Cristian Andreu
Explorer
I think it feels magical as long as the DM and players put an effort to make it feel magical. I don't think it has much to do with the number of spells available or how easy it is to use them now compared to the old days; you can cast spells all day erry day and, as as long as everyone makes an effort to present said spells in an evocative, wonder-inducing fashion, it can feel pretty magical.
It is true the way magic works in D&D is fundamentally formulaic (or better said spells, as magic items and DM custom effects are far more flexible), and thus tends to clash with the more traditional folk magic from tales and legends, which is mostly defined by its inconsistency, whereas even AD&D with it's "Ask the DM" philosophy demands a certain level of consistency that can be applied across the board. However, as others have mentioned, there are historical and mythological equivalents of that, such as Hermetic Magic, so you can work it out.
I've always treated spell descriptions as the mechanical effects, while leaving stuff like the name, the manner in which the spell is cast, and the visual effects up to the players, hopefully following a consistent theme that fits with their character's background in regards to how and why the can use magic. So a Magic Missile can perfectly be a shower of ghostly fists the wizard casts by punching the air repeatedly, and a Fireball could be an imp the caster throws who explodes upon contact with the target.
tl;dr: It's all about the presentation.
It is true the way magic works in D&D is fundamentally formulaic (or better said spells, as magic items and DM custom effects are far more flexible), and thus tends to clash with the more traditional folk magic from tales and legends, which is mostly defined by its inconsistency, whereas even AD&D with it's "Ask the DM" philosophy demands a certain level of consistency that can be applied across the board. However, as others have mentioned, there are historical and mythological equivalents of that, such as Hermetic Magic, so you can work it out.
I've always treated spell descriptions as the mechanical effects, while leaving stuff like the name, the manner in which the spell is cast, and the visual effects up to the players, hopefully following a consistent theme that fits with their character's background in regards to how and why the can use magic. So a Magic Missile can perfectly be a shower of ghostly fists the wizard casts by punching the air repeatedly, and a Fireball could be an imp the caster throws who explodes upon contact with the target.
tl;dr: It's all about the presentation.
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