Sources of Magic

[Roman]

What is the ultimate source of power behind magic? Why does magic work the way it does? Is there a cost to magic? These questions are answered differently in different campaign-worlds and it would be useful to list the possible options, so that DMs have a handy place with numerous possibilities to make the choice for their campaign world. Of course, there may be different types of magic in a campaign (such as divine and arcane) in which case DMs can choose different sources for them. Please, contribute what you think would be suitable sources of magic.

 

[Nightfall]

Gods are the source of cleric, blackguard and paladin divine magics. Druids draw on nature but gain power also from the Titan in charge of the Cycle. Rangers have similar deals.

Wizards and other arcane casters draw on power beyond the ken of most.

 

[Roman]

Here are some of my suggestions:

- Emotions: Various emotions can be the source of magic. Love could perhaps be the source of healing magic or enchanting magic, sorrow of necromantic magic, anger of destructive magic, etc.

- Willpower: Magic is the result of self control and force of will. This explanation is most appropriate of psionics.

- Elements: Each element is the source of a particulat type of magic.

- Patrons: Higher beings with inherent magic grant their followers magic and magical abilities. This is the most appropriate system for divine magic.

- Nature: Living things are the source of magic. This has several variants, for example one's own body could act as the source, or the living things all around could do so.

- Souls: Souls of the deceased (or other souls) could be the power behind magic. So could spirits.

- Concepts: Mental concepts could have a power of their own and act as a source of magic. Imagination, logic and reason also fall under this category.

- Belief: Simple beliefs or convictions could power magic. Principles such as "good", "evil", "law", "chaos" and others also fall into this category, which tends to overlap with the 'Concepts' category.

- Physical: Magic is the equivalent of modern science and there are firm physical laws governing its behaviour. It is totally predictable and is merely an extension of ordinary physical world.

I am looking forward to hearing more suggestions.

 

[Tewligan]

- Souls: Souls of the deceased (or other souls) could be the power behind magic. So could spirits.

And perhaps those souls are actually consumed by the casting. That could be justification for kingdoms that forbid arcane casting. No one wants to think that dear departed Aunt Tillie was snuffed out because some wizard had to have his stoneskin spell, rather than going to her final reward at Pelor's side.

 

[Snoweel]

Animism.

Yep, little magical spirits a la Oriental Adventures (Kami).

If one makes everything mildly sentient, even spells, then one finds one doesn't need to worry about the implausability of spell limitations, eg. cancelling invisibility when making an "attack".

 

[Crothian]

The gods: Despite ther fact that everyone divided magic my Arcane and Divine, in reality it all comes from the gods. Arcane spellcasters just go about it in a different way that both limits them and gives them advantages.

 

[Roman]

Interesting ideas people! Keep them coming!

Tewligan: That is a wonderful idea. It makes magic have a cost and I believe that adds much flavour to it.

Snowneel: I like the idea of slightly sentient spells.

Crothian: That would be a possibility, but why would the Gods give wizards magic?

 

[Crothian]

Crothian: That would be a possibility, but why would the Gods give wizards magic?

An experiemnt or a bet to see what the mortals would do with it. From the mortals it spread to all creatures. Or maybe the gods took what is all of the arcane energy and through it out into the Great Wheel (or whatever the all the planes are called in your cosmology). From there in seeped into the creatures and they learned to harvest it out of themselves.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

My campaign world rationale is that magic is an energy that exists down int he very fabric of reality. Some beings can access this energy directly, due to the fact that the very matter of which they are made is infused or in tune with this energy. That is, they are slightly "out-of-sync" in regards to our plane of existence. Outsiders and dragons are examples of thes etypes of creatures. Sorcerers also, to an extent.

Wizards and similar spellcasters access this energy via an extradimensional "pattern" or "machinery" devised and embedded within the fabric of reality in certain regions of the universe. This "machinery" was created by an ancient race that existed very early in the history of the universe, and which spread throughout much of it, imprinting their "machinery" just about everywhere. The "machinery" is not machinery as we know it; it's more along the lines of mathematics and language, a mental device used to help shape and embody thoughts and concepts. Magic as wizards use it is an almost-forgotten, shakey remembrance of the real thing, the "machinery." It's sort of like the phenomenon of trying to use a computer for the first time without help; you can eventually figure out some stuff and do it half-arsed, and it may eventually suit your needs, but it's not being used to much of its potential. You also may never figure that the way you're doing it is wrong or inefficient, because there is no system support for it

Yeah, I know, it's gibberish, but I tried to come up with a rationale for it different than anything else I'd seen.

 

[Roman]

Colonel Hardison, it is not jibberish. It is in fact interesting. We are collecting some good stuff here. Keep more ideas coming!