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05-14-2021, 06:48 PM | #1 |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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A World Building Decision: Magic Aptitude
As has been discussed at length in the Banestorm setting Magic Aptitude is a recessive genetic trait, or rather a complex combination of multipe recessive traits. But that brings up the question of what alternatives we can think of.
1. Astrological. Magic aptitude could be a product of the right conjunctions at the moment of birth...or possibly conception. This would mean that we might very well see a staccato pattern of mage births as every few years the right conjunction happens and suddenly every child born within the right time frame has a ticket to magic school. If someone wants to found a magic dynasty they would have to manipulate the moment of birth and/or conception to produce a child at the right moment. 2. Teratogenic. Magic aptitude is the random result of prenatal exposure to mana. Which of course could be how astrological conjunctions encourage the birth of mages. Mind you the thought that comes to mind is that exposure to elevated levels of mana might produce other mutations. Being a mage might come along with unnatural traits and even handicaps and deformities. Not to mention possibly producing nonhuman monsters. 3. Divine lottery. Maybe there's a god or a class of spirits of magic whose whim decides who gets the nod. Offerings and worship may tilt the odds. 4. Initiation. Magical styles become even more important because in order to become a mage you have to either be initiated into a style or figure out how to initiate yourself with many years of experimentation. Without initiation no aptitude. 5. Chosen by a familiar. Mage powers aren't natural to humans. You can only get them with granted by familiar, and that takes befriending one of these magical animals. 6. Gadget. Mage powers aren't natural to humans. But there are inanimate sources of magic, staffs, jewels pointy hats, that, when held or worn grant aptitude to the user. |
05-14-2021, 08:32 PM | #2 |
Join Date: Mar 2010
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Re: A World Building Decision: Magic Aptitude
7) litRPG -- In some worlds, an omnipresent "System" either assigns or assesses the potential to use (certain kinds of) magic, sometimes even acting as a gatekeeper that has to be satisfied before the potential becomes usable.
8) Clan-Based -- In some worlds, whether you are a blood relation, adopted or married into the family, being a part of this family means that you can use the associated magics. Usually with the power increasing as the family invests time/energy/resources into strengthening it over time if the setting permits. |
05-15-2021, 06:11 AM | #3 |
Hero of Democracy
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: far from the ocean
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Re: A World Building Decision: Magic Aptitude
9) Infection Based -- magic aptitude is caused by a parasite (or arguably a symbiote). This organism may need to enter the body at a specific time, may only be present in some environments. Has some overlap with teratogenic.
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05-15-2021, 06:20 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Buffalo, New York
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Re: A World Building Decision: Magic Aptitude
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Thus, arguably, it is the soul itself, or possibly the consciousness itself, that determines magery. Ask yourself this: If I possess a body that from birth, has been blind, can my switching my soul suddenly heal that body of its blindness? Seems that the rules in GURPS MAGIC are such that by implication - magery moves with the consciousness/soul to the extent that it doesn't require magery in the host body. As a world building switch that the GM can turn on and off - imagine the GM simply ruling that Magery is indeed a genetic capability, and that to possess a normal body without magery suddenly renders the body hopping soul, bereft of any further spell casting capability. |
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05-15-2021, 07:18 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Re: A World Building Decision: Magic Aptitude
10) Uniqueness - magery is stronger the fewer parallel versions of you exist in the local multiverse. For example in the Chrestomanci books by Diana Wynne Jones, "enchanters" are extremely powerful magicians because that specific enchanter was only born in one of the nine worlds that make up her setting.
This kind of setting can get pretty dark if you can improve magery by killing alternate versions of yourself! |
05-15-2021, 08:39 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Dec 2007
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Re: A World Building Decision: Magic Aptitude
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05-15-2021, 09:27 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Sep 2007
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Re: A World Building Decision: Magic Aptitude
Cyclical/Reincarnation - There are a fixed amount of magical 'souls' in existence at any given time, and when one of them dies the soul will reincarnate into a newborn person. The soul may or may not remember their past incarnations, the soul may or may not have the requirement to reincarnate in the literal next person born after their moment of death.
Bargain - Magical aptitude is acquired by bargaining away something valuable. If this is something that can be done at any point then it's a matter of finding the entity with which you can make this transaction. Could also be done before existence, where the soul has a choice to make a bargain unknown to its living incarnation, which will have to deal with the bill coming due at some point in their existence. |
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