Magic is from...

[WayneLigon]

What the sages know:

In the Greatwood campaign, there are four sources of magic: Divine magic comes from the gods, or from the force of all 'life' itself (this is what Druids use). Clerics and Paladins have no 'no God' option; they must have a patron diety and it is from that thing directly that they get their spells. If they displease the God (and it can take a lot to get a God's attention), zap, no spells. In extreme cases, zap, no character class. There are some clerics that think Druids actually worship a God that has been forgotten, or they worship the Prime Material Plane itself, somehow. No one knows and the druids do not speak of this.

Arcane magic comes from two sources as well. Dragons brought this form of magic into the world when the first of their kind awoke. Those primal great drakes were the equal or superiors of the gods themselves, but were concerned wholly with mortal things and mortal ways. Dragons, when asked 'Did not the gods create you as well?' respond 'No, we created ourselves', and whp is to deny them this? The gods make no claim on them, but do not answer the question, either. The other source for Arcane magic is (some have argued) the same source the powers the Druids: it comes from study and lore, mainly from deciphering the movements of celestial bodies and translating that 'music' into action in the real world.

What I know: Magic is magic is magic: it all comes from the same place: the interaction of the Prime Material with the other planes. This 'friction' did not always exist, but what happened before that is really anyone's guess. Once there was just the Prime Material. Then somehow the things that became the gods arrived from 'above' this space. Their arrival tore open the barrier that existed between the Prime and 'above', creating the planes and introducing magic into the universe.

The gods took the planes for themselves after much internal struggle, as those places were most like 'above' than the Prime, and they pulled most magic to themselves which made them 'divine'. What is left in the Prime is spillover from the planes and the 'new' energy created by the continual planar friction.

The gods took most 'aspected' energy for themselves, which is why only Divine casters get healing spells (mages cannot, in fact, ever even invent such a thing; they've tried) except for Bards. Bards are, technically, the oldest type of spellcaster there is; they were the first to discover magic and the first to make use of it and have a special tie to the 'goddess' of music.

Thus, they can do some things that still give wizards fits.

 

[Ibram]

Acording to the Elves, from whom humans first learned the magical arts, the source of magic is another realm of existance called the Aetherium. The AEtherium is a realm just out of reach lying at right angles to the mortal world. Now this medium is far from constant or stable, it twists and churns like an endless ocean. Thus sometimes magic can be very powerful but very dangerous to use and other times it can take years of traning and every ounce of willpower just to force the smallest flicker of flame into existance (fortunatly such times are rare and brief).

The Aetherium is in some ways a reflection of the mortal world, yet the mortal world is in some ways a reflection of the AEtherium. Both are shaped by the will of sentient creatures, and thus its just a manner of learning how to bring the two realms together to create what is known as magic.

However this is not an easy or safe task, the AEtherium is strange to mortal creatures and tampering with it can lead to madness and self destruction, casters may inadvertenly be caught up in an AEtheric storm and shreaded into dust or worse: devoured by one of the Daemons (a generic term that refers to all manner of spirits that reside in the AEtherium).

Such has been the way of things since the dawn of time billions of years ago, so many ages have past since then that if the reason was ever known that it has been lost.

 

[Aaron L]

Arcane magic is the manipulation of the natural laws of the universe, and is the highest form of science. There is no one "force" that is magic. Mathematical equations can alter the fabric of space with their results, other planar beings my grant boons to those who know how to ask, energy funnels from the elemental planes can make fireballs and lightning bolts, the proper methods may bring out the latent powers of the mind, the secret words of arcane psychology can grant mastery over the minds of sentient creatures, the laws of Nature itself can be bent with the proper knowledge. The schools of magic are each a separate thing, one having little to nothing to do with another, some involving equations, some making use of sympathetic object association, and still others involving nothing but the names of Powers to be called upon. Sorcerers are savants, born with the insight to see the loopholes in universal law and a strong enough soul to take advantage of them.

Divine magic is the magic of Alignment and Ideals, of Platonic Forms and Truth, the energies that result from the grinding of the outer planes and the birthing of the gods. It is as much a learned thing as arcane magic, from secrets hidden in the scriptures of the gods and Mysteries unveiled by the contemplation of the nature of Good and Evil. The gods reveal and channel divine magic, but is not the granting of their personal power, it is an existing pool that they may latch onto and dispense as they need. Indeed, it is possible to harness these energies without the intervention of a deity.

Psionics are the result of intense self-discipline and self-understanding, a mastery of ones mental and physical self. From mastery of ones own body to the point being able to control each muscle of the body individually (prana-bindu), to the ability to alter the minds natural connection to the Astral plane and seek out the minds of others, to the power to project ones will outside of the body and exert real change on the world without the need of physical action. It is the manipulation of Ki and the inherent lifeforce that all living things possess, control and awareness of ones body beyond what is commonly possible.

Some magic spells temporarily awaken latent psionic abilities, many telepathy-like spells (for example, detect thoughts) harness natural connections that Telepaths themselves use, and quite a few effects are accomplished in the same way, (an effect is an effect is an effect; teleportation is travel through the astral plane, regardless of whether it is initiated through magical or psionic means)

I try to have as many different disparate methods and traditions of magic as I can, as I don't like the concept of "this is magic, it all works this way." As an example, I am fine with "The Force", but I wouldn't want EVERYTHING supernatural in the universe to be the result of just one energy. If I could make sure it was balanced properly, I would want Force users and Channelers side by side in my game with Wizards and Sorcerers. I try to make allowances for as many different casting classes as I can in my game.

 

[s/LaSH]

Dungeon Damage magic:

There are seven important planes of existance. There is the World, at the center. Around it, like the points of a compass, are the four Cardinal Elemental planes (Earth, Air, Fire and Water). Above it is the plane of positive energy; below, the plane of negative energy.

People (Mediterranean humans, Germanic elves, Crimean orcs etc) are relatively powerless creatures, barely capable of creating a spark with their lifeforce. That hasn't stopped them, however.

Wizards in the current age use the Greek methods of spellcasting, after the great achievements of the philosophers in that realm, and the later perfection of those methods by the conquering Roman Republic. The Greeks theorised the existance of the cardinal elements, but not the planes. Greek wizards like Plato and his adherents didn't discover magic, but they refined it and studied its effects. They thought they were manipulating elemental atoms. In reality, they were opening microportals onto elemental planes, and pulling through elemental essence to create their spells. Recognising that they weren't drawing their power from anywhere they could tell, they threw up their hands and just did magic.

Thus, wizards in the medieval age still use Greek word exercises to focus their minds. The words correspond to ancient mental exercises that punch open the microportals, often several dozen at a time, and create the desired effect. As magic is really an unconscious ability at this level, they can control the powers without understanding them.

They're also really weak. European wizards can get up to the second spell level, and know some of the third. In Persia, a similar type of magic is practiced; the necromancers of Babylon can do a few things that would astonish Europeans. And in China, they've learned to cast Fireball, and do it through the same mental focus tricks.

Clerics are a different proposition. Nobody knows who introduced it; it's likely that the practice was known as long as arcane magic. The point is, they channel largely from the positive energy plane. Around the time the Roman Empire fell over, Christians in monastaries decided to get serious about this thing, and by the time the Middle Ages started up, they'd developed a scientific system focused on emulating miracles. It's almost identical to wizardry, but the focusing chants are based on principles more fully understood, and are in Latin - priests capable of tying their own boots up are capable of memorising every spell, although they don't have enough practice to fire off more than a couple of spells each day. They'll teach it to anyone who seems worthy and joins the priesthood. Most people don't have the strength to go further, but some do, and clerical magic is the most powerful force in Europe.

Clerics in other parts of the world aren't as organised or methodical as the Christians, but certainly rival wizards for power.

Everyone has to prepare spells each day. The mind of a good magic-user is pliant and flexible, allowing them to set it into different shapes with a little preparation. These shapes, mental katas or what have you, are essential for being able to fire off spells quickly.

Sorcerers are unknown so far. They'd evidently be linked to the magical beings that roam the world; the dragons, for example, are permanent conduits to all four elemental planes, granting them astonishing physical and arcane power. (The dragons also have a culture older than humanity; unfortunately, we know as much about it as ants know about us.) The dragons know more than they're telling, too...

Nobody knows about the planes yet. They think 'Heaven, the middle world, Hell'. The introduction of planar theory will no doubt bring about a renaissance.

To sum up: Planar power focused by ritual mind exercises. Clerics are happy-wizards who don't fool themselves into thinking they're channeling a god's power (well, not too often). Wizards are untrusting and thus held back. And everyone's fooling themselves.

 

[Archon of Light]

And it just so happens that I have been focusing a lot of my recent efforts towards developing this very aspect for my game world. Currently, it is still in various stages of notes and scribbles as I attempt to gel everything into something more cohesive and tangible. Perhaps an attempt to piece some of it together here will help the process along. Forgive me for not editing much as I kinda toss this out. Here goes...

The History
In this world (yet to be named), the universe once existed only as a maelstrom of Chaos where the elements themselves battled continually in a cosmic struggle for supremacy. Life could not exist in the chaotic vortex, until the Gods came to be and brought Order to the universe. Together, they worked to shape the worlds and the heavens, finding place and purpose for everyone and every thing. The Laws of the Universe were written in their sacred language and inscribed on the surface of a great stone that served as the cornerstone of the world: the Scribe Stone.

The Scribe Stone was kept secret and safe deep within the world they created. It was kept and guarded by the very first race created from the earth itself, the Dwaeren (dwarves). The Gods set about creating the rest of the world, creating the various races and teaching them the many wonderous natures of the Universe they built and the laws they had wrote. Understanding the laws they had created allowed the races to harness the energies and create fantastic effects, which they simply called Magic.

For ages, the world evolved and changed, with each generation of races living, dreaming, fighting, and dying in the place the Gods had given to them. Under the guidance of their patrons, each generation learned more about the nature of the Universe as the Gods had made it. As their knowledge grew, so did their power and their ability to manipulate the Universe through Magic. But while the Gods kept their attention on their respective children races, the Dwaeren were forgotten in their homes deep beneath the surface.

For centuries, the earth-born creatures lived without direction or instruction in the dark realms below. They were valiant warriors and superior craftsmen with an uncanny sense for mining and an insatiable lust for all things precious and valuable embedded in the earth. Greed was a common failing among their species, as many clans oftened battled to the point of annihilation over a newly discovered vein of ore or gems. It was the last great clan war that nearly destroyed them all, but more significantly, it changed the very world itself.

The Scribe Stone was shattered, releasing Chaos back into the world once more. The Gods themselves were expelled from the ensuing surge that defied their established Order, barring them completely from the world they had created and the influencing the people therein. As a result, the very nature of Magic and the Universe itself were significantly altered. Without the divine presence or guidance to aid them, the races suddenly found themselves abandoned and uncertain in a world that was no longer the same to them. Magic was no longer there for them to command.

Magic Rediscovered
Long after the shattering of the Scribe Stone, the races learned new ways to perform Magic.

Shaman: Not long after the incident, it was discovered that creatures with natural abilities to create magical effects, like spirits and fairies, still had their powers to do so. And so the first new form of magic, naturally, became a technique to summon and speak with these creatures to command them to create certain 'spells' for them. The most common types of Shamanism are the Eloraen (elves) Shamans, who communicate with the various fairy spirits that reside in all living things, and the Witch/Warlocks of some human cultures who may speak with the darker creatures of the world, like demons and ghosts. Most shaman magics involve use of one of the four elements.

Mystic: It was soon realized that the each race had it's own natural order from which Magic could be discerned. Also known as the Magic of the Self, Mysticism draws magical effects from the person, be it physical or idealogical. A Mystic can heal wounds, walk through walls, or create a barrier attuned to a specific idea or belief (alignments).

Still working on a few others...

Runes and Rune Magic
The most powerful Magic of all comes from what remains of it's original source. The markings of the Scribe Stone held the secrets of the Universe's very nature. When the Stone was shattered, the binding of the Order of the Universe was disrupted, but the implications were still intact within the writings themselves.

In time, the races discovered the true power of the Runes. Once a rune was learned, a Rune Master could learn to inscribe them on various persons or objects. Each symbol (rune) had it's own power or powers, which could be evoked by channeling magic energy (mana) through it. As it turned out, any person could learn to channel mana to evoke the runes, but only one trained in such skill and possessing enough power could control the most powerful runes.


There's more to it than that, but those are some of the high points. I am actually working to create the campaign from the rules up, so there's an extensive amount of rework being done. This system is being designed for a lower-powered setting, so let me point out a few things to keep in mind after reading this.

1. The system uses a 10-level base class structure, rather than the typical 20-level base classes. Class levels in this system are diminished greatly from the Core Rules standard by almost one-third (i.e. a 6th level standard character is about the equivalent to a 9th level character in this system.)

2. Spell list are replaced by a list of variable spell effects with templates. Mana (spell points) can be expended to create greater variations of simpler spells, much like metamagic feats did. Less spell choices, but more variations.

3. Spellcasters are much more specialized with significant flavor for each, but still customizable. Spellcasters must also roll for successful spellcasting attempts. Failure results in taking non-lethal damage or fatigue.

4. Standard magic items do not exist! Only items properly inscribed with a Rune can be used to create magic abilities in the item or the person. Invoking the power of the Rune costs mana, and the effects are never permanent. Thus, for example, a weapon with a Fire Rune could become a flaming weapon for as long as the character wielding it can expend the required number of mana points. (All characters gain some amount of mana, regardless of class.)


Alright, in short, the whole system is getting an overhaul to try and maintain some balance to make it all work. But, you get the idea. Sorry for rambling.

 

[Kichwas]

In Fahla, which I am slowly retooling, the plan is that magic comes from the spirit world.

All magic is in essense divine, and it is worked in the mortal realm through the five elements of air, water, earth, fire and spirit (which is really a macro or super element).

Each element is both a mirror of its physical nature and its spiritual archetype - so water is both liquid and feminine, passive, seductive along with other traits.

Part of retooling my setting is working up a magic system that can handle a wider concept of fantasy than the DnD system, and this is a large part of why I chose to do it through BESM d20.

 

[LoneWolf23]

Here's how magic works in my campaign:

Basically, there are four sources of Mystic Power in the world: Divine Magic is channeled power, supplied by potent divine entities: Gods, Demon Princes, Devil Archdukes, and other "Beings Beyond the Ken of Mortality", up to and
including "Living Forces"... It's less a matter of "faith in something" then of "opening yourself to channel that thing/entity's power". Basically, Divine Magic is like acting as a vessel of someone else's power. It's Bestowed Power.

Now, Arcane Magic is essentially External Magic, relying on Magic as an external force in the universe. The Wizard or Sorceror's power doesn't actually come from within him; he's basically relying on his understanding of the the "real" workings of the Universe (as taught to him by the school of magic he follows) to rework reality to his whims."

The Wizard's power comes from knowledge and education, while the Sorceror's knowledge is instinctive, a result of either supernatural origin or magically-based mutation.

Psionics is Internal power, power that comes from personal Enlightnment and tapping a hidden potential within the individual's mind. Psionics don't tap into any external force, but channel and develop their own mental and spiritual energies to accomplish "Mind over Matter" stunts.

Finally, there's Physical power, the flipside of Internal power. Mostly developped by martial classes, it's essentially Ki, or "the Breath", the development of an individual's Life Force and Physical Person. Developping this power allows one to grow physically stronger and more resiliant, but also makes one's fighting prowess more efficient as one develops it: in game terms, Raising your HP, Saves and BAB...

Fighters, Monks and Barbarians both develop their Ki, but in different ways: Barbs are raw, unfocused physical types with untamed passions, Fighters are dedicated "kensai" who focus on the art of their chosen weapons to the exclusion of everything else, and Monks are contemplative warriors who seek to bring their bodies in unison with the cosmos, or something similar. But all three have High Ki energy.

So, there you have it: a source of mystic energy for all classes, each one different from the next, and all of them cross-compatible (Paladins develop both Ki and Channeling, while Bards perform a mixture of Arcane magic and Channeling chaotic gods in my campaign)...

 

[Hand of Evil]

Let me pull a rabbit out of my hat...

In my world magic is a extra-Dimensional byproduct/charges/plasma from the movement of the planes against the electro-Magnet field of the material plane and other planes.

That or the farting of the gods.