Your favorite Magic system?

[VirgilCaine]

The core d20 magic system.

Not lots of whistles and bells, but simple to use and easily extensible. It has a tactical resource management element, but lacks the annoying accounting and the pretense of lots of flashy substance that, in play, end up being more of a burden than interesting, as is often the case in many alledgedly superior magic systems.

Vance forever man!

 

[caudor]

The core magic system is my choice. In fact, I tend to avoid products/campaigns that drift away from (as opposed to extend) this system.

 

[Andor]

D20 only? Bah!

The World Tree magic system, which is admitedly the same as the Ars Magica magic system with a few extra verbs and nouns added. What I love about it is the fact that it is full of the day to day sort of spells people would actually use, as opposed the the DnD trope of '500 ways to blow someone up, not one way to heat your house.'

 

[Dracomeander]

Shadowrun.

I agree that Shadowrun does things well and like it a lot. But I actually preferred Earthdawn.

 

[dekrass]

Elements of Magic Revised, been the standard form of magic in every D20 game I've GM'd since it came out.
It's very flexible and scales easily, even into epic levels.
My players would have it no other way.

 

[mythusmage]

The World Tree magic system, which is admitedly the same as the Ars Magica magic system with a few extra verbs and nouns added. What I love about it is the fact that it is full of the day to day sort of spells people would actually use, as opposed the the DnD trope of '500 ways to blow someone up, not one way to heat your house.'

And where do you find it?

Speaking of Ars Magica, you can add me as a fan of the system. And it's very convertible to d20.

Other systems I enjoy are Mythus, Mage: The Ascension, and Aria: Canticle of the Monomyth. Though the latter is not so much a system as a set of guidelines for system design. All adaptable to d20.

For something very different you could try adapting the magic systems from Unknown Armies or Sorceror to d20

 

[Andor]

And where do you find it?

You find it here.

It's a pretty neat little game. The most internally logical fantasy world I've ever seen and I particularly like the idea that hit points actually represent the learnable skill your spirit has of holding onto your body. Nobody expects an experienced fighter to die simply because you shot him through the heart.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

Another vote for Elements of Magic [Revised]. A great system.

 

[Khairn]

Favorite of any system would be Mage and Ars Magica, which are a very close 1 & 2.

Each system has simple mechanics that provide incredible creativity, flavor and flexability in the hands of a good player and a GM who can enforce limits.

Of the D20 systems, I would say Arcanna Unearthed and then Elements of Magic. Both are great systems that really enhance what is IMHO a "core" magic that is dry.

 

[Wanderlust]

Speaking of Ars Magica, you can add me as a fan of the system. And it's very convertible to d20.

I'm really, terribly, truly interested in how...? Because I love the Ars Magica take on magic, and it'd make life grand if I could do it justice in adapting it to d20.