What type of magic works best in a sci-fi setting?

What type of magic works best in a sci-fi setting?

also, space wizard thread

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In which setting specifically? I request clarification!

Crazy visual magic.

I'm not sure about the system but psionics is the shit in sci-fi but trash in regular fantasy. Bonus points for an alien race of dubious intention trying to guide various individuals into awakening to their hidden potential.

Magic that makes no sense. It actively breaks all laws of physics, constantly rewrites its own rules of operation, and just kind of makes things "happen".

For everything else that's sane and functional, you have science. For transmogrifying someone's engines into bread, you have magic.

Depends on how the magic is justified.

For example, in WildStar, there are six "primal powers" that make up all of existence: the primal elements of Air, Water, Earth and Fire, and the primal forces of Life and Logic. A being's "primal pattern" is what amounts to their soul, and the harnessing and application of those six primal powers are what is commonly referred to in-universe as "magic." You can either wield it naturally, or you use special devices to let you harness it, like a spellslinger's dual mag pistols. All of this is in parallel to any technology that's out there in the universe, of which there's a lot. Skill with magic is well-known, but it's not universal to everyone.

In a spellslinger's case in particular, they use runes to refine their magic and empower themselves; they also have access to a nebulous parallel dimension known as the Void where they can call upon much of their power and even engage in some trickery, like fading in and out of the Void to teleport across short distances or hide from their troubles for a little bit.

Like says, psionics are the hottest shit in sci-fi and can be the closest approximation to magic in your setting if you don't want to go maximum bonkers.

Sticking with the WildStar mentions, there are also Espers: individuals with vast and sometimes chaotic psychic power available to them that lets them do stuff like - most commonly - create psychic constructs, illusions, mind tricks and even healing and invigorating allies. They claim to be unable to do your typical psionic stuff, like read minds, control thoughts or use telekinesis, but I'm sure there's enough wiggle room you could allow that.

Psionics
Space magic

Sufficiently Advanced Technology

Psionics is cop-out "not magic". It's practically fucking magic just with a more scientifically plausible name.

Why do aliens always have psionic powers instead of something like nature magic, or summoning magic, or necromancy?

How about an alien necromancer race where nobody has ever seen the actual living aliens because only their undead ever interact with outsiders?

Until recently we havn't been able to "talk" to the consciousness that compresses the elements let alone understand there is a hierachy involved. some people can do this naturally but with specialized implants you can increase a person's ability to "commune" with the elements and either dominate or request their aid.

Doing so has advanced material science by leaps and bounds being able to manipulate the conciousness of matter to do what we've been trying to do by convential means for thousands of years.

Even with the science behind it the spiritual and religious connotations have created psuedo religious academies for people who learn how to talk to the elements.

I think it comes from an era where ESP and the like seemed more plausible.

Asimov had a heap in his work; don't know who started the trend.

Transdimensional draconic blood magic developed and refined as a field of science

Because extraterrestrials are commonly portrayed as smarter than us. People figure all that excess brainpower can manifest as psionics. Our conventional notions of magic are our own thing here on Earth.

>Russians sent a beholder into space
Why am I not surprised?

It's a neat picture, but it always bums me.
Beholders thrive when exposed to the vacuum of space.
They're literally space aliens.

Boo!
lame!

Boo!

total copout!

>make emp blasts on enemies
Can't use their fancy gizmos

Why isn't demon summoning more popular in sci-fi settings? It's certainly not a new idea (Doom, 40k).

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I always liked Biotics in Mass Effect. I just recently started the series myself and thus have no clue of what they encompass, but from what it seems to me they are almost strictly telekinetics, barriers and other short range spatial manipulation, which is cool since they are basicly the small scale version of what allows ships to travel FTL.

They are sensible in scale and limited in possible effects so they don't replace everything else. They complement an individuals abilites instead of governing them.

Pre-ME3, all of Mass Effect's technology is limited by what Element Zero is capable of.

When a current is put through Element Zero, it creates a mass effect field that either increases or decreases the mass of all objects within it, based on the current it is subjected to. This is the basis of most of Mass Effect's technology, including Biotics.

Element Zero is mutagenic and should a developing lifeform be exposed to it in utero, they are likely to develop nodules of Element Zero in their nervous system. With the appropriate implants and training, these nodules can be used by the mutated lifeform to create mass effect fields with just a thought.

So anything that could be achieved by increasing or decreasing the mass of objects on a whim can be achieved by Biotics. Anything that can't be achieved by the alteration of mass can't be achieved by Biotics. It's a nice and simple definition, although it ends up getting ignored the further you get into the series.

Psionics, obviously. Due to the pseudo-scientific character, I guess.

Midichlorians

Maybe it's armour?

The Occult

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Are Jedi psionics?

No, because Jedi (and other Force Sensitives) don't use the power of the mind to achieve their needs. They are able to touch and utilize the nebulous undercurrent of life that flows through the universe.

dumbest post i've read in a while

Magic missile, thearal jaunt, and El-NATH are all you need but cluwn curse is also fun.

What's wrong with literally talking to matter?

Your potato is full, user.

>Beholders thrive when exposed to the vacuum of space.
>They're literally space aliens.

I've never heard of this. Where are you getting it from?

Meme magic.

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I've found I love Wildstar's setting. It's nuts, but it works well. Those six elements are an awesome take on the classic trope.

Wrong Nier nigga, bring out PAPA

It would've been a more prominent game if it didn't basically strangle itself in the cradle. Which is a damn shame because the idea and presentation is so good.

Nanomachines!

Depends on just what those machines are capable of, but yes, if you're willing to squint a bit, nanotechnology can pass as magic to some people. In many cases, though, it just constitutes conventional technology, especially in a sufficiently advanced setting. In WildStar, a Stalker is just a dude with a shitton of nanomachines injected into them that enhances their physical abilities and gives them a bunch of abilities, like stealth and generating claws from their body (if they're not using external claws).

>if it didn't basically strangle itself in the cradle
I remember when WildStar was being worked on, before even the beta. if you don't mind a minor derail, would you explain what you mean in more detail?

WildStar was plagued at launch by, among other things, a shitton of bugs and shoddy optimization. The major focus on old-school super hardcore raiding didn't help matters, either. Very few games survive a shitty launch, and WildStar's launch was as bad as they come.

Huh, bit of a shame. I was big into WoW when that was being worked on, and the whole science-fantasy aesthetic combined with it being "Don't Stand In The Fire: The Game" seemed really neat. At least there's enough documentation for it out there on the internet to pillage its lore (and maybe mechanics?) into something less shit, right?

The game is still active. It's free-to-play (with one of the most fair F2P models I've ever seen), and you can find it on Steam. The game is still active: the crew still left working on the game is still cranking things out, and it's hanging on by a thread.

none

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Personally? an animists faith sort. Believe in the spirits of the machine or of the radiation or even animals and the wilderness and it can assist you.

And why the fuck not? in a universe with a better understanding of all things physics, certain magical appearing abilities could be all too real

Pyromancy
Necromancy
Carnomancy
I guess light magic but it's mostly laser light shows and healing radiation
Shape shifting why not
Command of animals/Plants
Telekenisis, and thus a bunch of other stuff if secluded and specialized to certain materials.

Even astral projection and summoning, user.

Wouldn't that just make it into a superhero setting, in some cases?

>Deals with the Devil

>astronauts find book on mars
>cast restore life on accident

>Not exactly the sort of life one would want to have restored...
“If ruining the only religious icon I have leaves me vulnerable to Martian vampires, I'll have to risk it."

Wait, the aurin is as tall as the cassian. Are you telling me they used to be tall?

It's just a bunch of artwork thrown together. It's not meant to be to scale.

Alien Precursors had magic. People didn't. It's only when we excavated the ruined Tower in the modern world and found an alien corpse that we were able to reverse-engineer some of their powers.

No magic, or something that looks like but actually isn't.

I personally like three types.

The first is generic psychic powers. Being able to control matter or minds with your own mind is cool, and the nu-agey style to it makes it fit better in science fiction settings then traditional fantasy, in my opinion.

I also like science fiction settings without magic.

But for the third kind it's less explained. It's called to something like 'Potency' that some people just possess. It's essentially reality warping, with the longevity, range, and strength of the effects based on the individual. It's not really like traditional wizardry or psychic powers, it's just like a super power some people possess.

I really like how Destiny handles it, both as something almost quantifiable and scientific but also definitely mystical and effected by forces like will and belief.