Most magic systems can be classified as hard or soft. Today, we’ll look at how to create a hard magic system for your fantasy world.

The term hard magic, coined by famed author Brandon Sanderson, describes a magic system that is fully developed within the narrative of the story. Almost as if the magic itself is a character, a hard magic system shapes the story in important ways.

It has rules and it has consequences.

Below, we’ll walk through how to create a believable and justifiable magic system that will excite readers (and you as the writer, too!).

Origin

First things first, decide how magic is channeled. Is it channeled? Is it created? Knowing where the magic comes from is crucial to knowing the laws behind it.

Is magic a component that can be sucked from the air?

Does it run through the veins of a specific fantasy race?

Origin will be key. This will later help you know the limits of your magic.

If your magic is from the environment: Does the environment limit the magic that can be consumed? Does something in the environment release these magical particles?

In many magical stories, having magic originate from an outside source can create an additional layer of conflict. Can the magic be monopolized or controlled? Can the magic eventually disappear? These will be questions that need answered. If magic is a finite source, this may create tensions within the fantasy world.

If your magic comes from the being: Can they access this magic from birth, or does it need awakened?

In many stories, age is a huge factor in a person’s magic being “turned on.” If age doesn’t matter, perhaps it’s a specific amount of training or meditation to get the magic flowing. Whatever the case may be, this will need to be consistent for your characters throughout the story. If you stray from this path, you’ll need a pretty good reason or you’ll be creating a large plot hole that will be very confusing to readers.

Limitations

After detailing the origins of your magic, you’ll want to look into magic’s limits.

Are there limits?

If there aren’t, be prepared for anime-level showdowns.

If the limit is minimal to magical ability, pacing will be key to keeping your readers interested. Having the protagonist reaching god-tier levels of magic in the first book of the series will quickly burn any tension you may be trying to create.

PACING!

Super important to the story and to make your magic system interesting to your audience. If it’s too easy, the readers will skip straight to the question: Why don’t all the characters just do it?

Consequences

Now the fun: Consequences.

When a character uses too much magic in short period of time, there needs to be consequences.

Can surpassing the limit kill your character?

Demolish a city?

Destroy the universe?

These are important questions to look into and will help you control what happens within the story. It will also nip another reader question in the bud: Why can’t they just use magic to fix all the world’s problems?

Some consequences include fatigue and or other physical ailments to affect the user. In one of my WIPs, magic creates a byproduct which is a form of pollution. Get creative!

Consequences go hand in hand with limits in creating a balanced magic system.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, if you do not understand the ins and outs of your magic system, the reader will quickly catch on and call your bluff. Rules need followed for consistency. Limits need implemented for plausibility. Consequences need to exist for tension.

Did I miss something? Let me know about your magic systems in the comments below!

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