Personally crafted magic disciplines

[Michael Cule]

Imagine a world in which there are magicians and even colleges and societies of magicians but each talented wannabe mage must find a personal way of doing magic.

They can be taught some things about the universe and even a few tricks that can be shared by anyone but have to find their own 'path', 'way' or 'method'.

Studying magic involves meeting as many mages as you can and then trying to create a way that works for you.

Do you see a way that could be made to work? Mechanically, I mean. I'm thinking that this would be a hodgepodge of just about everything from GURPS Thaumatology but I could be persuaded to use any fairly chunky simulation. Doing it with something as handwavy as HEROQUEST or FATE would tend to remove the feeling of danger I would want for when mages go outside their comfort zone, as they must almost all the time during training.

Actually, now I think of it the magic system out of REIGN could be used for this sort of thing too.

Perhaps the small tricks are 'cantrips' and work the same for anyone with talent. But the more advanced ways, though they can be grouped by family, are always composed rather than learned.

Still just an idea in my head, mostly in the form of warning lectures from senior mages. Elements of THE MAGICIANS and ARS MAGICA among other places.