History Main / BackgroundMagicField

** Some areas on planets are more magically potent than others, as they're where leylines well up or converge. Likewise,some planets are more magically potent than others, with all the Nine Realms being particularly potent, and Earth being one of the most potent in the entire universe.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', the Boiling Isles is a GiantCorpseWorld, with said corpse being that of an ancient, magical Titan. The environment itself is inherently magical as a result, allowing TokenHuman Luz (as well as [[spoiler:Eda and Lilith]] after season one's finale) to cast spells despite lacking the natives' internal stores of magic. [[spoiler:Because of this, their particluar brand of magic ceases to function if attempted on Earth or the VoidBetweenTheWorlds due to being cut off from anything to fuel their spells.]]

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* ''Franchise/PowerRangers'': The Morphing Grid is the source of all Ranger powers in the setting regardless of if the Rangers are magical, technological, alien or human. The exact nature of the Morphing Grid hasn't truly been explored and at times it has been contradicted. The Morphing Grid was first mentioned in the fourth episode of ''Series/MightyMorphinPowerRangers'' in some offhand {{Technobabble}} by the Blue Ranger Billy. Lord Zedd, the BigBad of MMPR season 2, states that the Grid is maintained by a BalanceBetweenGoodAndEvil. The Morphing Grid is also apparently multiversal as seen by how the [[Series/PowerRangersRPM RPM Rangers]] were able to access it despite not being in the main Power Rangers universe.
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* Magic in ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' is derived from the Weave (''or'' the Shadow Weave), which is mostly all-permeating. In wild magic zones it's "snarled" or mildly damaged , and places where it's severely damaged or suppressed are [[AntiMagic dead magic areas]] (both can be repaired, but it's hard). In last tens of centuries it's also rather broken as a whole.

* In the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, magic acts much like running water -- always around, but in unequal concentrations. LifeEnergy bleeds off of living things into the background magic field, then collects into {{Ley Line}}s, which meet at [[PlaceOfPower nodes]]. Not only do ley lines run everywhere, but in places where they get muddled, [[WildMagic Bad Things tend to happen]] -- like people and animals mutating, sometimes even overnight. Naturally, the Kingdom of Valdemar backs onto a [[LostWoods whole wood full of muddled ley lines and mutated creatures]], one of the remnants of the [[CataclysmBackstory catastrophic war]] that occurred over three thousand years ago.\\\

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Dragonlance}}'' setting, however, mostly subverts this. The availability of "primal magic" is directly connected to the amount of Chaos active in the world. The more Order the gods imposed on the world the less available this magic became, until Chaos reasserted itself. Otherwise, RuleMagic powered by energies furnished by the Gods of Magic, embodied in the planet Krynn's three moons, is the primary source of arcane power. While one could technically utilize this system of magic without swearing allegiance to one of the gods, if the gods are absent then this kind of magic [[TheMagicGoesAway does not work]] anymore.

** {{Magic}} (which was unconnected to seithr) already existed before the Black Beast, but only a handful of people could use it. Ars Magus was invented by a magic-user as an alternative system so that more people could fight the beast.

[[folder:Web Comics]]

** Combining this with the ''TableTopGame/{{GURPS}}'' game and magic system, ''TabletopGame/DiscworldRoleplayingGame''[[note]]The ''GURPS'' 3rd edition version; the 4th ed version takes advantage of the more flexible thaumatology rules to create a magic system from scratch[[/note]] states that High Mana is the normal background magic level for the Discworld, as opposed to the typical fantasy world's standard of [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Normal Mana]]. Very High Mana is where the weird things happen.

* In ''WebComic/TowerOfGod'', most of the MagicByAnyOtherName is done by manipulating Shinsu. Shinsu fills the Tower and replaces air, but it [[https://towerofgod.wikia.com/wiki/Shinsoo#Air_and_Shinsoo doesn't behave exactly like matter]]; Shinsu would be created out of nowhere in a vacuum within the Tower. Higher concentrations of Shinsu hurt those who don't have the natural ability to deal with it, and very high concentrations hinder the movements of anyone without exceptional resistance.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', the Boiling Isles is a GiantCorpseWorld, with said corpse being that of an ancient, magical Titan. The environment itself is inherently magical as a result, allowing TokenHuman Luz (as well as [[spoiler:Eda and Lilith]] after season one's finale) to cast spells despite lacking the natives' internal stores of magic. [[spoiler:Because of this, their particluar brand of magic ceases to function if attempted on Earth or the VoidBetweenTheWords due to being cut off from anything to fuel their spells.]]

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'', the Boiling Isles is a GiantCorpseWorld, with said corpse being that of an ancient, magical Titan. The environment itself is inherently magical as a result, allowing TokenHuman Luz (as well as [[spoiler:Eda and Lilith]] after season one's finale) to cast spells despite lacking the natives' internal stores of magic.

* The main conflict of the ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' series revolves around whether or not such a magic field should be allowed to exist. Hundreds of years prior to the start of the series, the power of Alchemy was sealed away, because power-hungry people would tap into it and use it for war. With Alchemy gone, though, neither advanced civilizations nor the physical world itself could be sustained, which would have resulted in a very slow apocalypse. The plot of the first two games are essentially a SecretTestOfCharacter by the Wise One to determine whether or not people can handle Alchemy responsibly [[spoiler:and by doing so it's subverting its own programmed directive to keep Alchemy sealed.]] While the 2nd game ends with Alchemy restored, the problems that crop up in ''Dark Dawn'' go a long way to explaining why the ancients felt Alchemy needed to be sealed in the first place.

* The magoi in ''Manga/MagiLabyrinthOfMagic'', which comes from the rukh. Magoi causes all of the world's natural occurrences like storms. Most magic users can only harness the magoi within their bodies, but magi can tap into the magoi and rukh outside of themselves.

* Psi in ''Manga/{{Psyren}}'' is yet another... with the [[spoiler: future]] being more conducive to the brain wavelengths.
* Magic in ''Manga/FairyTail'' relies on this. [[AntiMagic Face]] disrupts the particles in the atmosphere that make magic possible. This is a very bad thing, considering just how much the world of Fairy Tail relies on magic.

* It's mentioned during Kanna's introduction in ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'' that Earth is lacking in ambient mana (unlike the other world). While Tohru and Lucoa are able to produce their own, the other dragons have to convert other forms of energy (like electricity from outlets or fire from gas stoves) in order to recharge themselves.[[note]]They ''can'' use the excess that Tohru and Lucoa produce, but it tastes terrible.[[/note]]
* In ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'', Amestrian alchemy draws the energy necessary to perform transmutations from the movement of the planet's tectonic plates. Xingese "alkahestry", on the other hand, draws its power from the "Dragon's Pulse", a living energy force that flows throughout the world from the mountaintops that breathes life into the planet the same way blood flows through one's body.
* Played with in ''LightNovel/TheDevilIsAPartTimer''. The fantastical world the protagonists were displaced from was this trope, so when they got shunted into Earth and couldn't feel any magic, they assumed Earth didn't have any. It ''does'', but under very different rules; instead of being diffused throughout the world, it naturally coalesces in [[spoiler:the [[ThePowerOfFriendship hearts]] of people]].
* In ''Manga/BlackClover'', mana is a supernatural energy used to activate spells that exists not only inside people but also in the world. Environments with strong and wild concentrations of mana, such as Strong Magic Regions, make it harder for mages to properly use their magic. Some powerful mages can use Mana Zone to control the mana in the area around themselves, increasing their spells' power and range.

* In ''ComicBook/ToothAndClaw'' the degeneration of the Background Magic Field is what kicks off the plot.

* Larry Niven's ''Literature/TheMagicGoesAway'' was about what happens when a world of magic users hit PostPeakOil by ''using up'' their Background Magic Field. One character invents a device that depletes an area of magic (and then signals the completion of its task by EXPLODING!) called the "Warlock's Wheel." (It's a flywheel with two spells on it; "spin faster and faster," and "keep it together." When the out-of-control "spin faster and faster" spell finishes eating up all the area's magic, "keep it together" fails and centrifugal force makes it fly apart.)

* In the ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series, magic acts much like running water--always around, but in unequal concentrations. LifeEnergy bleeds off of living things into the background magic field, then collects into {{Ley Line}}s, which meet at [[PlaceOfPower nodes]]. Not only do ley lines run everywhere, but in places where they get muddled, [[WildMagic Bad Things tend to happen]]--like people and animals mutating, sometimes even overnight. Naturally, the Kingdom of Valdemar backs onto a [[LostWoods whole wood full of muddled ley lines and mutated creatures]], one of the remnants of the [[CataclysmBackstory catastrophic war]] that occurred over three thousand years ago.\\\
A mage's ability to tap these sources of power depends on his training and his [[PowerLevels innate potential]]. Apprentice and Journeyman mages limit themselves to their personal power and what they can draw out of the background field, and your local village wizard or hedge-witch will specialize in making effective use of small amounts of power. Master- and Adept-class mages access the ley lines and nodes to produce more impressive effects.\\\
After the ''Mage Storms'' trilogy, as a result of efforts to avert a second [[WorldWreckingWave Cataclysm]], the magic field is reset--all of the ley lines and nodes are drained, and magic "rains" evenly over the world. The field is still there, but useless for accomplishing any powerful spells until the ley lines reestablish themselves.
-->[Darian] had heard it spoken of as "fog" by Starfall--sure, there might be enough water in a barn-sized mass of fog, but it did you no good if you wanted a drink of water.
* Magic in ''Literature/TheActsOfCaine'' series exists as "Flow," which magical adepts can channel for their own purposes.
* ''Literature/TheSagaOfRecluce'' has the [[OrderVersusChaos Order/Chaos Balance]], which can be manipulated by those sensitive to it, but exists in everything and alters the way that the laws of physics and thermodynamics affect ordinary matter, weather and climate, technology, living organisms, and geography in that universe.
* In the Sparker book, there are two kinds of people: kasir and halani. Kasir(magicians) can influence the Background Magic Field through incantations and gestures. However, each spell has byproducts, which can be helpful, useless, or even harmful. Naturally, the kasir developed spells to neutralize the negative byproducts.
* Creator/PiersAnthony's works:
** In ''Literature/IncarnationsOfImmortality'', Magic is the result of a "fifth fundamental force", expressed through particles called "magicons". The magicon field of Earth has an effective radius not much larger than Earth itself, so magic cannot travel between planets.
** In the ''Literature/ApprenticeAdept'' series, magic is a natural force generated by Protonite/Phazite, a substance formed in the vicinity of a certain kind of NegativeSpaceWedgie and found abundantly only on Proton/Phaze; the FunctionalMagic itself only works on the Phaze side and where the two worlds overlap. Because the series runs on MagicVersusScience, Protonite (the scientific equivalent) is a [[{{Unobtainium}} very potent source of fuel and energy]], the rarity of which drives the central plot.
* In''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'', each person has their own personal pool of magic, however, excess power can be drawn from a Background Magic Field. [[GeometricMagic Magically-closed circles]] will "seal" the enclosed area off from the rest of the Field, limiting the magic that is available to magic-users trapped within (and keeping purely magical beings from crossing in or out), but allowing for delicate spellwork that would otherwise be disrupted by background energies. Magic energy will instantaneously flow back into the sealed area as soon as the circle is broken.
* In ''Literature/HarryPotter'', areas of intense magic such as Hogwarts cause electrical devices to stop working.
* The Tradition in ''Literature/TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'' is an ambient magic native to the land and acts like the laws of nature. Specifically, it causes people's lives to follow the fairy tale they most resemble... without regard to how nice, happy, or even feasible those stories are.
* The different types of fae from the ''Literature/ColdfireTrilogy''--earth, solar, tidal, and dark--are this, with an emphasis on ''volatile''.
* Literature/TheCosmere: Magic comes from a set of 16 beings/collections of energy called Shards. Different shards have different kinds of magic associated with them that are accessed in different ways, but any planet with one or more Shards in residence has a significant magic field.
** The Jesker religion from ''Literature/{{Elantris}}'' believes in the existence of a pervasive energy field called the Dor which guides the universe. Turns out the Dor is actually the manifested power of the two resident Shards. [[PhysicalGod the Elantrians]] draw on the Dor for their power (through [[InstantRunes Aons]]), and there are other ways to access the Dor, however, and at least a few are [[BlackMagic less than pleasant]].
** ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' has the titular Stormlight. Every few weeks a Highstorm (basically a hurricane) blows through, recharging any gems left exposed to it. It can then be used for light, [[{{Magitek}} Fabrials]], and Surgebinding.
** ''Literature/{{Warbreaker}}'': Due to the background magic, everyone born on Nalathis has a single magic Breath. They can be given to others and collecting large amounts gives special magical enhancements like resistance to diseases or perfect pitch. It can also be used to animate objects through a process called Awakening.
* Creator/SergeyLukyanenko's ''[[Literature/NightWatchSeries Last Watch]]'' reveals that the Power is more complicated than Anton thought. While he knew from the beginning that the Others get their Power from humans, he didn't realize that the level of Power in the world depended on the human/Other ratio. There's a physiological property that each person has, a "magical temperature" of sorts. Most people have a higher magical temperature than the ambient one. Thus, they produce magic and fill the world with it. A small percentage has a lower-than-ambient temperature. They absorb more magic than they produce. Thus, they can manipulate it. They become Others. The lower the temperature, the more powerful the Other. Zero-level Others don't produce any magic and can theoretically absorb any amount of ambient magic and make use of it. This realization allows Anton to defeat the book's BigBad [[spoiler:who teleports into orbit after making himself a zero-level Other and is unable to get any ambient magic before burning up on re-entry]]. When he gives a lesson on the subject in ''School Supervision'' to newly-initiated Others, he explains that the Others will never go into space, at least until sufficiently large offworld colonies are established to allow them to do magic. This is a big letdown to the sizable number of Others who like science fiction.
* Both types of common magic in ''Literature/LabyrinthsOfEcho'' feed off a background magic field: the Plain Magic is powered by a field generated by the World's Heart--a sort of metaphysical axis that goes through the planet, with one end touching the eponymous city of Echo (and the other lost somewhere on the ocean floor). Just over a century before the novels take place, the power of this field had been nearly depleted, almost bringing about TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt, and while the Heart has since begun to recover, a BanOnMagic is still enforced very strictly in Echo. Meanwhile, the True Magic uses the background power field of TheMultiverse itself, which is infinitely more abundant than the power of a single world--but only a select few ever learn how to access it.
* In Sean [=McMullen's=] ''Voyage of the Shadowmoon'', Verral is a moon in the van Allen belt of a gas giant. Some of the inhabitants of the moon can use magic, which is explicitly the high levels of radiation found there.
* The rurant in ''Literature/ToughMagic'' is mentioned as being a field of magic that a caster can draw upon.
* In ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'', while academic mages are able to produce their own spells, ambient mages are able to draw upon and manipulate the magic already inherent in the world. Different ambient mages are attuned to different parts- e.g. Green Mages draw power from plants, 'Stitch Witches' from thread-work and clothes, etc.
* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': The reason why Eric can perform magic on Tariatla and not on Threa, is because the former has one of these and the later does not. Not only does it provide the {{mana}} for spells but it also gives rise to monsters through [[WasOnceAMan mana mutation]] and [[UpLiftedAnimal enables non-human animals to be as intelligent as humans]]. Ceiha, an island nation, is the only place in the world that ''isn't'' covered by this field, and as such, magic is much more difficult there.
* ''Literature/CradleSeries'': "Vital aura" is the natural energy of the world Cradle, and it gathers in all kinds of forms, such as fire aura, life aura, and even sword aura. Normally, aura is invisible and harmless, but sacred artists can cycle it into their bodies using special breathing exercises, eventually refining it into [[{{Mana}} madra]], which they use for all their techniques. Ruler-type techniques control the aura in the area for a certain purpose; Yerin's famous Endless Sword technique causes all sword aura in the area to go wild, basically attacking her opponents with the edges of their own weapons.
* ''Literature/OldKingdom'': Seven ancient {{Physical God}}s created the Charter, a field that filters the [[WildMagic raw chaos]] of Free Magic into a (relatively) safe system of [[InstantRunes runes]]. Charter magic is usable by anyone who's baptized with a Charter Mark, so long as they're near the Old Kingdom. Far away, or in areas where the Charter Stones have been badly corrupted, [[YourMagicsNoGoodHere it's unusable]].
* In ''Literature/MindGames'', something called "Mana" fills the entire Earth, although it has different levels in different places. Where Mana levels are higher, living things can absorb it faster, making them more powerful. Humans can use Mana to perform magic, as well as to enhance their bodies and minds.
* ''Literature/TheMachineriesOfEmpire'': Through "[[MagicByAnyOtherName calendrical mechanics]]", a regime of social norms, ritual observances, and technological amplifiers create a zone where "[[{{Magitek}} exotic technologies]]" and other physics-defying effects work. The Hexarchate GalacticSuperpower depends on its High Calendar and takes great pains to fight heretics and invaders who could weaken the Calendar or even replace it in a region. In the climax of ''Raven Strategem'', [[spoiler:LaResistance succeeds in creating a replacement.]]

* In the ''TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}}'' campaign setting of ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', magic is considered to operate this way. While there are gods of magic, they are more defined as deities with supreme knowledge and mastery of magic rather than being the source from which it emanates.

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'', the background magical field is extremely stable, especially as compared to worlds like Krynn and Toril. Magic is so reliably [[DungeonPunk abundant]] that that it has actually been [[{{Magitek}} commercialized]]. The nation of Cyre was destroyed mysteriously during ''The Last War,'' and where it once stood, a terrible mist of wild magic now stands, and no one goes in there now except for clans of Warforged, crazy villains, and crazy [=PCs=]. However, this had no effect on the stability of magic beyond Cyre's borders. There are also areas called "manifest zones" where the planet Eberron is magically linked to other planes of existence. In these locales physical laws may become a fusion of both worlds. For example, the [[SkyscraperCity city of Sharn]] stands within a permanent manifest zone that enhances anti-gravity magic and allows for otherwise impossible towers and floating structures.

* The ''TabletopGame/{{Dragonlance}}'' setting, however, mostly subverts this. The availability of "primal magic" is directly connected to the amount of Chaos active in the world. The more Order the gods imposed on the world the less available this magic became, until Chaos reasserted itself. Otherwise, RuleMagic powered by energies furnished by the Gods of Magic, embodied in the planet Krynn's three moons, is the primary source of arcane power. While one could technically utilize this system of magic without swearing allegiance to one of the gods, if the gods are absent then this kind of magic [[TheMagicGoesAway does not work]] anymore.
* Wholly averted in the ''TabletopGame/DarkSun'' campaign setting. The world of Athas has no ambient magical energy at all, which means that all magic has to come from a specific source. Divine spellcasters draw upon [[ElementalPowers elemental]] forces. Wizards draw upon the [[LifeEnergy energy]] of plants (and sometimes animals and people) in quantities relative to [[EquivalentExchange how powerful the spell is]], with overuse of said magic being the reason the setting is largely a wasteland. Only [[PsychicPowers psionics]] really come from an undefined source, although they are usually attributed to being an expression of the user's own [[LifeEnergy personal energies]].

* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'' has had this from the beginning, with a setting's (or potentially even individual location's) "{{mana}} level" directly impacting who can work magic there (if at all) and how difficult it is for them, from "no mana" areas where there is just plain no magic at all to "very high" mana levels where anyone including non-mages can cast any spells they know and mages recover expended energy just about instantly but every ''failure'' is treated as a [[MagicMisfire critical]] one (and an actual critical failure rolled there bids to be truly spectacular). There are even advantages/disadvantages allowing a character to alter the mana level in their immediate area (and yes, they're expensive). The ''Celtic Mythos'' source book also had rules for wonders generated by wild mana levels. Aspected magic and mana are also covered.
** {{Ley Line}}s and Feng Shui are also mentioned in [=GURPS=] source books as being representable by local Mana levels.
** The 3rd edition Religion source book also has comparable variable levels of "sanctity" for a [[ReligionIsMagic particular religion or specific god]].

** Warhammer's background magic behaves less as a fixed field and more a roiling, chaotic climatic system. The Winds of Magic blow into the Warhammer World from the collapsed warp gates at the north and south poles, and drain slowly back through the High Elves' magical vortex on the Isle of the Dead. Different types of magic manifest as different winds, which behave differently depending on their nature (the wind of Light Magic is diffuse and permeates solid objects, the wind of Jade Magic falls like rain and is absorbed by water and living things, the wind of Amethyst Magic pools in places of death and despair etc.). In the game itself the strength of the winds varies from turn to turn - the roll of 2D6 (or 4D6 in Storm of Magic games, set during great hurricanes of magical power) determines the amount of magical power available to cast spells with that turn, and also empowers or enervates magically attuned creatures like daemons and phoenices.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has Essence, the energy that makes up and gives form to Creation. Every person has a little Essence in them, but the Exalted (and a few [[BadassNormal Heroic Mortals]]) are capable of channeling it to full effect.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' uses this idea as the foundation of the magic used in the setting, concentrated into "Ley Lines" that criss-cross the landscape like glowey highways. Magic is boosted near these lines and starts getting a bit wonky where they cross each other.
** In contrast, ''TabletopGame/{{Splicers}}'' is explicitly said to be in a mystic "dead zone". Magic spells cost twice the [[{{Mana}} P.P.E.]] for half the effect.
* In ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'' reality is composed of quintessence, the "thread" of the "fabric" of the tapestry of the world. Everything is suffused with quintessence to varying degrees, and can have different Resonance, or magical impressions based on how the world perceives that object or person. For added fun, mages can make use of the Sphere of Prime in order to manipulate quintessence and restructure the magical nature of people and objects around them, including shutting off the flow of quintessence to such things, effectively erasing them from existence.

* This is actually a battle mechanic in ''VideoGame/ChronoCross''. The magic field is always of a certain elemental type, and can be influenced through spellcasting. The (elemental) color of the magic field determines how powerful magic of that type is, and in order to use SummonMagic the field needs to be the specific entity's color.
* Videogame/{{Warcraft}} and Videogame/WorldOfWarcraft has ''six'' Background Magic Fields, each bordering on being a SentientCosmicForce, and each being an anathema to one of the others, which is anathema to it in turn. but this is where their similarities end. They are known as The 'Light', 'Life', 'Order', 'Death', 'Void'[[note]]Confirmed to be sentient as ''Void Lords'', who are doing their best to consume everything[[/note]], and 'Disorder'[[note]]Light cannot abide Shadow, Life and Death cannot exist together, and Order and Disorder are diametric opposites - and vice versa[[/note]]. Originally only the Light and Shadow fields existed but through their interactions, the other four were created.
** Each of these Background Magic Fields cannot directly influence the universe, and instead, their presence causes the existence of the 6 main schools of magic in the universe: Holy[[note]]thus the Light Background Magic Field is often known as 'The Holy Light'[[/note]], Nature, Arcane, Necromancy, Shadow, and Fel respectively. In places where one Background Magic Field is strong enough, its corresponding school of magic can coalesce into a sapient avatar made almost entirely of the corresponding magic school which is very much capable of interacting with the world: For The Light, you get the Naaru[[note]]Floating windchime-looking entities which go through a cyclical Life-Death-Life cycle. During their lives, they are beacons of hope and warmth, during their deaths they become ''Void''-entities that cannot help but snack on souls[[/note]], Order begets the [[{{Precursors}} Titans]][[note]]Planet-dwarfing amalgamations which traverse the cosmos purging corruption of any kind[[/note]], Life begets [[NatureSpirit Wild Gods]][[note]]Giant, immortal, sapient beasts[[/note]], Disorder begets [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Demons]][[note]]HornyDevils, Magic-eating hounds, DemonLordsAndArchdevils, and beyond - they also have ResurrectiveImmortality outside of their own realm[[/note]], Death begets TheUndead[[note]]Everything from DemBones to {{Lich}}es and beyond[[/note]], and Shadow begets [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]][[note]]They can infest entire planets with madness, and, because of the Shadow/Void Lords being sapient, the Old Gods are not so much naturally coalescing as they are created[[/note]].

*** The Wild Gods are supersized immortal animals[[note]]Goldrinn - a Wild God wolf - is so large that he chases beasts of burden like wolves would rabbits[[/note]] who embody NatureIsNotNice.

*** TheUndead are very susceptible to CompellingVoice mindcontrol, and as such serve the most powerful amongst themselves, and most of them are mindless - those that aren't see the whole 'living' thing as a curse they should rid everyone else of.

* Aer in ''VideoGame/TalesOfVesperia'' is one of the main elements present in the atmosphere of their world. Anyone with the proper magical bracelet and a basic knowledge of how to do so can cast magic using aer.
* This is how {{Mana}} works in ''VideoGame/TalesOfSymphonia''. The source of it is a [[WorldTree Mana Tree]] (or the seed of one), and it's concentrated around the [[PlaceOfPower homes of the]] [[PhysicalGod Summon Spirits]], although the cause and effect of this is not entirely clear. Either way, the strength of this Background Magic Field is a central point driving the plot of the game, since [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt everything will die if it fades completely]], and the Seed that provides mana to the two worlds at the start of the game only provides enough to supply one of them...
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'' has Seithr, which is made of particles of the Black Beast. It is the power source for the Ars Magus, but causes harmful effects in high concentrations. Unfortunately, it has completely saturated the surface of the planet, meaning humanity is forced to live at high elevation.
** {{Magic}} (which was unconnected to seithr) already existed before the Black Beast, but only a handful of people could use it. Ars Magus was invented by a magic-user as an alternative system so that more people could fight the beast.
* ''VideoGame/DaemonXMachina'' has Femto particles, a form of energy that was discovered after [[ColonyDrop a chunk of the moon broke off and hit the earth]]. Femto particles are not only toxic to life, but also [[AIIsACrapshoot causes artificially intelligent machines to rebel against mankind]]. On the other hand, Femto is also the key to the development of [[MiniMecha Arsenals]], the only machines capable of combating the rogue AI. Many Arsenal abilities, such as energy-based weaponry and SuperMode powers, are powered by Femto particles, which can be collected from destroyed machines or in large concentrations on the battlefield. Unfortunately, very high levels of Femto can cause interference with radar and broadcasting systems.
* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', Magic on Mundus (known as Magicka) flows in from [[SpiritWorld Aetherius]], visible as nebulae in the night sky. It flows through the [[AlienSky sun and stars]], which are actually holes punctured in reality by escaping spirits (Magnus and the Magna-Ge) during the creation of the world. They fled in an attempt to maintain their divinity, rather than become bound to the mortal world like the Aedra and Ehlnofey.
* Occasionally mentioned in ''VideoGame/KingdomOfLoathing''.
* The main conflict of the ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' series revolves around whether or not such a magic field should be allowed to exist. Hundreds of years prior to the start of the series, the power of Alchemy was sealed away, because power-hungry people would tap into it and use it for war. With Alchemy gone, though, neither advanced civilizations nor the physical world itself could be sustained, which would have resulted in a very slow apocalypse. The plot of the first two games are essentially a SecretTestOfCharacter by the Wise One to determine whether or not people can handle Alchemy responsibly [[spoiler:and by doing so it's subverting its own programmed directive to keep Alchemy sealed.]] While the 2nd game ends with Alchemy restored, the problems that crop up in ''Dark Dawn'' go a long way to explaining why the ancients felt Alchemy needed to be sealed in the first place.
* ''VideoGame/PokemonSwordAndShield'' has Galar particles, a form of energy from meteorites known as Wishing Stars that is harnessed by the people of the Galar region for electricity. Galar particles are also responsible for the Dynamax phenomenon, which allows Pokémon to grow to the size of a building and increase their strength severalfold.
* Skylands, the main setting of ''VideoGame/{{Skylanders}}'' has magic flowing through everything. The fact that Earth has no magic is the reason why the Skylanders are turned into toys when banished there.
* The Void, in the ''VideoGame/StarCraft'' franchise, a manifestation of space itself, which provides the Dark Templars with special psionic powers.

* Mana in the ''Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}'' comes from both the world and from the human soul; the former is sometimes dubbed the "Outer Source", while the latter is dubbed the "Inner Source" or "Od". While a powerful magus can commence a spell relying on nothing on their Od, most spells are cast by starting it up from their innate energy and then sustaining it with the local mana. Because of this, magical territories often work by giving the magus control over the mana in the area, meaning that other magi who attempt to enter it will find it much more difficult to cast their spells because they only have access to their Od. The timeline of ''VideoGame/FateExtra'' takes place several decades after a certain incident that caused the verse's Background Magic Field to fade away, which ended magecraft as people knew it and forced the remaining magi to evolve (mainly by learning how to access the Moon Cell's cyberspace and then using magecraft from there).

* In ''Webcomic/{{Drowtales}}'', {{Mana}} is a FunctionalMagic - like cloud of energy generated by the LifeEnergy of the Fey races (elves, fairies, drow, etc.) and is necessary to sustain their immortality. It fills the cities where they live, and it can even be seen by drow but is invisible to humans.

* In one filler arc of ''Webcomic/ElvesWithMecha'', one character complains that the SteamPunk world he all-of-a-suddenly finds himself in has no Magical field Harmonics.
* In ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'', there is an ambient magic field that can be utilized by magic users or magic-using tools in addition to or instead of their own internal magic reserves. [[spoiler:By design,]] it has been growing stronger in and around [[PlaceOfPower Moperville]]; many of the feats pulled off by the main characters would be impossible anywhere else.
* Explained by Treneth in Webcomic/{{Visseria}}, magic in the setting occurs because some individuals can tap into surrounding spiritual flows, doing so by the writing of diagrams that shape the effects.
* The "Khert" in ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'' controls its universe's version of the laws of physics, breaking down everything into "aspects"--color, sharpness, pressure, practically any adjective applies. [[CallARabbitASmeerp "Wrights," i.e. wizards]], perform magic by [[http://www.casualvillain.com/Unsounded/comic/ch05/ch05_25.html manipulating aspects.]] Poorly-handled magic can disrupt reality, causing bizarre things to happen spontaneously. It also comes with a version of TheLifestream; memories of the dead end up in a surreal parallel universe, and it's implied that new souls are also generated there.

* ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'' has the Ether, which is the fabric of existence and the force behind magic. To beings that can perceive the Ether natural features such as forests, waterfalls and even stones appear vividly colored but artificial or worked materials like most clothing and all buildings appear completely grey and lifeless. The titular court performs experiments on the Ether, calling it Etheric Sciences, even though etheric phenomena consistently gives inconclusive results under observation. The only observable evidence is the intended consequences of using it such as a fire that gives heat and light but doesn't burn what the user doesn't want it to. The ether is also at least partially molded by the memories and beliefs of all human spirits that pass into the afterlife, which can allegedly deify certain idols of worship.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'', Primal Magic consists of six Primal Sources--Ocean, Sky, Stars, Earth, Moon, and Sun--each of which is an example of this trope. Each Primal Source is stronger or weaker depending on the presence of background "primal energy" (for instance, Moon magic is strongest in the presence of a full moon, Sky magic is strongest during a storm). Every single creature besides humans are born with a connection to one of these Primal Sources, which is what allows them to use magic.

* In ''WesternAnimation/TheDragonPrince'', Primal Magic consists of six Primal Sources--Ocean, Sky, Stars, Earth, Moon, and Sun--each of which is an example of this trope. Each Primal Source is stronger or weaker depending on the presence of background "primal energy" (for instance, Moon magic is strongest in the presence of a full moon, Sky magic is strongest during a storm).

* ''VideoGame/{{Xenoblade}}'' has ether, the substance of the Homs' being, which [[spoiler: allows Shulk to have his vision through the Monado by predicting the exact area, amount, and concentration of ether in the universe.]]

* In ''Franchise/TheFlash'' this is, at its core, what the Speed Force is. Its exact nature is unknown[[note]](though the New 52 run's DoingInTheWizard explanation was that its the force that allows time to move forward, and before that, it was created when Barry Allen had his accident, then spreading backwards and forwards in time, though this made so little sense and was so obviously just CharacterShilling for Barry that it was promptly ignored)[[/note]], but it's known to be energy from another dimensional plane that leaks into this dimension and, besides allowing speedsters to generate the infinite amount of energy needed to use their powers, also serves as a 'Valhalla' for them once they've ran past their limit. There's some level of sentience about it, and it's apparent that once they've 'joined' it, speedsters continue to live on inside it (how happy they are varying, for many its a heaven , but recent years have treated it more like a prison). As it's more than just 'speed energy', it also means that one who understands it on a spiritual level (such as Character/WallyWest), has a greater range of abilities to use, including converting their natural protective aura into energy armour to create clothing.

** ''Literature/Warbreaker'': Due to the background magic, everyone born on Nalathis has a single magic Breath. They can be given to others and collecting large amounts gives special magical enhancements like resistance to diseases or perfect pitch. It can also be used to animate objects through a process called Awakening.

* Skylands, the main setting of ''VideoGame/Skylanders'' has magic flowing through everything. The fact that Earth has no magic is the reason why the Skylanders are turned into toys when banished there.

* Videogame/{{Warcraft}} and Videogame/WorldOfWarcraft has ''six'' Background Magic Fields, each bordering on being a SentientCosmicForce, and each being an anathema to one of the others, which is anathema to it in turn. but this is where their similarities end. They are known as The 'Light', 'Life', 'Order', 'Death', 'Shadow'[[note]]Confirmed to be sentient as ''Void Lords'', who are doing their best to consume everything[[/note]], and 'Disorder'[[note]]Light cannot abide Shadow, Life and Death cannot exist together, and Order and Disorder are diametric opposites - and vice versa[[/note]]. Originally only the Light and Shadow fields existed but through their interactions, the other four were created.
** Each of these Background Magic Fields cannot directly influence the universe, and instead, their presence causes the existence of the 6 main schools of magic in the universe: Holy[[note]]thus the Light Background Magic Field is often known as 'The Holy Light'[[/note]], Nature, Arcane, Necromancy, Void, and Fel respectively. In places where one Background Magic Field is strong enough, its corresponding school of magic can coalesce into a sapient avatar made almost entirely of the corresponding magic school which is very much capable of interacting with the world: For The Light, you get the Naaru[[note]]Floating windchime-looking entities which go through a cyclical Life-Death-Life cycle. During their lives, they are beacons of hope and warmth, during their deaths they become ''Void''-entities that cannot help but snack on souls[[/note]], Order begets the [[{{Precursors}} Titans]][[note]]Planet-dwarfing amalgamations which traverse the cosmos purging corruption of any kind[[/note]], Life begets [[NatureSpirit Wild Gods]][[note]]Giant, immortal, sapient beasts[[/note]], Disorder begets [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Demons]][[note]]HornyDevils, Magic-eating hounds, DemonLordsAndArchdevils, and beyond - they also have ResurrectiveImmortality outside of their own realm[[/note]], Death begets TheUndead[[note]]Everything from DemBones to {{Lich}}es and beyond[[/note]], and Shadow begets [[EldritchAbomination Old Gods]][[note]]They can infest entire planets with madness, and, because of the Shadow/Void Lords being sapient, the Old Gods are not so much naturally coalescing as they are created[[/note]].

In some settings, magic is more of a raw natural phenomenon than something derived from designated gods or demons, acting as a kind of atmosphere enclosing a planet or permeating the universe. This background magic field, then, is magic in its rawest untapped form as a pervasive energy field that can and does affect the setting in much the same way that radiation or weather might affect our world. In areas where the [[PlaceOfPower background magic field is dense]], strange things happen, including spontaneous miracles, [[WeirdWeather bizarre weather]], and [[BodyHorror hideous mutation]]. However, it can also greatly (if unpredictably) increase the powers of mages who tap into it. Areas of calmer magic are much more predictable, and in areas where the field is [[AntiMagic weak or absent]], magic might not even be possible. If a background magic field exists in a setting, you can be quite sure that at least one school of FunctionalMagic will involve the channelling of this magic into a more focused form. Often it's the sole source of magic in the setting.