Use the Spell template to write about individual manifestations of powers. Think magical spells, psionics, superpowers, etc.
Contents
What should I use this template for?
A Spell, on World Anvil, refers to any individual power, regardless of whether it's seen as magical or not within the world. So traditional wizard spells would be described with the Spell template, but so would Superman's Heat Vision! No one sees Superman as a wizard, but the role of that power in the world is essentially the same as that of the fireball spell in Dungeons & Dragons: it's a cool flashy power that breaks stuff! And in both cases, it's an action that a character can do with specific effects.
To write about a magic system (or power system) in general, the Natural Law template is more fitting. If you want to write about a condition that makes someone capable of using these powers, Condition would be your best choice. Generally speaking, the Spell template is used when the specific spells or powers are relevant to the setting (compare the granularity of D&D spells with the more handwavy nature of Gandalf's magic in The Lord of the Ring).
Template walkthrough
Remember that all prompts are optional! In fact, because there are so many types of spells, some prompts might not be relevant to you. As always, there's a free-writing section at the top (which we call vignette) and the prompts are under the "+ Prompts" button in the bottom toolbar. In the Spell template, the prompts are organized into two sections:
- Generic: Here's where you can write about general information regarding the spell: its effects, source, etc. It also has options to link it to other articles, such as organizations and characters.
- Technical details: If you're creating a hard magic system in which the specific details about how to cast the spell are important, you'll find everything you need here!
Feature recommendations for spells
Here are some ideas on how to use other features with spells:
- Content trees: Depending on how your power system works, content trees might be useful to visually display how different powers relate to each other. Check the guide to Content trees.
Step-by-step guide to writing a spell
Here are some quick steps you can follow to create a spell:
- What does the spell do?
Or, rather, what do you, as the setting's creator, need this power to do? Think about what would make sense within the context of the story. If it's a unique power (like in most superhero settings), look at the character's themes and find a power that would suit them. If it's a power that anyone can learn (like most traditional magic systems), look at the rules of the magic system to find what sort of spells the system can support. Remember that, even if your audience isn't meant to know about the rules of magic, it's still very useful for you to set some basic rules for yourself! - What can't the spell do?
Speaking about rules... limitations are as important, if not more important, than the power's effects! Limitations introduce conflict to the story, which is exactly what you want in an engaging world. For example, in Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn book series, a similar power to telekinesis is limited by the character's body weight: if the object you try to move is heavier than you, you'll be the one moving in the opposite direction and the object will stay in place. This not only gives a very clear limitation to the power, but it also lets characters use it to their advantage (it's how they're able to "fly")! - How does it interact with other powers?
There are many directions you can go here, but the most important part is thinking about how the powers held by the main characters and antagonists interact with each other. You don't want to get to the final climactic fight and realize you don't know how the good guys can bring down the villain! Having your main characters' powers work well together is also a great way to show that they form a cohesive team.
Community examples for inspiration
Need some inspiration? Here are some spell articles written by our amazing community!
