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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Bagpuss" data-source="post: 2172227" data-attributes="member: 3987">Are you looking for a mechanic or a background. Loads of folks have suggested mechanics so I'ld thought I'ld chip in with some in game reasons, for magic corrupting an individual. I know some of these have been mentioned before, but lists are handy.1) It just does, not all things are understood or can be understood.2) Magic is only provided by demonic sources, (of course this would raise questions about the standard clerics in your campaign world, if you have them).3) Magic by its very nature alters the fabric of reality, use it enough it damages the fabric of the person that preforms magic, this can be permenant or recover over time as reality heals itself. 4) Magic draws on power within the earth itself, unknown to the pre-sciene cultures it actually draws on background radition sucking it up like a vaccum cleaner so magic users get a considerably higher dose over years of use, and are likely to develop cancers and mutations (depending on how bad you want it to be).5) Magic access an alternate plane which is toxic to the people of this plane. Depending on the power of the magic (or just bad luck) the effects on the magic user can be minor to debilitating.6) Power corrupts, magic is raw power, and chips away at the sanity of the user leading to megolmania, eventually.7) Magic is like a drug (see Willow in BtvS).8) Magic involves interacting with the spirits of items, nature, etc. Their goals do not always match with the mages and he must give up part of himself to bend them to his will. Sometimes the spirit could even claim control of the mages body for a time.</blockquote>

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