Reality Magic: How?

[Lorelliad]

So, uh, I'm kinda in a dilemma. I've got this idea for a character who uses Reality Magic.

Problem is, I'm not very well-versed in this type of magic, if at all. I read a bit about it online, but I mostly found spells like Portal Manipulation, which falls on the Spatial type in my story.

If I were to define the Reality affinity, it's basically the power to change everything around oneself. Things like changing a table to be made of oak instead of birch, or shifting the blade of a sword's metal from iron into steel.

I seek the help of the mighty SH writers. Tell me, what are some Reality-based magics and spells I could use?

 

[Chaos_Sinner777]

Sounds like you should make it manipulate the laws of physics directly. Like, have you done gravity magic? If no, that'd be a good place to start.

 

[Syringe]

It's tricky, because in your example of a blade turning from iron into steel could fall under Transmutation. Reality magic could work like, as you say, the manipulation of reality itself. But magic does that already, so it could be the very foundation of magic itself, I.e, the Affinity for every magic.

That being said, for spells you could use it to alter fundamental forces (i.e, gravity/time/energy/etc).

Could be the instantaneous creation or destruction of things too (probably with limits).

Or the manifestation of dreams, kind of like that witch child SCP.

 

[LilRora]

I see two ways you can go here, depending mainly on your setting.

First is more conceptual, like the example you gave, which might work based on similarity, elements, or other concepts; that would make changing the type of wood very easy, but swapping elements (depending on the setting) to their inverse most likely very hard. That might not work is your magic is realistic.

Second is more scientific, which can change things based on user's understanding, possibly with the cost and strain inversely proprotional to it, although that might be too close to alchemy depending on your setting.

No matter the setting, you should settle on one, possibly neither of those I mentioned, and stick to it. What's similar in both of those is that the possible spells are virtually infinite, which, to my mind, is exactly the point of reality magic. It's not constrained by systems and common sense, making it possible to throw around fireballs and pretend you're an ordinary fire mage. The point I'm making is that a reality mage does not have to be showy or unique.

With that established, I'll proceed to some interesting spells that could be achieved with reality magic I've on top of my head.

First would be seamless separation and combination of materials, for example alloys into metals and vice versa, but also multiple other things. All the way from seprating dirt or pepper and sand, through melding a doorknob into the door without cutting a hole, all the way to paralyzing a person by separating their spinal cord.

Second is imposing laws or properties, for example making materials flammable, inverting gravity, making things invisible by allowing photons to pass through them, and a whole lot of other things. All the way to making matter disintegrate by increasing the fine structure constant in an area.

Third, and this one is purely conceptual as it has no scientific basis whatsoever, is perception, or, going a step further, knowledge and understanding. What I mean by the second one is hard to explain properly, but what it boils down to is that, for example, if something enters your perseption range, you immediately gain a certain level of understanding of it, for example the material and internal structure for starters, possibly history such as someone was bonked with it hence a dent in the middle, and much more aspects.

 

[vzymmer]

If you want a reality manipulation magic, you should use the reality infinity stone as a reference.

Reality magic should really be something that changes concepts and alters the laws of the suroundings.

Because if it just brings things to reality like conjuring a fireball then its just regular magic.
Which already alters the laws of physics with the help of mana or magic power.

 

[Sola-sama]

This is my own interpretation of what 'Reality' magic would be, so take it with a grain of salt. Disclaimer, this is not the concept that I make, but something that I picked up from Gu Zhen Re's Reverend Insanity.

A bit of context: in Reverend Insanity, cultivation (in this book, it is the use of Gu Worms) are categorized into 'paths'. For example, cultivation methods that related with the element of fire would be fire-path, anything related with metal are metal-path, so on and so forth. Naturally, there's also non-elemental path such as sword-path that, like its name, are completely related to swords, there's also wisdom-path that focuses on how human think (thought, will and emotion), formation-path, time-path, painting-path, strength-path etc etc.

Now, what I think is very similar to the 'reality magic' that you wanted is the path invented by one of the most powerful character in Reverend Insanity, his name is Limitless Demon Venerable: rule-path.

Just like it's name, rule-path relates to the manipulation of 'rule' or the 'laws' of heavens and earth. Rule-path Gu Worms have effects something like this: enlarge, shrink, multiply, good, bad, strong, weak, straight, curved, close, far, truth, lies, round, square, et cetera. For example, the gu worm 'strong' has a function to strengthen a killer move (you can think killer move as a spell in this book), or the gu worm 'straight' could make a killer move's vector linear. The application of rule-path gu worms are so adaptive that it is adopted in other paths.

If my comprehension are correct, then 'reality magic' should be similar to rule-path.
Example 1: the speed of sound is roughly 343 m/s, but using 'reality magic', you can somewhat bend the rule to accelerate it into 700 m/s.
Example 2: the weight of pure water is 1 gram/ml, or 1 kilogram per liter, but using 'reality magic' you might make water 10 kilogram per liter.
Example 3: the density of steel is 7.85 gram/cm3, but using 'reality magic', you can make it so 19 g/cm3 (density of gold)
These examples are if you want to use scientific approach.

These are my opinion on spells that should be related to 'reality magic'
1. Reflection: In Dota 2, the item 'Blade Mail' reflect damage that the user received to its source. This might be a good 'reality magic' since it works on the rule of 'reflection' which was not elemental in nature.
2. Metamagic: in DnD, there's a mechanic called Metamagic that could somewhat alter spells. For example: Extend, Lengthen, Subtle, etc. In Overlord, there's also the same Metamagic spells like Boost Magic, Delay Magic, Maximize Magic, Triplet Magic, Widen Magic, etc etc. Instead of making original 'reality magic', what if reality magic manipulates magic instead?
3. Anti-magic: in Toaru Majutsu no Index, Imagine Breaker in Touma's right hand allow him to negate anything supernatural like esper, magic, or god's miracle. This is the usage of the concept 'denial', which was not elemental in nature so this might be a good 'reality magic'. A similar concept is Rule Breaker, which is a Noble Phantasm of a Caster-class Servant in Fate Series, which allows the user to nullify every kind of magecraft in the world.

Etc etc, hope this helps.

 

[Lloyd]

Reality magic can literally be anything. Everything is reality. Just use your brain. Come on man!

 

[Leti]

Tell me, what are some Reality-based magics and spells I could use?

Anything goes. It just works.

 

[Jailbreak571]

...
Use it as a PowerPoint presentation with a holographic display.

In all seriousness, maybe changing the properties of a material in the periodic table? Or maybe even creating a new element. Reality magic in the atomic level lol.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Reality magic shouldn't transmute or create illusions. It should alter the foundation of reality.

That table made of birch? It's still technically birch, but now it has the properties of Adamantine.

Iron sword? Cuts through dragon scales. Why? Fuck you, that's why.

Portals? Who needs em. I just change my x,y coordinates and now I'm there.

It doesn't change reality. It changes the meaning of reality.

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It can also just be a generic term for any type of magic that alters reality. So most magic. But then being a practitioner of Reality Magic would just make you... A generic mage.