What is Soft Magic?:
Soft magic gives characters abilities or powers that are unexplained. This can either be great for a story, or it can be a hindrance. With a soft magic system, the tension is not focused on what a character can do to solve a problem. Take Gandalf for example. His magic classifies as Soft Magic as both his abilities and limits are unexplained. There is little tension in the idea of 'can Gandalf defeat this enemy' but is in the shape of how 'Gandalf cant be everywhere at once'.
The Hobbit is a perfect example of this. With Gandalf around, Bilbo and the dwarves don't get too deep into trouble. Gandalf tends to have a plan to get everyone to safety. But, if you take moments of when Gandalf is not around, you find that Bilbo and the Dwarves get themselves into more trouble then they know how to deal with. Examples: Being captured by the Trolls and Goblins. Getting lost in Mirkwood and their confrontation with the dragon, Smaug. These moments held the most tension through the movie, compared to moments where Gandalf was present.
What is Heavy Magic?:
Hard magic takes on a different presentation in which all the rules and limitations to a character are made clear. Everything is clearly defined and we, the readers or viewers, have a clear understanding of what a character is capable of. The best example I have for this is Avatar, the Last Airbender.
Through the show, we are able to understand clearly that there are only four kinds of abilities/bending powers. Water, Earth, Fire, and Air. We also understand that the bending ability can be passed from parents to children, and later in The Legend of Kora, we are given the origins of bending and how it became so common. In addition to this, a lot of the tension sets in with a benders ability to meet a challenge.
Now that we understand the difference between a Hard Magic System and a Soft Magic System, let's move on to how we can use these to help us build our magic systems. In the following chapters, we will examine the three rules Soft and Hard magic must follow, and outline how we can use these rules when establishing how magic will work within our fantasy worlds.
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Worldbuilder Tips and Guides
Non-FictionThis is a guide written by me to share with you templates, tips, and other information I have collected over the years about world-building. Here, you will learn how to create civilizations, characters, places, objects and more for your story. Some...
