I LOVE a good hard magic system–one with explicitly outlines rules about magic, what working magic requires, and who can do it.

The Harry Potter books are probably the most explicitly detailed hard magic system that a VAST number of people would be familiar with.

The magic system in my own novels is more hard than soft, for sure. There are sorcerers and people whose magic has degraded so that they have some particular magic power or other, but cannot cast incantations. Most people have no magic at all.

From a writer’s perspective, one of the most critical aspect of a hard magic system is: HOW CAN YOU THROW MAGIC OFF THE RAILS?

How can you neutralize magic? What will turn it off? What are its limitations and weaknesses?

For instance, in JK Rowling’s wizarding world, it is very difficult to work magic intentionally without a wand (if not impossible). Voiceless spells are also so hard that most wizards are incapable of casting them.

In the case of my Herezoth trilogy, ALL spells must be voiced. Incantations are impossible without speaking them.

This means that if you can stop a sorcerer from speaking–either with a gag, or a muting spell, or by some other means–their magic is pretty much worthless.

For storytelling purposes, and purposes of crating obstacles for your characters to overcome, magic’s limits and weaknesses are VERY important.

The limits of magic in your hard magic system allow you to increase the stakes and make things more difficult for your characters to accomplish.