Magic A Is Magic A: Difference between revisions

[[File:MagicAIsMagicA_7655.png|link=El Goonish Shive|frame|Even [[Supernatural Martial Arts]] is part of this magic system.]]

Works heavy on speculative elements, such as [[Science Fiction]] and [[Fantasy]], often have an assortment of fantastic intangibles we cannot even dream of encountering in [[Real Life]] -- yet act in a completely consistent way, as if governed by imaginary rules of physics.

* ''[[Fullmetal Alchemist]]'' never gets into the "nuts and bolts" of how one learns alchemy or gets it to work, but we are shown though repeated example that it requires a great deal of research, practice and the use of [[Geometric Magic|inscribed runes or circles]] to make it happen. There is also the constantly repeated rule of ''[[Equivalent Exchange]],'' that for the alchemist to create something, he or she must destroy something of equal value (in practice, this means just having the necessary raw materials at hand - the act of construction itself doesn't seem to "cost" anything {{spoiler|until it's revealed that ''[[Soylent Green|human souls]]'' are the cost being paid in the anime. In the manga alchemy uses geothermal energy, and the [[Big Bad]] uses souls as a buffer to make alchemy weaker}}. <br /><br />In fact, the author's notes at the beginning of the original manga emphasize that the series was originally intended to showcase a B-movie style version of real-life alchemy, without so much emphasis on the actual science behind it.

* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' does well with this by only ever explaining the nature of strategies and techniques, and leaving the actual science of magic for the ''Lexicon Magicum Negimarium''. Even still, the eponymous Negi makes it clear that he's never heard of anything like a money tree and that [[Love Potion|Love Potions]] aren't common and are unreliable because magic wasn't meant to be used like that (later it's made clear that Love Potions are completely illegal in Magical society). It doesn't stop [[Love Is in the Air]] moments from occuring ([[Hilarity Ensues|often hilarious]]).

** Finally (and this bit's important), the subject must be able to actually ''do'' what Jesse has told them to do. Telling someone to fly off the side of a skyscraper doesn't mean that they can suddenly flap their arms and defy gravity. Telling them to "try," on the other hand, will have more favorable, or at least messier, results. Because of this, Jesse has disposed of one opponent by telling him to go to the beach and count sand (and he does) & evaded a crackshot marksman at point-blank range by commanding him to miss (this also lead to Arseface's origin story--Jesse told his dad "go fuck yourself" with the Voice, and the man [[Nightmare Fuel|had to]] [[Squick|comply.]] [[Driven to Suicide|And then shot himself in front of his son.]])

* The stories of Australian children's writer [[Paul Jennings]] often revolve around this trope-- each has a [[Twist Ending]] which (however [[Nightmare Fuel|disturbing]] or [[Nausea Fuel|disgusting]]) follows logically from the established rules of an item's or character's special power.

* The world of ''[[Harry Potter]]'' leaves out a lot of details about the limits and method of using its magic, and for the most part eschews explanations for a sense of wonder. Some rules are evidently made up as it goes along but the rules are never fully listed outright, which leaves wiggle room for further explanation (e.g The differences between casting "[http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Accio Accio Wand]" and "[http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Expelliarmus Expelliarmus]" on your opponent). Once the rules are listed, they are never contradicted, but it sometimes seems odd that certain magical abilities were never explained before. Since Harry is a teenager raised by [[Muggle|muggles]] and unaccustomed to the world of magic his lack of knowledge is forgivable, while others take it for granted and have little reason to [[Expospeak]] about it.

** But note there are other forms of magic -- Perrin's wolf powers, Min's viewings, Hurin's sniffing -- that don't fit within the rules and confuse the "normal magic" users. Not to mention the whole Horn of Valere thing.

** It's further complicated by the fact that the setting is full of [[Lost Technology]], [[Poor Communication Kills]] and [[Culture Clash|Culture Clashes]], and is set [[After the End|after multiple different apocalypses]]. When something weird pops up, it's anyone's guess whether it seems completely impossible to the current viewpoint character but would be well-known and understood by someone from another country, was commonplace during the Age of Legends and has been forgotten by the present day, or has truly never been seen before by anyone in the world since the last Third Age.

* One-upping that, the "magic" in Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's ''[[Death Gate]]'' series ''is'' (pseudo)science, complete with a [[Techno Babble]]--filled appendix describing how all of it works.

* The Endowment magic system from [[The Runelords]] books is very much [[Magic A Is Magic A]]. Internally-consistent and thought out rigorously well, it was actually one of the inspirations behind Sanderson's ideas for the Mistborn books.

** Bonus points, as well, for describing pretty much exactly how the magic works -- i.e., instead of "he snapped his fingers and a flame appeared above them," it's "she snapped her fingers, felt the spark and heat generated by the friction, and fed it her magic until it grew into a visible flame."

* ''[[Discworld]]'' magic hasn't been terribly consistent over the course of the books ([[Vancian Magic]] or [[Mana]]? It depends how far along in the series you are), but one rule [[Terry Pratchett]] has more or less stuck with is the Law of Conservation of Reality, which says that doing something by magic takes as much energy as doing it normally (although there are "cheats", such as ''where'' the energy is coming from). This stops Discworld wizards from being all-powerful [[Reality Warper|Reality Warpers]], but unfortunately doesn't apply to [[Person of Mass Destruction|Sourcerers]].

*** Additionally, as is made more clear in the ''[[Silmarillion]]'', elves simply don't think of what they can do as "magical." It's just a natural ability to them, like carpentry is to a human being -- as far as the elves are concerned, they're just better at making things that us weakling humans. Basically, an elven sailor could get so good at sailing that he could make his ship fly. Likewise, the "wizards" (''istari'') like Gandalf aren't stock fantasy wizards so much as actually a group of minor gods (the same kind of being as Sauron and the Balrogs, actually).

* The [[Magick|magicka]] in ''[[The Elder Scrolls]]'' is an excellent example of this trope. It's never explained in full detail; but it's established as something anyone can practice it in his spare time, but also subject to substantial research by the Dunmer Temple, the Imperial Cult, and the Mages Guild. There are also some very clear rules: to enchant an item, you must know the spell you'll burn in the item, you need a soul gem with an animal soul inside (you can't trap human, bestial or elven souls), and clothes and accessories can hold much more magic than weapons.

** Part of what helps keep the [[Whateley Universe]] canon stories straight is the secret "[[All There in the Manual|Whateley Academy Universe Bible]]" that only canon authors are allowed access to -- this lays out every single "rule" for the storyline, canon characters, backstory, etc etc.

*** The lightning does show something resembling internal inconsistency in the final episodes, though. Supposedly it can only be generated by a firebender who can clear his mind of emotion and distraction--something the internally conflicted Zuko finds himself unable to pull off. However in the end Azula seems to have no difficulties wielding it even while in the middle of [[Villainous Breakdown|emotional turmoil]]. Either she's just that good (she ''is'' a prodigy that bends hotter blue flames), the power-boosting [[Comet of Doom]] in the sky had something to do with it, or she has no internal conflict at all about being a psychotic sociopath.