As requested to no one in particular by someone else, here's a sister thread to "FIGHT!!!"; asking what, in your opinion is the best magic system in RPGs, and, more importantly, why?

And I'm going to go with the obvious answer for my choice, because its stood the test of time and is still, to this day, the standard by which I judge all other magic systems:

ARS MAGICA

Easy to understand, exceptionally versatile, and still captures the "flavour" of fantasy magic with its faux-latin verbiage.

I'd second Ars Magica, but from my own perspective (I expect XPs for this, btw), I'd say that little known system of our own Vreeg here, has one of the best magic systems I've ever seen.

My third, I'll admit, is the one I concocted to simulate magic of Black Company and Malazan series.

Chivalry & Sorcery, if only because the depth and breadth of what's covered is basically miles ahead of anything else. If you play a C&S wizard, you actually feel like you're a wizard...no other game comes close.

Quote from: Brad;827231Chivalry & Sorcery, if only because the depth and breadth of what's covered is basically miles ahead of anything else. If you play a C&S wizard, you actually feel like you're a wizard...no other game comes close.

I have a pdf of the first edition that I enjoy thumbing through, but damn if that thing isn't intimidating. I could see myself mining it more than straight up playing it. I wonder how many people actually did.

I prefer 1st edition WEG Star Wars. The Force is with it.

Dragon Shadowed Lands?

Okay, okay personally GURPS Magic.  Yes it has all the flavor of wet cardboard but that's part of its charm.  It's a well structured system that is easily tailored by limiting the spells that are available.  The fourth edition book could have been a little better but there you go.

I also like Tunnels and Trolls spell points, scalable spells, and no fire and forget in sight.

The magic system from Worlds of Wonder, BRP's multigenre boxed set is also a favorite of mine.  Can't stand Rune Quest's version.  ugh.

Since the obvious contenders are all taken...

I'd nominate DCC as a serious contender if it wasn't so damn friggin' hard to write up a new spell or patron.

I'm also a big fan of Mage: the Ascension.

Quote from: Matt;827233I prefer 1st edition WEG Star Wars. The Force is with it.

I said "magic" not "midichlorians"  

Quote from: TristramEvans;827273I said "magic" not "midichlorians"  

The Force is magic. A rose by any other name. WTF is a midichorlian?!

Quote from: Matt;827290The Force is magic. A rose by any other name. WTF is a midichorlian?!

Haha its cannon! Try to deny it all you want! The Force is a disease!

D&D's.  Because the most people know it.

I'll cast my hat into the ring with the Palladium Role-Playing Game 1er.   The game has 7 distinct magic using OCC's.  The spells are extremely flavorful (the Enchanted Cauldron, awesome!), there's rules on magic guilds, witches pacts, runes and wards, summoning circles- with the accompanying diagrams, it feels like your reading real spells or something:)

Despite all the problems with the rules, I really liked the basic philosophy of 7th Sea's magic system.

There are different sorcerous bloodlines, each bloodline is strictly limited to certain very specific powers (teleportation, animal shapes, runes, fire, etc.), and each bloodline is deeply embedded in its culture of origin.

It's flavorful and avoids one of my biggest pet peeves in fantasy, which is magic that is so flexible and powerful that mundane skills and abilities are redundant.

Huh, now that I think of it, 7th Sea's approach to fantasy is kinda like the Disney movie Frozen.

This thread is awesome.  
Pundit tongue-in-cheek, really some winners (C&S and Ars Magica?  Both winners...) and name checked.

Magic systems are so much a critical, base-level part of any fantasy game.  If people can use magic, it pretty much changes how everything works.  Is there a cost in casting?  Where does the power come from?  What is the commonality of magic and how does it scale upwards?  What are magic items, and how do they fit in with this? And how does magic and miracle change the social strata?
(and this is all independent from playability, which is just as important).

Do spells work automatically, or is their a failure chance?  How fast does magic return to a caster, and does that scale?  Do they have to husband their strength, or is all good the next morning?  All things that change the flavor.

Current Spell List of GS spells.
The Feel of magic

I really loved reading Earthdawn's magic rules, just not certain I could ever game with them. But the philosophy behind it is unique and fascinating.