Introduction

Creating an advanced magic system is difficult, and the more generalised it is, the better. That means everyone has access to the same magic. Why is generalisation better for advanced systems? Because you won’t have to micromanage intricacies for every character you plan to introduce. The other massive benefit will be the reader’s knowledge of the system. Knowing the rules for an upcoming battle is easier to grasp than finding out about the rules during the battle. People won’t watch boxing matches if there were no rules for scoring, will they?

Let’s bring in my weapon based magic system and flaming sword (from the chapters: "Magic System" and "How To Create Magic Systems"). On the surface, these systems may seem a little bland until you dig into the intricacies. It can be very tempting to create a system where magic X is more powerful than magic Y. The problem with this is finding a way to make the reader understand that magic X is always more powerful. I.E., there is no relative strength except to compare it to magic Y. This is how we get “asspulls,” or a situation so ridiculous that it takes the reader’s immersion away.

My magic system has three different sub-systems. A basic missile, buffing and debuffing, and an ultimate magic. Each have different rules.

Defining Relative Power

In my weapon system, I have defined relative values. A magic missile has a set power level. My missile can start out with power equivalent to a punch. The only way to increase its power is by “level up.” This is also the only defined “number” progression in my system. I no longer have to worry about whether the villain will have a suite of magics that may overpower my hero.

Let’s put in another rule like bullet speed. I don’t want the magic missile to fly so fast that my hero blinks and dies. The fact that the missile needs to be aimed will mean that my characters have to carefully consider how they use their missiles. Added to this is the durability damage their weapons suffer. I have tried to emulate what it’s like to miss a punch by having consequences.

Moving on to buffing and debuffing, I want my characters to only have one buff or debuff magic, and they cannot buff another person if they can buff themselves and vice-versa. My thought behind this was to create a society where every person relies on another person for daily magic. Magic in this category is variable in power, but it’s restricted by the fact that my hero can just run away if he gets debuffed. Essentially, he’ll forfeit the fight, or they can have an attrition battle where they’ll survive until the magic depletes.

My ultimate magic is already defined by the word “ultimate.” It is the strongest magic a character may have, and they might only get one chance to use it during a fight. For my hero, the flaming sword is his ultimate. This sword requires physical contact to burn things. My villains will generally always have an ultimate. Whose weapon will break first? Who’s going to win? This is how we define relative power.

The Flow Of Battle

My hero is a sword wielding warrior. He relies a lot on his strength and agility. He’ll occasionally throw in a magic missile, but he can’t risk too many or else his weapon might not be strong enough to use his ultimate.

In addition to this psychological battle is the buffs and debuffs. How will my hero use and deal with these magics? There are several possibilities and drawing out this power will be a goal so that he can determine if his ultimate is powerful enough to win. Of course, my hero can lead with his ultimate, risking the durability of his weapon.

All battles will follow this format. You might be thinking, “This is boring. There’s not enough magic!” When has anyone ever complained that a certain spider shot too much webbing? The use of his webs is what we find interesting. Following from that, the journey to using my ultimate is what is interesting.

You might be wondering how ultimate magic is easy to understand when it can be anything. Well, the effects of ultimate magic are a spectacle while the crux is whether it worked or not. In addition, the use of two ultimates by one character in the same fight is unlikely to occur, and so the element of ultimate surprise is lost on its next use.

Progression

I have made my progression system as linear as can be. The focus is to relay to the reader that the hero has levelled up without ever having to shove numbers down their throat. Simply visiting magic fonts and attuning with weapons will increase his power.

There is a flavour of risk involved with tying power levels to an external item. Firstly, the hero’s power will vanish if his weapon breaks. He won’t be able to shoot magic missiles, and he won’t be using ultimates. Therefore, it makes a bit of sense to add a “soft reset” system. In this soft reset, the hero is allowed to have his weapon reforged and lose half its power as a consequence. It’s better than having characters restart their journey with new weapons, although they may choose that path if they wish.

Progression may seem tightly tied with weapons, but that is not the case. Finding inventive ways to use buff/debuff magic is part of progression. And because I’ve made it so that this system relies on interaction with others, I now have a team of heroes who will progress together. Say that my hero has an intellect deficiency, and he needs more to use his flame sword. Then he finds a friend who can buff his intellect for a short period of time. Bam, we have progression.

Conclusion

I hope that you can begin to see the advantages of applying limits to magics. It forces the writer to come up with inventive ways of tackling issues, rather than layering another piece of magic on top to provide solutions. Your protagonist will be challenged, and you'll find fewer ridiculous moments that seem to have been thought up on the spot.