning: wand, spell, runes?

And why am I using bullets as examples and not fire balls or potions? It  is easier to visualize the physical effects than to do so with magical effects subordinated to your imagination. Mine is quite realistic regarding energy exchange and effects in spite of going deranged… Sometimes.

Magic is the same for every human being and it is not. At the same time. We all expect fantasy genre to fulfill certain expectations whilst creating something absolutely new. It is one of the most difficult ones since you either use the clichés or use the clichés and succeed… Or fail trying. People won’t forgive you if magic can’t be used to clean or if you miss on mythological animals… It also has to make science to fail miserably.

I hope I used well the supercalifragilisticexpialidocious spell and got all your attention.

It’s being a while since I’ve said any thanks to La cocina de Meg. I still remember when you were the one reader outside my family^[2] and you were there giving likes to total nonsense. Those likes I appreciated lots and I hope your blog is still around.

Enjoy thinking magic bullets. Pasto kalo.