Incantations for special abilities

[Flaviosky]

Hello dear community,

In fantasy, I've seen quite often that characters chant when using their special abilities, but that's something that looks well in anime or movies, because it adds this energy and intensity when our favourite character uses his special attack to turn the tide of the battle.

But...That doesn't work necessarily when written down, and I fear that may just add useless lines making the characters look stupid, drive battles to get less realistic and break the flow of an action scene, but hey, Harry Potter had incantations....

I've had this doubt and I've wanted to hear your opinions about this.

 

[BAYLOR]

If you're doing magic you set rules for use of magic and it has to make sense in the context of the world you create and the type of fantasy
story you tell. Magic should have limitations and costs and consequences for use and misuse.

 

[Ray Zdybrow]

(kimota)
worked well in a comic...
But it kind of explained why the magic word worked.

 

[Wayne Mack]

Probably the minimum needed for magic is an initiating action and something that needs to be learned. An initiating actions puts the magic under the control of the magician while a learning curve prevents everyone from using magic and using it equally well. I've seen short one to two word commands, long involved incantations (often couple with summoning an other worldly figure), arthritic hand movements, possession of specific talismans, calling upon a magical creature, use of a chemical or potion. The options are endless.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I think that how much energy, intensity, and emotion the character throws into the incantation is what makes a difference/ That is certainly something that comes across more easily in a dramatic performance, but it should be possible to communicate on the page as well.

 

[.matthew.]

If the character can mutter or whisper the incantation you could probably get away with having it go unwritten most times, but then have it shouted or more directly used in those 'key' moments.

 

[AllanR]

Here is a great example of what not to do (though it mostly applies to online mmo)

194

Visit the post for more.

thenoobcomic.com

 

[tinkerdan]

Much like prayer--you should keep incantations to a minimum in that they should be short, specific, and efficient.
Anything else is just you being showy.