How did fantasy medieval people gain superpower?

[CrimsonGenius]

 

[CamRoze]

The story I'm working on is based loosely on Christian theology, were humans are sometimes born with blessings from God which allow them to perform miracles. Blessings can also be granted later in life by holy artifacts or by the pope.
Conversely, magic is the work of demons and is invoked through rituals, contracts, and other nefarious means.

If your into that style of writing, you may be interested in researching Azazel, who was the demon who taught us to forge weapons, and armor.

or the parent pass it to the offsprings by... well...

Well, this is actually a thing in some high fantasy groups, where the mother is the source of their level of magic ability, but the magic is dictated by the fathers side. It was weird, but still stands out in my head.

 

[Tsuru]

So thanks to JRPG and chinese fuckshits, when I tried to write a western medieval fantasy BS where the MC somehow gain superpower to bla bla bla, i find myself either tilted to murder = EXP (LitRPG), martial schools (wuxia/ 低武 low level martial arts), find an artifact (MC route),

When I think about how peasants gain power, all I could think of are either English translated from chinese BS, Lit fucking RPG, or straight up none, where only the people of power have the right to more power. The peasants can go eat shit.

I get the term 穷文富武, bascially just means that those who are resourceful gets to fuck while those who are not gets fucked.

1) Gems / mineral spheres with skills in them

2) D&D, anyone same probability of awakening magic. In fact depends if you have high mana reserves at birth.
And praying to gods to get holy powers
Training, learning, teaching others, using it, are ways to get better at magic.

3) Clergy have the power to gift magic to others.

4) Eating a specific things to get powers (hence skills or magic spells)
can be fruit, meat, or just food itself (coughTORIKOcough)

5) Chakra

6) Chinese qi

7) A unknown manga from creator of CLANNAD/Angel Beats, MAEDA JUN.
People can use "magic". But to use the magic they need a sacrifice.
Maeda probably used this old manga idea to do the anime "CHARLOTTE" kekeke

8) Magic by contracting spirits only

9) Magic only by contracting with gods that live among humanity

10) Magic by contracting with demons from hell (not present)

11) Random Magic powers at birth with huge demerits

12) People can unlock special powers, on how well they do a random task given to them at birth
(Manga : plunderer)

13) Everyone can use magic

14) Using "fake magic" by the use of MEGA-OP muscle strength + science (ex : create a flame by snapping very hard fingers or blowing)
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@NotaNuffian @SailusGebel @J_Chemist

Tsuru 2d encyclopledia-chan is now tired. cya

 

[PeacefulMyst]

oh you can get real creative with it. Certain race of people that grant magical powers from sex. And then I suppose lets say those powers can be passed on by sex (eventually becoming diluted and bad, making that generation have to fuck them again). IF the powers don't pass on, I guess the race can be like put into each town and people from nearby go there to fuck them for their powers. Although I guess that's kind of evil. they will escape. So we, as the author, then make it so they cant use their abilities. And they are immortal. With their one purpose in life being sex.

or the parent pass it to the offsprings by... well... sex.

And of course, your idea can be applied too. Lets say there existed a race that passed down magic to weaker humans by sex, but they couldn't actually reproduce and eventually got extinct when their lifespan got over. However, during that, the human bodies got used to a higher being pushing in their magic and evolved to gain magical abilities that way, maybe the race knew of it and banned it since it was sacrilegious. But after they went extinct, the humans started bestowing magical abilities amongst themselves by sex.

Alternatively, Maybe the race fucked only the starting humans and they passed down their magic to weaker humans by sex ever since. You can also separate the abilities into tiers. Maybe each tier gives you further insight into magic and allows you to wield it more efficiently. And of course, to advance through this tier, you have to fuck stronger, higher tier humans.

You can balance this out by making it so that they cannot fuck over and over again, this should produce a threat of extinction that needs to be resolved in the story. Easily giving you an antagonist in the very beginning. The law of nature itself.

You can also go simple, adam and eve but weird route, where god fucked two people and they got magical powers, then those two fucked each other and the powers passed on. But that's boring!

A better, simple sex route will be that whenever someone gets of certain age (or when their born....) an eldritch-esque god fucks them and they gain magical powers.

This however, can quickly get really weird. But who cares about that? the only limitation is your imagination!

Ok i decided to edit the sex a bit to expand it. maybe I expanded it too much

 

[Lloyd]

If your into that style of writing, you may be interested in researching Azazel, who was the demon who taught us to forge weapons, and armor.

Well, this is actually a thing in some high fantasy groups, where the mother is the source of their level of magic ability, but the magic is dictated by the fathers side. It was weird, but still stands out in my head.

I just looked into him, and it looks like he's the demon that Jews sacrifice goats to. Didn't see anything on weapons.

 

[Num]

You are forgetting a classic: Bloodlines, the peasant’s seventeen times great grandfather was a dragon. Also I’m not sure if anyone mentioned them but the Fey will happily give you power, I wouldn’t trust them at all but they can give power.

 

[Sleds]

I've read one where magic is in everyone, they just have to learn it to be able to use it. talent play a role in it, so the noble will try their best to find good partner with enough talent for their children and that how some peasant can enter the noble society, just with some luck to be born with enough talent. All peasant can have a chance there even if there not the mc but their still just a few who can reach it and they have to learn magic through school anyway.


Another way, could be using the elemental king spirit from the world and they grant you power for it. In one story, one contracted with all spirit king and become something like a god and tried to enslaved all human in someway (cause he was a demi-elf), he utilize them in experience to extract their soul strength into stone to give it to it's army, so they can use magic and body boost.

 

[K5Rakitan]

 

[Ai-chan]

So via magical contracts?

Knowing how feudalistic medieval is, I can already half bet that the nobles are outlawing it while doing it themselves.

Yes, but Catholics of the middle ages have a form of magic based on religion and faith. One magic book was even written by a bishop as he feared that the inquisition was so fanatical about wiping out magic traditions and grimoires that they were opening the faithful up to satanic influence by blinding their eyes, deafening their ears and leaving them vulnerable without defense.

If you want some inspiration, there is an old game made by Microprose in the 90s titled Darklands. In the games, you get divine magics by invoking angels and saints. You get sorcery by using alchemical potions.

Saints (in-game descriptions)

Below are the descriptions of saints as given in the data files.

darklands.fandom.com

Alchemy

Alchemy is an academic discipline linked to the creation of mystical Potions. The corresponding Skill for characters is abbreviated Alch. The skills in Darklands are: Types of Potions There are personal potions meant to be ingested or applied, and then there are battle potions— dangerous...

darklands.fandom.com

 

[RICHIESPIDER505]

So thanks to JRPG and chinese fuckshits, when I tried to write a western medieval fantasy BS where the MC somehow gain superpower to bla bla bla, i find myself either tilted to murder = EXP (LitRPG), martial schools (wuxia/ 低武 low level martial arts), find an artifact (MC route),

When I think about how peasants gain power, all I could think of are either English translated from chinese BS, Lit fucking RPG, or straight up none, where only the people of power have the right to more power. The peasants can go eat shit.

I get the term 穷文富武, bascially just means that those who are resourceful gets to fuck while those who are not gets fucked.

Interesting question actually and my answer to that is depends on the world law where the story take places because everyone world gets different world laws to it.If u ask what and how their grain super power the sample answers is being absorbing energy in is the world energy into the body,mind,soul and how use the energy/control up to them decide.

 

[ElijahRyne]

So thanks to JRPG and chinese fuckshits, when I tried to write a western medieval fantasy BS where the MC somehow gain superpower to bla bla bla, i find myself either tilted to murder = EXP (LitRPG), martial schools (wuxia/ 低武 low level martial arts), find an artifact (MC route),

When I think about how peasants gain power, all I could think of are either English translated from chinese BS, Lit fucking RPG, or straight up none, where only the people of power have the right to more power. The peasants can go eat shit.

I get the term 穷文富武, bascially just means that those who are resourceful gets to fuck while those who are not gets fucked.

Well, perhaps they get strength from organizing. Apes together strong and what not. As for where their magic comes from, it would probably be through some sort mix of potion and artifact crafting. Throughout history/mythology we have had a fixation with brewing alcohol and making medicine. So this makes sense as a power source. We have also created, found, and used things like talismans, ornaments, and other objects for protection against many different ills. Then there is various superstitions. We also have the idea of invoking spirit/ghosts for luck. Of course you also have gods and shit, but something tells me that they would care little for the little folk.

Putting this to practice:

While preparing for our rebellion I was busy brewing a batch of protection potions. Tim had been busy creating and hoarding wooden necklaces of piercing, to allow us to damage the lords soldiers despite their armor. Spears, bows, and arrows have already been passed out, magic-warding poles erected, traps set, and trenches and their tunnels dug. The three nearby towns have already elected delegates for the final war meeting tonight. If things go as planned tomorrow is the day of reckoning.

The distant noise of footsteps and the neighing of horses stilled that summer morning’s air. An organized group of people and horses marched towards our town. We were getting to position men, women, children. It didn’t matter we would rather die buy the sword than from famine.

”Peasants!” A loud voice enveloped the town and its defenses. “Lay down your weapons and pay your grain if you do not wish to die.” It said.

Whispers briefly fluttered to-and-fro until someone, probably James, spoke.
”Let’s do as we planned. Together shout.”
”WE FIGHT TODAY, WE FIGHT TOMORROW, WE FIGHT UNTIL THIS LAND AND FOOD WE WORKED IS OURS.” Our voices rang out through that morning sky.

”Foolish yokels.” That voice sneered before a horn sounded. A great ball of fire began to emerge in the sky.
”TO COVER” A shout rang out before that huge roar could consumed it. The sky was orange, the ground black, everything was shaking, and then it stopped. Laughter filled the trenches as relief flowed throughout, it worked.

Tim crawled out of his trench carrying a horn. As it rang, my heart stilled. This was our first gamble, we needed to push the army towards us, to keep the mages from breaking through our wards. Once more a great ball of fire was forming. Then out in the distance we could here shouting. Something about arrows from the forest. The fireball flew out towards said forest, before exploding. Surprisingly nothing caught fire. After a couple more seconds that shouting resumed before the troops started marching forwards.

 

[doravg]

or the parent pass it to the offsprings by... well... sex.

Hold it there! I doubt he is trying to write Game of Thrones fics!

 

[Premier]

If you're going to do Western Fantasy and don't get Fae Bullshit involved, what are you even doing?

 

[owotrucked]

noble bloodlines and knights come from doing an oath to put their lord's asset to good use. Horses and armor were too expensive to put on the first random peasant, they can only be entrusted to loyal bloodlines, in turn they gain power and authority. Ironically, this entrusted power allow them to build independent power on the side until they can break themselves away from their oath.

So contract with a superior entity to gain power isn't just a fantasy magic shit, but an unfortunate reality if you think on the conceptual plane. The only fantasy thing about these contracts is when the employer entity doesn't expect much in return, that shit is completely delusional. If you're an eldritch being and don't ask your contractor to do a lap dance in a magical girl outfit to wring every drop of fun out of your servant, you're plain stupid