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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dour-n-Taciturn" data-source="post: 5912270" data-attributes="member: 6692615">Gandalf held himself back because that is the nature of an Istari, magic without the sanction of the Valar, like the Ring itself, corrupts when overused.  So Tolkien built in a "code of honor" that if violated would cause a wizard to fall into Shadow, much like Saruman did.Conan's villainous sorcerers too were corrupt, they made bargains with eldritch beings who made them insane.  The male channelers in the Wheel of Time would slowly go mad whenever they touched The Source (at least until Rand cleansed the male half...).These are all built-in limitations set by the authors of each series, otherwise there would be no need for any other character other than a powerful wizard and there would be no plot or tension, since the endgame would be a foregone conclusion.  Spell casting interruption, a very limited number or spell slots (or longer casting times), potential of spell failure, even a corruption mechanic similar to that in the d20 Starwars games, are crucial to balancing the power of wizards and their ilk.</blockquote>