Magic: Exclusive Interview World Showcase

PAGE 16: Community Magic Systems. VOL.
2 / ISSUE 6 / DECEMBER 2018
MAGIC AND OTHER TOPICS
World Showcase
Ellis Knox's Altearth, interviewed by Aaryan Balu
Exclusive Interview
with Tim Hickson, interviewed by Adam Bassett
Making Magic
Analyzing Spell-Based Magic Systems by Ianara Natividad & Noah L.
analysis • art • interviews prompts •stories • theory

a community publication.
LETTER FROM THE TEAM
WBM
Abracadabra!
Once again, the Worldbuilding Magazine team has conjured up an issue filled with inspiration,
advice, and entertainment. If you take a look through Magic, you’ll find pieces from authors new
and old, ranging from in-depth analyses of magic systems to mysterious, thought-provoking sto-
ries. In addition, we have exclusive interviews with author Ellis Knox about his Altearth and with
Tim Hickson, better known by his Youtube alias Hello Future Me. (You should, of course, check out
his videos immediately after reading this issue.)
If, after reading, you feel you want to help out with the next issue, Death & Taxes, we’re always
welcoming volunteers. Have a story or article you think would be a good fit for the magazine, or
think our readers would be interested in an interview with you? Reach out to the Writing Depart-
ment, led by Adam Bassett. Want to join the ranks of Editors (the first and last line of defense
against typos and misunderstandings) or perhaps lend your artistic talents to the magazine? Our
Editing and Art Departments are led by Ianara Natividad and Wynter, respectively. You can inquire
by messenger raven, email us at contact@worldbuildingmagazine.com, or join us on Discord. Our
Editor and Vice-Editor in Chief Miles Gilberti (StronglyOPlatypus) and Debug200 are happy to
answer any questions you may have.
As always, thanks to our wonderful staff for making this issue possible, and we hope you
all enjoy this issue even more than the last ones! If you missed the previous issues, they’re all
available on our website. If you want to participate in book clubs, have conversations with fellow
worldbuilders, and discuss the craft, our Discord is open to all. Happy worldbuilding!
Sincerely,
The Worldbuilding Magazine Team
2 WORLDBUILDING MAGAZINE
4 WORLD SHOWCASE: ELLIS KNOX'S ALTEARTH
Interview conducted by Aaryan Balu
9 EXCLUSIVE: TIM HICKSON OF HELLO FUTURE ME

Interview conducted by Adam Bassett
16 COMMUNITY MAGIC SYSTEMS

Curated by Adam Bassett and BH Pierce, Forword and art by Adam Bassett
21 THE LIMITS OF MAGIC

Terry Herc
24 SANDERSON’S LAWS: BUILDING A MAGIC SYSTEM FOR STORYTELLING

Aaryan Balu
28 MAKING MAGIC: ANALYZING SPELL-BASED MAGIC SYSTEMS

Ianara Natividad & Noah L.
36 THE NEWSROOM
Daniel C. Baker & C. Lynn Baker, Art by Anna Hannon
43 ART FEATURE: ANNA HANNON

Curated by Wynter
48 EMBRACING NATURE: USING RPG

MECHANICS TO INSPIRE WORLDBUILDING
Cathy, the Overprepared GM
54 STRANGE MAGIC
Adam Bassett
58 ASK US ANYTHING
BH Pierce
60 PROMPTS AND STAFF PICKS

Various Authors
62 MEET THE STAFF

WithBestIntentions
Cover: Deificat
Logo: Tristen Fekete
VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 3

WORLD SHOWCASE: ELLIS KNOX’S ALTEARTH
Interview
Interview conducted by Aaryan Balu
E llis Knox has been creating Altearth, an

alternate historical fantasy world in which
he’s written several novels and short stories.This
Sounds like a lot of detailed legwork. What at-
tracted you to the idea?
is how he describes his world. I was educated as a historian, so it was natural

for me to turn to alternate history rather than
Ellis: Where magic is real, monsters roam the making up a world on my own. I was, and am, fasci-
land, and the Roman Empire never fell. nated by re-working the history I know into some-
thing new. In fact, mostly I leave the human history
That’s the tagline. In Altearth, I take all the his- in place. The inventing comes in finding places and
tory of Europe from the end of the Roman Empire cultures for elves, dwarves, trolls, and so on, and
down to today as given. I introduce a couple of figuring out how they live with each other and with
fundamental changes, the biggest of which is humans.
encompassed in the tag line. Instead of Goths and
Huns and Vandals invading the Roman Empire, it What are some ways you've found to work these
was goblins and orcs and trolls. Dwarves, elves, races into the fabric of history?
gnomes, sprites: all of them show up along the
way—pretty much the entire panoply of European Dodging is a favorite. When the elves came to
legends and mythical creatures. Where it suits my Altearth, they came from a cataclysm (they lived in
purposes, I will change history around, but I try to Atlantis), so they scattered. There's no elf kingdom;
keep as much of it in place as I can. instead, they live in villages or isolated communi-
ties. There's also a group of elves called wagoneers
What was the inspiration/starting point of this (routiers, in Frankish) who are itinerant. They're
world, both in terms of why you chose to write it vagabonds, but they also serve as merchants and
and where the history diverges from our own? newsmongers to elf communities all over Europa.
The inspiration was just one of those ideas Dwarves live in the mountains, of course—the
that seemed to creep in by the back door. It was Alps, Carpathians, and Pyrenees mainly. They don't
back when I was playing RPGs with friends and have kingdoms either, but live in cantons with a
had the idea that I could have a world in which all sort of communal governmental system. Like the
the medieval mythology was real. I knew pretty Graubünden of Switzerland.
much right away I did not want to play it as a
game—it was more of a context or concept than an Where do all of these races come from, origi-
actual game structure. I gave it some thought and nally? Have they always been a part of world
decided on the persistence of the Empire, that the history, or is there a specific divergence point?
barbarian invasions of the 5th century were mon-
sters instead of barbarians, that magic was real. This is one of the places where I have fun.
I decided both Christianity and Islam remained Altearth covers two thousand years, and for most
minor mid-East sects and that polytheism would of that time people had only hazy or outright mis-
be the world's religion. When I came up with the taken ideas about magic and monsters and all that.
name, Altearth, I was set. So, from an in-world perspective, the first appear-
ance was the invasion of the goblins in 1131 AUC
All that happened pretty quickly, over the span (378 AD). My book, Goblins at the Gates tells that
of a few months. The concept burbled (meaning story. That's also the first appearance of magic.
I wrote ideas and notes but not stories) until I But, of course, Rome had laws against sorcery for
decided to get serious about writing roughly ten centuries, so were those incidents real or imagi-
years ago. The rest, to coin a phrase, is alternate nary? Scholars differ.
history.
and magic to it. For example, there will be giants
(band name!). Which means I'm going to have to
decide where and how they live, how they relate to
humans, etc. That's sort of what I mean about how
each story sheds new light.
What's one of your favorite societies/races that

you've needed to improvise a place for, and what
ramifications did that have on the world as a
whole?
I really like the wagoneers and the gardiens. In

A Child of Great Promise, I set the early chapters in
southern France, in a region called the Camargue.
Gorgeous place, with French cowboys! The gardi-
ens are historically real. They raise beautiful white
horses. Also, there's an annual assembly of Rom
(gypsies) down at the mouth of the Rhone River.
I stumbled across some pictures as I was doing
research. I did not want to replicate gypsies, but
the image gave me the idea that I could find a home
for elves by not giving them a home. So I sort of
built out from there. I now have hunter elves and
fisher elves. I also have a strong tradition of walk-
about for elves.
As I said, they all came from Atlantis. That land

broke apart (I haven't settled on a date), and the
Image by Milo at Deranged Doctor Design elves spent some years floating on fragments or on
flotillas of ships. Eventually, they started landing
The "real" story is more complicated. I'm writ-
along the Atlantic coast. A core principle for them
ing a book right now, Into the Second World, that
is to never assemble all in one place. The actual
will tell the origins; or at least what the characters
experience has faded into fragmentary legends, but
in the book experience. Essentially, those 19th-cen-
the trauma remains.
tury theories about Hollow Earth were correct.
I have ideas for dwarves, but I've not yet written
When I started, by the way, I did not have that as
a dwarf-based story. I've got an idea and a title—
a premise. I let the dwarves and magic and all that
Tuck the Unchosen—but it's like fourth in line right
just appear. I had them in a timeline but simply
now.
ducked the question of origins. I try to do that con-
sciously. I don't try to plan out everything; instead,
This sort of brings me into a larger question,
I concentrate on individual stories. In each of
one that also ties into the greater theme of
those, I'm forced to invent more details. I had the
this month's issue—what are the properties of
idea of re-telling Jules Verne's famous book, and
these elves and dwarves, and how do they inter-
provisionally thought everyone could have come
act with magic of the world?
from the center of the earth. As I worked through
the telling, it seemed to fit.
That's very much a work in progress. Magic in
Altearth is variously understood. With orcs, for
So it sounds like a constantly evolving idea of the
example, magic belongs to the priests and is a func-
world as you continue to flesh it out.
tion of prayer. God (they're monotheists) grants
miracles.
Absolutely.
With dwarves and gnomes (I'm very fond of the
My next book is going to be about Emperor
gnomes), magic is crafting. They have the inborn
Frederick II. The story of how he became emperor
is pretty exciting, so I'm just adding monsters

ability to work magical items and to infuse magic important to the story. But a modern Altearth
into items. It's all physical. No spellcasting or that researcher would say phlogiston was involved.
sort of thing. Since there's phlogiston inside every cell of our
being, I suppose some people just naturally can
Elves are different, and I haven't worked out concentrate or otherwise use it. Or maybe they use
specific parameters except in a couple of general what they find in external objects (she uses wind
ways. They have three eyes. The third is in the currents). In Goblins at the Gates, Inglena has a
forehead and is called an eye, but it's less about white sword that can cut through endless enemies,
perception than about causing magic to happen. never bloodies, and never dulls. And that's all the
It's both. But I have not done elf magic in a book, detail I give.
so it's rather hazy. I do know that other people fear
that third eye, and elves keep it closed for the most Gotcha. So how does humanity react to the
part. Legends of the "evil eye" and all that. Elves arrival of the many new races—and did magic
don't live like other people or look like other peo- exist beforehand?
ple, so they're often suspected and feared. In more
modern times, though, elves get involved with Did magic exist beforehand? Well, there are
technology and become outstanding engineers. plenty of documents that talk about it. Visions in
the sky. Omens from birds. Accusations of sorcery.
There is a system of sorts underlying all this. In Did all that "superstition" and magic only arrive
keeping with my goal of making everything leg- with the goblins? Or was some of that also real?
endary real, I decided early on that phlogiston was I'm not sure I need to resolve that. In Altearth, it's
the "scientific" basis for magic. Phlogiston exists much debated among scholars. As for how human-
everywhere, including in living creatures. It can ity reacted, the first arrivals were goblins, then
be concentrated, even extracted in pure form, but orcs and a bevy of others.
of course it's not until modern times that anyone
figures this out. And it's even longer before they Dwarves appear somewhere in the 5th century
come up with the Aethereal Theory, which explains (AD) and elves in the 6th or 7th. The Empire was
how phlogiston operates through time and space. badly disrupted by the invasions and many records
It may appear to affect and work in the physical were lost. Even contemporary records survive in
world, but phlogiston actually operates through their earliest written form only from 800 or so and
the aether. after, so they may have undergone changes. The
record, in short, is difficult and sparse.
What's the Aethereal Theory, and how does phlo-
giston work in pure form? But, humans welcomed the dwarves, for they
fought alongside humans during the invasions.
It will be the formal theory of how phlogiston The relationship with elves is more complicated.
operates through the aether. I'll lift what I can from Dwarves and elves get along okay in the sense that
Descartes and sprinkle a little Einstein for flavor. they're not ancient enemies. At the same time, each
is so alien to the other, they find it difficult to work
I think of phlogiston as being like an element, together. They have, from time to time, formed alli-
but I'm also toying with the idea of having it have ances with humans and so have worked together
something like quantum states, allowing it to that way.
behave differently in different conditions. In one
novelette, the crazy scientist who extracts it dies I should add a word about the gnomes. They
because the substance explodes almost at once. appeared with the dwarves, as far as we can tell,
Because he worked alone, no one knew what he'd and always as their partners. Gnomes are instinc-
done, and another few decades elapse before the tively servants. They don't form independent
official discovery. communities. They're clever craftsmen, especially
good with small things like furniture or jewelry,
Right now, phlogiston is more like a premise. It's and they're outstanding farmers and herdsmen.
my handwavium. Vibranium. Dwarves live in their stone houses and work
stone while gnomes do the farming. With humans,
In my last book, for example, the lead charac- gnomes become something like serfs. It's easy to
ter, Talysse, is a girl who can fly. I don't go into take advantage of gnomes, but if you treat them
detail on how she does this. The explanation isn't badly enough, they simply leave. They don't rebel,
they just do the "secession"—they relocate. is the final victory over the orc empire. One of the
aspects of Altearth, I think, that sets it apart is that
The relationship between the various races the world isn't static. It doesn't always have the
sounds like a rich vein of conflict. What are the same cast of characters.
effects of the new races on Altearth’s version of
real-world wars and battles? What do you mean?
That's very much in development. I do know I mean there can be stories where there are no
that in the 20th century (I'll forbear inflicting orcs in the world. The misperceptions about magic
Roman dates on you), there's the Great War, which means I can have a story in which alchemy is real,
lasts from 1914 to 1945. It's a war between the or astrology, or crystal balls. I can have a story that
Surface and the Second World and has profound takes place before the trolls appear. Or where there
consequences (a phlogistical version of climate are drow but no one knows that yet.
change).
I'm thinking of having the drow be at the root
Why didn’t the war end until 1945? of the Black Death. There are historical accounts
where people say the disease seemed to be spread
It doesn't end because I don't want it to. It's through breath and sight. Make that literal and it's
commonplace among historians to say that WWII pretty cool.
was a continuation of WWI in many ways, so I just
rolled with that. From a bird’s-eye view, is there an overall time-
line for the events of Altearth?
More common, though, is for me to do a spin.
For example, dragons come into Altearth in the I do have a general outline. Here again, details
late 700s. I basically take Vikings and substitute are hazy.
dragons. They enter the world by magical means—
they're created by a cabal of wizards, get out of The First Dark Age (500-700, the dates are
control, and terrorize Europa for two hundred fluid) is the age of Heroic Magic. Magic was highly
years. unreliable. There were no books, no systems, only
individuals doing extraordinary things. Magic was
There are so many cool things in the last sen- thought to be a manifestation of an individual. A
tence. Why'd the wizards create the dragons, gift from the gods, a genius, something innate. That
how do they affect the world, and what stops belief continued for a long time.
them in the end?
By 1000 or so, though, we get schools where
I think I'm going to have lindwurms around— magic gets taught. Not in the form of spells and
they provide a nice explanation for a number of such but as a discipline, like a martial art.
things—and I could have the wizards use them.
Mutate? Clone? I leave these things vague until I That evolved quickly into actual spellcasting. By
actually write a story. The closest I've come is the 1200, we get colleges and academies and Europa-
Battle of Stamford Bridge, which is where the last wide associations of magicians. Think scholastics
of the dragons are killed. That's a pseudo-historical versus nominalists. We also get people trying to
essay. recover the heroic aspects of earlier centuries. A
"rebirth" of true magic.
In general, I am cautious about nailing down too
much. Ultimately I'm a writer, not a worldbuilder. This fragments further by 1500 or so. There
If I make a decision in, say, 951, every story that are many different disciplines—this is the heyday
takes place later has to live with that decision. of alchemy and astrology and numerology, but
Eventually I'd get to a point where I couldn't write also of an incipient chemistry and biology. After
any fiction—it'd be all essays. So I keep things as the destruction of the orc empire, almost no one
unclear as I can, which gives me flexibility to write believes magic comes from a divine source.
good stories.
I'm doing something with the Reformation,
I'll mention one other big historical event. The but it’s a reform of magical methods. I'll do
Hundred Years War becomes the Century War and something with the Enlightenment, but it will be

wrong-headed in some way. Alongside that in the 19th-century works. They're filled with anecdotes
18th century is a growing scientific movement. Sci- and incidents long since debunked. But if I find it
ence in Altearth includes a scientific approach to interesting, I use it.
magic. Lots of theories, most wrong. Around 1790
we learn to infuse phlogiston into water to create I also have fun writing Altearth historical arti-
steam, and industrialization changes everything. I cles. Those actually do have footnotes. I make up
get to have a steampunk phase. journal names, author names. It's silly and proba-
bly of no interest to anyone, but I like it.
The tagline of the world describes how "The
Roman Empire never fell.” What caused this to Are there any tools or resources that you used
happen, and how does that affect the world go- to build the world up and might be of interest to
ing forward? WBM readers?
Yeah, that one's tricky, but I think I can make it Lots of history books, of course, but that's spe-
work. The big difference is keeping Rome as the cific to me. Let's see.
capital. My not-yet-written history will say that
while Constantine built his new capital at Byzan- Google Earth. I decide on where the story is
tium (having never converted to Christianity), the to happen. I know, for example, that Frederick of
advent of the goblins caused Theodosius to return Hohenstaufen sets out from Sicily (age 18) and
to Italy. Justinian sealed that deal by defending meets with a pirate called Henry the Fisherman
the West successfully. That, of course, will imply near some island nearby. So, haul out Google Earth
that the orc empire is somewhere to the east, but I and have a look around. I'm not merely after a map,
don't have that geography worked out yet. I'm after specific visual details. Which island? What
does the coastline look like? I’ll also take the place
Anyway, I have to do a little dance to get through names and do an image search. I study the kinds
the next few centuries until I get to Charlemagne. of trees and rock formations, looking for details—
I can do it—the long-haired kings will finally get sometimes what I see sparks an idea for a scene.
their title—but I don't have it written down any- Sometimes the ideas can be fundamental, such as
where. There's a bit of a hiccup in the late 800s– how I got the idea for the wagoneers or how I used
early 900s, and I might even let things fall apart the salt hills early in A Child of Great Promise.
there for a while. Dragons can cause a real mess.
Then recovery with Henry the Fowler. I'll probably Another good source, but difficult to navigate
keep Rome as the capital, especially since I don't unless you already have prior knowledge, is the
have popes. Internet Archive. That's where I go to find histor-
ically outdated books. It's extremely rich if you're
The other big change is to have all the other writing a 19th-century setting or later, but there
kings—Frankish, Arelat, Briton, Navarre, etc.— are also treasures such as medical treatises or
be actually under the Emperor. The theoretical works on magic that date from a time before we
medieval hierarchy becomes actual. The theory got all scientific and rational on ourselves. Also tra-
would have authority running from the emperor ditional music. Also just about everything. I even
in unbroken lines right down to the lowliest noble. go there for background music as I write. It's the
You know, that pyramid drawn by just about every single greatest gem on the Internet.
Western Civ teacher. It's historically wrong, of
course, but that's part of what makes working in Thirdly, I would mention communities. Mythic
Altearth fun. I get to use the stereotypes! Scribes, Science Fiction and Fantasy Chronicle, and
Fantasy Faction are my main hangouts, though
So what are some of your favorite stories and there are more. Obviously! Being able to hang
aspects of the world you've created? around with other fantasy writers is invaluable,
not only for specifics but for general morale.
My favorite stories are the ones I've written. My
second favorite are the ones I have yet to write.
My favorite aspect is no footnotes. That is, I get You can find Ellis’ work on his website, altearth.
to use whatever I find, regardless of its historical net, or on Amazon.
authenticity. Some of my favorite sources are
EXCLUSIVE: TIM HICKSON OF HELLO FUTURE ME
Interview
Interview conducted by Adam Bassett

Art by Tim Hickson
T im, also known as Hello Future Me, is the

creator of numerous lore and analysis videos
on YouTube. We were thrilled to be able to speak
with him for this final issue of 2018, so without
any further ado: here’s what Tim had to say
about his On Writing series, his personal work,
writing, and more.
Tim: I'm a New Zealander, which is rare enough

in these sorts of circles as it is. I run the channel,
“Hello Future Me,” which creates nerdy content
around a number of stories I'm incredibly passion-
ate about, but my magnum opus, you might say,
is my writing and worldbuilding series where I
breakdown elements of those things and talk about
what works and helps, and things we might con-
sider as writers. Undoubtedly, those videos are my
That is a question I could do a whole four-thou-
greatest passion, as I've always loved storytelling,
sand word video on. There are methodological
but more importantly, trying to understand why
differences—Tolkien began with languages and
some stories work and some stories don't.
wanted to create a world to place them in, while
Avatar began with its characters and developed a
My actual channel didn't start off with this sort
world around them. Oftentimes, writers who focus
of content. No, like so many others, I started off
on one before the other can end up with a weaker
doing those goofy vlogs where I talk about nothing
other half. I don't want to reduce my answer to
and nobody watches. A long while after, I managed
“Which do I prefer between Avatar and Tolkien?”
to pick up this fandom talking about How To Train
as that is something I simply couldn't answer.
Your Dragon. Yes, the kids' TV series. It was a niche
that nobody was making videos for, and so I did.
The Elder Scrolls has a unique approach to
I've since added Avatar, Tolkien, The Elder Scrolls,
canon that I especially like. Tolkien and Avatar
and lastly, the writing/worldbuilding series that
have very much “word of God”-based worldbuild-
I've had so many people fortunately watch and
ing and lore, in the sense that there is often one
support.
canonical record of events or understandings of
the magic system that make up their worldbuild-
Oh, and I have an adorable cat called Mishka,
ing. But The Elder Scrolls is a muddled mess of lore
but everyone calls him Supreme Leader Mishka
(in a good way) that makes it feel real in a way
because we sort of have this Mishkerian Empire
I just love. I sometimes feel that fantasy stories
theme to the channel going. Saying it on here
with a single set of facts that everyone knows and
sounds strange, but if you've been around the
agrees on about history/magic and so on makes
channel, you get used to it.
the world feel less real, but TES approach to lore
is contradictory, interpretive, and complex—it's
Could you describe, in your view, the differences
not even designed so that there is necessarily a
between worldbuilding in some of the series
correct interpretation in some cases. A lot of times,
you're known to discuss (such as Avatar: The Last
it's just that some things are, and us readers have
Airbender and Lord of the Rings), and which you
to wonder what that might mean. It moves very
personally prefer?

much away from the “word of God” approach, and Otherwise, it would be my one on how to write a
a major figure in that lore community, Michael first chapter, which in terms of educational content
Kirkbride, who often just acknowledges that he that is useful to a wide group of people, I really felt
doesn't know or he has his suspicions, but nothing I could be proud of. That was also the video where
concrete about it. the focus changed for me personally—I felt more
like I was writing something that could be used in
That, to me, is the most enticing approach to a classroom, and teachers have come forward to let
worldbuilding, but I love the other styles equally. me know they have used my videos to help teach
their kids, which is about the highest praise you
The On Writing series, which dives deep into a can give someone who makes content like this.
topic on writing or worldbuilding, has been
a mainstay for your YouTube channel since it The series opened with your trilogy on magic
began in February 2018. What's been the most systems mentioned above. I'd like to know a bit
enjoyable or interesting On Writing video for you more about your thoughts on magic systems. For
and why? example, is there anything that you would like to
add or change about those episodes now? Some-
That is a ridiculously difficult question for me, thing you may have left out or some new media
but I think I could say the final part of the original that you feel is worth mentioning?
trilogy on magic systems, where I discussed how
magic systems can be integrated into narrative Fantasy has definitely taken a shift towards
and storytelling, using what I feel is one of the harder magic systems. Most people who write fan-
best examples of writing ever, Avatar: The Last tasy these days, in my experience, like to have this
Airbender. So, not only are the magic systems in comprehensive magic system that they understand
particular fascinating to me (I've always been a and can be utilised by characters in much a similar
fantasy kid above all else), but I was able to place vein to Sanderson's allomancy or surgebinding in
them in the context of Avatar’s story which I adore. The Stormlight Archive—which is great! Don't get
It’s one of the reasons why the story works so well. me wrong. I love hard magic systems, but I think
There was also a big build-up to it for me person- this might be because I think, and these are just
ally, as I had two whole other videos explaining my personal thoughts, that soft magic systems are
soft and hard magic systems before I got to this harder to do well in a story. It's easy to fall into
one. deus-ex-machina moments or to have the magic
system scale out of control with bigger, badder
forces that don't follow any previously established conflict to who can cause the most damage more
cohesive rules (as by nature, there aren't as many/ than how can the character use the rules of magic
as strict rules as with hard magic systems). GRR system to resolve the conflict. Avatar: The Last Air-
Martin has a lot of soft magic in his world, and he bender isn't a truly hard magic system, but it deals
does it particularly well, which is part of why his with power creep logically and well.
series is so enchanting.
I have to ask, what’s coming up after the current
I think it would have been interesting to talk (at the time of this interview) series on how em-
a little more about animated magic systems, like pires work?
Terry Pratchett's, where the magic very much has a
will of its own in some sense. I think that's an idea This series on empires was just meant to be
where there is a lot to play with, but not many peo- one video, but then I realised it needed two, and
ple have used it. by the time I was onto the second, I realised it
needed three. Woe is me. The final part will be
That's a good point. The predictability of hard on how empires fall. But as for the future, while
magic systems can certainly be a double-edged I can't say definitely, as I often pick and choose
sword. videos dependent on what people might want at
the time, I have a vague trajectory. I've recently
Yes, and I've always had a soft spot for softer started a subset within the writing series called On
magic systems, personally. While this may just Worldbuilding, and I'm so happy as to how it has
come from my allegiance to Tolkien, I tend to find been received. Hopefully, heading into the future,
softer magic systems have this older, more ancient I'll be doing more of those videos on the elements
and deep alluring feel that is more difficult, but of worldbuilding and how those elements can fit
not impossible, to capture than with harder magic into the narrative—like how having a nationalistic
systems. empire sets up a different point of tension in the
narrative to security-based empires was one thing
I think it would have been good to talk about we discussed in my most recent video.
power creep within the discussion of magic sys-
tems too, if I went back. Those videos were long for I'm looking at doing a video on why prequels
me then, but I often do 20+ minute videos, and that have a bit of a...shaky record on quality? The
would allow me to talk about how some stories Star Wars series being the infamous one, but we
essentially defeat the point of their magic system wouldn't be looking at that specifically. I'd also like
by having these huge power ups that reduce the to have a look at prologues in an On Writing video.

On Writing seems very well researched. About I'd like to ask about the way you consume me-
how long does the average On Writing episode dia these days. Since starting On Writing you've
take to put together? shown a clear ability to dissect scenes and
stories into parts
I normally pro- to explain why they
duce two videos per work (or don't). When
week for Thursdays watching a new film,
and Saturdays, but I series, or what have
realised early on after you, how has this af-
that initial trilogy of fected your enjoyment
writing videos came of that media, if at all?
out that I wouldn't be Are you able to still
able to bring them out enjoy a story for what
that quickly with the it is or do you find
depth and quality that yourself dissecting
I wanted. Being reliant it even when an On
on views online for a Writing episode does
job made it difficult, not demand it?
because I wasn't neces-
sarily going to get more No, no, thank you
views taking a whole for watching them! It's
week to make these a community and my
videos that I loved. As content is a big part of
in, I knew from the it, but ultimately, it's
moment I made my a community of more
first one that this was than just me. As for the
what I wanted to do on way I consume media,
YouTube, more than well, funnily enough, I
anything else. was naturally experiencing films and books with
that dissecting mindset before I started the series.
So, I decided that on the weeks I did On Writing Prior to it, a couple of years ago, I deliberately sat
videos, I would take a whole week. They're also down and took notes on the first chapter of Harry
usually a lot longer than my normal videos, at Potter and the Philosopher's Stone to try and figure
about 2200-4200 words (as they have been with out why it was so good. I thoroughly enjoyed doing
this recent series on worldbuilding empires), but that just as a personal exercise. I know, that's about
the length isn't so much the thing that takes the the nerdiest thing in the world I could possibly do,
time as the research and phrasing it right does. I but I think I'm amongst good company here!
try my best to never phrase things as “should” in
talking about writing, because it's very easy to say It hasn't so much changed how I consume
writing should be done one way, but it's almost media as it has heightened what was already my
never true. approach. I definitely take a more analytical mind
to it than I used to. I distinctly recall sitting in the
All in all, a writing video will take between four theatre watching the recent adaptation of Stephen
or five 10-hour days, most of which is scripting King's IT, thinking, “wow, this has really good
with the last day and a little bit being recording/ narrative structure.” I had similar feelings about
editing. My patrons and Discord community know Stranger Things, which takes a lot from King's
what this does to my sleep patterns! The other vid- work. I enjoy looking at media through this lens.
eos are usually alright timewise, but when it's OW It's very, well, me.
week, well, I get a lot of people telling me to go to
sleep! In some senses, it has made it less enjoyable in
another way. Being a YouTuber means you don't
That's understandable. The attention to detail really get to clock off, and whenever I'm consuming
and effort really show, so thank you for putting content, it's hard not to think about how I could
so much work into them. use this for my channel, which can be distracting.
Either way, this book was chosen for a number
of reasons—representation of my skills, themes,
and a few other things—but its premise is this:
A man named James invents a machine that can
transport him to a parallel world. He does so, and
he arrives in a world he calculates to be identical
in almost every detail. The problem is this girl he
meets—a girl who knows all his secrets, who is his
best friend, who he supposedly cares about inti-
mately and has known for a long time. It's partly
him figuring out why on earth she's there when she
should be mathematically impossible in this alter-
nate world he so perfectly calculated the machine
would send him to, but it's primarily about how
they grow and connect with one another.
Interesting premise. Is there anything that sets

it apart from a story of that nature without the
alternate world setting?
I'm hesitant to say much when things could

change in the future, but the choice to use the
machine and travel to an alternate world by James
is set-up as a scientific venture, a voyage of discov-
ery at the start, but as the narrative progresses,
the reasons why he left are slowly revealed. These
reasons, but also the consequences of him leaving
It's easy to get bogged down in figuring out why that first world, are critical to the development of
things don't work, which a lot of writing channels the tension at the end of the story and the themes
are based on, and that can change the lens through that I wanted to explore—which, sadly, I can't
which you view things in a negative way, but I try, specify without spoiling a major plot point for the
in my OW series, to look more at examples that do book. The book is partly an experimental story that
work, and it's nice to have that positivity, so I'm gives every young person what they want most:
less focused on the negatives. the ability to go to a world where [x] didn't happen
or they didn't do [y]. To play through these events
As somebody who works so extensively in liter- again. It’s not about how James approaches that,
ature and film, I would like to ask if you’ve got but rather how does that chance challenge James
anything of your own in the works? as a person. This is the real question.
I keep my cards pretty close to my chest when I like that a lot.

it comes to my writing because, as a figure who
presents educational content on how to write and Thanks! It's a book I've connected with a lot on
the like, I have to be careful with how I present my a personal level.
work, unfortunately. Even so, I'd love to share a
little bit! Changing focus a bit: when you're writing this or
a script, how do you handle writer's block?
It took me a long time to figure out which book
of mine (as I have three which are in final editing Having my job and livelihood at stake is always
stages before I send them to beta readers and hire just a fantastic motivator! I rigorously stick to
a professional editor) I wished to pursue in pub- my deadlines, so I constantly have these time
lishing, but I settled on...a book that does not yet pressures pressing down on me to motivate me to
have a title. The title has been torturing me! Elud- work when it comes to script-writing. It's more of
ing me at every turn. I just can't figure it out. an effort to record either by mic or camera (by far
the most tedious part, as I have to be upbeat and
happy and constantly speaking clearly and so on).

shoots up to 200,000 views. I realised then, with
Writing is a different question. I'm not someone the help of my wonderful girlfriend Laura, that I
who writes often, sadly. Since YouTube has really needed to seize this opportunity. I started making
taken over my life, my opportunities to work on my nerdy videos/theories/explanations of that uni-
own pieces have been limited. I'm fortunate that verse. After a few months, I added Avatar: The Last
I don't tend to get writer's block when I do get to Airbender, then Lord of the Rings, The Elder Scrolls,
write, as much as I've heard others do. I find going and finally, the On Writing series. I knew I needed
for walks helps me, but it's more about knowing to diversify my audience if I was going to survive.
where I'm going. As long as I know where I'm
heading with a story (which really comes As my channel started to get more seri-
down by planning process), I ous and it was looking like a career
don't tend to get blocked, option for me (which, by the
as I always feel there way, is still shocking to
is point [x] I need to me), I realised that
reach in a story. if I was going to
make YouTube
Another work, then I was
strategy, which going to have
I don't highly to put in the
recommend, hours—and
is that that meant
when I feel willingly
writer's taking a
block, I just hit to my
stop and grades at
try again university.
another day. That took
If I try to me a little
write in that bit to think
state, almost through, as I'm
nothing of someone who
what I produce loves university,
is any good, and it but I did it, and
tends to indicate to put more time into
me that I haven't done YouTube over uni (stay
enough thinking about in school—work at uni—
what I want to feel while don't follow my example!).
I'm writing it or what I want the
reader to feel while I'm writing it. So I I find it hard to give advice because this
stop, think some more, and try again another day. is all still very new to me, everyone's experience
is different, and I don't see myself as a YouTube
All good advice. Now, as our first YouTube in- authority on how to do things. It's a very volatile
terviewee, I feel obligated to ask about that and unique world that is hard to predict and you
medium. How did you decide to start, and what have little certainty as when things will go well and
advice would you give somebody else interested when things will go badly. Even so, I think, for me, a
in making videos? big part is sticking to personal deadlines. Without
them, it's easy to push content aside. Beyond that,
As mentioned before, I started because I wanted it can be really demoralising to work super hard on
to make goofy videos. So I did. Nobody watched. something and have it be barely viewed or viewed
Well, like 60 people watched. Clearly, I was a star. less than videos you didn't work hard on. I've
The real moment I chose, per se, to be a YouTuber found this quite hard to deal with personally, but
was a while after that. I made 60 videos and then I've tried to derive my validation from the work
thought, “well, I gave it a shot” and then gave up. on the video itself (I get a lot out of just finishing it
However, the very last video I did was on How to and showing it to a few people), rather than purely
Train Your Dragon. Nine months later, it suddenly the views. It's also an age-old piece of advice that
everyone has heard, but it is true: Make sure you're stuff that most already know. So, an inspiration
making videos on something you love, because that for how I approach my content is kind of creating
is what will keep you motivated. Or at least, that is the content I wanted to see but could not often
what I've found for me personally. find. Hence why instead of a 10-minute on how to
worldbuild empires, I end up making three parts,
Are there any videos you feel should have been each 20+ minutes in length. Because if I didn't, I
better received? Something you put a lot of work wouldn't do it justice.
into but didn't perform quite as expected?
Where do you see Hello Future Me the YouTube
There are videos in the On Writing series that I Channel and Tim the actual person in 5 years?
am just as proud of but aren't as widely watched. How do you hope to see things progress?
I made a two-parter series on delivering expo-
sition. A lot of writers aren't as interested in the Oh, the dreaded future. My instincts tell me to
mundane parts like those sorts of things, so fewer flee and hide. Foremost, I want to have my book
people have watched it. But it's not like I thought published. As much as I am a YouTuber, writing is
it “deserved” more views. I knew it would be less my greatest passion, and I would like to bring that
popular. I've made a couple of Elder Scrolls videos to fruition. Hopefully, I'll be married to my beauti-
which explore fictional battles in the BazBattles or ful girlfriend too! If I'm lucky, I'll have two books
Historia Civilis fashion. They took absolutely ages, out.
a couple of sleepless nights, and I loved them per-
sonally, but they didn't amount to much. As for Hello Future Me—YouTube channels are
constantly in a transitional state, changing to adapt
Now, aside from the aforementioned series to the new online environments they find them-
which you reference frequently, I'd be interested selves in. My channel has been gradually changing
to know what your inspirations were for all of to represent more educational content in the form
this. of the On Writing series, and that does seem to be
the way of the future for me. I shouldn't think I'll
I wouldn't be able to point to any single person. wholly stop making theories or lore videos, but
When it comes to my writing, it was Tolkien who ultimately, I really enjoy the educational tilt my
started me reading and writing, so in a sense, it channel has fallen into over the past few months,
all started with him. I've also come to love John and I shall continue to let it do so.
Green's books. His books deal a lot with mental
health issues, an issue close to my heart, as well
as a few other themes that I have come to connect
with and explored in my own stories. Mike [DiMar- We would like to thank Tim for taking the time
tino], Bryan [Konietzko], and Elizabeth and Aaron to be a part of this issue of Worldbuilding Mag-
Ehasz are the four minds behind Avatar: The Last azine! You can find him on YouTube, Twitter, or
Airbender, which has an incredibly special place Facebook.
in my heart, clearly inspired the channel, and has
influenced how I have written, experienced, and If you would like to share your world in an up-
read fantasy my whole life. coming issue of Worldbuilding Magazine please
email or contact us on Discord.
I definitely took some inspiration from Overly
Sarcastic Productions, a duo who makes content
on history, mythology, and the occasional piece on
writing, when it comes to YouTube. As a broader
“inspiration,” I've had this long standing need to
make my videos, I'll use the word, “comprehen-
sive.” I've often felt that educational content (or
even content surrounding the lore of worlds I love)
is often relatively brief, or they touch on things that
most writers already know, meaning the advice
isn't that helpful. I try my absolute best to not be
like that, but to instead provide clear, very specific,
and comprehensive help that goes past the basic

COMMUNITY MAGIC SYSTEMS
Magic Prompt Response
Curated by Adam Bassett and BH Pierce

Foreword and art by Adam Bassett
D uring development of this issue we teamed

up with Inkblood Writer’s Guild and invited
our communities on Discord and social media, to
I’d like to extend our thanks to everyone who
took the time to submit their magic systems to
us. It was a lot of fun reading through them. We
submit to us some details on their magic systems. may be doing something akin to this in the future
We’ve chosen a few and are delighted to present should time and space allow, so keep an eye out for
them! From living masks to divine codes, there’s more community projects!
some truly inspiring ideas here.
Alzamastry how a pathstone releases energy by carving for-

By Lisa Galbraith mulas into the crystal. Simple commands can be
written in any language, such as "light" or "heat,"
Alzamastry is an integral science in this alter- but for complex control, one must use a language
nate version of our 18th-century Earth. The energy called Babelian, or lingua dei. Using this language,
that powers alzamastry is produced by ghosts. an alzamatrist can give more nuanced commands
As ghosts walk toward a gate to the afterlife, they that can do things like regulate interior heating in
convene in great highways of the dead. All these a home, create force fields, fire cannons, or even
spirits moving across the world give off an energy manipulate the weather.
known as vesanmer. Crystals placed along these
highways absorb the vesanmer that passes over Thought to be either the language of God, or the
them. Alzamatrists in this era have not yet devel- language spoken by all humans before the Tower of
oped a microscope powerful enough to understand Babel, this language has been reverse-engineered
the connection between which crystals can be from only a few sources. A significant branch of
used, but only crystals within the hexagonal crystal alzamastry is linguistics, as experts attempt to
system can be used. This includes emeralds, aqua- decipher more of the language from the roots they
marine, some types of quartz, and many others. already know. Complex grammar forms are not yet
known, meaning all commands must be rendered
in simple sentences or phrases that still leave no
room for ambiguity. The art of creating a formula
to carve into a pathstone could be seen as a cross
between linguistics and computer programming.
Alzamastry has significantly impacted the

history of this alternate Earth world. One of the
biggest changes occurred in the Maya civilization
in the 8th-century where a doctor discovered
how to use pathstones to target and destroy the
"evil spirits" living in a sick person. Flash forward
to the arrival of Europeans, and the indigenous
knowledge of curing viral and bacterial diseases
made smallpox a minor issue. In the present 18th-
Once a crystal has been charged, it is known as a century, indigenous civilizations remain in power
pathstone. A pathstone can then release the stored across most of the Americas.
energy in a variety of ways. An alzamatrist controls
Pathstones have also led to much earlier inven- lengthened fingers and toes, as well as numerous
tions of technologies. What we would recognize as other minute changes when activating it. This
a railroad analogue first appeared in the mid-18th change comes as a result of the body being a
century, and Paris was illuminated by streetlights bridge between human and Demon, allowing the
as early as 1678. An earlier industrialization also use of the Bond's ability. Abilities vary between
kickstarted the women’s rights movement in the even Demons of the same species and revolve
17th century. around environment and body manipulation. A
sand-dwelling Demon could wield (aside from the
obvious sand manipulation) wind or stone manip-
ulation, camouflage, moisture absorption, or heat
Bonded radiation abilities. Each Demon can only possess
By Tristen Fekete a single ability, and humans with multiple Bonds
possess one per Demon.
Bonded is a title given to persons who can
manipulate Gate Energy using their connection to Many Bond Candidates fail. It is common to
one or multiple Demons. The first Bond dictates see people missing extremities, limbs, organs,
the general type of manipulation and further and facial features. While undergoing the test is
Bonds build on that power depending on the abil- optional, many cultures view it as a right of pas-
ities the subsequent Demons have. This energy sage. Some will only accept Bonded leaders while
originates from the Gates—bridges between the others may view them as members of high society,
world of humans and that of the Demons. Becom- chosen ones, or gods. Others see Bonded as ordi-
ing Bonded is an immensely difficult task requiring nary people with extraordinary capabilities, and
young humans passing through a Gate, offering still others fear them.
pieces of their bodies as liability, then locating and
Bonding with a Demon. Should a person fulfill this
task, their Demon will reside within their body
until said person dies or exceeds energy usage past Evoirs
what their bodies can store. When a Bonded dies, By Aaryan Balu
his or her Demon(s) will return to their realm.
However, if a Bonded uses all the Gate Energy at Evoirs are, simply put, a precise language of
their disposal, their Bond can be severed, killing shapes which can channel magic into various func-
the Demon(s), or both die in the process. Bonded tions. In the city of Coriau, the language of evoirs
can freely manipulate Gate Energy as their Demon has been monopolized by the aristocratic class
did and enter and exit Gates as they please. to maintain absolute dominance. While certain
classes of people might be given specific evoirs to
practice until perfection—a dock clerk, for exam-
ple, may train with an evoir to lift a heavy cargo
platform—the fundamental grammar of the lan-
guage is a closely-guarded secret, scarcely under-
stood by most. What an Evoir can do varies wildly
with relative skill levels—from explosive traps to
amplification of seed size, the power is limited only
by the skill, knowledge, and creativity of the user.
Structurally, an evoir is a circle inlaid with lines

and curves that each represent a single concept or
object. The fundamental fields (Grow, Attract, Per-
ceive, Amplify, Connect, Transform, as well as their
Image by Tristen Fekete and Adam Bassett opposites) act as the "verbs" of the magical com-
mands, which form the evoir’s backbone. These
When activating their Bond, a person takes on can be shaped by the subject and object, which are
characteristics of the Demon(s) they Bonded with. the "nouns" (the range of which includes elements,
For example, a person Bonded with a reptilian metals, organic matter, emotions and sensations,
Demon will shrink or enlarge as per the original physical materials, etc.). Modifications can involve
size of the creature, rapidly grow scales, develop size, shape, and trigger (like opening a door), as

Kalma Magic
By Tina Hunter
Magic in the world of Kalma comes in three forms.
Crystals. Magic within Vollonite crystals remains

inert unless acted upon by humans. By engraving
one of the 24 magic sigils on the crystal that corre-
sponds to the reality or elemental magic desired,
any kind of magic can be obtained. Once a sigil is
engraved, the magic must be activated with life
force through the use of bloodletting (also known
as feeding the crystal with blood). Animals are
most commonly used to charge or feed the magic
within the crystals; however, human blood does
well as more complex layering and connections. just as well. Note that usage depletes the crystal’s
A sorcerer is limited by how much mental energy magic, and it will need to be recharged.
they can devote to activate or maintain various
evoirs; a more practiced, efficient, or resilient user People born with magical abilities. Com-
can use more powerful/numerous evoirs before monly referred to as Inborn, each Inborn manifests
burnout. Evoirs are exceptionally difficult to mas- a single random magical ability of the 24 types of
ter and are almost impossible to create on the fly. magic (the same used in sigils). While an Inborn is
This limitation encourages preparation and dedi- highly likely to give birth to another Inborn, their
cation, along with research into technologies and
systems that can keep them sustained for longer.
Examples: An evoir to Repel, placed in the shoe,

can be used for an enhanced jump. An svoir to
Reverse-Amplify, strung via Connections around
the room, can effectively soundproof it. Growth
evoirs targeted with extreme precision can aid
healing, while Decay can take life or destroy other
evoirs.
The result of this system is a strong bureau-

cracy within Coriau made up of stratified levels
of clerks with different "classified" levels of evoir
knowledge. The more you need to do, the more
you know. Meanwhile, the nobility maintains a vise offspring are not guaranteed to inherit the same
grip on industry thanks to the wealth and esteem type of magic. Historically, Inborns have been
provided by their magic. The result for the lower royalty or upper-class citizens. However, in recent
classes is stagnation and a growing separation in years, more non-hereditary Inborn have been born
levels of power and agency. These power struc- into lower-class families, resulting in changes to
tures face turmoil at the turn of the Industrial how the ruling class handles them.
Revolution, which introduces new materials whose
corresponding markings haven't been discovered. Most Inborn find they have better control over
their abilities when they use their hands to direct
the effect, though such gestures are not required.
In fact, many great Inborn have been able to con-
trol their abilities without even maintaining eye
contact. Only force of mind/thought is required. A
person casting the magic can maintain it as long as
the individual has the strength and energy to do so,
since this type of magic still requires life force.
Magical locations throughout the world.
There are four locations, all mountain ranges,
where the crystals and stones have magical
effects on the immediate environment. Any sigils
engraved on these crystals and stones do not pro-
duce any kind of effect. These mountain ranges
have either sound or gravity magic, and due to the
environment that the magic produces, inhabitants
have developed regional mutations. An example
would be the Drake Burg mountain range. The
lighter gravity of this region causes an increase in
size to all inhabitants, including the Drakar (nick-
named Giants) and their massive dragons.
Mask Craft
By Winter Child But there is danger in the masks -- they carry
living essence, and thus are living. They aren’t indi-
A gift from malicious spirits, this magical pro- viduals or sentient beings. Rather, they are a living
cess gives the user the ability to control the senses shard of willpower, devoid of thought, seeking only
of others -- at the cost of their essence. While to dominate and use their power. The wearing of
a mask allows it to force itself upon one’s mind,
attempting to take over the body of the wearer.
Should it succeed, it will twist and deform the body
in order to better fit the half-realized image it has
of itself. Wearers who succumb to their masks
become monsters with hallucinatory power and
nothing but the desire to use it.
Nïôr/Invocation
By Biscuit
Invocation, or Nïôr as it is called in-universe, is

the natural process by which Mankind manipulates
carving a mask from a special fey wood, the maker and controls the world. Reality is maintained and
imprints their intent onto the item, and imposes controlled by the Divine Simulation, which could
upon it an idea of which sense this mask will be considered as something like the Matrix, a
manipulate. This manipulation can be as broad as sort of grand computer that is part of everything.
sight or taste, or as specific as thermoception, the When an event or object is no longer required by
sense of temperature. The design of the mask must the Divine Simulation, such as a wildfire being
also reflect its domain, else its use will be distorted put out, the code related to that event or object is
and unpredictable. Masks of sight should feature deactivated and disposed of. Because of damage
eyes, for example. The combination of these, the done to the Divine Simulation eons ago, there is
maker’s willpower and the design of the mask, will a backlog of deactivated and corrupted code that
sap some of the essence from the user and use it must be contained in a very specific section of the
to fill the mask with its power. This always mani- Divine Simulation. Mankind possesses an inherent
fests physically in some way. One who has made a connection to this realm, and it is through their
mask of tongues may find themselves with less of a souls that they are capable of pulling out pieces of
tongue themselves when their craft is complete. deactivated code and reactivating them.

This is done by the usage of Divine Runes, with
each Divine Rune having their own collection
of code. For example the rune of Fire allows an
Invoker to create and control fire. Runes can also
be conditionals, for example. Prescribing a rune of
fire onto a piece of a building before connecting it
with a rune of conditioned wetness will lead to the
activation of the rune of fire, setting the building
ablaze, so long as both runes and the connection
between them remains perfect.
Because Invocation is unnatural, in the sense

that no mere mundane creature should be able
to control reality, the processing of Invoking eats
away at the source of Mankind’s power; their
divine flesh and blood. Constant usage of Invoca-
tion causes the skin to crack and vanish in flashes
of crimson lightning; however such painful limits
can be surpassed by acts of cannibalism. In the
process of cannibalizing their fellow Humans,
Invokers consume the sparks of divinity within
their soul, increasing their own power and connec-
tion to the Divine Simulation.
Humanity possesses this divine connection

because their ancestors, Primordial Man, con-
sumed the eldritch flesh of a treacherous divine
being. This connection with reality means Human-
ity has near unlimited potential, allowing them to
skip over technological boundaries and conquer
their non-divine rivals.
THE LIMITS OF MAGIC
Magic Theory Systems Cosmology Mythology
Terry Herc
I n a world where magic is real, what prevents

witches and wizards from becoming almighty
beings? What keeps these magical mortals from
Here, the origin of power is in the physical loca-
tion. Proximity might affect the strength of spells,
and casting them may not work from further away.
attaining unbridled, godlike power? How is it that In some sense, a mage is only powerful if they have
the world is not torn asunder by these tyrannical access to a place that channels arcane energies.
spell-throwers? Perhaps your world is tormented If the location is lost or inaccessible, this creates
by such malicious forces, but even then they need a roadblock for the character and could become
some sort of tether to keep them grounded. Good a plot-related hurdle. Controlling or restricting
worldbuilding has constraints, if not to keep your access to these places may be important to your
creation from flying apart, then to keep the story characters. Having magic rooted in a physical place
interesting and filled with challenges. allows for conflict to revolve around it and creates
an anchor point for your story.
Understanding what limits magic in your world
is essential to establishing consistency. A magic An example of location-based magic appears
system with rules and limitations can provide a in the collectible card game Magic: The Gathering.
solid foundation on which to build your world, as Players cast spells using a resource called mana,
well as the stories you place within it. Whatever which they receive from a special type of card
your character’s goal, be it selfish or just, no jour- called “lands.” Some cards provide lots of mana,
ney goes unimpeded. Stories thrive on conflict, and and more powerful spells require more mana to
the possession of magical ability does not change cast. The works of Alfred Watkins describe another
this. While mundane problems may not trouble a kind of location-based magic called ley lines. In this
typical mage, magic itself can prove a tricky and concept, invisible conduits of energy flow through
inconvenient endeavor. The way your characters locations and can be drawn on to produce magical
can (or can’t) access magic makes for a fantastic effects.
obstacle between them and their goals, especially
where magic is necessary to realize their desires. Knowledge: Some say that knowledge is power,
and in a world where magical power must be
Barriers to power can be grouped into six learned that isn’t far from the truth. Knowledge
common categories: location, knowledge, patron, is embodied by specific spells, rituals, words, and
materials, capacity, and time. Some limits may motions, attained through study, reflection, and
make for more effective stories. When considering practice. Spells can be created or woven together,
each type of barrier, ask yourself how these might and only those with the required knowledge can
work for you, and how you can use these limits to wield magic.
create a more consistent world.
Knowledge-based magic is akin to science, and
Locations: In some worlds, magic operates by in some sense it follows the scientific method.
flowing through the fabric of reality. In your world, Combinations of motions, objects, and words are
this might be represented by monuments and loca- tested and the results of these magical experiments
tions that can channel energy, such as pyramids, are documented. A collection of dusty old tomes
towers, or geoglyphs. Magic might even come from might represent the body of magical knowledge in
areas of natural beauty like mountains, lakes, or your world. However, if lost or eradicated, then all
forests, and they could fill your world with relative that magic must be rediscovered.
abundance.
The system of magic that appears in the Dying
Earth novels by Jack Vance is characterized by this

limitation. Magic users in Vance’s world must read is most fully described in The Lord of the Rings.
and prepare spells in advance, committing them Created by the Dark Lord Sauron, the ring allows
to memory for a one-time use. Constant study is the wearer to control the wills of other susceptible
necessary to replenish the use of magic in this kind individuals. In Tolkien's works, the possession of
of world. the ring and its eventual destruction are the driv-
ing forces of the plot and characters.
Patron: A patron is a magical being who can
bestow their power upon another, allowing charac- Natural Capacity: In your world it may be that
ters to gain access to magic through this relation- only some entities have greater access to magic.
ship. A patron may not always have a character’s Perhaps dragons and elves have innate magical
best interests at heart, for they could be a devious abilities due to their ancestry or spirit. Maybe
demon-god just as easily as an angel from the sev- only certain groups can develop magical skills due
enth heaven. to their heritage or birthplace, and other groups
lack this inborn quality. Whatever the cause, some
Patronage is limiting in two main ways. The first beings can use magic while others cannot.
reason is that if the patron disappears or revokes
their good will, the character loses their magic. It Capacity-based magics are exclusive by their
is, ultimately, a gift. The second reason is that the nature; either it is in you or it is not. However, in
power given must always be less than that pos- your world it may be possible for a character to
sessed by the patron. If it could be greater some- augment their pre-existing magical capacity by
how, then that implies that the power of the patron shedding their body, opening their mind to the
has come from some other source, and that other edges of reality, or some other process of transcen-
source would be the true limit. dence. These changes may come with risks like
caster burnout, madness, or self-immolation. Sim-
The warlock’s pacts found in the Dungeons & ilarly, a character could experience changes that
Dragons tabletop roleplaying game are an example reduce their ability, making them mere mortals.
of magic bestowed by an external force. In this
world, powerful entities provide characters with The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
access to magic. In exchange, the patron might ask includes a source of energy called the One Power.
the character to perform certain tasks with impli- Individuals who can access it are called Talents,
cations beyond simple understanding. and only they are born with the capacity to weave
this power into magic, which may come with dan-
Materials: Traditionally, this would be the “eye gerous consequences.
of newt and toe of frog” of Shakespeare, or a pow-
erful magical tool like the wands of Harry Potter. Time: With all the variety already mentioned,
In this sort of system, magic comes from ingredi- it may simply be that time is what keeps wizards
ents or objects. In the absence of these resources from attaining godly powers. There might just not
it is impossible to perform magic. Thus access be enough time to visit the sacred places, acquire
to materials, like special powders, gems, rings, the necessary knowledge, gather the exotic ingre-
liquids, and elements, is the true measurement of dients, bond with the wisened patron, or perform
how powerful a sage can become. the esoteric ritual. It could be that the mortal body
just cannot live long enough. Or it could even be
This might be akin to chemistry or alchemy, that magic is only accessible at certain points of
and could go hand-in-hand with knowledge based time, such as a full moon or planetary alignment.
magics. At its heart, it is the combination of physi-
cal things that creates the power; there is perhaps The passage of time could also have a signifi-
a word or ritual to bind them, but in the center cant effect on magic in your world. Magic could
are the ingredients themselves. Someone may be be unstable and susceptible to decay like a living
prevented from performing a huge magical feat thing. It could be that magic is strongest only at
because they do not have the right shaped crys- certain intervals, and can only be used when the
tal, a particular kind of dried herb, or a suitable time is right. Your characters may need to wait
sacrifice. before they can use magic, or maybe they are in a
race against time so they don’t miss their opportu-
J. R. R. Tolkien's popular works make use of sev- nity. It could even be that time itself is the source of
eral magical artifacts, notably the One Ring, which magical energies, and by controlling time a wizard
can weave the most powerful spells.
The television series Avatar: The Last Airbender Works Cited
makes use of magic with variable strength over
time. In this world magic users can control one Avatar, the Last Airbender. The Complete Series.
or more of the four elements; air, earth, fire, 2015
and water. Through the course of the show it is
revealed that fire magic grows weakest during a Duke, R. (2014, August 18). The Basics of Mana.
solar eclipse, and this becomes a major plot point Retrieved October 8, 2018, from https://
in the story. magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/lo/
basics-mana-2014-08-18
Consistency in Magical Systems: Beyond the
magic possessed by an individual character, con- Jordan, Robert. The Wheel of Time. Orbit, 2005
sider what holds together the system of magic as a
whole. What is the source of magic in your world? Rowling, J.K., Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s
Is it an innate part of the fabric of the universe? Stone. Arthur A. Levine Books, 1998
Is it bestowed by the gods? Is it connected to
one’s lifeforce? Consider how the source of magic Shakespeare, W., & Harbage, A.. Macbeth. Penguin
imposes limitations on what it can do as we move Books, 1984
toward one final point, which is consistency.
Vance, Jack. The Dying Earth. Hillman Periodicals,
Having a consistent magical system in your Inc, 1950
world involves deciding what it can and can’t do.
Understand how magic is created, and how it can Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings. HarperCollins,
be shaped and manipulated. When you know why 2016
your magic works, you can then apply that to your
characters and their motivations. Keep in mind Watkins, Alfred Watkins. The old straight track:
that your characters may not know what is possi- its mounds, beacons, moats, sites, and mark stones.
ble or impossible, and this disconnect is something Methuen & Co Ltd., 1925
you can reveal to your audience. A misunderstand-
ing can make for an effective story, if your audience Wizards of the Coast. Dungeons & Dragons Player’s
understands why something does or does not Handbook, 5th Edition. Hasbro, 2014
work.
Consistency is an important pillar of world-

building, as without it stories won’t hold weight
and will easily fall apart. Creating a magical system
with an internal consistency makes for a stronger
story. Your audience can suspend their disbelief
about the source of magical energy, but the incon-
sistent application of your rules for magic will cre-
ate a disjointed world.
Strive for consistency, it should be one of the

primary goals when you create. Your world and
your characters will be stronger for it.

SANDERSON’S LAWS: BUILDING
A MAGIC SYSTEM FOR STORYTELLING
Magic Theory and Analysis Fantasy
Aaryan Balu
I f you’ve spent much time in the fantasy/

worldbuilding community, it’s likely you’ve
come across the name Brandon Sanderson or his
understanding of the mechanics allow characters
to use magic to solve their problems in a believ-
able, satisfactory manner. His Mistborn books
seemingly endless collection of books, worlds, and contain arguable his hardest system ever, with the
magic systems. While Sanderson has done a whole wicked powers of Allomancy often being described
lot of giving back to the community (between lec- as almost video game-esque. With the rules clearly
turing at BYU, updating his blog, and co-hosting a defined, Sanderson proceeds to write intense, com-
Hugo Award-winning podcast), I want to dig into plex action scenes that make full use of the rules
what he calls “Sanderson’s Three Laws of Magic”— he’s set up. And for many, this blend of magic and
that is, tools for worldbuilding magic that can be action can be exhilarating to follow.
used to create more engaging and exciting worlds
and stories. Why do we often have such a visceral response
to a hard magic system? There’s an innate sense of
Of course, as Sanderson himself says: none of satisfaction that comes with watching somebody
these laws are absolute. Whatever gets you excited, work within a ruleset we understand. Jackie Chan
gets your butt in the chair and worldbuilding, is movies are delightful because, as inventive as he
the law you need to follow. These guidelines, how- might get, we know he’s working with just his
ever, are widely applicable and can open whole body and his environment. A street magician is
new dimensions to your stories and worlds. only engaging because we know she’s not actually
manipulating reality; she’s just skilled at sleight of
Sanderson’s First Law hand. A hard magic system takes this principle and
applies it to a fantasy realm. Getting a rogue out
An Author’s Ability to Solve Conflict of trouble by having him slink in the shadows will
Satisfactorily with Magic Is Directly delight a reader as they experience the character’s
Proportional to How Well the Reader competencies; getting a sorcerer out of trouble by
Understands Said Magic. using her long-practiced flight spell will do just the
same.
As frequenters of Worldbuilding Magazine, it’s
likely that you’ve got tons of ideas for your magic With all that said, plenty of stories rely on a soft
system: where it comes from, what it can do, and magic system—your average spellcaster or Force-
who can use it. You may know the personalities of wielder uses nebulous and mysterious arcane
every god that walks the earth, and exactly how magic to do some awe-inspiring things. Those
many midichlorians are required to get you into stories are delightful in their own right, primarily
Hogwarts, but when it comes to telling stories in inspiring a sense of wonder in the reader. That’s
these worlds (whether in novels, RPG campaigns, an emotion that’s fueled the fantasy genre since
or just talking your buddy’s ear off) this first rule is its inception: the ability to step into a new world
a useful one to keep in mind. full of mystery and inexplicable forces is a huge
aspect of the escapism that we’re all looking for
Here, Sanderson denotes the difference between in our epic worlds. At its best, soft magic is vast,
a hard magic system and a soft magic system, with awe-inspiring, and humbling, inspiring the sense
the distinction coming from how...well, magical of universal mechanisms beyond our control and
your magic is. Sanderson’s own systems tend to understanding.
lean toward hard magic: distinct rules and a clear
But there’s a tough balance when it comes to system of epic proportions, complete with godlike
using this style of “anything-is-possible” magic: powers and a massive scope. But how many times
one of the main criticisms that’s been lobbed at have we seen the knight in shining armor who
fantasy in general has been the very idea that any- can do no wrong and lose no fight? Or the D&D
thing is possible. Need a getaway? Teleportation power-gamer who rolls up a flawlessly optimized,
spell. Need to break a lock? Lockpicking spell. Or, Lawful Good Paladin to stomp through the game?
even better, teleport-spell your way around the Story—and interesting worldbuilding—is about
door! conflict, which stems from flaws. There’s a finite
number of powers in the world, but an infinite
If this sounds like a bad use of magic, it abso- number of unique limitations.
lutely is. That’s because it doesn’t follow Sanderson’s
First Law. When talking about magical flaws, the most
diverse source of powers has to come from super-
While we know the source of magic in Tolkien’s heroes. For example, consider some of our favor-
Lord of the Rings, we never fully know how it ites: Spider-Man, the Hulk, and Batman. While the
works on a mechanical, spellcasting level; only power to fly is cool, there’s something viscerally
that it’s an awesome, mysterious, and works on a fascinating about the physics of Spidey’s web-sling-
massive scale. But this ambiguity isn’t ever used ing. While the Hulk has immense strength, his
cheaply: Gandalf doesn’t use it to simply turn the limitation stems entirely from the fact that the rage
Balrog into a kitten or call the Eagles for an express is unchecked and potentially catastrophic; it’s that
ride into Mordor. Tolkien is careful never to let Jekyll-and-Hyde dynamic that makes the character
the magic solve his narrative conflicts; at least, worth following. And Batman is...well, he’s Batman.
not without a great cost. In doing so, he avoids He’s a human who dresses up like a flying mammal
one of the biggest storytelling sins of all—deus ex and takes on a huge variety of superpowered and
machina*. Problems are solved on a very human non-superpowered villains.
(or Hobbit, as it were) level.
For worldbuilders, though, the limitations of a
The more you let your characters (and readers) magic system can often have profoundly interest-
know about the workings of magic, the more they ing effects on its societies and characters (more
can do with it. It’s Chekhov’s Gun; if your character on that in the Third Law). For an offbeat example,
uses a tool—magic, technology, or a gun on the the manga/anime Fullmetal Alchemist revolves
mantel—to get out of conflict, then the character’s around the idea of equivalent exchange: “To obtain,
awareness of that tool needs to be established something of equal value must be lost.” This limita-
beforehand. On the flip side, the less the reader tion which drives the quest of its protagonists, Ed
understands the less magic can be used to solve and Al, as they struggle with the value of human
plot problems in a way that feels satisfying. The life being greater than the sum of its parts. Brent
same goes for sci-fi technobabble; if we under- Weeks’ Lightbringer magic system can only be used
stand the mechanics of a system, then those tools a limited amount before the user goes insane, so
can be used. Even in a James Bond movie, we need the society develops the Freeing: a yearly religious
to see the gadget in his pocket before he can use it ceremony where magic users, too close to mad-
to escape from whatever crotch-laser or shark pit ness, engage in a celebratory feast before voluntary
he’s managed to get himself trapped in. submitting to death.
Sanderson’s Second Law When it comes to powers, comic books and

fantasy have pretty much tried everything under
Limitations > Powers the sun. What makes the power unique and fas-
cinating is what you can’t do—or what you must
Another law that holds true for storytelling in do to achieve it. Anybody can build a story with
general. In fantasy it’s tempting to build a magic an invincible character who wields an invincible
* Deus ex machina: “God from the Machine”, a plot device where a problem is
abruptly resolved by an unlikely occurance or character. Originally named after
the use of a crane to introduce actors playing deities in Classical Greek theatre.

magic system. We call that a Gary and/or Mary Sue, a bonus, tying these limitations into your plot and
and we hate them. worldbuilding can make the world feel even more
real, as we’ll discuss with the Third Law.
So what are some practical ways you can incor-
porate limitations? There are a few here that can Sanderson’s Third Law
help get the ball rolling—the key is to make them
feel natural and organic within the world. Expand What You Already Have
Before You Add Something New
• It makes you tired. “Old reliable”—the mana
meter. A good way to handwave various It can be tempting, as a writer and worldbuilder,
power levels is to have magic work like a mus- to think that bigger is better; that every society
cle; some are more gifted than others, and you might need its own distinct style of magic—or reli-
can work to increase your capacity. I recom- gion or geographic features or historical events or
mend combining this with other limitations, technological advancement—in the name of world-
though. building. In truth, less is often more. Magic and
• It makes you unstable. Power corrupts. worldbuilding are a web of ideas and events that
Psychological consequences of magic lead to a span through a massive period of time and space;
true balancing act; is it worth madness mad- it follows, then, that some of the most fascinating
ness? What choices do people make under aspects of the world can come from pulling a single
these conditions, and what does that say thread somewhere down the line and considering
about what they’re willing to risk? as many ramifications as possible. Sanderson him-
• It physically hurts. Make the characters work self puts it best:
{
for it. The consequence is immediate and tan-
gible. Not so great for the sense of wonder, but Often, the best storytelling happens
it could be interesting. when a thoughtful writer changes one
• It has a high barrier to entry. One sloppy or two things about what we know, then
line and the rune blows up in your face. Want extrapolates purposefully through all of
to cast a spell? Get ready for years of study the ramifications of that change.
and a society that organizes itself around the
highly educated.
• It requires finite/perishable resources. Extrapolation based on small changes demon-
Suddenly resource management becomes a strates a thoughtful understanding of the mechan-
source of tension. It works both on a macro ics of worldbuilding and the web-like structure of
level (we need to restock on handwavium, the craft. The same rule holds true for geography,
guys!) and a micro one (I need to conserve my culture, and history as well. Do you need a dozen
handwavium during this fight!). landforms scattered across the map, or eleven dis-
• It requires a sacrifice of life. Blood, flesh, tinct cultures with different origins and histories?
soul, whatever. Make it cost something huge. This is the real meat of worldbuilding, because it’s
• It’s tied to a specific trigger. Maybe the where the magic and the world intersect. Sander-
magic only works when your character is son focuses on three key words: Extrapolate. Inter-
angry. Maybe they can only super-jump when connect. Streamline.
they’re drunk, or when they’ve recently been
around a dog. Extrapolate
• It can be negated. Sanderson defines this
more as a “weakness” than a limitation, but These are the “what if?” questions that we ask
it’s nevertheless useful. Kryptonite is a good ourselves. How does your magic affect the uber-
example. rich and the ultra-poor? How does the presence of
a physical god affect the world’s religions and cul-
Bottom line: Flaws drive plot, and make a magic tures? This is probably one of the most difficult—
system unique. Once you’ve got a seed for a cool and most rewarding—aspects of worldbuilding,
power (flight, talking to animals, or good old-fash- because the interplay between magic and society
ioned spellcasting), take some time to sit down and is one of the most powerful aspects for creating
figure out: what are your magic’s limitations (what something unique. The same way that a mountain
it can’t do), costs (what you lose by using it), and mining town and a tropical city will develop dif-
weaknesses (where it gets completely defeated)? As ferently due to their respective resources, the way
a world and civilization responds to your magic Sanderson’s debut novel, Elantris, and the
system is an excellent opportunity to create some- related novella The Emperor’s Soul demonstrate
thing wholly new. this principle. In these stories, the primary magic
known to the kingdom of Arelon is called as “Aon-
A fantastic example of this comes in the form of Dor”—drawing specific shapes in the air to channel
the show Avatar: The Last Airbender, which man- magic to create intended effects. However, several
ages to almost-flawlessly integrate its magic and other nations exist in the same world, each with
culture to create a truly lived-in world. From archi- their own magic system derived from the concept
tecture (the icy structures of the Water Tribe or of shapes; Dakhor monks have arm bones twisted
massive walls of the Earth Kingdom) to technology into specific shapes that grant powers such as
(the Fire Nation’s hot air balloons), the cultures of durability and teleportation, ChayShan is a com-
Avatar are blended seamlessly because the show’s plex martial art that magically enhances strength
creators allowed the magic to shape the people. and grace, and the Rose Empire’s Forgery uses
deliberately-shaped “stamps” to magically alter
The bottom line: What happens as a consequence? an item’s identity or history. Thus, although the
source and origin remain the same, the method
Interconnect of accessing magic each say something different
about the culture that uses it.
Let’s say you want to broaden the scope of the
powers. Is there thematic interconnectedness? A All in all, of course, these are just guidelines; a
single power source? Sanderson himself excels at framework that may or may not be useful to wrap
this—Surgebinding in The Stormlight Archive has your brain around building a magic system. But
ten magical “Surges” that are fueled by stormlight, they’re useful tools to keep in mind, from someone
and each of the ten orders of magic users has who certainly seems to know what he’s doing. And
access to two unique Surges. Mistborn’s sixteen if these laws still sound too stuffy or prescriptive
powers were conceived to fill the roles of a heist for you after this article, Sanderson has you cov-
crew, and are fueled consuming different types of ered with his Zeroth Law: When in doubt, err on the
metals. In fact, Sanderson’s love for interconnect- side of awesome.
edness goes so far, he’s got a unifying theory of
magic that underlies every story in his universe,
the Cosmere, the discussion of which could fill an
entire dissertation. Works Cited
Bottom line: the result of this is a world that Sanderson, Brandon. Sanderson's First Law. Bran-
feels more realistic: Our existing world is incredi- don Sanderson, 20 Feb. 2007, brandonsanderson.
bly complex, but it’s also governed by fundamental com/sandersons-first-law/.
rules that unify the variation we see. Biology can
be explained by chemistry, which in turn can be ---. Sanderson's Second Law. Brandon Sand-
explained by physics (and as with everything, erson, 16 Jan. 2012, brandonsanderson.com/
there’s a relevant xkcd). In the same way, the inter- sandersons-second-law/.
connectedness of powers and limitations leads to a
world that feels more cohesive and believable, and ---. Sanderson's Third Law of Magic. Brandon
makes magic less of a “kitchen sink.” Sanderson, 25 Sept. 2013, brandonsanderson.com/
sandersons-third-law-of-magic/.
Streamline
Don’t use a new thing when an old thing will do.

It can be illustrative to look at how different groups
of people face the same challenges and resources.
A mark of good worldbuilding and storytelling is
efficiency: how many purposes can you make a sin-
gle power source serve? A single religion? A single
character?

MAKING MAGIC: ANALYZING
SPELL-BASED MAGIC SYSTEMS
Magic Theory and Analysis Fantasy
Ianara Natividad & Noah L.
I ntroduction
Magic has remained a staple of fiction through-

Spell-based magic is arguably one of the most
popular, if not most recognizable, magic systems.
out cultural history. Beings who possess fantastical J.K. Rowling popularized a form of spell-based
magical power fill the annals of mythology and leg- magic in the Harry Potter series. However, decades
ends. Ancient gods altered their own physicalities prior to Rowling’s fame, spells and spellcasting
and created new beings. Geoffrey of Monmouth’s had already gained immense traction in entertain-
iteration of the wizard Merlin delivered prophecies ment culture through its appearance in the game
and moved massive stone monoliths using his of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). With video games’
powers (feats also harkened to by later depictions rise, developers of games such as The Elder Scrolls
of Merlin). During the Renaissance period, Ger- capitalized on the established trope of spell-based
man scholar Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa penned casting by utilizing spellcasting mechanics in their
the Three Books of Occult Philosophy; the work works.
included his findings on different types of magic
as well as magic’s relation to religion and divinity, Dissecting a spell-based system entails under-
among others. From the mystic orders of the Mid- standing what defines it, its limitations, and the
dle East to the panics of purported witchcraft in diversity of its sub-systems. Based on this analysis,
the western world, magic (especially perceptions a worldbuilder can then determine the pros and
of it) has touched cultures all around the globe and cons of using a spell-based magic system for their
sparked imaginations over generations. Prominent setting.
authors, such as J.R.R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, and J.K.
Rowling, perpetuated magic’s presence as a plot Putting the “Spell” in Spell-Based
device or underlying backbone of worldbuilding
in modern fantasy literature. Though a powerful According to its name, a spell-based magic
storytelling tool, magic may operate differently system is defined by its users invoking and manip-
within each work, but a common trend appears in ulating magic via spells. So then, what are spells?
the presence of rules or a system that governs it. The spell is the “how” of a spell-based system.
Spells refer to sequences of actions that can cause
When working magic into a world, a world- magical effects, and spellcasting refers to the act
builder faces the dilemma of developing a corre- of carrying out those sequences. Most commonly,
sponding system. But, what is a magic system? For spells mean uttering strings of characters, words,
the purposes of this article, a magic system refers or phrases, but may also include moving one’s
to a system of powers (whether supernatural or body (such as with hand or wand gestures).
otherwise) that serves as a moving force within
the world. From an in-setting perspective, magic’s In Harry Potter, wizards and witches utter
impact may mean altering, if not breaking, the verbal spells while wielding a wand, sometimes
standards for reality; for an author’s purpose, it accompanied with specific movements—for exam-
can serve as a prominent plot device to build or ple: “The swish and flick!” of the Levitation Charm.
move the narrative. Ultimately, the magic system The various spellcasters in D&D and similar games
“has to have rules.”1 No matter the form, the world- use any combination of verbal incantations, hand
builder establishes as many or as few guidelines gestures, and material components (naming only
as needed to make it work, perhaps to varying a few possible requirements) to invoke magic.
degrees of transparency to the audience. In D&D 5th edition (D&D 5e) specifically, a mage
can cast a spell called Fireball by uttering ver- cleric is extremely wealthy, they cannot just resur-
bal phrases and gesturing with their hands (or rect creatures on a whim. It could take months to
appendages) all while holding a “tiny ball of bat save the money for components, building a buffer
guano and sulfur.” Each spellcasting system will period into the spell without explicitly stating so.
have its specific definition or structure for spells,
though the overall premise remains constant Component limitations provide a physical cost
through different works. to spellcasting. Tools may prove a one-time invest-
ment while material requirements need constant
Common Limitations of Spell-Based Magic replenishment. Furthermore, spell-based systems
can contain both to differing degrees. Tools and
Rules for a magic system can include limiting materials in spellcasting have a lot of potential
how magic manifests and gets used. How magic variety that can define the aesthetics and economy
manifests addresses the scope of magical capabil- of a spell-based system.
ity in any given setting. The rules of spellcasting
may lean toward how magic is restricted.2 Magic Verbal Chants
in any given setting will impact the perceptions
regarding the efficacy of mundane means. Limita- Verbal chants provide a direct, often conspicu-
tions diversify magic systems from one another (as ous spellcasting method. The basis for incantations
will be further discussed later), and they explain can depend on the world’s lore. Verbal chants
why magic has (or has not) replaced certain “nor- pose another way one might limit how mages cast
mal” methods of accomplishing goals in life. Most their spells since they require that a caster have an
often spellcasting limitations take one or more understanding of the language, the ability to speak,
of the following forms: special tool and material and the time to do so.
requirements, verbal chants, and energy.
In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, player charac-
Special Tool and Material Requirements ters use magical Shouts that are exclusively cast
through verbal components based on the ancient
Special tools refer to items consistently needed in-game language of dragons. However, if a charac-
to cast spells which tend to be iconic of the system. ter is gagged (as seen in the opening sequence with
The worldbuilder decides how necessary special an imprisoned user of the Shout) or otherwise
tools are to manipulating magic, whether vital loses their ability to speak, they cannot utilize this
to casting or simply an aesthetic alternative. For magic.
instance, the wand is iconic to spellcasting in Harry
Potter as well as necessary for most wizards. How- Similarly, Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle
ever, the idea of special tools isn’t limited to just features the “Ancient Language,” which was once
wands. In The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, the player spoken by all beings. Ancient figures had tied this
can use staves to cast spells outside their usual language to magic, and in subsequent generations,
skill. In D&D, dedicated spellcasters may require mages harnessed its power to cast spells. Each
magical focuses to use their powers, which come word in the language represents specific magical
in the form of staves, crystals, and even symbols feats and requires extreme mental focus to enact
representative of the gods. a word on a specific creature or object. Mispro-
nouncing a word or otherwise failing to grasp the
Compared to special tools, material require- language’s lexicon led to dire consequences, such
ments are expendable or niche in their use. D&D as spells failing or backfiring on the caster.
5e’s spell system allows the usage of specific ingre-
dients for spells. This approach contrasts with the Energy
use of focuses as a blanket material component.
For example, a druid could use a caterpillar cocoon The final way to limit spellcasting is the appli-
to focus their magic and cast the Polymorph spell. cation of “energy,” which measures raw magical
Often, these ingredients aren’t expended, so a power. The amount of power that a spellcaster
caster can use them repeatedly. In other scenarios, can tap into or utilize dictates the extent of their
the game requires material components with nota- abilities. A worldbuilder designs the nature of this
ble gold (currency) costs. A cleric can only cast the energy to fit the world’s narrative, possibly invent-
Raise Dead spell when they expend 500 gold pieces ing their own terms to address the phenomenon.
worth of diamonds during casting. Unless the Some narrative works give looser definitions while

others apply a definite mechanic. The worldbuilder limited allotment of slots. This allotment increases
can account for how this power turns into magical as a mage grows more experienced in the game.
effects as well as develop a process or hierarchy for Higher level spell slots can invoke exponentially
spellcasters to progress. more potent magical abilities, just like gaining
magicka in The Elder Scrolls. Once the caster
Works often quantify energy into a finite expends a spell slot, they must rest (usually for
mechanic (such as the usage of “mana” in World of eight hours or so in-game) to recover their power.
Warcraft) for worldbuilding, narrative, gameplay,
or all of the above. In The Elder Scrolls, spells rely D&D 5e’s spell progression essentializes the
on magicka, the world’s version of magical energy. power of spellcasters into a form suitable for
Magicka limits how often one can cast spells and gameplay, but the narrative implications of their
locks away more powerful abilities through steeper magic appears in the spells they gain access to.
costs. This requirement forces a mage character to For example, wizards have the largest spell list
continuously acquire magicka. Having only a small of all the classes but can only use the arcane.
amount of this energy will limit the character only Arcane magic focuses on “hacking the multiverse”
to basic spells, such as Flames and Ice Spike, while as Jeremy Crawford, the edition’s lead designer
a larger pool would unlock more intensive spells, describes it. As the game’s premier magical schol-
such as Fire Storm and Blizzard. ars, wizards learn spells through time and study.
Since they independently gain their magic, wizards
In Jack Vance’s Dying Earth series, mages must aren’t directly beholden to any greater entity. Their
prepare spells, each of which produces only one abilities alter, if not break, the multiverse’s laws for
specific effect, in advance. Multiple uses of a single reality. On the other hand, clerics and druids tap
spell would require preparing it multiple times. into the divine powers of gods and nature, respec-
Spells effectively serve as magical “ammunition” tively. Someone or something bestows magic upon
that disappear once cast until they could be pre- a divine spellcaster, and the nature of their spells
pared again. Therefore, spellcasters must have the tends to be more nurturing. Clerics and Druids
foresight to know which spells they will need and can sustain and manipulate life energies, includ-
how many. The more magical power a mage pos- ing healing and resurrection, but they usually act
sesses, then the more spells they could prepare in according to the will of their benefactors.
a given day. This spellcasting system became more
popularly known as “Vancian Magic.” D&D has uti- Diversity in Spell-Based Magic
lized Vance’s concept of prepared spells through its
editions, albeit to differing extents. Defining the rules of the spellcasting process
provide a major avenue to diversify spell-based
The base rules of D&D 5e use an altered ver- magic systems. Spellcasters are powerful and
sion of the energy concept with its spell slot sometimes dangerous cooks who use spells as
system. Each spell and spell slot receives a rating recipes for magic. Spells add structure and consis-
from 1st-level to 9th-level, and cantrips (rated at tency to the extraordinary, often reality bending
0-level) are at-will spells that do not cost slots. powers that magic invokes. More often than not,
Casters can use a slot to cast a spell of equal level mages follow set methods for how they cast and
or lower, and, within any given time, they have a what their spells accomplish. Thus, diversity exists
in three major areas: the source, act, and effects of
spellcasting.
The Source of Spellcasting
The source of spellcasting refers to the origins

of magical power in two aspects: how it exists
in any given world and how individuals harness
magic. Figuring where spells come from and who
can cast them are the first steps to defining and
diversifying a spell-based system. Worldbuilders
can answer the following questions, among others,
to define how individuals harness magic:
• What is the world’s source of magic? Do the In D&D, sorcerers derive their powers from
world’s inhabitants know where it comes different types of ancestry, and their spellcasting
from? capabilities reflect these origins by being more
• Does everyone in the world have access to spontaneous. In contrast, wizards typically study
magic? If not, then who does? and use spells over years of practice. Within this
• Is magical capability innate, acquired, a com- system, different casters can rely on natural-born
bination of both, or something else entirely? ability or training to use magic. However, spellcast-
• Does an individual need training to use ing in another world may not have such clear cut
magic? If so, how does one acquire such or varied distinctions over who can use magic.
training? Are there any other requirements to
spellcast? The Act of Spellcasting
Different worlds may have their own sources Diversity in the act of spellcasting can come
for magic. A supreme being (like a god) could have from the different combinations of actions a magic
granted part or all of its power to civilizations, user carries out and the time it takes to do so. The
allowing them to use spells. Perhaps magical following questions provide a basis for diversifying
energy simply exists much like the laws of physics a system based on the act of spellcasting:
do in the real world. Magic could even be an aspect
of the universe that goes beyond comprehension or • How do spellcasting styles vary between indi-
cannot be attributed to a single phenomenon. The viduals or groups of individuals, if at all?
source is a macro-level aspect of the magic system • What preparations or components, if any, are
that a worldbuilder can leave as vague or detailed needed to cast a spell?
as necessary. • How long do spells take to cast? Do casting
times change based on the spell, the spellcast-
For instance, D&D’s Sword Coast Adventurer’s er’s skill, or other factors?
Guide explains that magic exists through “an essen- • Are there any means to circumvent traditional
tial element of the universe” known as the Weave. spellcasting? What are they?
While not inherently magic itself, the Weave serves
as the raw power behind magic. Phenomena which Some answers may overlap between systems,
adversely affect the Weave also influence magic’s but the overall combination will seldom be dupli-
stability throughout the realms. cated. Regardless of how the answers interact with
other facets of a spell-based system, they should
The Witcher series also features mages who follow some standard or consistency.
tap into a primordial source known as Chaos. The
Chaos is never fully explained, though it is gener- The D&D 5e ruleset has full spellcasters (which
ally seen as a dangerous, often destructive force. refer to magic users who have access to the most
Similarly, multiple theories exist regarding the ori- powerful levels of magic) separated into different
gins of magicka in The Elder Scrolls. Magicka could classes: the bard, the cleric, the druid, the warlock,
be the remnants of a dead god, residual energy and the wizard. As mentioned earlier, while both
from the ancient beings that created the world, or druids and clerics have access to healing spells,
the life force of deceased organisms. The mages in they draw their magic from separate entities.
each setting do not fully comprehend the nature of Wizards differentiate amongst themselves by com-
their magical sources, yet they still harness magic mitting to a particular arcane tradition that reflect
despite the potential dangers. their magical specializations. Every caster has a
specific narrative as to how they manipulate magic,
Moreover, a world where only people of certain yet the class-specific spell lists have overlapping
bloodlines or biological aptitudes can cast spells options. The spell list similarities imply that differ-
will develop a different dynamic for magical usage ent types of casters have their own standards or
compared to a magic system accessible to every- methodologies on how to produce the same magi-
one. Magic may be more valued or feared due to its cal effects.
rarity in the former case. Otherwise, when every-
one has magical powers, society may apply magic Classifying mages based on spellcasting style
during everyday life. After all, who needs matches can also lead them to have certain social dynamics.
when a snap of one’s fingers creates a small flame? Mages who cast in one way may have a rivalry with
a group of a different spellcasting style, or society

at large can hold particular views for each type of methods so as not to seem arbitrary.
spellcaster. In the Dragon Age series, the malefi-
carum refer to mages who pursue dangerous and The Effects of Spellcasting
forbidden styles, such as blood magic. The malefi-
carum are actively hunted by the game’s Templar The possible actions and sequences used for
Order, and their stigmatized reputation casts a neg- spellcasting can potentially be infinite. Endless
ative light on even other non-hostile mage groups. variations also exist for the produced magical
effects, though distinct spell-based systems may
Furthermore, a worldbuilder can determine have overlapping qualities. On the macro-level, the
how vital certain components are to spellcasting. answers to the following questions help to define
For instance, if casters lack the proper materials, and diversify spellcasting effects:
then they may have limited or no magical capabil-
ity. The wizards of Harry Potter provide a notable • What are the upper and lower bounds for
example, as most who do not have their wands spell potency?
cannot cast spells or use magic at all. Similarly, • What qualities are used to categorize spell
mixing the ingredients incorrectly (uttering the effects?
wrong words, as in The Inheritance Cycle, or saying • What limits a spell’s effectiveness? For exam-
them out of order) may invoke unexpected effects, ple, can spells affect only certain types of mat-
if not cause magic to fail entirely. ter or invoke a set number of effects?
• Can spellcasters modify the effects of spells?
Time’s impact on spellcasting also affects the What variations exist in their effects?
dynamics of a spell-based system. Perhaps a spell
that allows a truncated verbal sequence does not D&D spells can manipulate most facets of real-
take as long to have an effect. Maybe another sys- ity (e.g. producing telekinetic effects, harnessing
tem reduces the time needed to cast when a mage elemental energies such as fire or water, healing,
possesses certain items. Instantaneous casting ver- creating matter, etc.). The game clearly defines the
sus long drawn out rituals; whether spells must be upper and lower bounds of magic in play with its
cast during certain hours, or certain days, or times spell slot system, as previously explained. The rat-
of the year—these examples show how time mat- ings represents a scale that goes from replicating
ters in spellcasting. When mages can invoke pow- mundane capabilities to exceedingly reality-shat-
erful magic with a single, short drawn utterance, tering feats. To give an idea of the power curve, one
they not only seem more powerful, but the world cantrip (or 0-level spell) called Prestidigitation can
at-large may find them more threatening. However, clean or soil objects within a cubic foot of volume
the spellcaster who must remain meticulous and while Demiplane, an 8th-level spell, allows the
in isolation to even tap into their powers will likely caster to create their own spacious pocket dimen-
fear others rather than be feared as they attempt to sion. A more narrative-driven approach may rely
use magic. less on clear cut lines of separation between spells,
though a sense for potency could end being a
Variation in spellcasting does not have to measure of relativity between magical feats. Thus,
eschew pre-established rules for spells. However, a worldbuilder should have an idea of what their
in any given spell-based system, exceptions may system’s spells can accomplish compared to the
exist that alter the time or components needed overall power scale of the setting.
for casting. In Harry Potter, the verbal sequences
seem uniform throughout the wizarding world, but Spells can also have categorizations based on
multiple characters exhibit the ability to cast with- their effects’ qualities. Some of the more common
out speaking by instead mentally focusing on the classifications may include range of effect, tar-
desired spell. The sequences still exist, though the geting, and duration, among others. Multitudes
stipulations to cast them have changed. The verbal of categories potentially exist, depending on how
component was removed and, by extension, the specific a worldbuilder wishes to separate spell
time to cast the spell decreased. Exceptions, loop- effects. The above examples cover general classifi-
holes, edge cases—they all can define and diversify cations, but categories can be especially particular
a spell-based system as much as its actual rules (such as if a spellcaster must conduct a spell at a
and structure. However, even breaking the system certain time of day, use specific materials, etc.).
requires some semblance of consistency. Prefer-
ably this rule breaking parallels pre-established
D&D notably categorizes its spells into schools in Vance’s Dying Earth, will likely only have one
of magic based on the effects they invoke. Spells appearance for each spell. These two examples
that provide protective or defensive benefits fall appear on the extremes of the spectrum. Creating
under the school of abjuration; spells that create a unique spell-based magic systems may mean
energy, which includes most offensive spells and employing combinations of restriction and mallea-
healing, fall under the school of evocation. Video bility in spellcasting styles and effects.
game series like Dragon Age, The Elder Scrolls, and
The Witcher also utilize the concept of magical The Pros & Cons
schools or branches. These categories help to focus
players’ understanding of how magic works in each Up to this point, this article looked into the nitty
setting. Generally, the method by which a world- gritty of spell-based systems: what constitutes a
builder sorts spell effects can help characterize the spell-based system, its limitations, and diversity
system. between sub-systems. However, as the old saying
goes, knowing is half the battle. Now it is time to
Each spell in D&D also specifies who or what look into whether a worldbuilder may or may not
it can target. Sometimes spells can only affect want to use a spell-based magic system in their
the caster, though they will more often be able to work.
target other creatures. Creature types are a catego-
rization that represent specific groups in the world Why Use a Spell-Based System?
(examples including humanoids, beasts, monstros-
ities, undead, plants, and more). Certain spells can • A legacy through the ages. From ancient
only target specific creatures, such as Hold Person myths to modern popular fiction, spellcasting
only affecting humanoids. Sometimes spells even holds a longstanding place in literary history.
have special effects when used against a particular A worldbuilder should never lack material for
creature type; for example, Blight deals the max- inspiration. Narratively, spell-based systems
imum possible damage against plants. However, will likely invoke familiarity with audiences,
not every spell will target specific creature types, possibly reducing the degree to which one has
so this form of targeting presents a niche way of to explain or describe its magic.
categorizing spells. • Structured as needed. A spell-based sys-
tem’s most defining characteristic is that it
A prospective byproduct of spellcasting varia- uses spells to manipulate magic. While spells
tion surfaces in the style of the produced effects. A often come in the form of verbal chants, they
system could have a mechanic where a mage adds can include other components. A world-
effects or alters the potency of a spell by supple- builder possesses flexibility in how to struc-
menting regular casting with other components ture spellcasting, whether as simple or as
(such as items, additional verbal chants, or other complex as desired.
requisites). These enhancements may still need to • Unlimited power (maybe). The exact nature
adhere to the specific rules for that spell’s overall of magic will vary based on the world and
structure, though. For instance, some of D&D’s narrative. Spell-based magic systems do not
magical implements include wands or staves that inherently limit the type or magnitude of the
expand a caster’s magic repertoire. These items magical effects they create. The worldbuilder
usually grant mages access to spells they normally has the freedom to adjust their system’s
cannot use (akin to The Elder Scrolls), though the power level as necessary. The added flexibility
spells can only be cast at a fixed level of power. can also make pulling off magic-based story
hooks more viable, if not easier.
Spell variations can also appear overtly with the • The value of words. Spells are vital to this
effects’ aesthetics. The Patronus charm (a spell that system, and they can also serve a major role
“produce[s] a silvery-white guardian or protector, in developing, or even defining, other facets of
which takes the form of an animal”) from Harry the world. Spellcasting’s methodology (from
Potter is a famous example. Although the spell has verbal chants to gestures and materials, if
consistent functions, the Patronus manifests as applicable) can hold deeper meaning and
different, albeit not always unique, animal forms reflect the world’s lore. Perhaps magic comes
for each caster. In contrast, a system that allows by using the language of a dead empire, or
spells to have only one set manifestation, such as maybe spells are the product of the cultures
that use magic.

Why Not Use a Spell-Based System? Glossary
• The looming past. Spellcasting’s prevalence Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) - A fantasy tabletop
and popularity can backfire. A worldbuilder role-playing game typically played in a group of
may find it more difficult to create a spell- two or more people.
based system utterly distinct from its pre-
decessors. One also risks subconsciously Mage - A common, umbrella term in fantasy set-
deriving facets of other settings’ magic tings for individuals who can use magic.
systems, which may make the work come off
as a copy of another. Creating a truly unique Tabletop Role-Playing Game (TRPG) - A form of
spell-based system may take more effort to role-playing game where groups of players create
accomplish. characters and describe those characters’ actions
• Too much freedom. When the presence of via speech or writing, often within a particular
spells defines the system, it leaves a lot for setting.
the worldbuilder to fill in. Designing unique
spellcasting will demand attention to method- Endnotes
ologies or stipulations for magic. If the system
comes off as overly simple or too easily under- 1
Sanderson, Brandon. “Sanderson’s First Law.”
standable, then the audience may find it bor- Brandon Sanderson, https://brandonsanderson.
ing. On the other hand, exorbitant amounts com/sandersons-first-law/. Sanderson delves into
of detail can end bog down spellcasting with three laws of magic overall; aside from establishing
complexity or inconsistencies, not to mention the need for rules, the first law also discusses the
the worldbuilder’s potential time investment different ratings of magic systems, from soft to
for that effort. By leaving too many gaps, one hard magic.
risks creating a spell-based system that seems
incomplete. 2
Herc, Terry. “The Limits of Magic.” Worldbuild-
• The benchmark of reality. Magic forces a ing Magazine 2.6 (2018). Web. Another article in
worldbuilder to consider their world’s stan- this issue of Worldbuilding Magazine specifically
dards of reality. Depending on the power addresses magical limitations; recommended for
of spells, a worldbuilder should always be further reading.
prepared for the question, “Why not just use
magic to do [x]?” Spellcasting, in all its possi- Works Cited
ble versatility, typically subverts and breaks
pre-established laws of existence. As a story Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius. “Writings of Heinrich
device, spellcasting can also be an avenue Cornelius Agrippa.” Esoteric Archives, http://www.
for plot holes or narrative inconsistencies esotericarchives.com/agrippa.
because of the scope of what magic can do.
Dragon Age. Electronic Arts, 2009-2014. Video
Conclusion Game.
The vast capabilities of magic can make design-

ing a spell-based system daunting. Fortunately for
the worldbuilder, spellcasting is among the most
prolific types of magic systems due to the prevalent
mythos of mages, exacerbated by popular fantasy
media. The first step to designing a spell-based
system lies in understanding its various elements,
such as limitations and the aspects that help cre-
ate diversity. Still, challenges will exist in creating
something unique yet comprehensive. If you need a
magic system with a rich repertoire for inspiration
that provides variety in its application and effects,
then look no further than spellcasting.
Geoffrey of Monmouth. History of the Kings of Brit-
ain. Translated by Aaron Thompson, edited by J.A.
Giles, Medieval Latin Series, 1999. http://www.
yorku.ca/inpar/geoffrey_thompson.pdf.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Dir. Chris

Columbus. Warner Bros. Pictures, 2001. Film.
Kenreck, Todd. “Arcane and Divine Magic In Dun-

geons and Dragons.” D&D Beyond, https://www.
dndbeyond.com/posts/135-arcane-and-divine-
magic-in-dungeons-and-dragons.
Paolini, Christopher. The Inheritance Cycle. Paolini

LLC; Alfred A. Knopf, 2002-2011.
Rowling, J.K. “Patronus Charm.” Potter-

more, https://www.pottermore.com/
writing-by-jk-rowling/patronus-charm.
Sanderson, Brandon. “Sanderson’s First Law.”

Brandon Sanderson, https://brandonsanderson.
com/sandersons-first-law/.
Sapkowski, Andrzej. The Witcher. Gollancz; Orbit

Books, 1993-2013.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Dir. Todd Howard.

Bethesda Softworks, 2011. Video Game.
Vance, Jack. Dying Earth. Various publishers,

1950-1984.
Wizards RPG Team. Dungeons & Dragons Player's

Handbook. Wizards of the Coast, 2014.
---. Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide. Wizards of the

Coast, 2015.

THE NEWSROOM
Magic Fiction Fantasy (Low) Explicit Romance
Daniel Baker & C. Lynn Baker

Art by Anna Hannon
T he bright morning sun slowly crept above the

green mountains lining the horizon. As it rose
higher, its rays cast down on Jasper Valley. Johan-
his mind—Sachia had been through here mere
moments ago, heading up the stairs. Johannes, des-
tination in mind, proceeded to the mail floor.
nes Cain, responding to the warmth, stretched his
hands over his head. This daily ritual was accom- As he walked up the stairs, Johannes caught
panied by a crackling sound from his poorly-rested a glimpse of her gold and emerald robe flowing
joints. He took in a deep breath before standing on above him. He quickened his pace, catching up to
the cold floorboards of his home. He proceeded to his compatriot.
the bathroom, taking each step with care. There,
Johannes mulled over the findings of the previous “Sachia!” Johannes said, tapping her back. “Can I
night, splashing water on his face. He shuddered ask a favor of you?”
at the cold touch. Rather than making him alert, it
served only to add to his feeling of dread. “What are you offering in return?” Sachia
inquired, whipping around. “I think you’re talented
Back in his bedroom, Johannes carefully enough to break that necromancer from the east
selected a well-made, but unassuming, charcoal end of Apvant before it becomes the City Guard’s
suit coat that lacked the elaborate filigree of his jurisdiction. You find out what he knows, and we’ve
proper wear. He wore it open over a plain but- got the most valuable story of the year.”
ton-robe, completing the look with an old, but
well-maintained, four-tailed necktie. Slinging his “I’m not an investigative journalist. Aren’t inter-
drawstring satchel over his shoulder, he walked rogations and criminals your thing?” Johannes
over to the full-length mirror in the corner. After asked. Sachia leaned in, her stern look indicating
adjusting his necktie and taking one last appre- his excuses wouldn’t satisfy her. “Deal,” Johannes
hensive look at his reflection, Johannes stepped conceded. “I just need you to cover my morning
through the mirror. report. They’ve given me an interview with…”
Trailing off, he took a moment to recall the morn-
The bustling noise of the copy floor engulfed ing guest. “Some conjuration mage. Wants to
him on the other side. One of his coworkers—a promote his new tome. The notes are on the set.
squat man in an ill-fitting neophyte’s robe, carry- I appreciate it. Thanks.” They shook hands, and
ing a crate of learning-stones and some sheafs of Johannes turned and disappeared to his office.
parchment—noticed his appearance and greeted
him.
“Good luck on tonight’s show!” said the young

man.
The office was fully illuminated as he stepped
“Sure. Thanks,” Johannes continued without inside. The viridescent crystals around the room
paying him much mind. instantly dimmed at the impatient wave of his
hand, and the grain of the office’s planked wood
Johannes searched the floor with hopes of find- walls softened. Johannes never understood who
ing his best friend and confidant, Sachia. A look was responsible for the increased illumination in
of discontent rested on his brow, as she wasn’t his office while he was out. It was such a waste of
at her normal station. He took a brief glance valuable mana.
back at the neophyte and briefly delved into the
young devotee’s memory. An image flashed into He slowly removed his charcoal suit coat,
The disaster in which Johannes had found
himself entwined innocently began the previous
night. Lyrus Daygazer, the archdirector of INVOKE
Thaumic, had arrived on the set for the evening’s
interview. This highly-publicized and anticipated
event was strategically scheduled for the evening
of the Trade Guild's Day of Disclosure. On this
pivotal date, every company operating in Akanar
presented their financials to the public at the Trade
Guild Hall. The most important day in ten years
for the entire financial world allowed Johannes
to present a quaint human interest story: What
Makes the Man? That night he was supposed to
tell the story of the most important man in the
world—the headpiece of the world’s largest mana
generation and distribution company. On that
night, everything went wrong.
The interview had started out well—routine,

even. Johannes and his guest were introduced by
his broadcast partner as thousands of people gazed
into their crystal balls and scrying pools to watch.
Johannes began with friendly greetings and then
dove into the questions.
Daygazer: It might be prudent to stick around until

hanging it on the wooden stand that supported the doors close, but I have a feeling things are going
his crimson pointed hat. Lifting the hat, Johannes to turn out well for me and INVOKE Thaumic. I’d
admired the ornate star and moon designs remi- much rather spend my time here answering ques-
niscent of the yonder years. Though he was born tions.
centuries later, he secretly felt a connection to that
golden age. He wished the pointed hat were more Cain: I see. You’re very confident. Consult any ora-
fashionable today. If so, he wouldn’t just keep it on cles lately?
the stand in his office.
Daygazer: Ha! If prophecy were a real branch of
After donning the hat, he took a quick admiring magic, then I would only be in control of the second
peek back into the mirror on the wall. For just one largest industry in the world rather than the first.
brief moment, he had forgotten the burden of last Oracles can’t tell you any more than you can find out
evening’s events. The four-tailed neck piece was with careful planning.
removed and draped on the stand as he remem-
bered it all once more. Cain: And what is your stance towards planning?
How do you get all the details right before acting?
Johannes settled on his bench and adjusted his
cushions. The bentwood ash piece was perfectly Daygazer: All the details don’t have to be right. The
contoured to allow the most comfortable recline. It most important part about planning is setting your
was Johannes’ favorite way to ponder and plan. As initial course of action, but having contingencies.
he began to replay last night's troubling interview Your initial plans will never be completely successful,
over in his mind, he stared at the detailed carvings so you have to be able to respond when things go
of bromeliads in the crown molding of the room. wrong and guide yourself back into the correct path.
Be adaptive.

Cain: So, I’m sure all our viewers are dying to know bucklers. An even better opportunity came to me—a
the answer to this one. What would you say makes mining company who wanted to purchase mineral
you so successful, and what steps can we emulate if rights to the land. I had no interest in keeping it, as
we’re looking to make it into business? some diviners I had hired said there was nothing
valuable to be found. I sold off the rights to them
Daygazer: I consider myself to be a self-made man. for 50,000 dinars. Too little, as they discovered an
I started out with very little. I worked in a mar- immense trove of heaven’s shard! The business flour-
ketplace stall just outside the Capitol City. We sold ished, but abandoned the site during a harsh winter.
refurbished goods of all sorts, from leather clothing I bought the company from their previous director.
to steel weaponry and even a wand or enchanted I named it “INVOKE Thaumic,” and to this day I still
gauntlet sometimes. I made a small sum off of harvest the heaven’s shard and refine it into mana
adventurers looking to find their fortune in the Un- potion, to be distributed to the good people of Aka-
charted Lands. When I knew I wasn’t going to get nar.
any further, I sold the stand and my workshop to a
young up-and-coming Capitol politician. Cain: Very impressive, very intriguing story. I wasn’t
going to ask, but land prices in the Uncharted Lands
Here’s the important bit: if you’re looking to make it aren’t as low as they used to be, and eventually you
in business, you can’t be afraid to take risks. I made will have used up all of the heaven’s shard in your
a purchase in the Uncharted Lands—250,000 acres. mine. Does INVOKE Thaumic have a long-term plan
I thought I would simply lease it to a development for maintaining that success? For example, sustain-
crew to build outposts for trailblazers and swash- able mana sources? I know of one company that
promises they can draw unlimited mana from the the table, thankful to have the furthest seat from
movement of celestial bodies, I think it’s called Celes- the host. To his right were a man and a woman he
tial Sigils? was certain he’d never seen before. Johannes won-
dered if they even worked at the news center. At
At the mention of his competitor, Daygazer had the end of the table sat a presenter that Johannes
flown into a rage. “I really don’t have time for this!” knew, but not by name.
he shouted. “What do you think you’re saying? If
we can’t stick to the contracted topic, then I have to “The sun is now shining directly down on our
leave.” Daygazer disappeared from the set and left beautiful town of Jasper Valley,” the host began,
Johannes and his broadcast partner to conclude. “but today’s story comes not from home, not from
Apvant, not even from the Capitol. This event hap-
pened yesterday in the Uncharted Lands, almost
twenty miles northeast of the Van Klaer Outpost.
A small child, age eight, fell into a ravine near his
family’s cabin. No surveying efforts have made it
Johannes was torn from his contemplation by an out that far, so none of the family was aware of
abrupt knock. After stirring from his resting posi- the dangerous chasm. Not to fear—a retired City
tion, he walked over to the door. Sachia was on the Guard member from the Van Klaer Outpost heard
other side. the news, gathered her climbing equipment, and
pulled the child out of the ravine by the end of the
“How did it go?” said Johannes. day! She brought along with her a priest from the
outpost, who treated his injuries and expects the
“Well enough,” replied Sachia. “The old codger child to be happily running again, although hope-
with the new spellbook was such an interesting fully with a more discerning eye.
man to interview.” Her voice was smoldering in
heavy-laden sarcasm. “Now we turn to our guest speakers to hear
their reactions.”
“I need to talk to you about something,” Johan-
nes said, before being cut off—a small shard of The man was the first to speak, without even
pearl on his desk was now spinning and rattling being introduced. “I think it’s shameful,” he com-
in its indentation, indicating he was being paged. mented, “that this happened in the first place. The
“By Enlil! I have to go.” Johannes dashed out of the Capitol needs to supplement the National Survey
room and into the hallway, quickly vanishing up program and let our brave homesteaders be aware
the staircase at the end. of these natural hazards.”
Johannes stepped into the office of the Editor- “Thank you,” said the host, “And what are your
in-Chief, slowly intruding through the doorway. thoughts, Beth?”
“Noah, sir. You requested me?” Johannes ventured.
The woman was the next to speak. “This is a
“Indeed,” replied the Chief. “You have an empty perfect opportunity to improve communications
schedule for the Zenith broadcast slot. One of the between homesteaders and the nearby outpost.
members of the opinion panel has fallen ill. I need The child would have been rescued much faster
you to take his place.” had crystal chains been laid down to their home,
and communications magicians say it wouldn’t cost
Johannes stammered before accepting the task. more than fifty dinars per household.”
“I’ll do it.” Johannes was, in fact, grateful to have
such an easy assignment. All he would have to do “Thank you.” The smiling host then turned to
is smile, nod, and occasionally make noises to the address the final member of the panel. “And, Mr.
affirmative. Nodding and grunting would be easy. Cain, what do you think?”
With a gesture at his own head, the Chief asked Johannes had not expected the presenter to
one more favor: “Take that ugly thing off before- know his name, having been a replacement. He
hand, won’t you?” cast off a small stupor and meagerly gave his
thoughts. “It’s… certainly a nice story.” He adjusted
A few minutes later, Johannes took his place on his chair, pulling it closer to the desk. “A story of

selfless sacrifice. Risking one's life to save another. needed to get some air. I went outside and decided
The Guard member should be applauded.” to stroll through the South Gardens. As I sat on a
bench, a strange man approached me.” Johannes
Johannes was not asked anything else for the glanced around the copy room, painfully aware of
remainder of the panel; the two original members all the eyes and ears it held. “I can’t tell you any
were left to argue which infrastructure upgrades more here,” he said. “Let’s go sit where we can con-
should be made to best aid expansion into the verse alone.”
Uncharted Lands.
Sachia and Johannes settled into the records
room in the basement, surrounded by crates of
learning-stones. Each one contained a broadcast
from years gone by, but Johannes suspected none
held a story as interesting as the one he was about
After the broadcast slot had ended, Johannes to tell.
found Sachia at her desk in the copy room. “Sachia,
I still need to talk to you. Do you have a minute?” “The man wore a common robe, opal-black. It
made him very difficult to see against the night.
“Absolutely," she said with her trademark sar- The hood was worn in a fashion that I didn’t rec-
casm. “I need to tear myself away from this intrigu- ognize, obscuring his face. As he approached, I
ing investigation.” Now sincere, she confessed, “I was struck with panic. I attempted to sense his
really wish I could crack open the East Apvant case. thoughts, but his mind was strong and prepared
Remember, you owe me.” for such an intrusion. Still, he allowed me to learn
his motive—non-hostile. The horizon was clear,
“You remember last night’s debacle with Lyrus and I relaxed slightly. He sat next to me on the
Daygazer?” he asked as he moved files and drafts bench, beginning to speak in a grating tone of
from a chair onto the cluttered floor, sitting in the voice. It…” Johannes tapped his fingers on his head
only unoccupied flat surface near the workspace. as he took some time to consider the cause of the
strange man’s tone. “It almost sounded like his
“Of course. You made a right fool of yourself.” throat or lungs had been burnt.”
“That wasn’t the end of it. After that disaster, I Johannes continued to tell his story. “He pushed
his finger into my chest, saying ‘You have no idea will be of no help,’ he told me, ‘but your news
what you’ve gotten yourself into. Lyrus Daygazer is center can verify the seal on the envelope.’ Before
a dangerous man at any moment, but you choose I could speak again he bid me good luck, then
the Day of Disclosure to make him upset?’ vanished.
“I stammered for a bit, trying to get out an “I’ve had a horrible night, Sachia... I don’t know
excuse, but the man continued to talk. ‘You can call what to do.” Johannes reached into his robe and
me Prospero,’ he said. ‘I know about your talent, produced a small envelope bearing a red seal. “It’s
your ability to tell people exactly what they want authentic,” he said, “but I don’t read Rogue’s Cant.”
to hear. If you’re going to hear what I have to say,
you’ll do best to make use of it.’ Sachia couldn’t help but reveal a grin of satis-
faction. “The things you pick up while working
“At that moment, I was intrigued, but frightened with criminals. I’m glad I put in the time to learn
more than anything. Although I wanted to leave, I it.” Sachia took the envelope, removing a small
knew I needed what information he had to share. piece of parchment from inside. She began to read
Should this man be telling the truth, my life could the letter, eyes racing down the paper. When she
be in danger. He said that when he was young, he neared the end of the page, her look of concen-
had worked in a marble quarry far from here,” tration became one of astonishment. “This name,
Johannes said gesturing into the distance, far from here,” she said, signaling to an incomprehensible
the records room. “One year, the foreman said they collection of markings, “is the name taken on by
were moving out—there were far greater treasures the prime suspect in the East Apvant case.”
to be found elsewhere. They set up in the Outlands,
quickly beginning to mine heaven’s shard and sell “The necromancer, then? We already have him.
it to the Capitol. The foremen and the site captain We can stop the assassination!”
were so happy, they didn’t care that a small portion
of the stock would go missing each day. One winter, “No,” she said, shaking her head. “This letter was
the guardwall to the north was breached. The smell sent long after the necromancer was caught. One
of brimstone on the wind made the cause obvious, of our working theories is that the pseudonym is
but they didn’t have time to investigate the dam- used by all the members of their cabal. If that’s the
age, nor who had laid the explosives. Creatures of case, the assassination is still going to happen.”
the Outlands poured into the camp and the Captain
was killed during the evacuation. His crew never “What if we were to warn the director?”
mined there again, and INVOKE was established
within the year. “Trust me, that never works. If we tell the direc-
tor, he’ll begin to act suspicious. Daygazer’s spies
“I guessed his point—’Lyrus doesn’t like compe- will know, and he will die anyway.”
tition, and he’s about to eliminate Celestial Sigils as
well,’ I said. “We stake out the Director’s home, then. Get
ready to help if we see a break-in.”
“He nodded, confirming my suspicions. ‘Smart
man. Lyrus won’t be wanting much attention “That won’t work either. This letter doesn’t list
drawn to him.’” Johannes leaned forward on his the date—all it says is, ‘the agreed-upon time and
crate, and with a pointed tone said, “That has to location.’”
be why he was so upset last night.” Sitting back,
he continued the story. “Prospero pulled some- Johannes dropped his head into his hands.
thing from his robe—I flinched and shifted back. “There’s no way to help him then.”
However, my temperament was assuaged as he
revealed the object to be an envelope. “For what it’s worth, Johannes, you’d have made
an excellent investigative journalist. If you want
“It was a missive addressed to Lyrus, taken off to stop this,”—Johannes’ face began to pale as she
one of his couriers and replaced with a significant spoke—“you have to break the news. You have
bribe to conceal its disappearance. It’s a confirma- sufficient evidence and credibility. You can do it
tion of an assassination order. Prospero told me tonight on your evening slot. The only issue—”
that the assassin is using a pseudonym, but the
victim is the Director of Celestial Sigils. ‘The Guard

Johannes cut her off. “Is that I’d be the one to There wasn’t time to cry, but he had to all the
die instead.” He walked out of the room before she same. Negotiating agony and preparation, Johan-
could reply. nes pulled himself to his desk to make a few notes
for the evening report. Unsettled, but resolute, he
knew what to do. He washed his face and put on
his four-tailed necktie and charcoal grey suit coat,
picking them up from where they lay on the floor.
Tucking the notes into his inside coat pocket, he
Johannes found himself frustrated with the took one last glance into the viewing mirror and
penetrating light of the crystals in his office. He paused. Reverently, he bent over to pick up his
paced the length from the door to the small view- crimson hat. He secured it on his head, turned the
ing mirror, back and forth. The reflection of his iron doorknob, and confidently stepped out the
haggard figure brought a sick feeling in his chest door.
each time he approached it, and he would quickly
face the door again. His pacings became heavier
and heavier until the dust being shaken off of the
floorboards collected on his shoes. The increas-
ing force behind each subsequent heel-face turn
finally caused him to lose his balance and plummet Johannes looked directly into the record-
towards the floor. ing-pearl. His creed was simple: always make
eye-contact with either your guest or with your
Sitting up against the rough wall, Johannes audience. Behind him, the amicable orange glow
placed one hand on his brow. It came off damp, and of the setting sun lit one of the news center’s many
he ran it down his robe in disgust. With a labored control rooms. This sunset would provide a memo-
rising to his feet, Johannes began to blaspheme the rable backdrop for his program, and Johannes took
name of Enlil, as was his habit when distressed. He it to be a sign of good luck. “Good evening, Jasper
bellowed out curses, staggered across his office, Valley!”
and finally came to rest on his wooden lounge.
Now laying down, Johannes was able to feel the

unsympathetic hardness of the polished wood.
This feeling exacerbated the incredible tension in
his shoulders, and Johannes began to laugh aridly
from his throat. “It’s hopeless!” he cried. “It’s
unfair! It’s absurd!” As he laughed, he twisted his
torso forward, lifting his head off of the lounge. The
nervous laugh quickly became an agonized scream,
and Johannes swung his arm at the gnarled hat
stand, bringing it and its contents to the ground.
Kneeling beside the fallen stand, the tears began to
fall.
ART FEATURE: ANNA HANNNON
Interview
Curated by Wynter
I have always been a big reader. Stories such as

Lord of the Rings and The Dark Elf Trilogy fasci-
nated me, and I enjoyed getting lost in them. Then,
or scene without knowing where it came from in
a story or world. The characters in my portraits
live and breathe within their own worlds—most
one fateful day, I was invited to a 3.5e Dungeons from my own making. I enjoy crafting homebrew
and Dragons game! I was hooked immediately and settings especially for RPGs and then creating art
have been playing regularly for the last thirteen for scenes that I think are important for the story.
years. I became enthralled with creating characters I am currently in the midst of a personal project
and weaving their stories with others. It was only a writing an RPG adventure module for the 5e D&D
matter of time before I was creating the world they system that caters somewhat to my own tastes and
lived in from the ground up. centers around the city of Bridgewater. The world
was once rife with magic, divine and arcane, but
My art is deeply connected to worldbuilding. I'd humans lost touch with those powers over the last
even say worldbuilding is where all my inspiration several centuries. Still, creatures of myth remain,
comes from. I cannot draw or paint a character though only a few know of their existence. The

44 WORLDBUILDING MAGAZINE "Dana"
setting is low magic with a grim atmosphere, which I personally
find most appealing and why I try to make artwork with a dark
ambiance.
Since I moved from Windows OS to Linux, I began using Krita as

my digital painting software of choice. The process goes roughly the
same with each piece. First I like to sketch out a few thumbnails.
You might think you have a solid composition in your mind, but
breaking it down into five or more iterations really strengthens
the final piece. Then I will gather reference material such as a
character pose, textures for clothing, jewelry, etc. After that, I get
the full-sized canvas ready and do a very loose sketch before going
over it with a couple value studies. This phase lets me decide what
sort of lighting scheme will work. For character illustrations I like
to work from Clint Cearly’s “Sweet 16” character lighting lesson.
For the painting of Dana, for example, I chose a basic front light. In
the story, she is meant to be a helpful character for players but it is
difficult to determine her motives. This lighting is ‘neutral’, making
it difficult to discern whether she is a villain or a hero. As minor as
they may appear, choices such as these can help a piece immensely.
Next I begin to paint in values (usually in black and white) and

build up my colors. As I mentioned before, each painting has a
story: whether it be a character or a landscape. Again for Dana, I
paid extra attention to the texture of her clothing to better give the
feeling of ruggedness. There are wrinkles, dirt, and scars in the
armor and a practical clothing design overall. Then I add in the little
details: the wolf clasp to hint at her werewolf hunting background;
the sword at her hip, nearly in darkness, to hint that she is a lady
not to be messed with!
Special thanks to Anna Hannon for letting us show her work.

You can find more at her website and on Twitter.
If you would like to be featured in an upcoming issue of

Worldbuilding Magazine please email or contact us on Discord.

EMBRACING NATURE: USING RPG
MECHANICS TO INSPIRE WORLDBUILDING
Culture Economics & Industry Fantasy Tabletop Gaming
Cathy, the Overprepared GM
I n Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition (D&D 4e),

the game designers experimented with different
sources of magic being an integral part of their
Unfortunately, the basic premise was a big
hole in the system. The official 4e description for
the source of the power stated only that it came
mechanics, including their version of nature magic from the primal spirits of nature. That’s the entire
known as “primal magic.” explanation. This idea sounded interesting to me at
first, but it got fuzzy when I thought about it. The
I absolutely loved this idea when I thought designers never really explained what the primal
about it. In fact, I love nature-based magic and spirits of nature were, exactly how they granted
always have. Polymorphing into predatory beasts, power, or how the power they granted differed
communing with groves of trees, finding magic from non-primal powers. For example, the expla-
in the mundane and wonder in the wilderness— nation doesn’t distinguish between a primal spirit
these are a few of my favorite things.1 of nature granting power to a shaman and a god
of nature granting divine magic to a priest. I mean,
I wanted to take one of my nations and really I guess I could have just declared primal spirits
run with the idea of primal magic. I didn’t just want to be intrinsically different from gods and arcane
to pepper it with a few druids. I envisioned some- powers, taking the approach that D&D did. It’s sort
thing analogous to steampunk instead, except with of the cover-my-ears-and-chant-la-la-la approach
nature magic and mystic shamans at its base rather to worldbuilding, but I thought it would be more
than clockwork mechanisms and mad scientists. useful to try to fill in that gap and see what I could
Unfortunately D&D 4e didn’t really have a setting deduce from the explanation.
like that, so I had to build it from the mechanics
they did have. Inspiration struck when I reread Lois McMaster
Bujold’s The Hallowed Hunt3. In her world, there
Taking Stock is a tradition called the “forest magics” which uses
blood sacrifice to harvest magic from the blood and
First, I needed to assess the existing mechan- souls of living creatures. So for example, a mage
ics that focused on primal magic. D&D 4e has might sacrifice a wolf to bind the spirit of that wolf
an assortment of powers and rituals focused on to the spirit of a warrior. The recipient of the wolf
natural animals, plants, poisons, weather, and, to spirit gains superhuman strength and stamina and
a lesser extent, the physical elements. The bulk of a sensitivity to the world of spirits. Bujold elab-
material dedicated to primal magic was defining orated on this idea, but the basis got my mental
the classes (Druids, Barbarians, Shamans, and War- engine revving. It made me think of the ancient
dens) and info to support them.2 That was pretty druids officiating over ritual sacrifices in the midst
much it. of Stonehenge.4 Loving the image, I decided that
the nation would be Celtic-flavored.
1
Feel free to sing along. https://www.youtube.com/ 3
Lois McMaster Bujold is a goddess of the written word,
watch?v=0IagRZBvLtw and if you are not intimately familiar with her work, I
strongly urge you to stop reading this article and devote
2
Actually, they had the Seeker class, too. It’s famously yourself to catching up on her oeuvre immediately. No
weak among people who like 4e, so I converted it to an pressure.
alchemist class, changed the magic source, and altered
some of the powers. Long story. Anyway, for our purposes,
pretend there are only four primal classes.
I brainstormed associations with Celts and between clans and spirits. I had read a number of
thought about how I could incorporate them into books where people who came back from clinical
the nation. Irish and Welsh names were easy to death gained the ability to see the souls of the
add. I could picture the natural environment, look- dead, so I decided that’s how my shamans would
ing up images of the British Isles to find rolling get their power. To become a shaman, they had to
green hills, shadowed forests, white cliffs, quiet die alongside a natural creature—sometimes an
lochs, rugged highlands, and cold bogs. Clashes animal, but maybe an older shaman, or great tree,
with the Roman Empire figured heavily in Celtic or something. The prospective shaman would need
history, so I decided to steal Roman history, poli- to gamble greatly by sacrificing itself to clinical
tics, and military tactics for the invading nation to death. Its spirit would float free from its body,
the west. I chose to organize the nation by clans letting it interact with other spirits. If it were able
since they featured prominently in ancient Irish forge a bond with a primal spirit and then return
society. Then I reskinned the gods to Brigid, Herne, to life—perhaps resuscitated by someone else who
Dainu, Dagda, and Taliesin rather than the Daugh- oversaw the ritual—then it would revive as a full
ter, Son, Mother, Father, and Bastard found in Bujo- shaman with a spirit companion. It would retain
ld’s books. the ability to affect the spirit world through its
companion, and it would sustain the companion
So, I had some worldbuilding seeds but had from its own life energies.
strayed a bit from the primal magic issue. Then one
of my soon-to-be players asked me a very impor- Barbarians
tant question. “I’m thinking of playing a druid,”
he asked, “How do druids fit into this world?” I So, that explanation could work for shamans.
wanted the four classes to feel distinct from each Barbarians would be easy, then. In the game, a
other yet connected to primal magic, so I took barbarian is a brutal melee warrior able to both
a few days to think through my feelings on the absorb and mete out huge amounts of damage.
matter. They’re defined by their “rages,” the game’s term
Copying from one source can feel

derivative, but copying a dozen sources
and modifying them to fit together can
build you something entirely new.
for heightened states that make them even more

The Classes effective. Translating that concept into the world, I
imagined that barbarians would be the champions
Shamans and shock troops of the clans, exemplars of their
fighting prowess and ferocity. I decided that they
I started with Shamans. In terms of game would get their powers the way Bujold described:
mechanics, Shamans are healers associated with by sacrificing the spirit of an animal into a warrior.
spirits, which served them in and out of combat. The shamans, of course, would perform the ritual
They act as supportive magic users rather than since they were the intermediaries with the spirit
physical warriors. I decided that in terms of the world. The rage states would signify times when
world, the shamans maintain the relationship the barbarian lets the spirit of the animal take over.
The animals would match the clan totems (snake
4
Not that they did that there. Evidence overwhelmingly clan barbarians would bond with snake spirits, the
shows ancient Celts did practice religious human sacri- horse clan barbarians would bond with horse spir-
fice, so it makes sense that druids would have presided its, etc.).
over it. And I have no evidence they did so at Stonehenge,
but that seems a great place to imagine it happening.
“Did the Celts or Druids Perform Human Sacrifice?”
Celtic Studies Resources, www.digitalmedievalist.com/
opinionated-celtic-faqs/human-sacrifice/.

Druids Wardens
In the game, a druid is a skirmisher that can So with the place of the druids fleshed out,
shift between animal form and human form, sum- only the wardens remained. In 4e, wardens are
mon animals, and cast spells that affect the bat- a defender class, melee warriors responsible for
tlefield. I saw a key to understanding the druid in protecting other party members from harm. They
another of Bujold’s ideas, a hallowed beast. A hal- don’t get rages exactly, but they take on “forms”
lowed beast is created by sacrificing the soul of one which give them special powers as they fight. The
beast at the end of its life into another, transferring problem with that description is that it sounds like
the wisdom and training of the old to the new over something between a druid and a barbarian with
many generations. Eventually these beasts become a slightly different tactical focus. I wanted to find a
something more than a beast, a shadow of a god or way to clearly differentiate them in-world.
a beast-god. A druid is created by sacrificing one of
the hallowed beasts and taking them into their soul After some brainstorming, I decided to start
through a ritual similar to the barbarian’s—how- by differentiating the warden’s magic from the
ever the soul of a hallowed beast is much deeper druid’s. Originally, both had a wide range of nature
in magic and harder to bond with. Potential druids spells, but I reflavored some of each so that the
do not primarily act as warriors but are chosen for druid’s power focused on living aspects of nature:
their wisdom and fortitude. Rather than rages and trees, thorns, claws, tentacles, and so on. In con-
battle strength, they gain magical powers. trast, I specialized the warden’s spells into the
timeless, non-living parts of nature: weather, rocks,
Since druids can take on animal forms, it would seasons, time, etc. These changes led me to another
make sense for them to act as the intermediary idea.
between the clans and the natural world in the
same way that the shamans mediate with the spirit I could imagine gaining tiger powers by sacri-
world. They would monitor the health of the eco- ficing the tiger and bonding with its soul, but what
systems and befriend natural and magical beasts. about control over the weather and mountains?
If a basilisk or a family of griffons or a tyrannosau- You can’t very well kill a rainstorm or a rock.5
rus herd moved close to a village, it would be the The sacrificing had to go the other way. I decided
druid's duty to decide the best course of action wardens were created when a person sacrificed
(Investigate? Chase off? Kill? Tame?) and pursue themselves to the immortal spirits of nature.
it. The druids would initiate young hunters, trap- Sometimes the immortal spirit snags the soul as
pers, fishers, herders, loggers, farmers, vintners, it leaves and reanimates the body, experiencing a
and ranchers into their craft. They’d also decide mortal life for a brief few decades. With wardens,
what could be hunted or fished and when, and they the primal spirit stays in control, but it has memo-
could determine whether or not a part of the forest ries and feelings from the faded soul of its human
can be logged or turned into farms. companion.
Perhaps most importantly, druids would be Within the setting then, wardens would be fairly
responsible for overseeing the great beasts. They’d rare and treated with great respect. They’d person-
breed or capture the beasts themselves, carefully ify specific places or concepts of nature, like War-
tracking pedigrees and scouting new bloodstock. den of the Winter Solstice or Warden of the Great
They’d choose and train their human caretakers Fens6. They might not feel beholden to any particu-
and check in to see that the beasts were being lar clan, but they would personify the relationships
properly reared. Conveniently, hallowed beasts of the clans to the immortal spirits of nature and
also make a great in-game description for the beast
companions from the 4e rule set. I didn’t see any 5
Well, technically I suppose there exists a monster manual
game reason for them to be tied only to ranger
somewhere that gives monster stats to rainstorms and
characters the way they were in the rules, so I
rocks so that a party could fight and kill them. Nonethe-
altered the rules a bit to make them available to all less, for this setting I decided that rainstormicide wouldn’t
primal classes. give you anything useful besides pure satisfaction and dry
skies.
6
Cathy the Overprepared GM. “Finding the Fens.” World-
building Magazine, Aug. 2018, pp. 18–22.
would protect their people against anything which the Huntmaster, choosing the Wild Hunt’s quarry.
went against the natural order. Their forms would At midnight, the Huntmaster would die and the
then be really different from the barbarian rages other hunters would return to their homes dazed,
because the primal spirit takes over. With wardens, drained, and fuzzy on what happened.
the primal spirit is always in charge, and instead,
the spirit uses its power to modify the host body Greek mythology provided the inspiration for
while shifting into its forms. spring, where young women consecrate the Wild
Revel. From dawn to noon, they’d dance in a psy-
Rituals of Sacrifice chotic frenzy to awaken the fertility of the land.
One young dancer would become the Maenad and
I liked how the ideas from Bujold helped flesh grow a crown of thorns and flowers.8 She’d direct
out the classes, but thinking about wardens led the Wild Revel but in the end be torn apart by
me to ruminate on non-living primal spirits and the dancers she led. Like the hunters, the dancers
concepts. Did I want to go full on animist with my would return dazed, drained, and with little mem-
world and make it so that everything had souls? I ory of the Revel.
toyed with that idea for a while but decided to go a
slightly different route. All places would have some Elizabeth Vaughan’s Chronicles of the Warlands
magical energy created by living beings, but this inspired the winter ritual, where I decided fathers
nation had been feeding its land for centuries. The and old men would participate in the Long March.
holidays and rituals required sacrifices of blood, From midnight to dawn, they’d walk a bright road
magic, soul energy, and lives on a regular basis. only they could see. A few hours in, the walkers
This made the land itself unique. Other nations would be surrounded by the glowing, translucent
may have some primal spirits, but this nation had forms of the dead who, for this one night a year,
a living land rich in primal power. In other regions, could keep company with their living kin. The last
forests are just a bunch of trees, but in this land, walker still marching at dawn would become the
the forest is alive and aware. Stepping into it is a Gatekeeper. His body would turn to stone in order
completely different experience than anywhere to guard the gate to the realm of death for a year.
else in the world.
I lacked a clear inspiration for summer, but
To create a change on that wide a scale would eventually, I decided that if I wanted to have a mir-
require rituals on an equally immense scale. Not ror ritual to winter. To contrast the winter ritual’s
just the shaman class performing magic (because focus on endurance and the past, I needed a restful
they could never be more than a tiny percentage ritual with a focus on the future. So in the summer
of the nation’s population), but something where a ritual of the Long Dream, mothers and old women
significant portion of the population was regularly throughout the nation would lay down in the sun
contributing blood and energy. So I came up with to sleep. Most of the women would wake, burned
the idea of the Great Hallowed Rituals. Ordinary and drained, having bled their strength into the
rituals are things that an individual would use to land. However, vines and plants would smother
get personal results: curing a person from disease and pierce one dreamer until only the barest sug-
or getting information from an oracle, among oth- gestion of her face was left. For the rest of the year,
ers. The Great Hallowed Rituals would involve the she’d be the oracle for the nation, sustained by the
entire country participating together in an act of plants that enveloped her until the death of the
faith, community, mysticism, and sacrifice. greenways in autumn.
I wanted them to be tied to the seasonal cycle, 7

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Herne The
so I decided on four great ritual celebrations, one Hunter.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Bri-
for each season. Tales of Herne the Hunter and the tannica, Inc., 14 May 2007, www.britannica.com/topic/
Wild Hunt inspired me since it seemed to encap- Herne-the-Hunter. Geller. “The Wild Hunt - European
sulate the blend of nature and savagery I wanted.7 Folk Myth.” Mythology.net, Mythology.net, 14 Jan. 2017,
I imagined autumn would feature the ritual of the mythology.net/norse/norse-concepts/the-wild-hunt/.
Wild Hunt, when shamans would sanctify young 8
In the original mythology, the Maenads were frenzied
men as hunters from sundown to midnight. Pos- followers of Dionysus, possessed by their god. Britannica,
sessed, the hunters would be swept away by the The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Maenad.” Encyclopædia
Wild Hunt as they bled their energy into the land. Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 26 Aug. 2010,
One of the hunters would grow antlers and become www.britannica.com/topic/maenad.

bushes would form fort palisades rather than have
Consider the Implications wood cut and lashed together. Village buildings
might be topped by living sod rather than thatched
So far I had better integrated the classes into roofs. Plant signals might replace road signs.
the setting and had a better idea of what the flavor Sewer systems wouldn’t dump stuff into the water
of my nation would be, but I still hadn’t achieved system; they’d use natural filtration and active bac-
anything like the nature magic equivalent of ste- teria colonies to handle it, so druids would be san-
ampunk. So now it was time to look at the details itation specialists, too. Swarm druids would also
I had amassed and think through their logical be uniquely suited to pest control, not only limiting
conclusions. the loss of crops but also minimizing the spread of
diseases that use vermin as carriers.
First, I looked at what sort of magic was com-
mon enough to be dependable. Shamans and Actually, if they depended on the natural world
druids have access to a free cantrip called animal and had spokespeople for it like esteemed wardens
messenger.9 They can whisper a short message and druids, then they’d be both knowledgeable
to an animal who delivers it to someone within a and protective of their ecosystems. They’d have
day’s journey, and they’d be able to do this spell a relatively low population density for their tech-
every day. So if even 1% of the population were a nological level but relatively high crop yield and
shaman or a druid (or maybe other magic users health, which would imply either greater family
who learned the cantrip), even small villages planning or something else to cut down numbers.
would likely have a resident with the ability to Humans might practice a lot of human sacrifice,
communicate magically. It would create a sort of widely use contraception, or kill each other a lot
distributed communication network, like the inter- in battle. If the monarch has a cabinet, then the
net but with birds and cats instead of computers. person in charge of wilderness areas would have
The day’s journey put an interesting wrinkle on more influence than in other lands and will likely
things though because it had two implications for have important coordination with defense, urban
long-distance communication. First, migratory planning, and culture.
birds would make the fastest and farthest-reaching
messengers, but they’d be seasonal. Spring and With druids changing to animal form, hallowed
fall would bring a flood of distant news, I imagine. beasts running around, and everyone using ani-
Second, if you want the message to reach a dis- mals to communicate, build, and travel, settle-
tant goal, you’d have to set up a system to relay ments and services must adapt to non-humanoids.
the message beyond the limits of the cantrip. It Streets, transportation, lodging, and so on would
could take a while and it would have to travel from likely have to be able to fit bears and other over-
animal to animal, being renewed and repeated by sized animals. Eating establishments would need
spell casters along the way. Shamans and druids to be able to cater to a wide variety of palates. Ani-
would know all the news. The best of them would mals would have to be treated as equals or at least
probably be terrible gossips, knowing everybody’s have recognition under the law, though they may
business and always on the lookout for the latest not necessarily be treated with kindness. People
info to spread or use. They may constantly main- would be just as wary of the strange oxen in town
tain their network so that they know who to con- as they would of a strange human, but they won’t
tact to get information to the right place. They’d just immediately put a collar on it or roast it for
be better than the pony express for top speed, but dinner.
each message would need to be very short.
The natural seasonal cycles would become even
Construction, farming, and other industries more crucially important than in pre-modern soci-
would rely on very different methods if they had eties. Modern tech insulates us from the cycles to a
access to helpful plants and animals as well as large extent, but a nation and culture built around
spells that could alter or enhance them. Animals, primal magic can have technological advancements
plants, and fungi fill in for a lot of technology/ while breathing to the rhythms of nature.
magic. For example, rampant blackberry and rose
On the other hand, the wilderness would have a
very different connotation. It wouldn’t be a fearful
9
A cantrip is a small spell, learned early and cast without
place of monsters as seen in medieval folklore.
using up resources.
People who embraced nature magic would have a
different relationship with nature than, for exam- beasts who mediate between the clans and
ple, historical Europeans. If we posit a technology the mortal natural world.
based on primal spirits, then we’d have to rethink • Wardens are primal spirits who possess sac-
some of our traditional associations with nature. rificed warriors and serve as avatars of the
Primal wouldn’t mean primitive, and natural immortal natural world.
wouldn’t mean anti-human or anti-technology. • Animal messenger gossip networks would
Another shift in thinking is that, in D&D, druids dominate communications.
have traditionally been cast as “true neutrals” in • Nature magic construction methods would
terms of good-evil and law-chaos dichotomies. mean buildings are grown as much as built.
This is an outgrowth of the idea that nature is a • Druid-run public health systems could be
separate sphere from humanity, and that the good exceptionally effective.
and law are human ideals. In a world where nature, • Politically, the equivalent of the Director of
culture, and technology are yoked together, this National Parks would be significantly more
separation makes little sense, and proponents of powerful and would likely have important
nature could be as civilized, good, and lawful (or coordination with defense, urban planning,
barbarous and chaotic) as any other segment of and culture.10
humanity. • Settlements, services, and laws have to adapt
to non-humanoids.
Takeaways • The natural seasonal cycles dominate culture
and affect technology more than we’re used
Now, my guess is that you won’t have an imme- to.
diate need to create a nature-punk nation based • Primal doesn’t mean primitive. Nature doesn’t
on D&D 4th Edition mechanics. Few people do. But mean neutral. Natural doesn’t mean anti-hu-
you may want to look at the quirks in the mechan- man or anti-technology. Clichés are fun, but
ics in your own game and see what worldbuilding you don’t have to stick to them unless you
they may inspire. Regardless of the system you use, want to.
here’s a quick take on my technique:
• Bujold is a brilliant goddess of writing and

reading her books can change your world.
• More broadly, mix and match ideas from his-
10
Australia has a particularly well-described page on
tory, literature, movies, urban legends, and their Director of National Parks. http://www.environ-
wherever else you feel inspired. Copying from ment.gov.au/topics/national-parks/parks-australia/
one source can feel derivative, but copying director-national-parks
a dozen sources and modifying them to fit
together can build you something entirely
new.
• Try to figure out where you don’t have good
explanations for something. Those areas can
give you a lot of bang for your brainstorming
buck.
• Sometimes you’ll use mechanics to inspire
worldbuilding, but sometimes that world-
building can also inspire you to tweak the
mechanics. It’s usually pretty easy to reflavor
a power, spell, or item to fit your world with-
out changing the balance of the rule set.
Details in a nature-punk nation:

• Shamans return from death to mediate
between the clans and the spirit world.
• Barbarians are warriors bound to a
sacrificed animal spirit who serve as
champions of their clans.
• Druids are wise folk bound to hallowed

STRANGE MAGIC
Fiction Fantasy (Low) Explicit Romance
Adam Bassett
I tried to forget her after we separated—or rather,

after she left me. It was an honest effort, filled
with long and sleepless nights and longer days
that not to be the case—despite my understanding
that such a thing would be completely insane. Per-
haps it was time to check in to the asylum.
in which I could only think of sleeping. Once the
initial sorrow passed, a heavy doubt remained. All I would have to do was tell them I fell in love
What could I have done different? Somehow this with a girl who could breathe underwater.
always seemed a profound question in the films. It
really wasn’t. Regardless, for the lack of anyone to Love is strange magic. The idea came to me
speak with, I asked my cat this many times. He just often after I started seeing her, and after she
blinked and meowed for food. stopped seeing me. Love was stranger than the
myriad impossibilities she could perform. It made
One afternoon, in the shade of an oak beside me do stupid things like jump off cliffs and create
the river, I stopped to catch a view—the river gur- little people in the sand that she would give life. It
gled and foamed over the stones that obstructed filled me with the thought that nothing could have
it—and ran a hand through the mud. It was cool to overcome us.
the touch. I dug my hands in deep and—arms now
covered in a dark film of soil and clay—molded it Still worse, love was something everyone else
until it resembled her, as best the river mud could. seemed to have.
The act of creating the sculpture was enjoyable,
though once it was finished, I felt all the guilt and I returned to the riverside some nights. Some-
doubts flooding back into my consciousness. I had times I was careful to avoid the site where I
no defense but to walk back the way I’d come. sculpted her in mud. Other times I would walk
straight to it, fix the parts that sagged or broke, and
Later that week, she passed the little house on head home. I did this for nearly a week, wondering
a bike, hair streaming like ribbons in the wind. I toward the end of it what would happen when
knew where she would go. To Fort Williams Park, the forecasted rains came that weekend. The mud
not far from the lighthouse. We could see the red which dried on the shore of that river would sink
roofs of the visitor center and museum around it. in on itself and run back into the river. My mind
I’d gone there a few times as a kid with my par- had some difficulty wrapping around that concept.
ents and sister, took old college friends there who It was just mud, just a dumb figure, yet after fixing
were visiting from out of town. It was where she’d it up for a few days and the act of creating it, I felt
taken me on our first date. Her favorite place, and some sadness seeing the projected rainclouds
through her eyes I saw the park in a whole new come is way on the television. The meteorologist
way. said, “Best to save any trips with the family for next
weekend,” with a smile.
We leapt and dove into the sea. As we fell she
cast a spell on me, pressing her thumb against my I went back to the river for a second time that
forehead so hard that it hurt, then did the same night, finding my way by the light of a dim dollar
to herself just before we struck the salty water. As store flashlight. I could hear the river gurgling
the Atlantic swallowed us she held me below the and the song of crickets among the fresh grasses.
surface until I realized I could breathe underwater, It was cold that night, and I’d dressed in a light
for a time. I always wondered if the other spell coat which didn’t do enough against the wind and
she cast on me was intended. If she had ever truly snow. Along the way I doubted my resolve. Surely
wanted my love as wildly as I longed for hers. there wouldn’t be rain in the coming days. Surely it
was a dumb thing to wander the woods so late at
I was both certain and uncertain that the world night. There were plenty of local tales about bears
must exist around her. She was too incredible for and wolves in these woods. I’d seen none of them,
but that didn’t mean the monsters didn’t exist out man on my porch I took a deep breath and—when
there, lurking in the dark. it wasn’t too close—swung open the door, taking
aim and shouting, “What do you want?”
I spun around, casting the light around myself,
but even with the light I couldn’t see a thing off the It couldn’t respond, for it had no voice. It had
path. Everything was darkness and quiet, save for left a trail of soil in its wake, walking around the
the river and bugs. house, and where the snow had fallen on it, the
golem’s shoulders were scarred.
I had to step off the path to go toward the river.
To the part where I’d sculpted her in mud. I knew it “Shit,” I said, unable to ignore what so clearly
was stupid to go, yet my feet pressed on as though stood in front of me.
they were possessed. When I arrived, the river was
full and loud, a layer of snow over everything, and It took a step closer. I yelled for it to stop and it
my sculpture was not in its place. did. A strange coincidence, surely. I set the shotgun
on a nearby chair. The golem did not strike me as
I stepped to the spot I’d left it, shining the malicious. It was a being of soil and sand, clearly
light. Where it once lay was a patch of soil, lightly wounded from the snows, a marred shape of the
snowed upon and in the shape of a young woman, woman who I modelled her after. I did not feel
heavier snowfall all around it. A chill crept along threatened, though my heart did skip a few beats
my spine. as a thought occurred to me. A memory of how
my love and I made sand castles on the beach and
A sound, like the bending of a bough, came from how she’d pushed her thumb into the sands and
my side. animated a battle between little sand men to see
which castle was superior.
I shone the light at it. In my haste I nearly
dropped it. As I collected myself, I saw that in front Hers won—something I always suspected was
of me there was a young woman, one who vaguely rigged.
resembled the one whom I loved, made of dried
mud with snow on her head and shoulders. On I ran a finger along the thumbprint depression
her forehead there was a mark—a fingerprint— in the golem’s forehead and recalled the way which
pushed into it. It noticed the branch beneath its she’d cast those spells. Soil pulled away from the
foot and stepped back, avoiding it like a child creature and it slumped for a moment.
would something new.
“I’m sorry,” I said, making a note not to touch the
So I ran. spot again, recalling how the underwater breath-
ing, and the sand people, and everything else she’d
I made an honest effort to convince myself none done was temporary. How cruel, I thought. How
of that happened. The morning was typical enough: cruel for this golem, even for all the sand people
a quiet breakfast of oats and an orange with the who I hadn’t previously considered, to be given
cat, who meowed at precisely the same time he a life only to lose it in a few days. A few hours,
always did. The news was on, the meteorologist maybe.
reported as usual—the rains were still coming—
and a quick look through the news on my phone “I’m sorry,” I said again.
didn’t yield anything out of the ordinary.
When the rains came, it stayed on my porch,
As noon approached, there was a knocking. watching the storm, occasionally standing and
It did not come from the door, but rather a wall. cowering at the sight of lightning or when a squall
Whoever knocked was moving along the side of brought rain onto the deck. I set up a curtain with a
the house, rapping at walls, windows, doors, what- few towels, which I think helped. It stayed there all
ever it was beside. I found my father’s shotgun in night.
the cellar—it was an older model, but, if I spoke
boldly enough, it might be enough to scare off the I don’t think, in all the time I knew the golem,
intruder without coming to blows. My hands shook that I quite knew what to do with it. It wasn’t her,
as I loaded it, recalling the night before as the not by any means. Though it had something resem-
knocking continued. When it came time to face the bling her face and body, it could only make the

Image by deificat
most basic movements. It did not smile. It did not the police came knocking, claiming there was a
have a gleam in its eyes—for they, too, were made report of suspicious activity. Once they searched
of soil—and it did not have that laugh I missed so the place, I spoke to them about how I lived alone
much. The one which shook her whole body and with my cat and yes I travelled quite a ways into
made her fall to the ground. No, the golem was not the Portland for work, and no I haven’t eaten meat
her, but I liked it. I liked having it around, though, since the late nineties. We had a laugh about how
the cat did not. The poor thing would not go near vague “suspicious activity” was, and they admitted
that creature and hissed whenever it saw the beast they didn’t know what they were looking for. The
of soil. I had to start feeding it in the cellar, away report claimed there was a monster here—which
from the windows where it might see the golem. both officers found hilarious—but it was a small
town, and they had a duty to check out each report.
The mailman was the first person to see it,
besides the golem’s creator and myself. He saw “Sorry to waste your time, officers,” I said.
it stand and sped off down the road as if demons
chased him. The golem went after him, and, though “We’re sorry to trouble you, sir,” one said.
it did not emote quite like a person, I could tell it
did not intend to make peace with the man. “Mac,” the other nodded at the cellar door. “One
more to check.”
“Stop!” I shouted, and it obeyed. It returned to
the porch, but it was then I knew the rains were I honestly considered striking them then. I had
the least of my worries. a good angle. There was an old college hockey
trophy within reach. I could have taken one out
The following day, I did not receive my mail. I with no trouble. The other would likely fall as well,
thought it suspicious. Once the cat and his bowls taken by surprise. I could not kill them, though. It
were locked up in my bedroom, I lead the golem would wound my soul in a way that it could not
into my basement, where the rains and people repair. Even if I did, there would be blood and bod-
would not find it. My paranoia was validated when ies to explain away should four officers arrive the
following day. So I let them open the door, descend strong enough? How could I look at myself in the
the steps, and prayed that my golem would be still. mirror each morning knowing that I so willingly
gave this exotic creature to an early demise?
“What’s that?” the officer named Mac said. He
saw the golem right away. Of course he did. It was I hadn’t made up my mind when it took its
standing in the center of the cellar, after all. Not an first step into the water. It made no sound, which
inconspicuous place. disconcerted me as much as I was relieved. Soil
turned to mud and flowed downstream as it lum-
I was about to try and explain it—a sand sculp- bered toward the center of the river. It deformed
ture preserved with some artist’s tool perhaps— and withered with each step as I held back my
but the golem moved toward the officers. One drew tears, watching only to confirm what I knew would
his pistol. Perhaps it recognized aggression or happen next. When the golem melted away, the
sensed my panic. Whatever the reason, it charged rains came in full, soaking me to my core.
them, tackling one to the ground and frightening
the second so much that he screamed. I turned on the flashlight and headed home to
let the cat out of my bedroom.
I yelled at the officers, “Go!”
The golem chased the officers out of the house,

a silent rage about it as it passed me to pursue
them as far as the car. It slammed its fists on the
hood of the vehicle as the officers backed up, then
gave chase down the road until I shouted for it to
stop.
It walked to my side and stared at me. It was

waiting for orders—I think—and I realized my
mistake with the officers in the cellar. Was this
what she’d created the golem for? To protect me?
To prove some absurd point about how oppres-
sive I’d been in our time together? I’d insisted we
should live together, and be monogamous, and
what our wedding might look like. All things that
made complete sense to me, but then she was
always different. That’s why I’d loved her. That’s
why she left me, I think.
A drop of rain hit my cheek.
“Come,” I told it, a sinking feeling in my chest.
I walked into the woods, carrying the dollar

store flashlight. When we were beside the river at
the spot she’d created a golem of my sculpture, I
walked to the edge. Rain was coming faster now,
the storm about to break. I told the golem, “Step
into the river.”
It did as I asked. It was truly loyal, or perhaps

obedient was a better term. It pained me to see
it walk toward the river, and twice I almost com-
manded it to stop. It was not her, it was not me.
The golem was alive, I suspected. What right did I
have to ask it to step into that river and lose itself?
Would it ever be able to reform? Was her spell

ASK US ANYTHING
Additional Materials
BH Pierce
T his Ask Us Anything is presented by a senior

member of the Amalgamated Order of Inter-
dimensional Persons, Percival Aluminius Illumnius,
about your expansive history about wind magic
and where it comes from. Later in the story, the
magic can be explained when the reader will be
Adjunct Professor of Gateways, 3423 WestNorth glad to have their questions answered, rather than
Street, Dunny-on-the-Spire. be bored in the middle of a fight scene.
Either way, you must explain your magic system

so that it does not get in the way of your story. Hav-
From Adam Bassett: ing one of the aforementioned wind mages walk
into view and explain their powers is boring. Hav-
What might you suggest for explaining a magic ing a grizzled veteran explain to a shaking rookie
system to your readers without sounding too what to expect as one bears down on them is...less
much like a textbook, or making any characters dull.
appear stupid?
From Noah L.:
Don’t disparage the dull. If it weren’t for them
I wouldn’t have anyone to teach. Those who don’t I’ve been hit with writers block on my world re-
know all that’s going are quite useful for expo- cently. What do you do to help with that?
sition. Such a character could be a child young
enough to have not yet learned how magic works Get away from your world. Jump on a ship and
or someone from a faraway land who is unfamiliar sail to lands unknown. Hop in a rocket and blast
with such spellcraft. Or they could be a lout who off into outer space. Open a random portal and
sleeps in class, snores like a bear and has the gall jump in (Disclaimer: Do not do this). Once you’ve
to be offended when you throw a piece of chalk at gotten away from your world, keep it up. Do some
them. If you don’t want to go this route, there is research into unfamiliar subjects. Read about civili-
another that demands more skill to pull off. zations you don’t know much about. Watch a movie
or series in a genre you wouldn’t normally indulge
The slow drip method has magic occur in story, in. While you’re at it, shake up your physical
but the only explanation given is what is what routine as well. Go outside and take a walk to get
is immediately needed to understand the scene. some fresh air in your lungs. Get to those chores
For example, if your characters are in a caravan you’ve been neglecting. Find a horse and jump on
that comes under assault by wind mages, the only it (Disclaimer: Do not do this). After you’ve had
information given will be what their most common some time away to stretch your mental legs and
form of attack is and how to drive them off. With your physical legs, take a look at your world again.
this nugget of information, the reader can follow The experiences you’ve had and knowledge you’ve
what’s happening without being bogged down gained may give you a new perspective and your
If you would like to have one of your questions answered by me, please send it to one
of the following locales: contact@worldbuildingmagazine.com, Discord, and Twitter.
Some Junior members of the Amalgamated Order of Interdimensional Persons will
sort through them and select the most pertinent ones for my perusal.
old problems. At the very least you’ll have new
aspects to put into your world to distract from the
problems you just can’t solve. Stepping away and
indulging in new things is the best when to snap
yourself out of any kind of rut.
From Strongly_O_Platypus:
Sometimes the real world is itself funny or ridic-

ulous. How do you insert some of that funniness
into a fictional world without undermining the
tone?
That depends entirely on the tone. If your world

is built around the Gumdrop Castle in Sugarplum
Forest, then some levity will be part and parcel
with the setting. If your world is built around
Bloodspire Castle in Mutilation Forest, levity will
be slightly harder to come by. But even in the dark-
est of worlds it is good to remember that Humor is
one of the most omnipresent and powerful forces
in the multiverse. Spend some time around those
who deal with tragedy every day, doctors, soldiers,
police officers, and you’ll find ample amounts of
gallows humor flung around with abandon. Even in
the bleakest of times, funny coincides can lighten
the mood. Groups of friends will have their own
private in-jokes. Some artistic soul is going to take
the time to create amusing graffiti about the local
evil overlords. No matter what horrors dwell in
your world the people in it will find something to
laugh at, they always do.

PROMPTS
I t's easy to hit a writer's block or overlook small
details. We would like to combat these issues
by asking our readers questions about their
worlds that they may not have thought of and
offering writing prompts to spark their imagi-
nation. If you would like to write a short story
based on one of the writing prompts, or have a
prompt you would like to share with us, please
submit it to contact@worldbuildingmagazine.
com or on Discord/Social Media.
Submission Requirements:
• The file must be no longer than 5,000 words

• The file must include title and author(s)
Worldbuilding Prompts:
• Is magic tied to a specific resource? If so, how

has that affected the way civilizations have
developed? Does population distribution
follow ley lines rather than waterways, for
example?
• How does magic interact with your world’s
technology?
• How, if at all, is magic regulated by the
government?
• How has magic changed funeral practices?
Writing Prompts:
• Write from the perspective of the first non

-magical person in a world of the arcane.
• Show one scene from 2 opposing
perspectives.
• “Those people are savages. They perform ritu-
als and delve into the arcane. It’s damning, but
I have a plan.”
• “Magic has been nothing but evil! Anyone who
dares to use magic will be executed without
trial!”
STAFF PICKS Title: Bayonetta
Developer:
Title: Dragonlore
Author: Ash “LeopardDancer” DeKirk
PlatinumGames Original Publisher: The Career Press
Publisher: SEGA First Edition: 2006
First Edition: 2009 A very interesting read, Dragonlore
This game is unique in cuts deep into the history and myths
terms of its premise and of dragons around the world, along
physics. There are several with taking different looks at how they
abilities Bayonetta is able (dragons) impact our modern culture
to use including those and storytelling.
which allow her to manipulate her mobility, Chosen by: Noah Lane
enhance her combat strengths, and even slow
time. It's both challenging and rewarding to Title: Three Books of Occult Philosophy
play, in large part thanks to her variety of Author: Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa
skills. Original Publisher: Llewellyn Press
Rated M for Mature Content First Edition: 1531
Chosen by: Rose Brady One of the most important works of
western occultism. Agrippa traveled
Title: Bloodrush throughout the western world, collect-
Author: Ben Galley ing esoteric knowledge and distilling
Publisher: Ben Galley his findings into three books that
First Edition: 2015 covered the elementary, celestial, and
The first of Galley’s Scarlet intellectual realms respectively. The
Star Trilogy, Bloodrush result is a fascinating collection of
introduces a magic system spells, theorycraft, symbolism, and philosophy. The full text
based on blood and is set is available at http://www.esotericarchives.com/agrippa/
in a gritty Wild West ver- Chosen by: Bokai
sion of Wyoming.
Chosen by: Adam Bassett
Photo: Jongsun Lee on Unsplash

MEET THE STAFF
Aaryan Balu, Writer
My name is Aaryan, a second-year student at the University

of Virginia. I’m more of a writer than a worldbuilder, but like any
self-respecting fantasy fan, I’ve put the time in to develop my
skills in both areas over the last couple of years.
Along with Adam, I'm in charge of interviewing worldbuilders

for the Showcases at the top of the magazine, and I write the odd
article when I think I’ve got something to say. I’m actually pretty
new to this operation and incredibly excited to be a part of such a
cool endeavor.
I study biology and philosophy in school, both of which I like

to think help my worldbuilding and storytelling. When I'm not working for WBM, you can usually find
me reading, DMing, or writing my own fantasy stories. My current project, The Rogues of Coriau, centers
around a team of thieves who infiltrate a noble household to rob the vault, only to get caught up in the
sweeping revolution that threatens to overwhelm the entire city. My goal, ideally, is to paint the city
of Coriau as a breathing character, a pre-industrial pot of chaos just on the verge of boiling. Since I’m
unlikely to pull that off on my own, I’ve been relying on WBM to help build it up, little by little.
ISSUE CONTRIBUTORS
Editor-in-Chief — Strongly_O_Platypus Aaryan Balu — Writer
Vice Editor-in-Chief — Debug200 Anna Hannon — Artist
Asanouta — Editor
Writing Department Chair — Adam Bassett Biscuit — Writer
Writing Department Deputy Chair — BH Pierce Cat Optimist — Editor
C. Lynn Baker — Writer
Editorial Department Chair — Ianara Natividad Daniel Baker — Writer
Editorial Department Deputy Chair — Bokai deificat — Artist
Editorial Department Deputy Chair — M.E. White Dylan Richmond — Editor
Editorial Department Deputy Chair — Jaren J. Petty Ike Riva — Editor
Lisa Galbraith — Writer
Art Department Chair — Wynter Noah L. — Writer
Art Department Deputy Chair — Tristen Fekete Rose Brady — Editor
Terry Herc — Writer
Meta Department Chair — WithBestIntentions Tina Hunter — Writer
Meta Department Deputy Chair — Cathy, the Overprepared GM Winter Child — Writer
2018 was amazing. We started a blog,
looked at the importance of bread,
explored the fens, and built strange
maps. We read about the mysterious
Fishermen, learned a bit about conflict
in Dungeons & Dragons, and now we
finally got to talk about magic.
None of this would have been possible

without the guests and staff who
volunteered precious time to help each
issue come to fruition. We would like to
take this time to thank each of them:
Aaryan Balu Gregory Shipp
Adam Bassett Ianara Natividad
Ademal Ike Riva
Amador Laput Illogical_Blox
Anna Hannon James Wolanyk
Alex L. Jaren J. Petty
Tristen Fekete Asanouta Koray Birenheide
Anna Hannon
Arcturox Lisa Galbraith
Arka LordHenry
BH Pierce MaartenBlom20
Biscuit Maciej Gajzlerowicz
Bokai Malkuthe
Cathy, OGM M. E. White
Cat Optimist Michael Ross
C. Lynn Baker Mick Gadaleta
Cryssalia Noire MN Brian
Daniel Baker Noah L.
Daniel Hasenbos Paul
David Edwards Psycho Romeo
Debug200 Rose Brady
deificat Strongly_O_Platypus
Dheolos Terry Herc
Dylan Richmond Tim Hickson
Dylan Shad Tina Hunter
eatsfooddrinkscoffee Tristen Fekete
Ellis Knox UNoahGuy
Gangsterduck WithBestIntentions
GhostCenturion Winter Child
Tristen Fekete Wynter Tristen Fekete
Join Our Team

Worldbuilding Magazine is always
seeking writers, editors, artists, and
other passionate worldbuilders. 2019
will be no different!
Our Writers help by providing content
for the magazine. Editors refine it and
provide invaluable feedback. The Artists
breathe life into the magazine and our
Layout Artists arrange everything into
the final products you see. Last but not
least, the Meta department assist with
organization and the community. If you
are interested in helping with the
construction of Volume 3, email us at
contact@worldbuildingmagazine.com or
find us on Discord.
See you in 2019!
Tristen Fekete VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 63

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PAGE 16: Community Magic Systems. VOL.

2 / ISSUE 6 / DECEMBER 2018

MAGIC AND OTHER TOPICS

analysis • art • interviews prompts •stories • theory

The Worldbuilding Magazine Team

9 EXCLUSIVE: TIM HICKSON OF HELLO FUTURE ME

16 COMMUNITY MAGIC SYSTEMS

21 THE LIMITS OF MAGIC

24 SANDERSON’S LAWS: BUILDING A MAGIC SYSTEM FOR STORYTELLING

28 MAKING MAGIC: ANALYZING SPELL-BASED MAGIC SYSTEMS

43 ART FEATURE: ANNA HANNON

48 EMBRACING NATURE: USING RPG

60 PROMPTS AND STAFF PICKS

62 MEET THE STAFF

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 3

Interview conducted by Aaryan Balu

E llis Knox has been creating Altearth, an

is how he describes his world. I was educated as a historian, so it was natural

What's one of your favorite societies/races that

I really like the wagoneers and the gardiens. In

As I said, they all came from Atlantis. That land

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 5

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 7

Interview conducted by Adam Bassett

T im, also known as Hello Future Me, is the

Tim: I'm a New Zealander, which is rare enough

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 9

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 11

Interesting premise. Is there anything that sets

I'm hesitant to say much when things could

I keep my cards pretty close to my chest when I like that a lot.

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 13

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 15

Curated by Adam Bassett and BH Pierce

D uring development of this issue we teamed

Alzamastry how a pathstone releases energy by carving for-

Alzamastry has significantly impacted the

Structurally, an evoir is a circle inlaid with lines

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 17

Magic in the world of Kalma comes in three forms.

Crystals. Magic within Vollonite crystals remains

Examples: An evoir to Repel, placed in the shoe,

The result of this system is a strong bureau-

Invocation, or Nïôr as it is called in-universe, is

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 19

Because Invocation is unnatural, in the sense

Humanity possesses this divine connection

I n a world where magic is real, what prevents

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 21

Consistency is an important pillar of world-

Strive for consistency, it should be one of the

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 23

I f you’ve spent much time in the fantasy/

Sanderson’s Second Law When it comes to powers, comic books and

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 25

Don’t use a new thing when an old thing will do.

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6: MAGIC 27

Ianara Natividad & Noah L.