Magic is one of my favorite things about a fantasy setting. You are not bound to the laws we know of and you can rewrite basic physics and reality to whatever you want. Also, building the world around it is extremely fun.

I like ping-pongs between harder and softer magic systems, but my favorite hard-leaning magic system has to be bending from Avatar. There are four elements, most people who can bend get one, and they can really stretch them out.

As for softer magic systems, I enjoy when it helps to make the world function. So far, I kind of enjoy the Owl House. Sure there are glyphs that harden it, but there are some branches like healing and construction that make it seem more like these magic covens are divided like labor guilds, rather than strictly element.

  • Tapirs10 [undecided,she/her]
    ·
    2 years ago

    The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson has a magic system that works by convincing inanimate objects to become something different. For example, you could break out of jail by magiking the lock to convince it that it was rusted. There is limitations though. Like you could turn a wood chair into gold if it belonged to a king because the king having a gold chair is plausible but one belonging to a peasant could not have the same thing done.

    • AK47 [none/use name]
      ·
      2 years ago

      Sanderson is great at this. I loved Mistborn's different systems, as well.