Sorry to necro an old post, But I really do appreciate your thinking along the lines of magic as a sort of programming, and these different approaches to it. It’s all very sensible and imaginative, and there aren’t many that touch on the subject so well.

Curiously enough, you managed to describe the Blind Eternities as seen in magic the gathering with your ‘beyond reality, all magical power arises from this spot’ point.

Anyway, I’m really enjoying your take on magic as something inherent to the world rather than a dues ex force.

An idea for a golemancer, have it so that they physically control their soldiers but have the soldiers be extremely potent. For example, a master of the skill could control a whole golem with their pinky twitching and the golem is capable of using whatever spell it is enchanted with. A newb, on the other hand, has to use full body controls to move even the simplest golem.

I like this idea of magic being a general rule of nature. The first time I saw something like it was Sympathy and Sygaldry (and to a much lesser extent Naming) from King Killer Chronicles. There’s a strong physics-like notion to Sympathy that requires a force of will to make it work, but there’s also an awesome amount of power available to those who have the strength and discipline to use it.

I will do the same! I really enjoy these posts, great fuel for imagination and we get lots of book recommendations in the comments ;)

Have you read the Ravens series by James Barclay? Magic as a (mana) pattern and energy from extra dimensions, you get everything there, and I really liked how the author built his magical systems. It’s a little bit too over-the-top epic for my usual tastes, but I liked them anyway because of the fantastic world-building, magical systems and characters.

@ agn0sis:

Neat! I figured that most of these posts are not exactly original. Someone, somewhere is to come up with something similar or better. There is no such thing as an original idea in fiction. Thanks for the tip though. I will check these books out.

Well, I am afraid that is not a new idea. Basically magic in The Death Gate Cycle series is almost exactly as you are describing it (quantum physics alteration through symbols and will power), and anyone can learn how to use it, although there are only two races that fully understand why and how it works: the Sartan, who cast spells through dances and chants, and the Patrin, who have magic symbols tattooed all across their bodies except for their heads . Both of them use magic runes. The Patrin concentrate in existing objects or phenomena and alter the with their magic. The Sartan on the other hand think first in the result they want and then “force” it into existence. As a personal note, the Patrin are awesome and the Sartan are a bunch of irresponsible crybabies. The books are very good except for the second one. Maybe you’d like to read them or at least check the appendices (where you can find the best description of the workings of magic) to compare this version with what you are preparing