Magic Systems 2

''-Summoning magic can be used to bring forth a veritable menagerie of ghosts, goblins, ghouls, gods, demons, and all manner of other nasty, nice, or niche beasties. Perhaps the magic teleports the summoned creature directly to the caster's side over any distance. Or, maybe the mage tears open a rift in reality for the summoned to saunter through.

Conjuring magic may also be used to teleport the caster themself through time and space, whether it be short-range teleporting (often called blinking), passing through worlds and dimensions at will, or creating portals that blend one reality with another. Supernatural transportation of objects is the conjurer's bread and butter.

Popular examples are especially present in the present era. The Conjuring magic system has evolved, nowadays it features a handful of conjuring abilities for the player with such a magic system to make use of: Blink, Displace, Far Reach, Devouring Storm, Shadow Kill, and Mesmerize are all abilities that could fall under this magic system.

The fourth branch of the Magic system is psychic Magic.

Magic of the mind, psychic magic systems harness the spellcaster's mental abilities to affect worlds within the human, and non-human, psyche. Dreams, perceptions, consciousness, and subconsciousness are the domains of psychics where they hold sway over the thoughts and emotions of others.

Often called telepaths by some, psychic mages exert a subtle influence over others.

Perhaps they push and pull at the emotions of a mob, dampening or enflaming their ire.

Maybe the psychic enters the dreamworld of a politician to influence a major decision they're about to make.

They could even quicken their perception in combat to better anticipate attacks while simultaneously slowing their opponent's reflexes.

Given that time is merely a perception, they could also effectively quicken, slow, or stop time entirely for individuals or groups.

It might not be a simple matter of having the mental capacity to use psychic magic. They could need focusing agents like talismans, runes, sigils, or places of power like standing stones or faerie circles. A ritual may be required to push their mind past the mundane and into the ethereal. They may even need a spiritual guide while walking through the astral world of the mind.

The fifth branch is life and Death Magic.

More commonly called necromancy, these systems harness life forces to restore, ravage, and reanimate living and formerly living beings. Oh well, necromancy is more than just zombie armies and skeletal motifs.

Put plainly, life-and-death magic systems explore the forces of life, death, and undeath. Necromancers learn to manipulate the energy that animates all living things. It is primarily a discipline of transference.

How these systems take shape in your world is entirely up to you. If life force is an abundant resource—an ambient energy moving through and between all things—healing can be performed simply by tapping into that bounty and channeling it into a wounded individual. If, however, it exists solely within living beings, healing will take a transference of that energy, which will likely require vital sacrifice.

The most popular display of necromancy is the reanimation of the dead. Ranging from mindless drones to genuine resurrection, you'll have to determine the nature of reanimation and how it works in your world.

Ask yourself these two questions:

Is the necromancer in control of the beings they raise?

How much of the reanimated being's consciousness remains?

A note on natural limitations: resurrection is exciting but it can easily break a world's logic (what does anyone have to fear if the nearest necromancer can simply restore them?).

Consider serious limitations and consequences if you wish to include this element in your magic system.

Blood magic is another aspect of this type of system that allows the caster to draw power from their own or others' blood. This magic is treated as unnatural and taboo, even by necromantic standards. This brings up an interesting philosophical question: If blood is a naturally occurring substance, why would we see its use as unnatural? Well, I won't dwell on this subject for too long not to be branded as a heretic or a demon.

In this category we have Healers, they're using Life magic to heal, an advanced form of the Light element.

Let's move on to the sixth branch: Magitech Systems.

Dwelling on the borderlands between magic and science, magitech systems see arcane energies harnessed using advanced technology.

Having no need of a mage at the helm, magitech is, at its core, magic fused with technology. There are many examples in daily life. I won't go too much in the depth for now.

But remember this: Though the line between science and magic blurs here, it's helpful to remember that, viewed through a literary lens, magic is questions with fewer answers and science answers with fewer questions.

Last but not least, the seventh branch:Uncommon Magic Systems

All of the types of magic systems detailed above have been categorized by theme and/or mechanic.

They grouped this final category of magic systems together because we believe they haven't been given frequent opportunities to shine, though all could be categorized into any of the above types. Let's review a handful of uncommon magic systems:

Color magic: manipulates light in the visual spectrum to create potent optical illusions. It could also be used to blind an opponent but this would be considered a crude application by most respectable photokinetics.

Sound magic amplifies, hushes, directs, and generates sound waves. The vibrations in sound waves can be lethal at the right frequencies, passing through solid objects and covering them with ease.

Time magic: Time-related magic.

Space magic: Related to space.

Egoic magic (A/N:Strengthening Magic): enhances the physical attributes of the caster. Need to increase your strength? Cast the spell. Need a speed boost? Cast the spell. Need to react quicker? Cast the spell.

Need to—you get the idea.

Manufactured magic differs from magitech in that the magical item being mass-produced isn't technology, but a simple object.

Nothingness magic is the manipulation of the very concept of nothingness. Not quite shadow magic, this system would allow the caster to conjure fields of pure void to shield or consume.''

Demas took a deep breath and brought out a water bottle and drank it to moisten his parched throat. Then he resumed.

''That is the basic knowledge you should know. With this, each one of you should know where you are categorized. Knowing this can help you to evolve.''