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Questions tagged [magic]

For questions that have to do with magic, as opposed to science/technology. Remember to explain any limits.

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9 votes
4 answers
1k views

Is it possible to make sand from bones ? Would it have the same properties as regular sand?

Context : In a magic city, artificers use various types of sand as components for their magitek contraptions. I like the idea of having one type of sand made out of the bones of magical creatures and ...
Babika Babaka's user avatar
3 votes
10 answers
1k views

Would superhuman elites allow for more liberal governance? [closed]

Suppose, if you will, that the aristocracy of my fictional pre-Christian European nation is entirely composed of superhumans. The source of their powers lies in their blood, and can only be inherited ...
Thales's user avatar
  • 1,033
-3 votes
4 answers
214 views

How can agriculture/industry be economically viable in setting where magic exists?

D&D type setting where creation of materials from 'thin air' with some sort of ingredients. Basic economics would state that anything made with little to no initial cost would drive prices way ...
pinegulf's user avatar
  • 438
6 votes
5 answers
3k views

Is my magic enough to keep a person without skin alive for a month?

A specific ritual conducted by mages called the Skinless removes their entire skin as a consequence. To prepare for this, they hire a Blood Mage specialized in human biology, a Destruction Mage ...
Dmyt's user avatar
  • 2,069
5 votes
13 answers
1k views

What would be a good weapon to use with size changing spell

Partial setting summary It's a mage-centric world where spells are treated as family secrets (secrecy refers specifically to chants and moves needed to cast a spell, more experienced mages can omit ...
4dam's user avatar
  • 765
5 votes
5 answers
1k views

How to reconcile the effect of my time magic spell with my timeline

Magic is able to achieve its mystical effects through its Pleroma. Basically, Pleromas are magical and non-physical locations and objects that serve as the sources of power for magic. Each Pleroma is ...
Dmyt's user avatar
  • 2,069
6 votes
3 answers
2k views

How would increasing atomic bond strength affect nuclear physics?

I'm writing a magic system, and one of its types directly affects the atomic bonds of materials. What mages can do is increase the amount of energy required to break or create those bonds. How would ...
Colonel Cabbages's user avatar
8 votes
15 answers
3k views

Why would luck magic become obsolete in the modern era? [closed]

I have an Urban Fantasy setting where people can choose to walk on only one path of magic. After choosing, these mages gain spells related to said path. Furthermore, these spells mutate and transform ...
Dmyt's user avatar
  • 2,069
0 votes
3 answers
1k views

Consequences of a Character Being Unaffected by Gravitational Force? [closed]

In a world where a character gains the ability to be unaffected by gravitational forces due to true magic runes, the first scenario I thought of was : The character is launched toward a library wall ...
QuTaha Proton's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
92 views

How might religion evolve in a detached spacefaring human society? [closed]

Three hundred years from our current time, humanity under a unified central government attempt to colonize beyond Earth. Having relied on pre-FTL travel to navigate their solar system, the means to ...
gumbo's user avatar
  • 269
8 votes
3 answers
2k views

Can I replace the Sun with a non-nuclear equivalent?

The Scientocratic Hivemind has killed the Fire Deity at the cost of erasing the Earth's sun. For the sake of the lifeforms of this Earth before it goes away, it refines the Deity's corpse into a Sun ...
Dmyt's user avatar
  • 2,069
7 votes
4 answers
1k views

Political Relations on an Interstellar Scale

I'm working on a sci-fantasy (think wizards calling in JDAM strikes) setting where humanity has colonized about a hundred tightly located solar systems split up between 5-6 giant ethno-political ...
Lord Wungus's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
953 views

What would the sky look like on a planet under a green sun? [closed]

Basically what the title says. I know green stars are completely impossible, but this is a fantasy world with completely different laws of physics, so on a planet with a green sun, what color do you ...
Luis Romero's user avatar
11 votes
1 answer
710 views

Chemical Coin Flipping as Divination

Let me explain what the odd title means. In the I Ching, a book of ancient Chinese divination, there is a process of using 50 rods to produce what is essentially a binary outcome. The details aren't ...
A. Thomas Yerger's user avatar
7 votes
10 answers
3k views

How could double damage be explained in-universe? [closed]

I'm creating a tabletop role-playing steampunk fantasy game. Within the game are elemental weapons and spells similar to the ones in Borderlands. One of the elements is Slag. An organism or structure ...
Rhymehouse's user avatar
  • 4,916
-2 votes
2 answers
100 views

Leftover fallen world technologies [closed]

My fantasy novels are set in a world that reached WWI era technology in the distant past, but used magic in place of electricity and combustions. For complicated reasons, the magic stopped working, ...
Nathan Porrata's user avatar
7 votes
6 answers
1k views

Can my necromancer have this bridge built with those constraints?

Long story short I got a very powerful necromancer living on an island that is 33 kilometers from the nearest land mass. He wants to create a mega bridge to connect his island to the continent. The ...
Seallussus's user avatar
  • 8,483
3 votes
5 answers
643 views

Air magic only used to decrease humidity and improve living conditions?

I'm writing a world with an overall warm and very humid climate (Eocene-adjacent, although it does not have to be 100% realistic). Population is very low compared to Earth. Humans generally live in ...
Rinske Verberg's user avatar
0 votes
3 answers
123 views

How to Communicate Something Secret to Many People in an Urban Fantasy World? [closed]

(Hi, this is my 1st question on here, so feel free to LMK if you need more info to help answer...) In my story, the world is like ours, with the exception that there are some aliens who telepathically ...
BlueDragon6900's user avatar
5 votes
8 answers
1k views

Practical Combat Pipe

One of my worlds has a magic system in which people smoke an expensive substance called "salt" to temporarily gain increased strength, agility, and durability. Depending on the amount smoked,...
M S's user avatar
  • 2,944
3 votes
2 answers
133 views

What type of climate or geography would allow for a large mountain (10000m+) that glows when the sunlight hits the rockface?

The idea behind this is that there is a large mountain in my world that can be seen from the capital city over 500 km away. I took inspiration from Denali in Alaska, and how it can be seen from ...
Voth's user avatar
  • 33
2 votes
5 answers
1k views

How could ear plugs resistant to extremely loud sounds function?

In my story I have a character with the ability to emit powerful electric blasts. These electric blasts as you can imagine emit extremely large amounts of sound, heat, light, and obviously current. I ...
Coolcats112's user avatar
  • 1,298
1 vote
2 answers
361 views

Looking to shape a magic system based as much as possible in actual science [closed]

I am looking to create a magic system that is grounded in science. My initial thought was the ability to manipulate electrons on the atomic level. Since I do not want the magic users to be walking ...
Chason Arthur's user avatar
14 votes
7 answers
2k views

designing an elven magic system that blends with a WW1-esque world [closed]

I'm having issues designing a balanced magic system. let me elaborate. a handful of nations have allied against a big empire, and the fighting has regressed into trench warfare. Tech level is early ...
alkahest's user avatar
  • 1,387
2 votes
2 answers
123 views

what types for guns and magic would be suited, for a arabian-style steampunk 5e setting? [closed]

I am in the process of doing a homebrew setting for 5e. That is based around a steampunk arabian aesthetic. My setting will include guns alongside magic, though both won't be common nor rare but ...
Demoboy1999's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
148 views

Super speed based on magnetism

Context In my story there are several types of magic like wind magic, gravity magic, etc. My main character possesses magnetism magic which includes the ability to create strong magnetic fields on ...
Coolcats112's user avatar
  • 1,298
14 votes
11 answers
4k views

Opposite 'Fire Magic'?

Not 'Ice Magic'. Ice is just frozen water and fire magic goes beyond water. But, for the sake of explaining in this question, let's go with "Ice Magic". In a world where these two magics are ...
EMS's user avatar
  • 347
9 votes
7 answers
1k views

Advice on designing an inconsistent magic system [closed]

I'm working on a story (see here) where the way magic works is ... difficult, to say the least. Most magic occurs naturally, either through ley lines (naturally occuring lines of magical energy that ...
Talbot's user avatar
  • 767
-2 votes
1 answer
151 views

How to achieve immortality? [closed]

I've been planing a story for a long time and I have everything ready except this, Does anyone have an ideas on how to achieve immortality (doesn't have to be super scientific but i would appreciate a ...
finn's user avatar
  • 17
1 vote
3 answers
116 views

How could a magic user increase air pressure for jet blast like effects

In my magic system characters possess the ability to control air and wind. They can usually expel 300 mph winds from their body however these winds lack force over distance. I should clarify that the ...
Coolcats112's user avatar
  • 1,298
0 votes
6 answers
716 views

Why would two neighboring kingdoms fight over an island? [closed]

This story is set in a medieval-esque world, on a continent roughly the size of Australia that is separated into six different kingdoms/territories. Each territory is its own sovereign country and has ...
bruithel's user avatar
  • 351
3 votes
1 answer
138 views

A smart way to ground yourself to help a person who is being shocked by electricity [closed]

:) I am currently planning a scene for my fantasy novel that involves electricity. I'm unsure if regular electricity with its properties known to us works in the context of my magical world or if I ...
Aki's user avatar
  • 39
6 votes
13 answers
4k views

Fastest way to do damage/kill with wind

Wind powers in fiction are often extremely powerful with the ability to kill or even level objects with a single attack. In real life wind is typically weaker than the wind in fiction and unless the ...
Coolcats112's user avatar
  • 1,298
4 votes
4 answers
1k views

Laser finger guns

This is not really connected to my story but I had an idea of having finger guns that actually work. Because lasers are cool I thought that you could have a character with the ability to magically ...
Coolcats112's user avatar
  • 1,298
3 votes
5 answers
709 views

Is it possible for magical Universities to become powerful political entities, and is my structure for the same sensible?

Y'all remember that old adage about how knowledge is power? When that knowledge is magic, specifically the type of magic that can do almost everything, the adage becomes a lot more practical than ...
Thales's user avatar
  • 1,033
4 votes
1 answer
264 views

Would this method of lightning superpowers work?

In my previous question I mentioned a character with the ability to control electricity. I had an idea of them using Lorentz forces as a main method of offense but we found that this was extremely ...
Coolcats112's user avatar
  • 1,298
5 votes
4 answers
454 views

What if a wizard mass produces gold and silver to crash the market?

A Wizard that grew up poor and resentful of the jewellery of the rich people around him decides he'll end the allure of gold and silver for good. For this purpose, he immediately produces a billion ...
Thales's user avatar
  • 1,033
9 votes
9 answers
5k views

Will nothing bad happen if I just create infinite energy?

My magic system introduces an additional energy form that one can convert at a rate leaving out surplus energy, thus generating more than what was initially utilized. For instance, using Arcana to ...
user avatar
8 votes
8 answers
402 views

What's a semi-plausible 24 hour planetary sterilization look like?

In my setting, there is a type of airborne fungal spore that can infect all living matter, and a Star Wars Galactic Empire style/sized faction that wants to sterilize planets with this spore ...
ThunderSnug's user avatar
18 votes
10 answers
2k views

How would the existence of sapient "Pet Rocks" affect the economy of a medieval kingdom?

The world: A standard medieval European-ish fantasy world, with very limited magic, which aside from the titular exception has little to no effect on everyday life. The continent is divided into ...
Going Durden's user avatar
  • 6,988
12 votes
14 answers
4k views

Why does a goddess put a low limit on the number of priests?

This is probably the first magic question I’ve asked so sorry if I get anything wrong this time. In this world, there is a goddess, and she is very, very real. She’s functionally omniscient: whenever ...
controlgroup's user avatar
  • 6,341
1 vote
1 answer
140 views

Magic System Based on Electronics [closed]

Lets assume mana as electrons . We have current, voltage, and resistance of a mana. Current is the flow of mana in our body, voltage as the force to make mana flowing in our body, and resistance to ...
SmartWallet3000's user avatar
4 votes
4 answers
1k views

Moon calendar with a permanent full Moon

The Situation This can be considered a continuation of the following question: Permanent Full moon via "Magic" In this question I asked how a permanent full moon could be possible. While I ...
Fallenspacerock's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
420 views

Could nanotechnology have the ability to control the weather?

In a short story I am writing I have a magic system that involves nanotech left behind from an ancient advanced civilisation that can allow for magic like effects. In this story the characters ...
Coolcats112's user avatar
  • 1,298
8 votes
15 answers
3k views

How to build a defensive wall that Stone Mages can't easily deconstruct?

Assume that the time period takes place at some point before cannons and other later siege equipment (medeival, antiquity, bronze age, etc.) Stone mages can affect materials that follow the geological ...
Foosic17's user avatar
  • 1,266
1 vote
2 answers
146 views

Highly Visible Comet in the Sky

There is a comet in my world which passes my world's version of Earth every 25 years. I'm having difficulty figuring out how to make the comet fit my requirements. Requirements: Passes my planet only ...
Fallenspacerock's user avatar
11 votes
10 answers
3k views

Permanent Full moon via "Magic"

The Problem I had in mind giving my world a permanent full moon for a long time. Though I generally ran into 2 problems along the way. Firstly I wanted of course to make it appear as if it was always ...
Fallenspacerock's user avatar
1 vote
7 answers
765 views

How can I make a military that largely enlists spell swords viable? [closed]

I really need help trying to get this to work. I'm working on a faction that primarily employs spell swords as their Frontline force. They have other parts such as artillery, combat medics, and other ...
Masakan's user avatar
  • 323
7 votes
3 answers
434 views

Highly resistant House Plant

The Premise My world takes place about 25 years after an magical apocalyptic event killed most life in my setting. It also left the sky permanently dark which is caused by thick magical clouds. I know ...
Fallenspacerock's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
2k views

Would the diet described below sustain a human?

In my world I need to feed a colony of Kobolds. I'm modeling my Kobolds' dietary requirements on humans. My question is whether or not the following foodstuffs would meet the dietary needs of human ...
Roger Perry's user avatar

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