One of the defining traits of the fantasy (and some science fiction) genre is the magic. I’ll be discussing creation of magic systems in the future, but this week, I want to talk about the effect of magic on a culture. How does it change things overall and how does it work as a subculture all its own.

Many worlds make it seem like magic is a tacked on construct. The world is medieval Europe, but with magic. Or, it’s feudal Japan, but with magic. Or it’s modern America, but with magic. For the most part, this works with either a lot of hand waving or ignoring some of the implications. This was the impetus for me to create the Blake Heira series in the first place.

One way to build the world is to use rarity to hide some of the problems. If magic is rare, you don’t have to worry about an invisible wizard teleporting into the royal treasury and making off with all the gold, since there may only be one person in the whole world capable of doing something like that. Armies need to prepare for other armies, not the possibility of some dragon rider with a staff is coming in throwing lightning around if history never records an event like that.

If magic is to be something that is common or well known, it is vital that the culture be adapted to it. Castles and walls work great against historical, conventional forces. Add magic to the mix and they may have never bothered using them as they were a waste of resources or changed the building dramatically based on what magic can do. Instead of open tops with crenelations for archers to hid behind, perhaps they were tunnels with arrow slits protected by magic warding runes. The effect is the same, but the look and feel add a lot to the feel of the world.

Another method is for government control of magic. I use this a lot in my setting. Culturally, the people of Myos dislike and distrust mages, particularly non-Priest mages. On top of that, magic is highly regulated. Diviners must belong to the Church of Morn and are typically used to police other mages. Non-Priest Diviners are required to identify themselves to the government and are watched constantly once they are found. Any casting is punishable by law. Diviners not complying are imprisoned. This can add a lot of flavor to your setting, but be cautious of using this too much in a roleplaying setting, as players can get frustrated with too many restrictions like this.

Once you have figured out how the culture as a whole deals with magic, you should work on the subculture of those that use it. Is there some sort of hierarchy, where master wizards are given deference by lesser casters? Do they have magic tournaments or even combats? If magic is highly restricted, there may be an underground for wizards plying their wares. Alchemy used to be illegal in Myos, so smuggling of potions and elixirs became an issue. You should consider working on a Hierarchy of Social Estates for the subculture. There may or may not be a Ruling Agent or Ruling Class in your setting, but there could be something like a Council of Mages meting out justice and bestowing the rank of Master on the worthy.

Don’t forget mystic creatures when dealing with your world building. Wizard familiars may be considered sentient in some cultures, meaning people could be tried for murder if they kill a cat or raven. Is there a trade in griffins and pegasi? Where do vampires, fae, or other magical creatures fit in the Hierarchy of Social Estates?

Finally, figure out how magical items fit in all this. If they are rare, perhaps there is little thought of them. Keep in mind, however, rare implies expensive. In every world, not just fantasy, expensive means coveted, and therefore worth stealing. If magical items are common, they need to be dealt with in similar ways. Perhaps crystal balls are illegal, but wands are treated just like swords. Healers can set up shop and do business, but maybe the Empathic mages are illegal.

It is a bad idea to ignore it. Unfortunately, this seems to be the norm. City guards have no protection from invisible thieves, flying antogonists, spies who can teleport, or assassins with crystal balls scoping out their patrol patterns. I’ve played in multiple campaigns where the simple use of mind reading has destroyed the plot. In D&D, this was a spell that could be used at 3rd level, hardly something that should be plot destroying.

As with the other aspects of world building I have (and will) discuss, this can lead you down some long rabbit holes. Only do as much as is necessary for your needs. If you’re running a game without a lot of city adventures, you can be very general with a lot of this. If no one is going to be a spellcaster in your novel, this is even more true. But, consistency is important. You don’t want your players or readers thrown for a loop when new rules or laws pop out of nowhere.

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think in the comments below. See you next Sunday!