What Makes a Great Magic System?

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by Michael Cule

There's something to be said for having magic use the same type of mechanics as the rest of the game but there's also something to be said for not having the same set of mechanics for different types of magic. If your mage/sorcerer/wizard is using skill based magic that he powers himself then maybe your summoner/shaman is negotiating with spirits to get them to do stuff and the priest of the gods is following a path of piety and ritual and doing something entirely different.

Unless, of course, the shaman only thinks he is negotiating with spirits, but is actually just manipulating reality the same way other magic users do. Or vise-versa.

Another way to put it would be that the mechanics can be the same and the role-playing can create the difference.