Learned or Inherent Magic?

[Whisper-Kitten]

You can‘t let the basics have access to the power. Then they will demand other things like flaky pastries and singing toilets.

 

[MNblockhead]

You can‘t let the basics have access to the power. Then they will demand other things like flaky pastries and singing toilets.

Everyone deserves flaky pastries and singing toilets!

Maybe not at the same time...

 

[aco175]

If I allow multi-classing, then I need to accept that people can learn magic over just having it. Unless everyone's background needs to include passing study with everyone who has a class, and then I would wonder how any work gets done.

I guess I could also argue that choosing to multi-class means that you have it already and no need to go learn it. You just need a long rest and bam, your a mage.

 

[gnarlygninja]

I guess inherent if I have to choose. I've never really been a fan of the "just go to school and study" type, I'm not sure magic should feel like engineering.

 

[Laurefindel]

Learned magic!

This way this knowledge can be guarded by a precious few elite, their hand-picked pupils, and the rich and privileged who can afford to buy their way in!

 

[Umbran]

No, no. This kind of power can only be trusted to the sage and chosen few, and their descendants brought up from birth to steward this noble tradition.

Parents of all stripes are disappointed quite regularly by their children. Disappointing the rest of us by misuse of power only compounds the unfounded assumptions.

 

[mamba]

If I have to go with one, it is ‘powered by patron’. Not sure if that qualifies as learned for this, it’s certainly not inherent.

 

[Laurefindel]

I guess inherent if I have to choose. I've never really been a fan of the "just go to school and study" type, I'm not sure magic should feel like engineering.

But there’s so much more than the “study at school like a nerd” angle!

There’s the “join a cult to be initiated to the knowledge” angle, the “learn from subtle secret hints left by the old sages to avoid persecution” angle, the “hush, hush train your daughters around the hearth while the men work outside” angle, the “go on a spiritual quest to be considered pure enough to be trained by spirits” angle, the “morally sketchy demon-summoning to learn their magic” angle, the “oh gross I have to read animal entrails to learn magic?” angle, the “magic is a fine art that just needs to be practiced” angle, the “magic is like a fine wine, do the work and let it ferment for a while” angle, the “magic is easy to do, just hard to get good at” angle…

Because it needs to be learned doesn’t mean it has to be calculus!

 

[Stormonu]

Inherent over Learned. There's some that just no matter what they do, will never be able to perform magic.

That's what Warlocks are for.

• Dwarves are inherently non-magical and it is not uncommon for them not only to repulse enemy magic but be unable to produce magic themselves.
• Halflings can do without it and simply not care. Too much of a bother away from home, hearth and kitchen to master it under the feet of bearded old men or the fickle moods of elvin masters.
• Some humans have fallen under ancient curses from gods or powerful outsiders, having magic stripped from them until the "seventh child of the seventh generation of seven childen" (And if that power is still ticked, that seventh child may never come...)

And so on.

 

[Minion X]

Parents of all stripes are disappointed quite regularly by their children. Disappointing the rest of us by misuse of power only compounds the unfounded assumptions.

Clearly these are exceptions to the norm and are dealt with as an internal matter before things get out of hand, dark towers are built and armies of unclean things amassed. Also, wizards famously train through apprenticeships, meaning their parents send them off to a suitable master once they are of age, who will have to worry about any disappointment in their stead, but on the other hand will have no qualms about enforcing strict discipline and harsh training on the budding sorcerer.