Editing Magic (game terminology)

{{Short description|Character attribute in role-playing games}}[[File:Mana bar.PNG|thumb|alt=A light blue bar, 39% of which is filled with a darker shade of blue|A mana bar or magic bar, used to keep track of a character's magic points (MP) in a video game]]

'''Magic''' or '''mana''' is an attribute assigned to characters within a [[role-playing game|role-playing]] or [[video game]] that indicates their power to use [[magic in fiction|special magical abilities]] or "spells". Magic is usually measured in '''magic points''' or '''mana points''', shortened as '''MP'''. Different abilities will use up different amounts of MP.<ref name="origin">[http://theappendix.net/issues/2014/4/the-history-of-mana-how-an-austronesian-concept-became-a-video-game-mechanic "The History of Mana: How an Austronesian Concept Became a Video Game Mechanic"], June 17, 2014, Alex Golub, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.</ref> When the MP of a character reaches zero, the character will not be able to use special abilities until some of their MP is recovered.<ref name="RPG Programming">{{cite book|last1=Perry|first1=Jim|date= 2009-06-23|title=RPG Programming with XNA Game Studio 3.0|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jy3xX5bneSEC&q=magic+rpg|publisher=Jones & Bartlett Learning|page= 404|isbn=978-1449631505|access-date=2014-12-09}}</ref>

Much like [[Health (gaming)|health]], magic might be displayed as a numeric value, such as "50/100". Here, the first number indicates the current amount of MP a character has whereas the second number indicates the character's maximum MP. In video games, magic can also be displayed visually, such as with a gauge that empties itself as a character uses their abilities.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Orland |first1=Kyle|last2=Thomas|first2=David|last3=Steinberg|first3=Scott Matthew|date=2007|title=The Videogame Style Guide and Reference Manual |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E2woAgAAQBAJ&q=magic+points+games|publisher=Lulu.com|isbn=978-1430313052|page=51|access-date=2014-12-24}}{{self-published source|date=May 2020}}</ref>{{self-published inline|date=February 2020}}

==History==
The magic system in [[tabletop role-playing games]] such as ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' is largely based on patterns established in the ''[[Dying Earth]]'' novels of author [[Jack Vance]]. In this system, the player character can only memorize a fixed number of spells from a list of spells. Once this spell is used once, the character forgets it and becomes unable to use it again.<ref name="origin" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.killershrike.com/fantasyhero/HighFantasyHERO/MagicSystems/vancian.shtml |title=Vancian |access-date=2007-02-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103134049/http://www.killershrike.com/fantasyhero/HighFantasyHERO/MagicSystems/vancian.shtml |archive-date=2007-01-03 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.geocities.com/rgfdfaq/sources.html |title=Literary Sources of D&D |access-date=2007-02-23 |last=DeVarque |first=Aardy|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071209043119/http://www.geocities.com/rgfdfaq/sources.html|url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-12-09}}</ref><ref name="designers">{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011|page=383|isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}</ref>

"[[Mana (Oceanian mythology)|Mana]]" is a word that comes from [[Polynesian languages]] with a complex meaning. Mostly, it loosely represents power, respect and dignity. The concept of mana was introduced in Europe by [[missionary]] [[Robert Henry Codrington]] in 1891 and was popularized by [[Mircea Eliade]] in the 1950s. It was first introduced as a magical fuel used to cast spells in the 1969 short story, [[The Magic Goes Away|"Not Long Before the End"]], by [[Larry Niven]], which is part of and later popularized by his ''[[The Magic Goes Away]]'' setting. It has since become a common staple in both role-playing and video games.<ref name="origin" />

==Mechanisms==
{{Main|Magic system}}
Because skills and abilities are not usually lost, a game designer might decide to limit the use of such an ability by linking its use to magic points. This way, after using an ability, the player is required to rest or use an item to replenish [[player character|their character]]'s MP. This is done for [[balance (game design)|balancing]], so that each skill does not have an infinite casting ability with equal results every time.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Pederson |first1=Roger |date=2009-06-23|title=Game Design Foundations |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0flChljb9IIC&q=magic+points+games |publisher=Jones & Bartlett Publishers|isbn=978-1449663926|page=153|access-date=2014-12-24}}</ref>

"Magic" may be substituted with psychic powers, spiritual power, advanced technology or other concepts that would allow a character to influence the world around them that is not available in real life. Magic is often restricted to a specific [[character class|class of character]], such as a "mage" or "spellcaster", while other character classes have to rely on melee combat or physical projectiles.<ref name="Adams">{{cite book |last1=Adams |first1=Ernest |date=2010-04-07|title=Fundamentals of Game Design |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-BCrex2U1XMC&q=mana+game |publisher=New Riders|isbn=978-0132104753|pages=469, 580|access-date=2014-12-09}}</ref> Other character classes, such as those that rely on melee attacks, may also have a "magic" bar that limits their special abilities, although they are usually called something different, such as the Barbarian's "Fury" in ''[[Diablo 3]]''.

In video games, MP can often be restored by consuming magic potions or it may regenerate over time. [[Status effects]] are temporary modification to a game character's original set of stats. A character may cast a spell that inflicts a positive or negative status effect on another character.<ref name="Adams" />

===In role-playing games===
{{See also|Magic in Dungeons & Dragons}}
In both [[tabletop role-playing games]] and [[role-playing video games]] (RPG), magic is most usually used to cast [[magic spell|spells]] during battles. However magic has many uses outside of combat situations, such as using love spells on [[Non-playable character|NPCs]] to gain information.<ref name="Adams" /><ref name="Basics">{{cite book|last1=Moore|first1=Michael|date= 2011-03-23|title=Basics of Game Design|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E9JG6JjPU-sC&q=health+potion+game|publisher=CRC Press|page= 214|isbn=978-1439867761|access-date=2014-12-09}}</ref> Some games base the strength and amount of a character's magic on [[statistic (role-playing games)|stats]] such as "wisdom" or "intelligence". These stats are used because they are easy to keep track of and develop in pen-and-paper RPGs.<ref name="RPG Programming" />

Some games introduce a separate point system per skill. For example, in the [[Pokémon games|''Pokémon'' games]], each skill of each fighting character has its own "Power Points" (PP). If the PP of only one of its skills are depleted, that specific Pokémon still has three other skills to choose from.<ref>{{cite book|author=Nintendo of America|date= 2004|title=Official Nintendo Power Pokemon Ruby and Sapphire Player's Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JwylROL5SZoC&q=pok%C3%A9mon+power+points|publisher=Nintendo of America, Incorporated|page= 18|isbn=1930206313|access-date=2014-11-20}}</ref>

===In god games===
In [[god game]]s, the player's power is usually called mana and grows along with the number and prosperity of the player's worshipers. Here, the population size influences the maximum amount of mana the player has and the rate at which their mana restores itself when it is below that maximum. Using "godly powers" consumes mana, but such actions are necessary to increase the number and prosperity of the population.<ref name="Adams" />

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== See also ==

* [[Health (game terminology)]]
* [[Experience point]]
{{video game gameplay}}

[[Category:Role-playing game terminology| ]]
[[Category:Video game terminology]]
[[Category:Fantasy games]]