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Questions About Magic for a Story

Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
edited June 2008 in Everything Else
I have mentioned the fact that I am creating a webcomic multiple times on the forum, and it is now reaching the point in which I will be able to start creating chapters, but I have a question. In the second half of the story, magic is introduced and the way I have it currently set up is that there are set spells that people can cast and that they recite an incantation and then the name of the spell, and since what I am trying to do with the comic is make it a parody of Shonen fighting shows, the louder the character screams the spell and incantation the more powerful it is. People can also create a super attack that can be an instant kill (think Final Smashes), but immediately knocks the person unconsious if they use it.

My questions are: Do you guys think any particular foreign language sounds really good for spell names? (I am currently leaning towards Norse.)

Do you guys have any suggestions in making this system better or any suggestions in general?

I can also give some more information about the world or anything else dealing with the comic, if it would help you guys help me.

Comments

  • KoholintKoholint
    Swedish or another Scandinavian language would be cool for the spell names.
  • AprecheApreche
    The most important thing to do is to keep the magic and the world self-consistent. Don't do things which don't make sense in the context of the world. If someone has the power to set things on fire, ok. How does it work? How much can they set on fire? If you suddenly want them to be able to do something new, you need to have an explanation for it. The explanation can't be stupid either. If the reader doesn't believe it, then you screwed up.
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    The magic is all established, there won't be any deus ex machinas when it comes to the magic system. Everyone in the world has access to the spells and it runs on a system similar to MP, when the characters use higher level spells they get tired and when they use too many spells they go to sleep or pass out. Characters will have varied levels of MP, but it won't be something like someone has 10 and someone else has 1,000,000. It will all be fairly consistent.
  • ......
    Latin sounds most "Oooooooooh, magic"-like. And don't make it horrible like the "Wingardium Leviosa" nonsense in Harry Potter books. Instead actually do some research and get entire incantations in Latin. Something like "Storms from the north, bring forth ice cold death upon them!" only in Latin. Probably sounds awesome, actually is something and makes your character look smart.

    Though, for your parody comic, take irrelevant English words, throw -ium or something after it and make them very short, one word. Perhaps be 'lame' and use "ONE-IUM!", "TWO-IUM!", "THREE-IA", etc for spell names. Also, stuff ending in 'a' tends to be the easiest to shout out loud.
  • SailSail
    The most important thing to do is to keep the magic and the world self-consistent.
    If he truly wants to make it parody a shounen fighting show, there's really no need ~_^
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    edited June 2008
    I'm also trying to make a "good" Shonen fighting comic while at the same time parodying them.
    Post edited by Li_Akahi on
  • NeitoNeito
    Be consistent, as others have said.
    Don't get on the power treadmill. How many "Strongest creatures in the universe" did Goku fight? Like, 20?
    Make there be some sort of a check to magical power. Put something, like the Chorae in Prince of Nothing, that can negate or tone down magic.
    Dispense with the old trope of magic needing to be secret. Please. I beg you.
  • kage_rodkage_rod
    For the language thing: I think it should depend on the spell. Airy and light things should be said in a breezy language (French or Spanish), powerful or destructive in a gruff language (German or Russian), etc. Latin is good for the things related to intelligence (psychic, levitating, etc), Spanish for the fun things (a breeze to pick up skirts, maybe something that entraps the listener or a target in a dance?), and German for fire and big BOOMy spells. Variety is the spice of life, and it's not like you can't research the languages - take an English to online dictionary and look up a key word.
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    edited June 2008
    Don't get on the power treadmill. How many "Strongest creatures in the universe" did Goku fight? Like, 20?
    There are only two main one on one battles in the story at the moment, the rest are major battles with thousands of people on each side.
    Dispense with the old trope of magic needing to be secret. Please. I beg you.
    The magic is in a world populated by Elves, Orks, and Dwarves; which also happens to be the afterlife in my story. Magic is not going to be a secretive thing in the world I am trying to establish.
    Post edited by Li_Akahi on
  • gomidoggomidog
    Um, why not just make up a language? That's what I always do for magic. Also, if you must use a real language, I vote for finnish. It's really cool sounding.
  • ninjarabbininjarabbi
    it won't be something like someone has 10 and someone else has 1,000,000.
    image
  • Magnum_OpusMagnum_Opus
    Rule number 1 for language: No dog Latin.

    Just base your magic similar to Tales of Earthsea magic because that was the shit, just make up a language, and make it pretty simple(meaning don't have weird/long pronunciations of words). Make magic have severe but equal consequences and have it be used uniquely and intelligently. That may not work if you really are making a parody, then all you have to do is work off of stereotypes, but I suggest give up on the parody because that well just seems too dry.

    Either way, don't specify MP to the reader because then you're just quantizing magic too much and you would also start to turn it into an rpg parody, keep it to yourself so you can keep with in your created world's boundaries.
  • ananthymousananthymous
    Alternately, if it IS a webcomic and you have the visuals to play with, maybe you could just slap an arcane image or logo into the word bubble. Different icons represent different spells, different styles can represent different spell-schools, stuff like that.
  • gomidoggomidog
    Alternately, if it IS a webcomic and you have the visuals to play with, maybe you could just slap an arcane image or logo into the word bubble. Different icons represent different spells, different styles can represent different spell-schools, stuff like that.
    Excellent Idea. I agree!
  • AlexAlex
    Alternately, if it IS a webcomic and you have the visuals to play with, maybe you could just slap an arcane image or logo into the word bubble. Different icons represent different spells, different styles can represent different spell-schools, stuff like that.
    A good example of this technique. (top row of panels)

    There are other examples throughout that comic; that one (a locating spell, if you couldn't guess) is just one of my favorites.
  • Magnum_OpusMagnum_Opus
    Dispense with the old trope of magic needing to be secret. Please. I beg you.
    I agree somewhat. Make it so it isn't a secret from the people, but don't take out the mysticism of magic.
  • YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
    Alex/anathymous, that's a good idea. Otherwise, if you want something lengthy and complicated, I'd choose Finnish. If you want something harsh and violent, German. For something seemingly steeped in the mystery of the ages, try Latin.

    This is somewhat off topic, but how exactly do chorae work in TPoN (T Pon!)? Do they kill when they touch a sorcerer, and dispel any magic used against them?
  • NeitoNeito
    Do they kill when they touch a sorcerer,anddispel any magic used against them?
    Yes.
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