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Message: <blockquote data-quote="jian" data-source="post: 9498697" data-attributes="member: 78087">It depends a bit on how narrative your game is. So if everything uses the same mechanics (e.g. Risus or FATE) to narrate very different things (Friends Everywhere, Atomic Fire Magic) then there’s mechanically no difference between the two things and the player is only limited by their imagination in when and how they can use their abilities, depending on how broad the interpretation is.Another take is from Smallville (Cortex RPG based on the TV series of the same name) where the main conflicts and obstacles are about persuading other people. It doesn’t matter that Clark can lift a battleship or run faster than sound, none of that is going to help him persuade Lois not to reveal his secret online. So while Clark does have Super-strength d12 and Super-speed d10, his important stats are Love d8 and Lois Has My Back d10. One thing about mundane utility vs magic is the age-old problem of magical solutions for mundane problems. I’m sure I’m not the only one who was annoyed that my thief had spent several levels getting Open Locks and Hide in Shadows up to more than 50% and then the 3rd level wizard casts Knock and Invisibility. That’s something to avoid, if niche protection is important in your game.</blockquote>