Another Set of Choices: Magical Goodies
Assuming magic is a thing in the setting, 3 to 5 of these are true (depending on how restrictive you want magic to be) and the remainder are false.
1) Magical aptitude is impossible to develop through desire and practice. A person does or does not possess it.
2) Magical applications are a closed-ended set of powers, whose number is finite.
3) Magic is normative, and affects a magician's personality and actions in the context of those norms.
4) Magic relies on a measurable energy resource that is external to the magician.
5) Magic requires interaction with self-willed entities with their own motives and desires.
6) Magic requires scarce physical props and resources to use.
7) Magic requires time spent in ritual action to invoke one's powers.
8) Use of magic causes physical, psychic and other potentially dangerous side-effects in its users.
Take, for example, the Force from Star Wars:
1) Magical aptitude is impossible to develop through desire and practice. A person does or does not possess it. [Strictly hereditary, in this case, which is kind of problematic, but whatevs]
2) Magical applications are a closed-ended set of powers, whose number is finite. [Push, Move, Mind trick, LIGHTNING, etc.]
3) Magic is normative, and affects a magician's personality and actions in the context of those norms. [Once you start down the Dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will!]
4) Magic relies on a measurable energy resource that is external to the magician. [Thanks to the prequels, now we even can! ]
5) Magic requires interaction with self-willed entities with their own motives and desires. [Blue Ghosts notwithstanding. They can be useful, but you don't need them]
6) Magic requires scarce physical props and resources to use. [Light sabres are cool, but not strictly necessary]
7) Magic requires time spent in ritual action to invoke one's powers. [The Handwave is more of a cue that they're using it]
8) Use of magic causes physical, psychic and other potentially dangerous side-effects in its users. [Kinda with the Dark Side, but that became less and less of a thing in the prequels, once it was clear that Vader and the Emperor's appearances were a result of their poor decision-making skills than anything].
1) Magical aptitude is impossible to develop through desire and practice. A person does or does not possess it.
2) Magical applications are a closed-ended set of powers, whose number is finite.
3) Magic is normative, and affects a magician's personality and actions in the context of those norms.
4) Magic relies on a measurable energy resource that is external to the magician.
5) Magic requires interaction with self-willed entities with their own motives and desires.
6) Magic requires scarce physical props and resources to use.
7) Magic requires time spent in ritual action to invoke one's powers.
8) Use of magic causes physical, psychic and other potentially dangerous side-effects in its users.
Take, for example, the Force from Star Wars:
1) Magical aptitude is impossible to develop through desire and practice. A person does or does not possess it. [Strictly hereditary, in this case, which is kind of problematic, but whatevs]
2) Magical applications are a closed-ended set of powers, whose number is finite. [Push, Move, Mind trick, LIGHTNING, etc.]
3) Magic is normative, and affects a magician's personality and actions in the context of those norms. [Once you start down the Dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny. Consume you it will!]
4) Magic relies on a measurable energy resource that is external to the magician. [Thanks to the prequels, now we even can! ]
5) Magic requires interaction with self-willed entities with their own motives and desires. [Blue Ghosts notwithstanding. They can be useful, but you don't need them]
6) Magic requires scarce physical props and resources to use. [Light sabres are cool, but not strictly necessary]
7) Magic requires time spent in ritual action to invoke one's powers. [The Handwave is more of a cue that they're using it]
8) Use of magic causes physical, psychic and other potentially dangerous side-effects in its users. [Kinda with the Dark Side, but that became less and less of a thing in the prequels, once it was clear that Vader and the Emperor's appearances were a result of their poor decision-making skills than anything].
Published on July 19, 2013 09:47
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