25 Types of Magic to Use in Your Next Story or Game

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An exploration of magic systems & varieties in pop culture
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Are you trying to come up with your own magic system—or just curious about the different types of magic that exist out in the wide world of fiction? Either way, we’ve got you covered! While there are almost too many different magical powers and abilities to count, most magic can at least be sorted into categories. There’s elemental-based magic, nature magic, death magic, and beyond; so, in this in-depth guide, we’ll introduce you to 25 different types of magic (plus examples of each). Let’s dig in!

Types of Magic in Fiction: A Visual Overview

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An illustration of different types of magic, including elemental, nature, psychic, divination, necromancy, and technomancy.

There are many types of magic featured in fiction, from elemental (fire, air, earth, and water manipulation) to necromancy (control over the forces of life and death). Beyond that, there’s psychic (mental) magic, divination (seeing the past or future), and technomancy (blending tech and magic), to name a few.

1

Hard and Soft Magic

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  1. There are actually two overarching types (or systems) of magic in fiction, into which all other types of magic can be sorted: hard magic and soft magic. Hard magic is structured and defined; its rules (and limits) are made very clear. Soft magic, meanwhile, is obscure and harder to explain. It works, but it’s unclear exactly how it works—the effect and emotional impact of the magic are more important than the rules.
    • Examples of hard magic: In Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn, magic (called “Allomancy”) is very logical and defined. Magic-users can ingest and metabolize different metals to harness their magical properties.
    • Examples of soft magic: In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, there are wizards (such as Gandalf the Grey and Saruman) who wield magic and are clearly very powerful—yet it’s never explained how, exactly, their powers work. They just do!
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2

Elemental Magic

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  1. Elemental magic is that which controls and manipulates the elements—namely, fire, earth, water, and air. Sometimes, this also includes sub-elements such as wood, metal, ice, or lightning! Regardless, elemental magic is an extremely popular staple of the fantasy genre; characters might be able to control all of the elements, or just a particular one with which they share a connection.
    • Examples of elemental magic: Avatar: The Last Airbender offers one of the most iconic takes on elemental magic, with “benders” being able to manipulate a specific element linked to their culture and heritage.
    • In The Witcher, many mages are capable of elemental manipulation. For instance, in the Netflix show, Yennefer can unleash an incredibly powerful wave of fire across the entire battlefield.
3

Nature-Themed Magic

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  1. While nature magic and elemental magic are definitely intertwined, in this case, “nature” magic refers to magic that can control particular aspects of nature—like plants, trees, weather, and animals. This type of magic is highly versatile; the forces of nature can be used for great destruction or to aid and protect.
    • Floramancy refers specifically to plant manipulation—using plants to attack an enemy, or otherwise magically tapping into a plant’s innate traits and abilities.
    • Mycomancy similarly refers to manipulating fungi (such as mushrooms).
    • Examples of nature magic: In Tamora Pierce’s Circle of Magic books, Tris is able to summon weather, scry on the winds, and control lightning. Meanwhile, Briar Moss can commune with plants and create living vines.
    • In Alison Croggon’s The Books of Pellinor, the power of the Earthsong can tap into nature, using it to heal others or control the surrounding land.
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4

Psychic Magic

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  1. Psychic magic—or “mind” magic—encompasses a wide range of mental abilities, such as telepathy, telekinesis, and mind-reading. Psychics may be able to gather information covertly, communicate mentally across distances, and even control or manipulate other people’s minds. Psychic magic can also affect emotions, with psychics being able to perceive or control emotions in others.
    • Examples of psychic magic: In Marvel’s X-Men franchise, Charles Xavier is an extremely powerful psychic—capable of telepathic communication, controlling minds, and projecting his consciousness across planes.
    • In A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, Rhysand is able to telepathically communicate with people and even protect people’s minds (including Feyre’s) from being controlled.
5

Divination Magic

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  1. Divination magic is similar to psychic; both are cerebral, but divination is all about gathering information and perceiving things that others can’t. A diviner might be able to see into the past or future, or even peer into another dimension! Powers associated with divination magic include clairvoyance (being able to see outside one’s normal range), magical forms of detection, and precognition or prophecy.[1]
    • Examples of divination magic: In the Harry Potter series, Professor Trelawney’s prophecy about Voldemort and his downfall is what makes him attack Harry as a baby.
    • In the real world, some people practice forms of divination, like tarot card reading, astrology, and palmistry!
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6

Necromancy (Life and Death Magic)

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  1. Necromancy is a form of magic associated with death—whether communing with the dead or outright controlling them. Sometimes, necromancers are even capable of resurrecting the dead and returning them to life (although this often comes with a price). Necromancy is often depicted as a villainous, dark form of magic, but this isn’t always the case![2]
    • Examples of necromancy: In Garth Nix’s The Old Kingdom series, Sabriel is descended from a line of heroic necromancers called the Abhorsen; they have the power to walk in death, compel the dead, and raise (or destroy) them using magic bells.
    • In Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, Sauron is a necromancer of sorts, as he was able to reanimate corpses for his armies and command the souls of the dead.
7

Technomancy (Magitech)

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  1. Magitech, or technomancy, is magic mixed with technology. You’re most likely to find this type of magic in sci-fi or steampunk works of fiction, where the power of magic is harnessed and used alongside (or to fuel) technology. Some characters also have magic that allows them to manipulate technology.
    • Examples of technomancy: In Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials series, the magic of Dust is used to operate technical tools, including Lyra’s alethiometer, which she used to find hidden answers to her questions.
    • In the world of Riot Games’s Arcane, magic and technology are closely entwined. Jayce and Viktor develop hextech, a runic system that channels arcane power into technology.
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8

Conjuration Magic

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  1. Conjuration magic is all about summoning things from one place to the magic user’s location. That could include summoning people, creatures, or objects—and it includes the power of teleportation (summoning a place, or pushing oneself from one place to the other). A magic-user might only be able teleport themselves short distances, or they might be able to hop across realities and summon doors to new dimensions.[3]
    • In Dungeons & Dragons, conjuration is one of the eight schools of magic (along with abjuration, evocation, enchantment, transmutation, illusion, divination, and necromancy).
    • Conjuration spells in D&D allow spellcasters to summon objects, conjure creatures from other realms to aid in battle, and teleport from place to place.
9

Blood Magic

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  1. Blood magic essentially uses blood as a power source to fuel spells and rituals. It might require blood to actually be spilled and sacrificed for the sake of the magic, or it might simply involve a magic-user tapping into the power within their own blood (because they have magic in their blood, or they’re descended from a magical bloodline).
    • In BioWare’s Dragon Age games, blood magic is a forbidden form of magic that taps into the power within blood, fueling spells and dark rituals (often with violent ends).
    • In the Critical Role series’ second campaign, Mollymauk Tealeaf is a blood-hunter; he can use his own blood (or the blood of his enemies) to apply curses and amplify his attacks.
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10

Abjuration (Protection and Healing) Magic

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  1. Abjuration magic is protective; it encompasses magical abilities that can shield people from harm, heal them, and reinforce or strengthen their defenses. Spells of protection and magical shields or barriers would be considered abjuration magic, as could any kind of healing, curing, or regenerative abilities. Abjuration magic also encompasses abilities that nullify or dispel harmful effects.[4]
    • Examples of abjuration magic: In She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Adora can use her magic to create protective barriers for herself and her allies using light energy.
    • In The Incredibles, Violet Parr is capable of creating force fields that deflect anything and anyone trying to get close.
    • Dungeons & Dragons also has an abjuration school of magic, with spells like Shield, Mage Armor, and Protection from Energy.
11

Dark (Black) Magic

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  1. “Dark magic” is a broad category, and it applies to any magic that is indubitably evil or sinister in nature. Magic like necromancy could fall under this category, but so could other types—including hexes, curses, forbidden rituals, demon-summoning, and magic that steals or possesses bodies, takes away a person’s free will, or drains a person’s soul. Basically, any magic used for selfish or harmful purposes is dark magic![5]
    • Examples of dark magic: In The Dragon Prince, dark magic is known as the “seventh source”; an alternate form of magic to the primal (elemental) magic that is normally used. Dark magic is hated and feared, as it consumes a creature’s life energy and magic in order to power spells.
    • In Harry Potter, there are three “dark magic” curses considered unforgivable; these curses are capable of dominating a person’s will, torture, and ending a person’s life.
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12

Bestial Magic

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  1. Bestial magic encompasses magic that allows a person to speak to animals, control or direct animals, take on beast-like aspects, or even transform themselves into animals outright. A practitioner of bestial magic might shapeshift into a specific animal, or transform into any animal of their choosing! Alternatively, they might be able to grow a bear’s claws or an eagle’s wings. Or, if they don’t shapechange themselves, they might have a magical bond with an animal.
    • Examples of bestial magic: Werewolves possess a kind of beastly shapeshifting magic, even if they can’t necessarily control it; this is true of werewolf characters, including Harry Potter’s Remus Lupin and Teen Wolf’s Scott McCall.
    • In Patricia A. McKillip’s The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, protagonist Sybel shares a telepathic connection with the mythical creatures living on her mountain.
13

Creature-Specific Magic

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  1. Yes, creature-specific magic is different from bestial. That’s because creature-specific magic is innate to magical creatures, as a part of their biology or their bloodline. Mythical creatures depicted in both fiction and folklore often have innate magical abilities—from animalistic creatures like unicorns and dragons to more humanoid-looking creatures, like sirens or elves.
    • Examples of creature-specific magic: Depending on the story and lore, vampires are said to be able to transform into bats and magically dominate other creatures, forcing them to follow the vampire’s commands.
    • Sirens and mermaids are said to have magically beautiful singing voices, capable of luring sailors to their doom.
    • Dragons are able to breathe fire (or, if you’re going by Dungeons & Dragons lore, breathe ice, acid, lightning, and poison as well).
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14

Fae (Fairy) Magic

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  1. This type of magic is more about the creatures using it. In folklore, fae (or fairies) are magical beings who go unseen by humans, existing alongside them—or in their own world, separate but adjacent to the human world. Regardless, fairies often use magical tricks, charms, and illusions to toy with humans; tales have them compelling humans to do something they shouldn’t, laying enchantments on them, or influencing them from the shadows.
    • Examples of fae magic: In Celtic folklore, fairies could use glamours (illusory charms) to deceive a person’s senses. Fairies would even swap a human baby with a Changeling (a fairy creature), masking their appearance with a glamor.[6]
    • The Celtic Cat-síth (fairy cat) was believed to be a fairy creature resembling a black, spectral cat that could shapeshift.
15

Divine Magic

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  1. Divine magic is wielded by people, but bestowed by gods or deities. A magic-user might pray to a god for their powers, or be granted powers because the god (or a pantheon of gods) has a task for them to accomplish. Alternatively, a god might reward someone with magic for doing a good deed or accomplishing a heroic feat.
    • Examples of divine magic: In Dungeons & Dragons, clerics are spellcasters who receive magical abilities through their faith; they rely on a god (or some other celestial being) to supply their power.
    • In Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Percy sometimes asks his father, Poseidon, to intervene magically on his behalf.
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16

Folk Magic

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  1. You could refer to “folk magic” by a lot of different other names—including eclectic magic or witchcraft. It’s a type of magic that draws from folklore and tradition, the type practiced by European “cunning folk” in centuries past. Folk magic is grounded in reality and practicality; it involves dabbling in things like potion brewing, crafting talismans, warding off dark spirits and fairies, or lifting curses.[7]
    • Examples of folk magic: In the movie Practical Magic, the Owens family primarily works with a grimoire containing spells, potions, and recipes for things like protection and healing.
    • In Ella Enchanted, fairies tend to work smaller forms of magic over large ones; for instance, Ella’s guardian, Mandy, makes healing brews in her soups with unicorn hair.
17

Dream Magic

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  1. Dream magic can manipulate or control a person’s dreams, or even allow the magic-user to enter dreams (either mentally or in physical form). Some dream magic is also fueled by the power of dreams or otherwise connected with imagination and the subconscious.
    • Examples of dream magic: In Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman, Morpheus (The Dream King) is the personification of dreams, and rules over the land of The Dreaming, which is where people go when they sleep.
    • In Dimension 20’s The Unsleeping City, Pete is a sorcerer known as a “Vox Phantasma,” the voice of dreams. His power as a sorcerer comes directly from Nod (the realm of dreams).
    • In The Elder Scrolls, worshippers of Vaermina (Daedric Prince of dreams and nightmares) can walk in dreams and control the dreams of sleepers, creating disturbing nightmares in their place.
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18

Shadow Magic

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  1. Shadow magic is more or less what it sounds like: using shadows and darkness for magical means. While the concept of shadow magic is often meant to sound sinister or foreboding, it can also simply be harnessed for the purposes of stealth and subterfuge. Of course, a malevolent shadow mage might use their magic to manipulate shadows and sow fear among the population, or steal something precious.
    • Examples of shadow magic: In Leigh Bardugo’s The Grishaverse, the Darkling is capable of using shadow magic and summoning darkness itself to aid him.
    • In Hazbin Hotel, the demon overlord Alastor can summon shadow creatures and manipulate shadows, using them to hide or turning them into tentacles and hands in battle.
19

Illusion Magic

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  1. Illusion magic is all about deceiving the eyes—making people think they’re seeing something, even when it’s not real. This type of magic involves the creation of illusory images and mirages, as well as the manipulation of the senses. An illusion mage could twist a person’s perception of reality, or even manipulate them psychologically.
    • Examples of illusion magic: In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Loki frequently uses illusions to manipulate a battle in his favor; he can make himself look like other people, or create illusions of himself to confuse enemies.
    • In Stephen King’s It, the creature known as “It” can create illusions of its victims' nightmares and deepest, darkest fears.
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20

Alchemical Magic

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  1. Alchemy is where magic meets science. Historical alchemists in the real world attempted to perform transmutation (turning one thing into another); they sought to turn base metals into gold, or even find a substance that could grant eternal life. In fiction, alchemy can involve brewing powerful potions and elixirs, or transforming objects (or even creatures) into something that should be impossible.
    • Examples of alchemical magic: In The Witcher, Witchers like Geralt use alchemy to create mutagens and potions that strengthen them in battle, enhancing their natural abilities.
    • Alchemy is a major part of the Fullmetal Alchemist anime and manga; its main characters are a pair of alchemist brothers searching for the fabled Philosopher’s Stone.
21

Time Magic

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  1. Time magic is all about being able to control or influence the past, present, and future. Time-travel is a pretty tough subject to tackle in fiction—but it also comes with nearly infinite possibilities, which is why it’s such a fun form of magic to use!
    • Examples of time magic: In Doctor Who, the Doctor pilots a TARDIS, which can jump anywhere in time and space, traveling across worlds and changing events in the past or future for the better (or worse).
    • In The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson, all of human existence is spun into a pattern by the Wheel—and some people, called ta’veren, have the power to manipulate this pattern.
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22

Wild Magic

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  1. Wild magic is, in a word, chaos. It’s uncontrolled and impossible to predict; rather than operating within a strict set of rules, it is often instinctual, spontaneous, and capable of almost anything. This can be positive or negative—wild magic can accomplish wonders, or create a totally unexplained, unanticipated disaster.
    • Examples of wild magic: In Tamora Pierce’s The Immortals Quartet, Daine possesses a form of wild magic that is tied to her emotions, allowing her to transform into animals.
    • In Dungeons & Dragons, there’s a Wild Magic sorcerer subclass; these sorcerers have access to a pool of innate magic, but are prone to wild magic surges in which random effects (good or bad) are triggered.
23

Rune Magic

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  1. Rune magic is performed by drawing runes and using those runes to conduct magic. Depending on the world and its magic system, runes can be carved into a material (like stone or wood), or drawn onto a surface—even a person’s body. Runes are typically derived from a magical or secret language; in other words, they aren’t created with everyday letters and symbols!
    • Examples of rune magic: In Cassandra Clare’s The Mortal Instruments, Shadowhunter warriors can draw runes on their skin that give them additional powers in battle.
    • League of Legends character Ryze is a rune mage; he hunts for ancient runes and can control the magic within them.
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24

Color Magic

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  1. Color magic involves the use of color and light in magic-use, rituals, or spellcasting. In the real world, color is actually used in witchcraft to supposedly influence emotions and energies. In the realm of fiction, color magic can also be a way of channeling energy, and often, each color stands for a different effect or concept.
    • Examples of color magic: Brent Weeks’s Lightbringer series uses a form of color magic. In the series, Drafters can manipulate light frequencies and use them to create illusions—or turn them into tangible, magical substances.
25

Sound Magic

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  1. Sound magic essentially manipulates sound waves, using them to create magical effects. Magic practitioners who use sound magic can often control factors like pitch, frequency, and volume, creating powerful sonic blasts when fighting enemies—or, on the other hand, creating a lack of sound (silence) to enable stealth.
    • Examples of sound magic: Kubo—from Kubo and the Two Strings—plays a magical shamisen (an instrument), using it to cast spells and animate paper figures.
    • In the DC Universe, the Black Canary has the power to unleash “sonic screams”—her shrieks emit shockwaves of sound that leave destruction in their wake.
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What Are the Different Types of Magic You Can Practice?

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    How do I incorporate magic in my story?
    Andrew Watson
    Andrew Watson
    Fantasy Author
    Andrew Watson is a best-selling author based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Known for his Shadowbinders trilogy, Andrew specializes in dark epic fantasy. He has worked freelance as a writer on a variety of creative projects and creates book content and insights on writing on social media @the_fools_tale. Andrew has a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Media from Edinburgh Napier University.
    Andrew Watson
    Andrew Watson
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    It's important to establish clear rules and limits for your magic system. Tell your readers how magic works in your world and what it can and can't do. When you set those boundaries, the magic feels credible because readers understand the limits. You can stretch or reinterpret those rules as the plot demands, but don't break them. When you don't have solid rules, you risk falling into lazy storytelling where magic just solves everything at the last minute. Having a well-defined magic system makes your world feel real and believable, not like anything can happen whenever you need it to.
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References

  1. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/magic-supernatural-phenomenon
  2. ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/8-words-of-necromancy
  3. ↑ https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Conjuration
  4. ↑ https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Abjuration
  5. ↑ https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/8-words-of-necromancy
  6. ↑ https://hraf.yale.edu/luck-of-the-irish-folklore-and-fairies-in-rural-ireland/
  7. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/magic-supernatural-phenomenon

About This Article

Andrew Watson
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Andrew Watson
Fantasy Author
This article was co-authored by Andrew Watson and by wikiHow staff writer, Glenn Carreau. Andrew Watson is a best-selling author based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Known for his Shadowbinders trilogy, Andrew specializes in dark epic fantasy. He has worked freelance as a writer on a variety of creative projects and creates book content and insights on writing on social media @the_fools_tale. Andrew has a Bachelor’s degree in Digital Media from Edinburgh Napier University. This article has been viewed 13,115 times.
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