A new take on spell lists for a variant game?

[Remathilis]

Hello everyone.

I'm working on a concept for a more gritty/realistic game (isn't everyone these days.) I've decided on generic classes (warrior, expert, spellcaster), but I'm having some trouble flavoring the magic system.

More background: The world is more low magic, but people know/use it. There is no item creation, and whatever spell lists are finite. There is no arcane/divine split. Magic will instead be divided into some manner of factions/schools/spheres. I'm also thinking of keeping evocations limited and high powered spells gone, going with a more subtle flair. However, I'm willing to dump that for a good idea though.

My ideas would maybe be something like the magic:the gathering 5 color split, or maybe dividing magic into white/black/green witchcraft (though I know little of the latter). However, I'm looking for something invocative.

 

[Zappo]

One concept I'd like to develop if I'll ever have time to start another campaign is the following.

Basically, there are lots of very different types of "magic". Each of them shares little or nothing with the rest, they are based on different principles, draw on different power sources, use different methods, and have different effects. However, each of these traditions has very few adepts and is massively less versatile and powerful than the typical nigh-omnipotent d&d magic. Each of them would also have one or two special rules to add to the flavor.

For example, some corner of the world could have a cabal of summoners; they can only cast summon monster and planar binding spells, as well as magic circles and a few other summoning-related thingies; they use highly ritualized spellcasting, taking a lot of time, but they can "overcast" and summon more powerful creatures running the risk of not controlling them.

Another place has developed elementalism, each elementalist having a favored element depending on his family or natural attitude. They only cast elemental spells, and they are more powerful with their favored element.

Around the world, a bunch of dark practitioners of necromancy exist. They are very ritualistic, and they risk their health and mind by dealing with undeath.

The wandering war mages use non-flashy magic to enhance their combat skills - attribute boosters, enhanced healing, magical weapons and armor. Fast casting, reduced armor penalty, but not much direct magical power.

Then there are diviners, there are healers, there are witches, there are alchemists, there are illusionists, there are bards, there are druids, the possibilities are numerous. Each of them doesn't understand anything about the others' methods or powers, not any more than a fighter understands a wizard. A character that deals with two styles of magic is effectively multiclass. This separation gives a powerful flavor and lowers the overall magic level (because no single spellcaster is all-powerful). You could make all spellcasters PrCs with 10 levels, so that you don't have to dilute things too much among 20 levels, and you further lower the magic level (because a spellcaster doesn't start as such, and is forced to multiclass).