Categorizing and Classifying Magic

[Matt Larkin (author)]

While I understand that you are using the word "mana" to express the idea of a depleteable resource such as seen in many crpgs, I'd question it being arbitrary (though I can see how Niven's use of it as a finite resource might but interpreted this way).

And that's my point, any system can or cannot be arbitrary depending on the observer, particularly because of the negative connotations of "arbitrary."  You run the risk of having "arbitrary" be a stand-in for "a magic system that doesn't make sense to me."

I agree, though I would also agree with Rael. It is possible to have a system where the restriction is arbitrary. Game balance says X spells per day. I'm not too tired (etc.) when I run out, I just run out.

[Raelifin]

Hence why I added it. It was very seriously "3.X doesn't make sense to me." :P

[Superfluous Crow]

As you may or may not know, I've been away for awhile, so obviously i have little chance to update or respond to this thread. So I'm reviving it now.
Now i just have to read all the comments.

EDIT: Looking at the limit category, doesn't it just provide us with more trouble than information? On further reflection I think we should either remove the category entirely, or just call magic either Limited or not limited, with the latter category involving all magic forms that don't require some extra toll on the body or the mind (so most RPG magic falls in the latter category).
And Phoenix, primarily i just did this for fun, with the secondary objective being to make a functional community standard. Now, of course any form will require some generalization to make anything fit in it, but this hopefully doesn't constrain people's creativity in any way. It's meant as much to get a quick overview as it is meant to incite interest.

[Nomadic]

We can do that but then we have to reword all the other powers. Taking an example my campaign falls solidly on limited, without it I could not place it anywhere else without a rewording in the other power levels.

[Superfluous Crow]

I'm really not sure i get your point? How would changes in one category affect the others? And looking back at your examples, they mostly differ by way of their casting method don't they? Not so much on the toll (can anybody come up with a better word than limited to describe that you must "pay" in some way?)

[Nomadic]

I don't know what's not to get and can't really explain it any better than how I already have.

[Superfluous Crow]

I just can't see how removing one category would necessitate the renaming of all others?

[Nomadic]

I didn't say they need to be renamed I said they needed to be "reworded" in order to fill the gap created.

[Superfluous Crow]

thought i would bump the old classifying magic thread seeing as we are trying to classify settings atm :)

[Elemental_Elf]

This is a bit more complicated, isn't it? Still, I like the ideas... Crazy to think how different magic can really be setting to setting, book to book.

[Ghostman]

Well, duh. Magic is only limited by one's imagination :)

[Superfluous Crow]

Yeah, but there are still visible genres and the like just like in litterature or settings

[LD]

This is very interesting. Thanks for bumping it.

[LD]

LIMIT
Unrestrained: This magic can be used without restriction.
Sanity: This magic slowly drives you insane.
Lifeforce: This magic ages you prematurely or otherwise permanently drains your body.
Strength: Using this magic has a physical toll, like strenuous exercise.
Headache: Using this magic requires intense mental focus that drains the user's energy.
Arbitrary: This magic simply ceases to work if used too often. (mana magic goes here)
Transformation: This magic slowly turns the user into something else.

What about magic that is restrained by killing other people? You can only cast magic by draining life forces.

And 2- what about the Runelords' magic? where you can take speech, or glamour from others by placing a brand on them? And how some can act as foci for the power to reach you.

(Just some more things to add... :))

[Superfluous Crow]

I think i need a clarification on both.
The first, are you saying that it can only be used to kill people or that if you for example were to shape water into a small hill you would have to drain people in the vicinity?
The second one i haven't heard of. When you say speech, do you mean that you increase your own speech skill or change your voice or just that you rob the person of it by placing a runic "lock" on him? And how does the foci thing work? A brand that allows the runelord to reach through the branded when using his powers?