/lit/ - Literature

It could be said that that's a good system of magic. A lot of the time magic is so regulated that it stops being "magic" and starts being "science". It all depends on how you would like to define magic.

what do you think is the best system of magic?

>>1215206
Harry Potter's system is based on absurdity, whimsy and word play. I see no problem with that, anything else is just taking magic way too seriously.

I really disliked Vance's "Dying Earth" system (where people would forget spells after their cast) because of it's influence on the Dungeons and Dragons game.

HP's "system" is only a system inasmuch it is used to systematically dig the characters out of Rowlings plot (black) holes.

>>1215218
examples please.

Moorcock is the white beard systemizer here. Got it from Crowley, no surprise.

Some awesome shit?
The Bartimaeus Series. Jonathan Stroud was all like "Oh, you wanna have a normal book where people cast spells and shit? Fuck you, here's a fuckton of spirits." I enjoyed it.

*systematizer. suppress those cringes.

Best: It's magic I ain't gotta explain shit

Worst: It's science but with more sparkles

>>1215239
This. And Rowling does it well.

>>1215221
Time Turners.

Fuck. Those.

Also, the power of love can apparently kick evil around like a tin can...But apparently, only Harry Potter can benefit from the love of his parents.

Everyone else Big V killed? Their parents just didn't love them, I guess.

>>1215245
Time turners were only used once, and the whole book was a build up to them. How is that a plot hole?

>>1215245
Time Turners I'll give you. They were all handwaved away by her having them destroyed in the battle at the ministry of magic. But the power of love shit was pretty thoroughly explained in the book. It also didn't mean Voldemort couldn't *kill* him, it just meant they couldn't physically touch.

Actually, in terms of the first book, it might have come out of nowhere. It was used pretty well throughout the series as a whole though.

The worst magic system is the one from The Sword of Truth:

"You can do anything you want with magic because you don't have any preconceived notions of what magic can or can't do!"

>>1215254
I think the problem is more "lol why don't they use them to solve all their problems lol".

>>1215273
Cause its against the law. Not magical law, regular law.

>>1215268
Oh man. I liked the first book, but after that it was all "CONAN THE LIBERTARIAN"

The worst magic system - the one most destructive of the human spirit - is the one where people write paperback originals about FANTASY FUCKING BULLSHIT and people like you eat it as though it were a nice juicy dick, making untalented people RICH while making your own inner lives POORER.

>>1215206
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel has the most splendid system of magic I've seen. Any kind of gentleman would agree with me, I'm sure. Those who would not lack whimsy in their soul.

>>1215301

LAY OFF THE DICK, FAUNTLEROY.

>>1215231
Dude, those books were the tits. I have such a hard on for all that demon summoning, oracles and pentacles shit.

>>1215277
This would stop Harry being able to use them. Not everybody. Like I said though, she covered her arse by having them destroyed.

>>1215312
Dude, we should get together and do some brocaine and read those books. I can't remember the names for shit, but the goddamn Jackal and the cook were badasses.
Shit, man. What was your favorite part? I don't really know if there's any one part, but I remember a bunch of great moments, like when Jacob in the second book dicked with that guy's spellbook... this motherfucking post needs some more goddamn obligatory profanity that shit was so AIDS-ridden awesome.