What do you think is the best way to categorize magic? What are the best magical schools?

What do you think is the best way to categorize magic? What are the best magical schools?

Don't say it depends; give reasons as to why you'd use any given method.

I personally use the D&D classifications but I modify them to be more consistent:

Evocations: creating something out of "nowhere".
Invocations: manipulation of timespace.
Transmutations: transforming things into other things.
Enchantments: making things behave in a way they logically should not.
Divination: altering perception.
Abjuration: changing the rules followed by other spells.
Necromancy: controlling the soul and vitality.

>Evocations: creating something out of "nowhere".

Isn't that the role of conjuration? Putting both Evocation and Conjuration together seems like a bad idea; both the most powerful direct combat/energy spells AND the best summoning spells in the same school.

>Invocations: manipulation of timespace
That has nothing to do with Invocation.
>Divination: altering perception.
That has nothing to do with Divination. In fact, it sounds like Illusion magic which is the polar opposite of Divination.
>Abjuration: changing the rules followed by other spells.
That has nothing to do with Abjuration.
>Necromancy: controlling the soul and vitality.
I like how you took away and shifted around several spell schools from D&D but you kept literally the least nonsensical school. Why is controlling the souls and vitality related to death (necro)? I'd assume this school both creates undead AND can be used to heal; Why is this its own school?

You fucking suck. Some of the worst ideas I've ever seen, Jesus Christ.

>Wizard 101
worth or not worth tho

I like the zork way of separating things. With any type of magic you need to start with learning manipulation magic. After that comes Enlightenment magic, and finally when you completely understand the thing you become a master and can create the thing using magic.

It shouldn't be categorized. It's magic not science

The categories are: Flying carpets > everything else.

By the function they serve in the game.

So something like Blaster, Controller, Striker, Defender, Leader. You can rename them to Fire, Air, Water, Earth and Heart or whatever setting appropriate if you want.

Your problem here is that you've got fundamental effects like "making things behave in a way they logically should not" and "manipulation of timespace" on par with something that follows from them like "controlling the soul and vitality" and "altering perception". Also everything this guy said.

Categorization doesn't mean that characters in universe are aware of it. To them it can still be mysterious and incomprehensible. Categorization is primarily a tool for the GM and the players. And even if it's called magic it has to follow some kind of set of rules if you allow players access to it, which means it can be somehow categorized.

DnD classification is OK. Ars Magica too. Nothing wrong with the 4-5 element system. But personally I prefer versatile but confined magic schools of Unknown Armies, and freeform, categorized only by level of effect, magic of Barbarians of Lemuria.

Evocation : simple magic
Invocation : corporal magic
Transmutation : transferts from one element linked to another
Enchantments : stored magic that release on triggered moment/action
Divination : part of the light magic
Abjuration : removing magic effects, part of science magic
Necromancy : part of dark magic
Armor : Merging magic/spirit with body (only possible with special/upgraded spirits)
Weapon : Merging magic/spirit with weapon (only possible with special weapons)

I have seen and enjoy many fine methods.
>Elemental
Classic Elements or Classic + a couple more. A classic. Much better if you can mix them, and even better if they're only quasi-elemental, as in you can do things related to the elements in a more spiritual or abstract way; like using fire magic to conjure up courage.

>Magic Schools
D&D or Elder Scrolls, I like these methods. They make magic feel more mystical and strange then standard elements, plus you can tell a lot about the world and the idea depending on what kind of schools you use.

>True Arcane
Abstract; magic has no schools or categories. You just "know" your spells or magic or whatever, and can learn or make more eventually. Great for creating one of a kind of strange spells that doesn't easily fit under the classifications of other systems.

>White & Black
I think this message is seriously underrated on Veeky Forums, but the classic White Magic vs Dark Magic is a great method of doing magic. It's extremely simple, but you can instantly tell what a school can do and its limitations.

This was all just classifications or spell schools, and had nothing to do with the actual magic spells or magic system itself. I enjoy autistic stuff like this.

Might and Magic system was consistent

>evocation: manipulation of the elements, used mainly to blow shit up
>conjuration: tapping into the far Beyond, and tearing the fabric between planes
>abjuration: altering the properties of things temporarily
>enchanting: temporarily (or permanently) embuing things with magic
>Vitality/necromancy: manipulation of life-energy and the soul
>divination: using magic to know what you cannot yourself know
>illusion: using magic to manipulate the senses

Not sure if i'd trim illusion. Tbqhwy I liked TES, but necromancy should rightfully be in Restoration.

I'll to give it a shot:

>What do you think is the best way to categorize magic?
First i like to split magic in two obvious macro-categories:

-White arts: are the magic knowledges meant to achieve henosis (union with the divine/concept/transcendental). The white arts work in harmony with the natural laws, so, for example, you can make with them a spell that conjure fire to burn wood but you can't make a spell that evoke fire out of nowhere to melt snow. White arts also cannot be used to bypass the self-sovereignty (so no mindcontrol magic), but can be used to grow the self (so you can boost your natural abilities like strenght, charisma, etc..) or vice versa.

-Black arts: forbidden knowledges meant to trascend humanity and achive godhood. They bypass the natural laws (so resurrections, necromancy, demonology, mind control, etc..) but by doing so they require an equivalent trade-off, so, for example, if you want to bring back a dead person you need to sacrifice another life.

...then i like two main sub-categories:

-Alchemy: the arts of transmutation, elements, charms, body and so. Alchemy is not about cultivating the power within self but about the knowledge of the inherent magical properties of the world.

-Theurgy: the knowledge about rituals, symbols and words that somehow affect reality through the principle of contagion.

>What are the best magical schools?
There isn't a fixed number of school. Magic can be as thematic as you want to.

Are you retarded or are you just a poor reader?, I said they are not the same as in D&D, I just use the names for convenience.

Because they are on par, perception is just as important as timespace if not more so.

Perception is a residual effect arising from more fundamental effects. Manipulation of these more fundamental effects is not on par with the manipulation of perception irregardless of their perceived importance to the manipulators themselves. The definition of perception itself is vague and inconsistent under a rigorous examination. What it means to perceive is to acquire information meaning that any mechanisms that alters this ability would, on a fundamental level, fall under either creating something out of "nowhere", manipulation of timespace, transforming things into other things, making things behave in a way they logically should not or any combination of these.
Singling out perception as somekind of fundamental concept comparable to spacetime and even the concept of change itself is, simply put, stupid.

I don't give a fuck about what you think it's logical

If that were true, you wouldn't have replied to me.

Elemental
Psychic
Summoning
Energy Manipulation