So I was curious to get feelers from people about mage governments in a fantasy story setting.


Specifically how would such a government work when run by mages? Would it be exactly like a monarchy or more like a council? (and what if its a corrupt land filled with monsters and the monsters are used by the mages to get away with unequality favoring the mages?). 

How would power be transferred? Or would it not be transferred?

Would such a government promote sex slaves and harems?

What do you think about how their society would work?

Working this out for a story thanks.

Your question really depends too much on the percentage of mages on the population. Say, we got a mage for every hundred- to about maybe ten thousand normal people in the world, then they would likely be used as a state resource to be hoarded and nourished, they would be given high prestige in the nation and given special rights. To get the government's investment on the people back, these people would then be used during emergencies. Wars, disasters, etc. The way the government buys their loyalty would depend on the society at large so that would be mostly up to you. They could be nobles, kings, social workers, however you can make it.

but then, if we go to a mage for every hundred thousand people, then you would likely look at an exclusive community of mages, like the fictional organization Illuminati for example. Or have a nation guarding a single cabal of mages that are very much indulged in their pleasures just to keep them in their side.

They could make themselves be seen as god kings but then they're not the only mages around, and someone more powerful can come and challenge the throne, or maybe simply assassinate him with a well timed magic.

Which then leads to the question of how powerful are these mages? If they have the power to destroy villages with one cast of magic, then they would be likely be able to keep a single country in their pockets with their power but if its significantly less than that, say harry potter style where they fly in magic brooms, then their hold to the county would be like any other normal person at the most.

but then guns trump all of these. PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER MUTHAFUCKA!!!!

let's say gun control has been implemented, surrounded by monsters, and lets say mid-strength mages in power, not too strong, not too weak.

You're kinda moving into the territory of my novel there.

First. Gun control is a myth. No matter how hard the government will try, it will only hurt the citizenship more than save them. Take Mexico for example, I'm sure the gun control there is strict but the cartel still has access to them because of the simple thing called supply and demand.

but still, lets go there. The population is disarmed, except the criminals who held on to their guns.

but then monsters start popping out everywhere, with a relatively high people gaining magic while the others are left with their pitiful selves. The magicians would likely be consolidated by the government, considering that they still exist and not the poor excuse like in xianxia. They would likely be conscripted and tracked, considering that the setting is in the present age since there are guns here, I'm assuming its modern. They would then be trained and their families tracked down to be used as a bargaining/ blackmailing chip in case of the person disobeying orders or just being a cunt and abusing their powers.

Likely they would be sold to the people as hero's and would be sent in the front line to battle the monsters along with the army. Not in the Front-Frontline but maybe somewhere close that they could be used effectively. They could also be used as shocktroops to soften the monsters up for the army. Maybe a Special force can be made for them. Maybe they could be the world's Justice League.

As for the harems and slaves, I wont put any government to pass on anything that would save their country when there on the brink of destruction. or maybe you could just make it so that the society simply accepts it as it is.

Still, I think that it would be best that you make your own shit up while taking examples here and there.

ALSO, GUNS ARE LIKE FREEDOM. YOU CAN ALWAYS TRY BUT YOU CAN NEVER TAKE IT AWAY!!!!

it was nice to talk to you.

I do plan to go a different direction than you so no worries. we'll definitely be different from each other. It's fun to talk about details of a story though!

Thanks.

Stories are always different. I just said it to peddle my story. hihi.

I am suggesting that in MC country GUNS are 99% hard to get, unless you pay a lot of for it at the shop or you can buy it cheaply in bm
while bosses and mobs are having it so easily

@Overlord 1

Are you asking for advice given your parameters?

'TheManWithLongReach' pid='820962' dateline='1485566134' Wrote: @Overlord 1

Are you asking for advice given your parameters?

For my story yes and no, have a lot of stuff to write but dont feel like writing

Thoughts:
depends on your historical concept.
anything is possible in relations to magic.

the tone of your novel should influence your choice. Happy world, smart people go with council of clever masters elected by vote and skill... that kind of thing vrs. dark world: powerful leader hordes secrets over stressed out sub leaders or fighting overlord mages.
its all about flavor in that case if its the center of your novel. if not any old thing will work.

should you seek balance or mix and match? the number of ruling structures in earths past cover almost any situation you could encounter in writing.

?'s feel free to message me

Are we talking about a magical society with or without the existence of guns...?

The way mage societies usually tend to go is a kind of council with unequal voting rights dependent on the mages' power and/or influence. That can easily offset by a different ruling system managed by the nobility.

The particular system which influenced my sensibilities was a wizarding country from an RPG I played loosely based on Egypt/Arabia, with the land and military managed by sultans and anything more magical in nature dealt with by the mages' council.

Mages were around one in a hundred of the population, but any mages whose powers made them more powerful than a bow and arrow were rare - the most powerful were one in a hundred thousand or less. Desert country with giant population centres in ancient cities, so easy to rule by a centralised government. Guns didn't exist.

'naosu' pid='820868' dateline='1485373160' Wrote: So I was curious to get feelers from people about mage governments in a fantasy story setting.


Specifically how would such a government work when run by mages? Would it be exactly like a monarchy or more like a council? (and what if its a corrupt land filled with monsters and the monsters are used by the mages to get away with unequality favoring the mages?). 

How would power be transferred? Or would it not be transferred?

Would such a government promote sex slaves and harems?

What do you think about how their society would work?

Working this out for a story thanks.

In the end, you need to have a plausible world which fits your intended story. Having said this, here are some suggestions to tackel your open end question:


1st. Your country does not exist in a vacuum. Are there others? How many? Where (Continents, islands, floating in the sky?)
Is there competition between states, if yes, about land/people/resources/mages/religion etc? Make a map!

2nd. How would the government be run? Which kind of government, to be more precise, bureaucracy, do you want/need?

Level of involvement into daily life:
The "Night Watcher" State vs. the fully involved "Socialist State" with central state planning. Lots of space inbetween.

3rd. How do you pay for the government?
Taxes
Fiefs (temporary or eternal)
Slavery
Natural resources in government ownership
Colonies
Trade


4th. How is personal for the administration selected?
Voting (Who has voting rights and the right to stand for election?)
Meritocracy (by examens/by achievements/by challenges)
Birth right (by rules of inheritance)
Rule by Might (by brute force/by corruption aka as paying money for position)
Rule by Slaves (Mamluks) Slaves are chosen for administration
Rule by God (Cleric) Religious personal runs the administration

If you are a Civilization (1-6) fan, take a look and get inspired.

I hope these things inspire you. Looks like it is time to make a guide (How to design a plausible government)