forum So uh... help?
Started by @just_gabs_needs_coffee group
tune

people_alt 60 followers

@just_gabs_needs_coffee group

I have realized that I'm going to need both magic and science in the same universe; anyone have advice on how to make a science system that studies magic? like how magic works/the physics or biology of it?

@ninja_violinist

oooh that sounds really cool!!
I think honestly it really depends on your magic system, tbh? I'm by no means an expert, but I can think of a few different approaches/things to consider when setting this kind of thing up:

  • effects - what impact does magic have on the physical world - for example, can it move things? does it make things glow? does it make fire? that would impact the way scientists in those fields think about such things and necessarily involve the study of magic
  • mechanics - how does a person go about using magic - is it spoken? is it related to movement? is it formulaeic and repeatable or is it unique to every individual? if using magic works the same for a significant number of people, I can imagine there would be a field of science dedicated to investigating exactly what using it looks like
  • source - is it specifically related to an existing phenomenon - like, for example, the moon and stars, plants, rocks, etc? in that case, might the study of magic be intrinsically tied to the study of that particular thing?
  • social context - what kind of place does magic have in the relevant society - do they call it magic? is it part of their natural world the way gravity is to us? how long have they known about it? how do they feel about people who use magic? how long have they been studying it? all of that would also impact both the way it's studied and who does the studying, if that makes sense

@just_gabs_needs_coffee group

whoa that's a lot of info :)
Basically my magic system is greatly nature/element based, and spells and stuff aren't really in it as of now. I've got a medieval-ish fantasy setting. I love the source idea because I was gonna go with "space debris/meteors" being the source of magic in the world, like the magic acted as a sort of radiation. The thing I'm sort of struggling with is how do my citizens (both magic-users and not) know about magic's origins, different elements of said magic that aren't immediately apparent, that sort of thing. I really like the idea of people being dedicated to studying this sort of "magic radiation" from meteors or "falling stars".
That's a lot to think on, thanks!

@Katastrophic group

That breakdown is really good!
I love the idea of magic being extraterrestrial. Excuse the following block of text, imma just dump some questions that maybe will help?

If it's fantasy/medieval, how advanced is the science? Would general people know they're meteors, or just the scholars? Would people believe they were just stars or is there any sort of deity that could have "sent" these magic sources? And on the science side of things, would radiation (in a general sense) have been discovered or would they think it's some sort of aura or even virus? Are there different branches of science or religion that study this, and coincidentally, would the different branches and theories cause problems amongst themselves?

The gist of all the questions, do all people have the same base level on magic or are there different theories based on their level of education, religion, and opinion? If it's something obvious like the stars are visible at night, then most people would know that as a fact. If it's more nuanced, like stars being gas balls in space (think that one scene in Lion King), then not everyone would know or agree with that fact.