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What is the difference between hard and soft magic systems?
A hard magic system will have a clear set of boundaries to it. A soft magic system doesn’t have hard and fast rules. It is wild and undefined. The reader can see it play out but is often unaware of the mechanics.
How do you build a hard magic system?
7 Ways To Create A Magic System For Your Novel
- Decide on its tone. There are roughly two types of fantasy.
- Be consistent. Your magic system must adhere to its own logic.
- Choose carefully who can use it.
- Tell us where Magic comes from.
- Play with magic.
- Make sure you need it.
- Know who to steal ideas from.
How do you write hard magic systems?
What is hard Worldbuilding?
With hard worldbuilding, we create worlds with clear rules. They have clear explanations for what’s allowed and what’s not allowed. There’s an explanation for how story world elements work and perhaps even why they exist. Middle-earth of The Lord of the Rings is a great example.
Is Lord of the Rings soft magic?
LOTR is a prime example of a soft magic system, in fact, it’s one of the softest out there.
What are the different magic systems?
The Four Types of Magic Systems So you can see we have hard-rational, hard-irrational, soft-irrational, and soft-rational magic systems. Those are the four types. That’s it.
What are the 8 types of magic?
In most approaches to arcane theory, magic of all kinds, be it arcane, divine or from some other source, can be classified as being part of one of eight types, or schools. The eight schools are abjuration, conjuration, divination, enchantment, evocation, illusion, necromancy, and transmutation.
What is the difference between hard magic and soft magic?
Hard magic systems must conform to a concrete set of laws, whereas soft magic systems loosely follow an abstract series of guidelines. This is the gist of what separates hard magic systems and soft magic systems.
What are some examples of soft magic systems?
A standard example of a soft magic system is the supernatural discipline of naming in The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. The rules governing this central branch of the overarching magic system are vague at best.
What are the different types of magic systems in fantasy?
There are two main types of magic systems within the fantasy genre: hard magic systems and soft magic systems. Learning the defining characteristics of these two categories of magic systems will help you better understand this fundamental fantasy aspect.
What is a hard magic system?
Hard magic systems definitively lay out all of the governing laws of how magic is created and used. There are very few loopholes, if any, in this type of magic system. The purpose of laying out the magic system in this way is to present the reader with all of the facts.