The language of Magic, help needed

Lameth · 01-08-2015, 09:27 PM

This is a general role playing question.

I run a high fantasy world and I'm having a role playing battle with myself. In my magic system the casters must speak incantations and use hand gestures in the art of casting. Well my issue; I have two directions to go in what is said in the casting of magic. Option one: a made up lanaguage or simple sounds, basically "words of power" . Or option two: use true fantasy lanagues such as an ancient tongue or elvish or something else, so a fireball spell may be in elvish "burn/fire/seek my foe".

I like both. I can see in my head a caster invoking a spell as a whispering collection of ancient sounds that is unknown to all and have no translation, yet somehow is a great foci of weaving magic. Or the image of a old wizard weaving a spell and then envoking in elven some powerful spell or "thoe shall not pass!". Or somehow do both, maybe a standard is words of power, but some elder spells and rituals are in elvish or some old tongue.

My question. Is what do you do and why? I need some help picking or maybe finding a hybrid. I need help sorting out my head. Thank you all.

Kesendeja · 01-08-2015, 09:52 PM

This may come from too many hours playing the game, but the way they do dragon shouts in skyrim might be a good place to start. It's a language used by ancient and powerful beings to warp reality to their will. It is also one of the most developed constructed languages I've ever seen. The web site you are probably going to want to look at is http://thuum.org/index.php . They have a complete dictionary and even linguistic courses.

tHEhERETIC · 01-09-2015, 12:38 AM

JK Rowling uses slightly bastardized Latin, and that's quite appropriate as it's traditional and it telegraphs to the audience what the spell's intent is. It's a bit played out, though. Not sure I'd use it for high fantasy.

If it were me, I'd use a real life language that's a bit obscure but matches the feel of the setting. Gaelic is nice if you're going for a Celtic feel. Welsh--only if you don't intend to actually pronounce it, as the spelling is even worse than Gaelic. Norwegian or Swedish also work well enough for high fantasy, assuming your players don't actually speak them. Enochian--yes there really is an Enochian--you hit the same problem as Welsh, plus you really can't Google it AFAIK.

The virtue of going with a real language is that instead of inventing words for the spells, taxing your creativity and risking inconsistencies, is that you simply have to look up what you want to say. Assuming you can get Google translate in your gaming room, you're golden.

Lord Azagthoth · 01-09-2015, 02:03 AM

Is Language (Arcane) a valid language?

Using Language (Arcane; Spoken Only), a character could repeat words he could have heard from another wizard. Although he might have it wrong if he's still practicing it (Native, Accented, Broken). If he wants to learn it from a grimoire, he must also have Literacy in that language.

But in both cases, if he has not paid point for the language to be Native, he must roll everytime before he can cast a spell.

Maybe in your world spells are based on different Languages (Elvish, Dwarvish, Arcane, Deamonic, Divine,etc.) and you need that particular language before you can learn the associated spells.

Nereidalbel · 01-09-2015, 03:19 AM

Hybrid. The easiest spells can be spoken in any language, while the most complex and powerful spells are in a long-lost language. Or Klingon, because why not?

Astromancer · 01-09-2015, 07:01 AM

When I wanted a language of magic, I simply picked a few languages I thought sounded good. Then I googled the words I wanted in those laguages. Picked which ever words sounded best to me and Presto!!! magic words.

Astromancer · 01-09-2015, 07:03 AM

Someone reading over my shoulder, aunts do that, asked me how I corectly pronouned the words. I simply say, I wasn't trying to comunicate, I was trying to sound spiffy and cool.

alexondria · 01-09-2015, 08:22 AM

I like the approach where it is a language that at least some others will know and you have some control over what the words are. In the demon game I play in for example thralls can have sorcery, they have to speak though and what they say is in enochin. The thrall doesn't have to know enochin, but demons all do. So you have thralls that cast a fireball by calling on the power or graciousness or whatever of their demon. It's very prayer like. Then you have characters like mine that are ordering reality to confirm to their will. I'm sure there are lots of others in-between, but for characters that speak the magic language the words used can tell them a lot about the caster.

The Colonel · 01-09-2015, 08:34 AM

I would guess that if you need a language that bends reality just by being spoken, it won't be one used in day to day business.
Depends on how your magic system works - if the words are some kind of mnemonic designed to help you release the magic (as per Harry Dresden), pick a language for each caster (but like as not not the one he uses in everyday life to avoid mishaps), if it's reality bending then it will be a language that's hard to learn, let alone speak and if you have a shamanistic/theurgic style of magic, you're reliant on whatever language the powers you are calling on speak ... which could vary a lot.

01-08-2015, 09:27 PM	#1
Lameth Join Date: Aug 2004	The language of Magic, help needed This is a general role playing question. I run a high fantasy world and I'm having a role playing battle with myself. In my magic system the casters must speak incantations and use hand gestures in the art of casting. Well my issue; I have two directions to go in what is said in the casting of magic. Option one: a made up lanaguage or simple sounds, basically "words of power" . Or option two: use true fantasy lanagues such as an ancient tongue or elvish or something else, so a fireball spell may be in elvish "burn/fire/seek my foe". I like both. I can see in my head a caster invoking a spell as a whispering collection of ancient sounds that is unknown to all and have no translation, yet somehow is a great foci of weaving magic. Or the image of a old wizard weaving a spell and then envoking in elven some powerful spell or "thoe shall not pass!". Or somehow do both, maybe a standard is words of power, but some elder spells and rituals are in elvish or some old tongue. My question. Is what do you do and why? I need some help picking or maybe finding a hybrid. I need help sorting out my head. Thank you all.

01-08-2015, 09:52 PM	#2
Kesendeja Join Date: Jul 2013	Re: The language of Magic, help needed This may come from too many hours playing the game, but the way they do dragon shouts in skyrim might be a good place to start. It's a language used by ancient and powerful beings to warp reality to their will. It is also one of the most developed constructed languages I've ever seen. The web site you are probably going to want to look at is http://thuum.org/index.php . They have a complete dictionary and even linguistic courses.

01-09-2015, 12:38 AM	#3
tHEhERETIC MIB Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Life imitates art--I'm in Pohang	Re: The language of Magic, help needed JK Rowling uses slightly bastardized Latin, and that's quite appropriate as it's traditional and it telegraphs to the audience what the spell's intent is. It's a bit played out, though. Not sure I'd use it for high fantasy. If it were me, I'd use a real life language that's a bit obscure but matches the feel of the setting. Gaelic is nice if you're going for a Celtic feel. Welsh--only if you don't intend to actually pronounce it, as the spelling is even worse than Gaelic. Norwegian or Swedish also work well enough for high fantasy, assuming your players don't actually speak them. Enochian--yes there really is an Enochian--you hit the same problem as Welsh, plus you really can't Google it AFAIK. The virtue of going with a real language is that instead of inventing words for the spells, taxing your creativity and risking inconsistencies, is that you simply have to look up what you want to say. Assuming you can get Google translate in your gaming room, you're golden. __________________ Criminy...these two have enough issues, they can sell subscriptions! (ladyarcana55, in a PM)

01-09-2015, 02:03 AM	#4
Lord Azagthoth Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Helmouth, The Netherlands	Re: The language of Magic, help needed Is Language (Arcane) a valid language? Using Language (Arcane; Spoken Only), a character could repeat words he could have heard from another wizard. Although he might have it wrong if he's still practicing it (Native, Accented, Broken). If he wants to learn it from a grimoire, he must also have Literacy in that language. But in both cases, if he has not paid point for the language to be Native, he must roll everytime before he can cast a spell. Maybe in your world spells are based on different Languages (Elvish, Dwarvish, Arcane, Deamonic, Divine,etc.) and you need that particular language before you can learn the associated spells. __________________ May the Force be with us all Dark Lord Azagthoth Star Wars - TRPG

01-09-2015, 03:19 AM	#5
Nereidalbel Join Date: May 2013 Location: Ellicott City, MD	Re: The language of Magic, help needed Hybrid. The easiest spells can be spoken in any language, while the most complex and powerful spells are in a long-lost language. Or Klingon, because why not?

01-09-2015, 07:01 AM	#6
Astromancer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Virginia	Re: The language of Magic, help needed When I wanted a language of magic, I simply picked a few languages I thought sounded good. Then I googled the words I wanted in those laguages. Picked which ever words sounded best to me and Presto!!! magic words. __________________ Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo

01-09-2015, 07:03 AM	#7
Astromancer Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: West Virginia	Re: The language of Magic, help needed Someone reading over my shoulder, aunts do that, asked me how I corectly pronouned the words. I simply say, I wasn't trying to comunicate, I was trying to sound spiffy and cool. __________________ Per Ardua Per Astra! Ancora Imparo

01-09-2015, 08:22 AM	#8
alexondria Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Atlanta GA	Re: The language of Magic, help needed I like the approach where it is a language that at least some others will know and you have some control over what the words are. In the demon game I play in for example thralls can have sorcery, they have to speak though and what they say is in enochin. The thrall doesn't have to know enochin, but demons all do. So you have thralls that cast a fireball by calling on the power or graciousness or whatever of their demon. It's very prayer like. Then you have characters like mine that are ordering reality to confirm to their will. I'm sure there are lots of others in-between, but for characters that speak the magic language the words used can tell them a lot about the caster.

01-09-2015, 08:34 AM	#9
The Colonel Join Date: Jul 2006	Re: The language of Magic, help needed I would guess that if you need a language that bends reality just by being spoken, it won't be one used in day to day business. Depends on how your magic system works - if the words are some kind of mnemonic designed to help you release the magic (as per Harry Dresden), pick a language for each caster (but like as not not the one he uses in everyday life to avoid mishaps), if it's reality bending then it will be a language that's hard to learn, let alone speak and if you have a shamanistic/theurgic style of magic, you're reliant on whatever language the powers you are calling on speak ... which could vary a lot.