I would prefer magic "power" being drawn from internal energy and exponential growth through chains of people is fine by me also. Spellbooks containing instructions to "cast" makes sense. Drawing power from elemental forces would sort of fall in the same metaphysics, at least to me.
http://www.sffworld.com/forums/group.php?groupid=28
I created this social group to house the discussion on the project. I shamelessly stole the idea from a similar project that was already running here, who knew?
Originally Posted by Andols
Is there any chance we could break from the supernatural kind of "Magic" that's found in most fantasy worlds and have it closer to the real meaning of magic, that is most of it would simply be illusion. Have a system of magic based on things like alchemy/apothecary and whatnot. It would be a much more grittier world where wielding science and secret knowledge is equal to wielding a sword.
Just to add to that thought... instead of fantastic beasts seemingly conjured from nowhere, what if wizards in this world had an understanding of genetics and bioengineering... crossbreeding animals, creating hybrids, even human monstrosities?
Last edited by Sparrow; August 11th, 2010 at 07:30 AM.
You are hereby appointed head of the alchemical/steampunk society.
I think we need both to be honest.
And you dotn need to ask if there's a chance of anything really. We'll go with majority vote on pretty much all aspects, and try to incorporate as much as possible within reason.
Sparrow, the more I think about your alchemy/steampunk system the more i think it should be limited to one group/guild/culture.
They could perhaps set up smaller chapters in other areas of the world to sell, trade or work towards some other agenda not yet defined. Maybe they have some time of very stiff requirements in order to join them.
Not really into Steampunk so much.
I consider Steampunk more of a fashion movement than anything else... too many needless pressure valves, brass fittings, and exposed gears for my liking.
so somewhere between alchemists and the fantasy equivelent of genetisists?
Just wizards and sorcerers using science and nature for magical effect.
Really nothing more than secret knowledge kept away from the masses, in order to sway the masses. Sort of the equivalent of our Free Masons in days gone by.
Okay, so I'm new here. I totally want in, but I have a few questions...
About the system of magic in the world, What have we come up with? Is it sort of an elemental system? Is it physical (I.E. I want a fireball, so I'll isolate several parts hydrogen to twice as much oxygen, raise temperature and watch...)
Would scientific knowledge be a base for magical understanding, and would new scientific discoveries bolster people's magic?
And Are we going with Everybody and his dog can do magic? I can see the concept of a school that will teach anybody that can pay, but no limits on genaeology in magic... Okay... Maybe certain lines have evolved more power over the thousands of years of history, and these 'lines' could be spread far and wide with many offspring in each generation that jus makes each successive branch of the tree wider and wider?
Maybe some lines have even died out (Or so the world thinks until some powerful mage nobody knows appears....)
What sorts of limitations are we putting on our magic? Do we need the mental crutches? If our understanding of nature is great enough, could we concievaby do anything? How about an infinitely dense point from which not even light can escape? Teleportation? Flying? killing masses with our minds? summoning forth demons?
I know a bunch of you have read Goodkind's books... What about the ability to cause matter to cease to exist? It seems to me that such a thing would cause the universe to implode on that spot... Creating things from nothing? Creating things from other things?
What about genetic manipulation? It would seem that anybody with any significant magical powers about to go to war with somebody else with great power would want to find a way to boost their magical power...
So we're talking about magic here, what about other things? Zombies? We'rewolves? Freakin monsters?
I know you just said you weren't into a bunch of races, but indigenous creatures? Say the world was just a really dangerous place to live and we developed magic as a survival mechanism?
I mean, bears and lions and stuff, cool, but what about banshees and hauntings and sprites and medusas and such?
And what of the development of magic? Is it an evolutionary response? If it is, what would stop any other species from adapting to it to either nullify its effects or use some of its own?
Is it a gift from the gods? If it is, what's to stop them from giving it to any other creatures? Are we special or something? We're here to be fruitful and multiply?
I don't like gods, myself. It takes the focus off the person who should be doing the magic... It makes it seem like "My god loves me more than your god loves you!" If it's gods doing the warring, why isn't everyone a god? Just cut out humans and make everyone a part of a giant pantheon.
That ought to be interesting.
And what of spells? Is this like a ceremonial magick type of setting, or are we allowed instant results without chantng and posturing and costumes and athames and ashes of young boys?
Just some things to think about...
Just a thought.
Have two worlds where they are connected by magic. One world is scifi all science and magic is just a tool. The other is fantasy where magic is almost a religion. The collide when they meet on a level playing field..an unexplored world that they both want to colonize.
I totally like that idea!.. let's put it to a vote.
Two land masses drawn together by an ancient land bridge that is only exposed once every thousand years. One continent ruled by magic, the other based on more rustic science and technology.
Sorry guys been away on business.
I think that idea has a lot of potential. I still wouldnt want to limit the world to just two land masses, but if they were the two main continents i could live with that.
Two continents with no mention of possibly unknown islands and other lands on the other side of the world. I think additional continents only complicates matters and may even subtract from the main conflict.
I mostly agree.
Certainly there should not be any real God or Gods at work; but given this is shaping up to be more of an ancient setting with nominal science and technology you would expect the cultures involved to be worshipping a deity or many deities as the case may be.
I would love there to be a sort of dichotomy between the to main lands... the magical realm make long distance communications through animals, or pools of water, magical mirrors, whatever... while the other land has a network of semi-electric telegraph lines using what we might recognize as morse code... or perhaps just using a semaphore system.
just an idea.
Oh, and more thing... I came up with a great working title for a story encompassing these two lands, which after a thousand years are finally united by a land bridge... wait for it... Unabridged.
Yeah, that's what I think, great title.
Last edited by Sparrow; August 26th, 2010 at 07:54 AM.
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