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Message: <blockquote data-quote="mmadsen" data-source="post: 1536390" data-attributes="member: 1645">I'm definitely one of those people.  I even started a thread on this exact same topic over on RPGnet, <a href="http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=56036" target="_blank">Magic as Plot Device -- With Rules</a>:A standard complaint about D&D magic (and much RPG magic in general) is that it doesn't feel magical; it's too tactical, too well-defined, too scientific.  Of course, if it's not well-defined, it's hard to adjudicate within a game -- and at least part of D&D's allure is that it's a game with rules.What are some straightforward, easy-to-adjudicate ways to get that "plot device" magic feel -- without losing game-ability?Ravenloft offers a few interesting elements.  Evil acts (and evil spells in particular) draw a Powers Check -- the Dark Powers may take notice and grant the evildoer a twisted boon to draw him down the Path of Corruption.  (Star Wars has Dark Side points that achieve much the same thing.)Curses have well spelled-out rules with bonuses for justification, a proper escape clause, etc.Ravenloft also modifies many plot-crashing spells (most divinations, remove curse, etc.), forcing characters to do a little detective work, to quest for a cure to the curse or disease that plagues them, etc.Call of Cthulhu makes spells fairly rare, generally creepy, and very costly to learn or cast.  Players fear the Sanity cost of learning and casting magic spells.GURPS' alternate <a href="http://www.io.com/~sjohn/unlimited-mana.htm" target="_blank">unlimited mana</a> rules offer a surprisingly elegant solution: instead of providing spellcasters with a hard limit (whether in terms of fatigue points, power points, or spell slots), it gives them a soft limit they can cross -- with (random) consequences.Also -- and this may sound trivial -- it gives spellcasters quite a bit of power, but power that does not return completely overnight.  Much of the mundane nature of gaming magic is in its trivial cost.  If you make a D&D spellcaster's slot monthly rather than daily, you don't change his adventuring behavior much, but you explain why magic isn't quite so ubiquitous.The recent Buffy the Vampire Slayer game goes out of its way to emulate the "plot device" magic of the show.  One of the simpler mechanics it uses for this is a roll to see if a spell works flawlessly.  A spell can do any number of things:FailsWorksWorks, but delayedWorks, but weaklyWorks, but caster harmedWorks, but wrong targetUnexpected effectThus, magic often comes at a price.  Also, Buffy enforces strong "flavor" constraints: spells typically require research in an occult library, followed by long rituals with elaborate ingredients, etc.  And, for a true "plot device" spell, the director can require a rare alignment of the stars (or whatever); it's actually encouraged.Lastly, even D&D touches on "plot device" magic with its long history of the twisted wish spell.  That's magic at a price.</blockquote>

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