In the story I am writing has a person, let's call him John Doe, is transported to an alternate reality/parallel universe. This world is very magic dependent (he doesn't know this yet of course). This includes but is not limited to farming, cooking, logistics, war and construction, anything major...
Check out the Darksword Trilogy by Weis & Hickman. It's about a world where everybody has magic, then a non-magical baby is born and hidden away till he grows up. Might give you some inspiration.
The magic-dependent world is magic-dependent is exactly what manner? I mean what are the things regular Beginner magicians are only able to do using magic? Do you need magic for communication? For travel? For basic tasks such as getting fresh water and food? How do citizens _below Beginner level: (such as children) handle those tasks?
Somewhat related: If you are into Anime there is one I know of with a very similar premise: Break Blade (or Broken Blade). Protagonist lacks the ubiquitous power to control crystals upon which most technology is based and looks/acts like magic.
@mg30rg your first question I updated my question, hope it helps, magic can be used for communication and travel, I would cover that in war/logistics. Food and water can be grown with magic(canot be created though) and children would do as our children would, rely on their parents
Arthur C. Clarke's novel Childhood's End may be relevant. It talks about a human who is transported to another planet where the inhabitants are twice his size and can fly. He has trouble doing anything there, because the doors of the buildings are on the top, and there are no streets, so he can't go anywhere without help.
Another example is Piers Anthony's A Spell for Chameleon, where the main character has no magical ability in a land where everyone has a magical ability of some sort.
@ToddWilcox Not sure if that counts - the main protagonist did have a magical ability the whole time, he's just not aware of it. He has the ability to coincidentally avoid magical damage, no matter how unlikely. In fact, his magic is so powerful that in the sequel it's theorized that his talent orchestrated the eradication of magic in Xanth to save him from some threat (details are fuzzy, it's been years since I read the books).
@OP, Another example I've seen is in the Sword of Truth series (by Terry Goodkind). There's one character (in the TV series) who is pristinely ungifted... unable to use magic, but also immune to any magical effects. This is both a help and a hindrance - she is able to sneak into a castle that is magically warded (since the alarms don't see her) but she is unable to use any of the magical tools she steals.
Why can't John take the Beginner level trials? Just because he isn't from the place and they won't let him or because he doesn't know how. Also, when you say "magic dependant" I can't imagine there is nothing that can't be accomplished without magic. What about basic agriculture? With simple tools that John has probably seen he should be able to accomplish growing a garden unless there are no materials for tools and no soil/seeds to grow. Is there something preventing manual tasks?
Kind of reminds me of how Paul Twister found himself suddenly transported from modern-day Earth to a world of magic, and discovered that, not only can he not use magic, his touch breaks magic and there's very little he can do to control it. He ends up living by his wits and using his knowledge of science to try and get the Industrial Revolution started on the new world. (No word yet on how well it succeeds; the story's ongoing...)
It's pretty much the equivalent of having some sort of handicap in this world. There are lots of people who are blind, deaf, partially or fully paralyzed, mentally disabled, missing limbs, or otherwise lacking in abilities that the majority of people have, and they still manage to lead full productive lives despite their disabilities.
"They all speak the same language so that wont be a problem" Might be interesting to explore the notion that they don't all speak the same language and either 1) he can't understand them, or 2) they have magic that makes him hear in his language. Since you mentioned that "anything major you can think of in this world is magic dependent one way or another." ;) Also seems like less of a cop-out.
Maybe I'm just being dense, but I don't understand "if you fail any injury will be heal apart from death." Is there a typo? Can you rephrase that?
@MageXy: are you familiar with the word "spoiler"? I've read many of the Xanth books, but I expect that many people haven't. Also, your comment doesn't really address the validity of ToddWilcox's point — Bink spends most of the book believing that he has no magical ability; not being able to do magic. On the other hand, Todd, A Spell for Chameleon isn't really relevant to this question. Xanth is not really "very magic dependent" — most people live their lives without magic, in a mundane manner. Magical ability is a cultural requirement, not a pragmatic necessity.
Pretty sure that's meant to be "If you fail, any injury short of death will be healed."
So, so you mean that the culture uses magic instead of tech, as part of very alien tech, or something else altogether? Does science as we understand it go out yon winder, or can John eat plants and drink water, use a knife, build up static charge, et alis? Would he not be able to use his existing skills, apart from tech that he didn't bring?
@The Nate there are plants and even animals John would be able to eat but doesnt know what is edible yet, he can still use his exsiting skill (I havent come up with a skill set for him yet), if he had a knife im sure he would use it. Not sure how static charge is relevant?
@Peregrine Rook, it means death cant be cured, the dead remain dead, any injury a person recieves will be healed as if it never happened
@Mr.Burns No kidding. It seems like it's the single broadest possible statement of nearly every fantasy premise: Interactions between magic user(s) and non-magic-user(s). No one has mentioned American Gods, The Keys to the Kingdom, the first portion of Nine Princes in Amber....
Discussion on question by Mr.Burns: A…
Discussion on question by Mr.Burns: A…