Fantasy Novels: Do The Rules Of Magic Matter To You?

[Dioltach]

I like magic to be consistent or logical, and if a brief explanation can be given, fine. It's even better when the way that magic works is part of the plot, as in the Dresden Files, for example. What I don't like is when the author feels the need to given endless theoretical explanations that serve no real purpose and simply bring the story to a grinding halt.

Of course sometimes the magic wielders are not protagonists and the whole idea is for the heroes to be awed by what magic can do, like in The Eye of the World and in the latest instalment of the Gentlemen Bastards.

 

[Jhaelen]

It's _all_ about the rules. It's what makes things interesting. Without rules there can be no meaningful story. I vaguely recall an atrocious fantasy trilogy by an Australian author that didn't establish rules for the magic in her books. What happened was that _every_ conflict was resolved using the improbable deus-ex-machina device she called 'magic'. Unfortunately, I forgot both the author's name and the titles...

Contrast this with Lois MacMaster Bujold's 'The Curse of Chalion' which only works because it first establishes a set of rules and then presents a problem that seems to defy those rules. There's two sequels that continue to explore the consequences of these rules on the setting. This is how to do it!

'The Malazan Books of the Fallen' series is an edge case: While they're brilliant in many respects, the author decided to keep the reader in the dark about the rules of magic - at least in the beginning. A lot of stuff happens that you cannot make much sense of, and initially seems arbitrary. But there are rules. They just aren't obvious and are typically explained much later, sometimes even in a later novel. I'm quite sure I would enjoy the novels a lot more, if the author hadn't been so stingy with information about the rules.

Harry Potter is another interesting example: I enjoyed most of the novels except the last one because they seemed to use consistent, well-defined rules. But then in the last novel, she f**** up. The inheritable, mysterious ability to understand and speak the language of snakes is suddenly something that everyone can easily replicate simply by overhearing a few words. And for some reason it's suddenly possible to use multiple wands to increase the power of your spells. Seriously?! Why the heck doesn't everyone walk around with a golfbag of wands then - I would!

Elric, Corum, Hawkmoon, Moorcock just pulls out of his ass constantly. And it's amazing!

Now it's been a while since I read those, but I seem to recall there were quite clear rules what these characters and their artifacts could do. Corum has the Eye and the Hand, and it's established early on what they can be used for. Stormbringer is a bit more mysterious, but it's basic rules are again established early. Elric's ability to 'call on favours' from various demons is established in his backstory. Sure, you don't know exactly which demons he can call on for help, but the ability itself is established.

 

[frankthedm]

Do be consistent.
Give it a cost.
Use english when possible. Don't make up descriptive words just to make your magic sound different. It probably isn't.
Give the audience some basics with "show, don't tell", so the audience can infer the more complex stuff before it is revealed.
NEVER put characters in seemingly inescapable peril followed by a rescue only possible through the working of a magic the audience had no information about. This is an ass pull.
DO NOT LET MAGIC RESTORE LIFE.
What is done must stay done. Save the time travel for Sci-Fi.

 

[Hand of Evil]

consistent is a good thing and like some rules, like it is life force or mana or crystal, etc.

Harry Potter I can take because it is verbal and spells have to be learned, you are not pulling them out of your hat.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

DO NOT LET MAGIC RESTORE LIFE.

...unless there's some serious repercussions. See Earthsea, The Sword of Truth, etc.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

A post so nice, it posted twice...

 

[Umbran]

How much do the rules of magic matter?

My answer is - how much do the rules of magic affect the plot? The more those rules impact how the action unfolds, the more they matter to me.

The Lord of the Rings makes a good example here - for most of our purposes, the rules of magic don't impact the plot. What rules there are prevent the major magicians from using their powers openly or flagrantly, and they stay pretty consistent with that.

 

[EricNoah]

I don't think you can have tension and excitement if you don't know what is and what is not possible. A good author will set up a number of "establishing scenes" that help us understand where the limitations are, so later in the story we know whether we are supposed to be worried.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Depends on the fiction.

If the author uses magic in some way where the method of use affects the plot, then it needs internally consistent rules. If magic isn't plot-critical, or is otherwise portrayed as irregular or irrational, then it doesn't need to follow rules (cf: Tolkien, Rowling).

I personally find that I like fiction where there is an underlying structure assumed, because the author can do clever things that the reader should be able to deduce, and I appreciate those tricks when unveiled -- and I likewise hate when what appears to be a rules-based system gets undone by a deus ex machina. But I don't see that as a hard and fast rule.

 

[EscherEnigma]

It depends, but as you're asking on a gaming forum, I imagine you're gonna get answers biased towards having rules. Gamers like rules. Rules let us know what we can break.

Personally? It depends on the story. Sort of like in the games I run, when magic is in the hands of the players/protagonists, it needs clear well-defined rules. When it's in the hands of the bad guys? Heh, those suckers better pray I give them enough of a clue to figure things out in time. Or, to put it another way, as the hubbie explained to me once (and I think he was paraphrasing someone more famous) coincidence/deus ex machina (which is what unexplained/out-of-the-blue magic essentially is) can be a perfectly acceptable way to get the heroes into trouble. It should not be used to get heroes out of trouble.

This shouldn't be confused with never introducing a new ability/power/whatever in a dramatic moment. A classic way to introduce a new character's special schtick is to put them in a dramatic situation and then have them use said special schtick to get out of it. However the pacing/set-up is important, and this works better for establishing a character, not for getting an established character out of the hole you dug for them.