gibson.oliver•1mo agoMost Upvoted

Had to pick between a magic system that's too complicated or too simple

I was planning out this fantasy story last month and got stuck on the magic rules. I had this detailed mana point system with charts and costs but it felt like a video game. Then I tried the opposite - just saying 'wizards can do stuff' but that made everything feel cheap. I went with a middle ground where magic has 3 hard limits and it flows way better in my first chapter. Anybody else wrestle with finding that sweet spot?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles541mo ago

The real trick might be making the magic system tied to something the reader already understands, like emotion or memory. That way the rules feel natural instead of made up. Your three limits approach probably handles that better than you think.

ellis.victor1mo agoMost Upvoted

Honestly that "tied to something the reader already understands" part is smart, makes the limits feel obvious.

hugo_cooper10d ago

The three limits thing is a total lifesaver, I just had to stop myself from adding a fourth one because I got excited. My first draft had wizards just yelling random words until stuff happened, so I'm definitely not the guy to ask for balance. Still beats my backup plan of "magic works but you owe me pizza" though, that got expensive fast.