The Problem With Life Forces like Chi , ki , chakra etc.
I used to love magic systems that use "life force" as their world's mana. They always seemed so unique and easy to understand—until I tried making one myself. Oh boy, the deeper you dig, the more these systems start to fall apart. They're way harder to make consistent than they initially seem.
TL;DR: Life-force magic systems are cool but full of logical holes, like lifespan ties, energy replenishment, and exponential growth. Trying to make one consistent is a headache. Anyone else feel this?
What Even Is Life Force?
From all the research I've done and from observing other systems, one thing stands out: almost every magic system using life force agrees on this—life force is what keeps people alive. It's often framed as the very essence that separates the living from the non-living.
But that single concept alone opens up so many questions:
Is life force a measure of your lifespan? Like, if you have 100 units of life force, does that mean you’ll live for 100 years? If so, what’s the point of eating and drinking if you only need life force to live ?
How is life force replenished? Most systems show life force being replenished through rest, food, or some combination of both. But if that's true, does that mean characters can essentially become immortal by just resting and eating enough? I get food having some connection to life force (maybe it contains a bit of it), but how does rest magically restore it to the exact level it was before casting magic?
The exponential growth problem. In so many stories, the protagonist’s “chakra,” “ki,” or life force grows exponentially as the story progresses. But if life force is tied to lifespan or vitality, this makes no sense. By the rules established early on, life force should only decrease over time—maintaining it at the same level is a miracle in itself, let alone increasing it exponentially.
Breaking the Law of Conservation of Energy (LoCoE).* I’ll admit, this one is a bit nitpicky, and plenty of readers don’t care about breaking LoCoE as long as it’s not blatant. But many stories claim they adhere to it, only to break it in ways that are obvious to anyone who looks too closely. For example, if your character uses life force to generate an attack powerful enough to destroy a city, that implies they must possess at least that much energy within them. Which would mean, by default, they have the vitality to live for centuries without food or water. You can’t input less energy than what’s required to level a city and expect that attack to work—it defies basic logic.
My Personal Struggle
Now that I’m creating my own life-force-based magic system, all these issues feel like roadblocks I can’t ignore. Sure, the average reader probably doesn’t care about this stuff, but I can’t unsee it. It’s like finding a massive plot hole in your story’s rules after you’ve already built everything around them.
For me, it’s not just about consistency—it’s about making a system that atleast I , the creator of it can understand and feels satisfying, even if it’s fictional. But man, sometimes I wish I could just shut my brain off and not think about these logical pitfalls. If I didn’t know about all these rules and laws, I could just let loose and create something carefree and fun.
Does anyone else feel this way? Or have you managed to overcome these hurdles somehow? I’d love to hear how you approach creating magic systems that rely on life force.
P.S. - If you know of any more inconsistencies please do mention , or else I go crazy if I find it after making my magic system