Magic In A Vaguely Realistic "Real World"
- Thread starter doctorbadwolf
- Start date
Fanaelialae
Legend
On the other hand, I have a friend who is color blind. He draws his own (small) webcomic. It was initially black and white, because he really dislikes working with color on account of his color blindness, but eventually he noticed that the more popular comics were generally in color and decided to make the switch. It was a non-trivial amount of effort on his part, but he figured it out and made it work. He's a color blind artist who works in color.
That's not to say that your dad could learn to sing with practice. Until I read your post I was entirely unfamiliar with the concept of amusia, so I honestly know nothing more about it than what you've related to us.
However, you've stated it is a condition. In other words, not the norm. A person who cannot sing may have amusia, but not everyone who cannot sing is so on account of amusia. The latter group could arguably learn to sing (at least competently) with sufficient practice, despite lacking a talent for it.
Unless Asophia (shot in the dark for what you might call a learning disability relating to the magic in this system, based on calling casters the Wise) is common, the skill based magic system is one that is open to basically all (except those with a rare condition that hinders them from learning to utilize magic).
The scenario in Shadowrun is quite different. Magic comes into the world rather suddenly. It's been a few years since I've looked at my books, but iirc the first major indicator that magic had returned was people/animals getting sick and transforming into mythical creatures. That's nothing like the OP's more subtle introduction of magic, where only a small fraction of the population is aware of it at first.
On top of that, in Shadowrun tech and magic don't generally mix. If you install cyberware into your body, you are less able to use magic as a result. In the OP's world, magic and tech are compatible and complimentary.
That is not quite correct.
Certainly it prepared the people to accept the existing of magic when dragons emerged and people were turned into orks, but that was still seen as natural, for example a bioweapon.
Magic only became known once the ones whith magical knowledge, native americans and elves, used it openly by defeating and fracturing the USA.
It might not be as dramatic but something like this will eventually happen.
Whats more important is what happens then. Religious institutions react to it, Islam being the most anti magic (unless you can prove that the magic comes from Allah by quoting the Quran that the spell is used in there as well.), Christianity flip flopped depending on the pope and public opinion and the eastern religions accept it without a fuss. The pagan religions of course had a huge revival (we were right all along!)
More importantly the corporations looked for a way to exploit magic and wizard became an official (and very high paying) job, magic is its own industry with spell supply stores etc. and taught at schools (MIT&M, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Magic for example).
It is also not as incompatible with technology as you think. You have for example genetically engineered magical vines and bacteria and of course magic is used in manufacturing processes alongside technology. Spaceflight is also a lot chraper if you can clear large parts of the atmosphere with the help of a levitation spell instead of just chemical thursters).
Sure, you still have magic hating people especially in backward places, but once the industry adopts it magic becomes normal for most people.
Certainly it prepared the people to accept the existing of magic when dragons emerged and people were turned into orks, but that was still seen as natural, for example a bioweapon.
Magic only became known once the ones whith magical knowledge, native americans and elves, used it openly by defeating and fracturing the USA.
It might not be as dramatic but something like this will eventually happen.
Whats more important is what happens then. Religious institutions react to it, Islam being the most anti magic (unless you can prove that the magic comes from Allah by quoting the Quran that the spell is used in there as well.), Christianity flip flopped depending on the pope and public opinion and the eastern religions accept it without a fuss. The pagan religions of course had a huge revival (we were right all along!)
More importantly the corporations looked for a way to exploit magic and wizard became an official (and very high paying) job, magic is its own industry with spell supply stores etc. and taught at schools (MIT&M, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Magic for example).
It is also not as incompatible with technology as you think. You have for example genetically engineered magical vines and bacteria and of course magic is used in manufacturing processes alongside technology. Spaceflight is also a lot chraper if you can clear large parts of the atmosphere with the help of a levitation spell instead of just chemical thursters).
Sure, you still have magic hating people especially in backward places, but once the industry adopts it magic becomes normal for most people.
MGibster
Legend
For a world with magic I'm most interested in how the institutions of society interact with mages. And for those of you who remember your sociology classes: family, government, religion, economy, and education. Every society builds institutions aimed at channeling behavior that is (perceived to be) good for that society. It'll be interesting to see if the rules for evidence at criminal trial is changed to accommodate divination. Will high schools offer electives in magical studies or will it be a required course along with earth science? Will that big budget summer blockbuster use both magical and practical special effects for their dinosaurs? Will Walmart have an aisle devoted to magical accessories and ingredients?
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
I figured it was obvious that we are speaking of folks who are not stopped by a condition or ailment.
No amount of “no natural talent” makes someone incapable of learning to sing, or to do some amount of magic.
Now, there may be things like some folks being better at some elements than others, while others have a harder time with elements but more easily excel at enchantment or alchemical magic, etc.
Shadowrun addresses all those points, so its good for inspiration. Although one big difference in SR to the OPs world is that in SR people are born with magical talent and not everyone can learn it so mages are more valuable.
Of course SR is still a cyberpunk game so it pushes the society into a specific direction, still I think it handles the impact of magic on a modern society rather well.
doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
Yeah, it’s definitely a good point of reference, even if I don’t consider it a big influence on the world. I don’t know when SR came out, but I’ve been writing stories in this world since I was 12 or so, or even arguably since 3rd grade, and I didn’t learn what SR was until about 21.
Shadowrun is rather old, started 1989. Thats why it had the strong japancorps or a matrix requiring cables (until rather recently). That was state of the art back then.
Amusia is as natural as color blindness, but I brought it up in particular because it’s a clear limitation on musical skill.
But it’s not just about limitations- some are simply gifted with more ability to do X, Y, or Z than others. Every skill has it’s limiting factors, and each human has them in different amounts.
At my peak of physical fitness, I could touch the iron rim on a standard basketball goal, but I couldn’t dunk. I was 5’7”, and needed another few inches of vertical. Yes, Spud Webb was my height and could dunk, but he was @135lbs. I was 193lbs, and my 0% body fat weight was 170lbs. No amount of practice was going to give me that.
Brian Carroll, aka Buckethead, is a 6’8” guitarist. Not only is he one of the fastest guitarists in the world, his hands are so big he can play chords most humans cannot reach.
Hand span also affects piano players- some pieces can be played by some pianists using a standard sized keyboard,
Many marksmen have better than 20/20 uncorrected vision.
Contortionists are more flexible than average Joes & Janes. Practice can improve your flexibility, but without the proper musculoskeletal structure, that’s a skill you can never have.
Daniel Tammet learned Icelandic- one of humanity’s most difficult languages- in a week. Most people take years to learn an additional language. While continuing to study languages may accelerate your learning speed, I highly doubt it will increase by an order of magnitude.
Etc.
I mean, if that’s the way you want to structure your magic system, that’s great. But it isn’t how skills work in general.
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doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
I’m not sure what your understanding of what I’ve said about magical skills even is, to be honest.
I don’t mean that snarkily, but rather than I’m gonna have to start from scratch because that reads to me like you’re replying to someone else entirely.
So, each type of magic is a skill, just like playing the guitar or singing or drawing. Barring a condition or ailment (and yes, color blindness qualifies), anyone can learn to DDO any of those things. Even with a condition or ailment, most people can learn, it’s just harder.
You seem to have concluded that I’m saying that anyone can learn just as easily as anyone else, but that’s a thing I’ve never said.
What I do say is that anyone can learn to control flame or air.
Those are two different things.
