World Building How would you describe a magical barrier?

[saniachan]

Heya. I'm currently doing a fantasy RP -- well, more like a fandom RP but with a lot of fantasy stuff thrown in. For the current scene, I have this mental image of a barrier mainly made of holy-luna magic with some ice magic sprinkled in protecting a town the MCs are heading to. How do you think the barrier would look like from the MCs' POV? I'm drawing a blank on this one.

 

[Idea]

No idea what “holy-luna” is supposed to mean, but going off the individual words the image that came to mind was this semi-translucent dome with this alternating glittering points as if there was a sheet of night sky covering the area and reflecting the sunlight like metal does as you turn it.

 

[k0arr]

Probably shimmers and shifts depending on the angle one looks at it. I like to think of magic as this flowing, ethereal thing. It’s fluid to the touch, featherlight yet bleeding with power.



I don’t know. That’s all I got rn. But Luna, being moon, makes me think of the universe and holy usually translates to golden light for me. Stretch the Milky Way Galaxy into a dome shape and fill the empty spaces with a warm glow and that’s what I picture.

 

[Daisie]

shimmers and shifts depending on the angle one looks at it,

Fun fact, this can also be described as "iridescent"

 

[saniachan]

No idea what “holy-luna” is supposed to mean, but going off the individual words the image that came to mind was this semi-translucent dome with this alternating glittering points as if there was a sheet of night sky covering the area and reflecting the sunlight like metal does as you turn it.

Probably shimmers and shifts depending on the angle one looks at it. I like to think of magic as this flowing, ethereal thing. It’s fluid to the touch, featherlight yet bleeding with power.



I don’t know. That’s all I got rn. But Luna, being moon, makes me think of the universe and holy usually translates to golden light for me. Stretch the Milky Way Galaxy into a dome shape and fill the empty spaces with a warm glow and that’s what I picture.

So... an iridescent, starry night-like dome enveloping the town? Got it.

And by the way, I can also imagine that defenders can see what's outside the barrier but attackers can't see what's inside... but the exact word to sum it up escapes me. What is it called again?

 

[Idea]

So... an iridescent, starry night-like dome enveloping the town? Got it.

And by the way, I can also imagine that defenders can see what's outside the barrier but attackers can't see what's inside... but the exact word to sum it up escapes me. What is it called again?

What I'm coming up with is one-way mirror though I think there was another word for it I'm not currently finding.

 

[Daisie]

I don't know that there's actually a word for that. But when in doubt, explain it manually, lol! Via exposition from a character who knows how the magic works, a cutaway to the creatures on the other side to explain what they're seeing, ect.

 

[AURS]

I like the idea of magic barriers being like water current/pressure. Maybe it's less a rigid wall and more...interwoven currents directing spells and physical forces? The more intense the current, the stronger the defense, like water pushing down on a submarine. Or passing through a dense waterfall. The manwha/anime Tower of God has a scene that showcases this excellently.

 

[gator]

So... an iridescent, starry night-like dome enveloping the town? Got it.

And by the way, I can also imagine that defenders can see what's outside the barrier but attackers can't see what's inside... but the exact word to sum it up escapes me. What is it called again?

If it's the players' first time encountering such a barrier, presumably they don't know what it is or how it works, you can simply say that they can't see through it. Then, once they're on the other side, you can describe them being able to see out of it.