Why Hard Work Matters Even If You've Got Magic
One of the things I’ve often considered in my original fiction is whether or not giving a character magic is cheating. Does giving them magic give them an unfair advantage over characters without magic? Worse, does it make things too easy for them?
It depends.
If a substantial proportion of the population have magic, then a character without magic is actually at a substantial disadvantage. Giving a character magic in that case isn’t cheating so much as it is levelling the playing field. However, it also depends on what kind of magic you give a character. Giving a character the ability to throw lightning is distinctly different from giving them the ability to alter reality on a grand scale with nothing more than a thought. The former has clearly defined strengths and weaknesses (e.g., they would be hard pressed to throw lightning underwater), but the latter is basically turning a character into a god.
Even powerful magic can be made to feel “fair” if it has weaknesses that can be exploited. For instance, vastly increased physical strength would still leave a character vulnerable to ranged attacks. Being able to punch through walls isn’t going to help if the opponent is busy shooting you in the chest with an arrow from several hundred yards away. Likewise, being able to set things on fire with a touch isn’t going to be much help against an opponent with vastly superior hand-to-hand combat skills.
Read more on my blog.
It depends.
If a substantial proportion of the population have magic, then a character without magic is actually at a substantial disadvantage. Giving a character magic in that case isn’t cheating so much as it is levelling the playing field. However, it also depends on what kind of magic you give a character. Giving a character the ability to throw lightning is distinctly different from giving them the ability to alter reality on a grand scale with nothing more than a thought. The former has clearly defined strengths and weaknesses (e.g., they would be hard pressed to throw lightning underwater), but the latter is basically turning a character into a god.
Even powerful magic can be made to feel “fair” if it has weaknesses that can be exploited. For instance, vastly increased physical strength would still leave a character vulnerable to ranged attacks. Being able to punch through walls isn’t going to help if the opponent is busy shooting you in the chest with an arrow from several hundred yards away. Likewise, being able to set things on fire with a touch isn’t going to be much help against an opponent with vastly superior hand-to-hand combat skills.
Read more on my blog.
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