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Magic System Help

@mckapo forum 4 comments schedule
@mckapo

I have a little bit thought out.

Ley Lines: Invisible lines throughout the world where Natural Magic flows through.
Ley Nodes: Intersecting Lines that are very powerful (though after something called the Rift, they are extremely unstable)
Natural Magic: Most creatures on planet can harness this magic, though humans are the most adept at using it. Some can even sense the ley lines/nodes and are even more powerful because of that fact, in that they can draw more magic into themselves.
Spiritual Magic: a dead magical art, as harnessing spiritual magic means one has to be able to travel to the astral plane and must have a soul that can withstand whichever soul it is trying to gather magic from (failure to do this ends in death)
That's all I have but I think it's weak and needs something… more.

@MrBudD3r

The ley lines and ley nodes are very creative!

pets
@Riorlyne pets

You have a really compelling foundation for a magic system there. I love the idea of intersecting lines of magic across the world. And creatures other than humans harnessing magic? Sounds amazing!

To strengthen your ideas, perhaps think about what can be done with the magic found in the ley areas, and how these areas work. Are these ley lines and nodes actual, physical locations (could you build a great centre of magical learning on a powerful node, for example), making those who harness them a bit like skilled explorers/cartographers, or are the lines constantly shifting, creating new nodes as new ley lines intersect, thus making those who harness them a bit more like meteorologists, trying to track the patterns of wind and weather? Or do they work in a different way?

What makes humans better at harnessing magic? What makes some humans better at it than others? Can some people not harness it at all? How do animals use it? How about plants, if at all?

What are the benefits of using this magic? What are the risks (extremely unstable ley nodes sound dangerous)? What does it cost the user to harness it? Energy? Skill? Sanity?

I’m not sure whether the astral plane is some kind of afterlife where magical souls have gone, or another dimension via which you can suck the magic out of existing, living souls. Clearly it’s very risky, so think about why a magic user would choose to use this rather than the natural magic or the ley line magic. Is it less tiring? More powerful? If so, why?

I hope that thinking about some of these questions can help you flesh out your magic system. :) All the best!

@mckapo

@Riorlyne Wow thank you for these questions, I will definitely use them to make my magic system stronger