History Main / MagicAIsMagicA

*** Martial Adepts: Ranging from [[MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours advanced martial arts]] to straight-up {{Kung Fu Wizard}}ry, this system was introduced while Wizards was testing out similar mechanics for 4e, making it one of the biggest retrospective [[ObviousBeta Obvious Betas]] in tabletop gaming.

** The Disney sequel era films was the first time Creator/GeorgeLucas was absent from Star Wars development and it was noted that aspects of the setting started to be reimagined into something less coherent. Most notably using hyperdrive to travel around the galaxy required careful calculations and "isn't like dusting crops," with a HyperspeedEscape a common aspect across numerous works, but as a whole it was presented as mostly a method to get from one place to another and speed does matter. Travel time in the sequels became less carefully considered and hyperspace tracking introduced in ''Film/TheLastJedi'' was dependent on a belief that it was previously impossible to track ships in hyperspace, which was technically never stated either way but still came across as throwing out TechnoBabble to undermine a Star Wars trope rather than working within the established rules. The Hyperspace Ram used later in the film also went against assumed rules, requiring ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' to have to explain it as a OneInAMillionChance.

* [[https://www.youtube.com/@TheCriticalDrinker The Critical Drinker]] stresses this as an important component in a story involving supernatural powers of any sort. Failing to clearly establish the boundaries and capabilities of such powers from the get-go makes it harder for the audience to get invested in the story (because setting no limitations on your hero's power means it's difficult to tell when the stakes are genuinely high) and it encourages laziness in writing (having a hero with no limitations means the stakes can't be high because nothing provides a real challenge to them). It also tends to create {{Plot Hole}}s of a "Wait, if they can do [x], then why didn't they just [y]?" nature whenever a writer [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands makes up new capabilities that a character wasn't already established to possess]].

* WebVideo/TheCriticalDrinker stresses this as an important component in a story involving supernatural powers of any sort. Failing to clearly establish the boundaries and capabilities of such powers from the get-go makes it harder for the audience to get invested in the story (because setting no limitations on your hero's power means it's difficult to tell when the stakes are genuinely high) and it encourages laziness in writing (having a hero with no limitations means the stakes can't be high because nothing provides a real challenge to them). It also tends to create {{Plot Hole}}s of a "Wait, if they can do [x], then why didn't they just [y]?" nature whenever a writer [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands makes up new capabilities that a character wasn't already established to possess]].

* There is an epic occurrence of this trope in a slightly NSFW comic named "The Broadsword". Unfortunately, the whole plot must be told. The [[IncrediblyLamePun Broadsword]] is the sword that the hero carries to slay the local evil magician, as a quest before he may marry his broad. As he is bored on the long journey and speaks her name, the sword turns into her. Because the good magician has built in a toggleswitch so the hero is not bored on the long journey. (You have one guess what they do to counteract their boredom.) Woes, oh woes, the evil magician has a mag(ic)netic field around his lair: no trespassing with swords. He has to toggle and promptly the mooks grab him and drag him before the overlord. But suddenly, his broad slips him a dagger and he slices-and-dices the baddie.

*** For an example of how it can get convoluted, the explanations there are the, respectively, True Magic is wholly different from the thaumaturgy available to most mages and follows wholly different laws - but it ''does'' have its own laws. Shirou, respectively, both has a Reality Marble (meaning his mind and soul are constructed differently than that of normal humans, providing unusual abilities) and has specialized in that one specific field of magic to the poiont where he seems to be breaking the rules. He is not - his creations fade away too, it just takes ''longer''.

* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' the video game Sburb (or Sgrub), around which the plot is based, has a series of strict, consistent rules. Its TimeTravel rules are also internally consistent. The few "magical" concepts that pop up (usually with Rose Lalonde) tend to be loosely defined and fairly inconsistent, because ''real'' magic (ie. not based on an explicit RealityWarper's powers or on Sburb itself) [[CatchPhrase is fake as all shit]].

** Richard Donner directed the first ''Film/{{Superman}}'' movie using the word "verisimilitude" as the production motto in scripting and crafting the film. They devoted a lot of their effort to figuring out how to have things make sense within the framework of the premise and plot. Why doesn't Superman solve all the world's problems? Jor-El's dialogue explains (piecemeal) that there is an intergalactic law not to interfere in the course of another planet's history. This rule was put into place as the result of the early history of "the twelve known galaxies" being rife with warfare due to interference (presumably resulting in stringent vigilance for that sort of thing now, creating the potential for the intergalactic equivalent of an international incident). He is already bending the rules just being Superman in the first place. If the name "Superman" was invented by the media, why is there an S-logo on the outfit? Marlon Brando came up with this idea: The fancy traditional attire of Kryptonians included family crests in a chest insignia, and the symbol on the seal of Jor-El's clan coincidentally happens to look somewhat like an S. And so on.

Works heavy on speculative elements, such as ScienceFiction and {{Fantasy}}, often have an assortment of fantastic intangibles we cannot even dream of encountering in RealLife -- yet act in a completely consistent way, as if governed by imaginary rules of physics; or at least, they do if the writer knows what they're doing. No matter how fantastic the events in a piece of fiction, their InternalConsistency is what makes or breaks the WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief. You can have the tech guy of LaResistance explain [[{{Technobabble}} in oblique terms involving the word "nano"]] why TheEmpire's fairy dust superweapon needs an hour to recharge after activation, and the audience will nod its collective head and smile; but if you later have that superweapon fire twice in succession, you just made a PlotHole and they'll all be at your throat.

See also MinovskyPhysics, which is a fictional physics with extremely detailed laws that makes it look like real physics as well as the CoolOfRule. Contrast NewRulesAsThePlotDemands and HowUnscientific; also contrast GameplayAndStorySegregation, which is an ''entire category'' of notoriously common VideoGame violations of this trope.

* The ''Franchise/HarryPotter''/''Literature/{{Twilight}}'' crossover series ''Fanfic/TheSecretKeeper'' has the following;

* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'' has two magic systems that are actually the same, only practiced in different ways.
** Witches draw circles in the air to cast spells, either with their limbs or with staffs, and decide which spell to cast mentally. This is possible due to witches having an extra organ near the heart that produces magical bile, though this organ can run out, in which case they can't practice magic like this anymore..
** Magic glyphs, which were practiced by witches in the ancient past and is being rediscovered by the show's protagonist Luz, involved drawing a glyph within a circle and tapping it to activate, the spell being cast decided by which glyph is drawn. This is actually the same thing witches do, but they skip the step of drawing the glyph, merely drawing the circle and then subconsciously putting in the glyph. This is done so quickly that it can't be perceived by the naked eye, but Luz catches it on camera. Without the bile, Luz has to draw the glyphs the conventional way, usually carrying around stacks of pre-drawn glyphs.
*** Luz has (so far) only discovered glyphs for Light, Ice, Fire and Plants, but can combine them to form new spells, not unlike letters of a language. King theorizes that those four might be the only glyphs you need, and they can be combined into nearly infinite combinations.

* In the ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13550638/1/Forever-Yellow Forever Yellow]]", as various Yellow Rangers join forces, the Rangers observe various links between their more subtle powers. Most notably, while Lily's Cheetah spirit (''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'') doesn't get along with the Red Lion Wildzord (''Series/PowerRangersWildForce''), Maya (''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'') is able to communicate with the Wildzords just as she used to talk with the Galactabeasts.

*** Truenaming, which draws on the power behind [[IKnowYourTrueName using the true names of beings]]...or, at least it's ''supposed'' to, if it weren't [[TierInducedScrappy accidentally made almost useless to play.]]

->''"We don't ask that you stay within the bounds of physics, but at least follow the rules you freaking made up".''

* ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'':

* ''WesternAnimation/BeastWars'' Franchise/{{Transformers}} had the "Transmetal" subline, which was forced on them by virtue of being MerchandiseDriven. Essentially the story goes that they had to destroy a doomsday device in orbit that was threatening them with DeathFromAbove. The resulting "quantum shockwave" changed the bodies of Transformers on both sides, but due to budget (CGI models take a lot more effort to redesign then with traditional animation, especially in TheNineties) only a handful of current characters were redesigned. To try and explain why some changed while others didn't, those who weren't altered were otherwise incapacitated in a repair chamber or something else. It wasn't perfect and there was still a few inconsistencies with a couple of characters. Then the Transmetal process was refered to again. A device from the same aliens that sent the "Planet Buster" emitted a paralyzing pulse at the transformers around it. Those who with some form of transmetal in them proved to be immune to its effects.

** Planeswalking is generally kept pretty consistent. Only someone with a Spark can planeswalk, you can't bring much more than what's on your person, and organics objects not immediately on your body can't withstand the Blind Eternities. It is also hard to control where on a Plane you appear, but you can follow another Planeswalker's 'trail' to appear near them if they planeswalked recently. There are some exceptions(Yanggu can bring his dog Mowu with him), but those are due to unique properties of the Planeswalker in question.

** There are three set rules for magic: "No time travel", "Once Exalted, you cannot Un-Exalt".[[note]]Elaborating: Un-Exalting results in death, no exceptions.[[/note]] and "No resurrections".
This being ''Exalted'', those rules exist mostly for Solar Circle Sorcerers to kick them in the nuts and steal their lunch money, but you will never see official Charms or Spells from White Wolf that allow you to break those rules; Bend, maybe but break, no. Below are some examples.
** The 'no unexalting' rule has found some limited exceptions. It assumes that on a mystical level, the Exalt remains fundamentally human. Green Sun Princes who 'ascend' to full Primordial status with Heresy charms find their Exaltation flitting off to find a new host (not that they need it at that point). Likewise, Exalts who chose to take up a job offer to divinity extended via Greater Sidereal Astrology find their Exaltation moving on once they become Gods. Becoming a God or a Primordial results in the end of mortality... which looks like death to the Exaltation. It should be noted that in both of these cases, the exception is allowed because the action of releasing the Exaltation is a choice, and cannot be driven by any supernatural or unnatural compulsion at all else the powers fail to work. The more precise law would have to be "Exaltation cannot be taken away from Exalts, ever".

->''"We don't ask that you stay within the bounds of physics, but at least follow the rules you freaking made up."''

* Subverted in Matt Wagner's ''ComicBook/MageTheHeroDiscovered''. Kevin Matchstick's mentor Mirth told him that "Magic is Green." Subsequently, Kevin's various magic feats are invariably depicted in a greenish hue. In the sequel, ''The Hero Defined'', Wally Utt ([[spoiler: a different face of Mirth]]) said that Kevin was taught "Magic is Green" so he could visualize magic more easily. As Utt revealed, "Magic isn't any color. Magic ''is'' color!"

** The direct-to-video sequel, ''WesternAnimation/AladdinTheReturnOfJafar'', goes more in-depth into the "can't kill" rule -- namely, that it's open to LoopholeAbuse. Genies can't kill, but they ''can'' manipulate others into killing or place someone in an situation that would lead to their death. And if all else fails, [[ArcWords "You'd be surprised]] [[FateWorseThanDeath what you can live through."]]

"I do not know what you mean by that," answered the leader of the Elves. "They are fair garments, and the web is good, for it was made in this land. They are elvish robes certainly, if that is what you mean." ("Farewell to Lórien", ''The Fellowship of the Ring''.)

* ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' uses this, with two separate magic systems. It describes exactly how the magic works -- e.g. instead of "he snapped his fingers and a flame appeared above them," it's "she snapped her fingers, felt the spark and heat generated by the friction, and fed it her magic until it grew into a visible flame."

** There are three set rules for magic: "No time travel", "Once Exalted, you cannot Un-Exalt."[[note]]Elaborating: Un-Exalting results in death, no exceptions.[[/note]] and "No resurrections." This being ''Exalted'', those rules exist mostly for Solar Circle Sorcerers to kick them in the nuts and steal their lunch money, but you will never see official Charms or Spells from White Wolf that allow you to break those rules; Bend, maybe but break, no. Below are some examples.

* In the original play of ''Film/BellBookAndCandle'', Gillian explains that the effects of spells have to look like coincidences: "I can't bring Niagara Falls down to Grand Central Station, or turn this house into the Taj Mahal. It doesn't work that way."

* Website/SFDebris often points out violations, typically phrasing it as "All I ask is that you be consistent with your nonsense."

** A universal trait of all the styles is the more skilled the bender, the less physical effort required to do so akin to a muscle. A master like [[AuthorityEqualsAsskicking King]] [[DishingOutDirt Bumi]] can bend just by moving his ''[[BewareTheSillyOnes face.]]''

** The Original Trilogy depicted [[SentientCosmicForce the Force]] through the eyes of a character who is [[TheHerosJourney gradually learning how to use it]], so new powers and abilities can be introduced to the canon without breaking the system because there is so little definitive rules presented. When the Emperor breaks out [[ShockAndAwe lightning from his hands]] the best foreshadowing that is given is Yoda telling Luke not to underestimate the Emperor. The few definitive rules was the need for training and discipline to use the force and there is a [[TheDarkSide dark side to the Force]] that [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique promises great power]] but warns of PowerAtAPrice. Individual powers get different focus depending on the story, with some dependent on which alignment you are (ie [[HealingHands Force Healing]] and [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Force Transcend]] for Jedi and [[ShockAndAwe Force Lightning]]for Sith).

** One of Donner's criticisms of Richard Lester's ''Film/SupermanII'' was that it gave Superman a variety of powers that he'd never had before, including teleporting, telekinetic beams and [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment the power to pull off a cellophane "S" shield and throw it at your enemies.]] The audience has no trouble accepting a man who can shoot laser beams from his eyes or start hurricanes with his breath, but will immediately balk when the fictional boundaries of his abilities are overstepped.

* “[[https://archiveofourown.org/works/6030382/ A Mingling of Magics: The Legacy of Merlin]]” reveals that the magic used in ''Film/TheSorcerersApprentice2010'' is the modern version of the magic used in ''Series/Merlin2008''. As time went on, the magic of the Old Religion began to retreat from the world after the Golden Age of Camelot, so now most sorcerers require rings or other artefacts to channel their magic.

* In the ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13550638/1/Forever-Yellow Forever Yellow]]", as various Yellow Rangers join forces, the Rangers observe various links between their more subtle powers. Most notably, while Lily's Cheetah spirit (''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'') doesn't get along with the Red Lion Wildzord (''Series/PowerRangersWildForce''), Maya (''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'') is able to communicate with the Wildzords just as she used to talk with the Galactabeasts.
* ''Fanfic/{{Game Theory|LyricalNanoha}}'' does this with the magic of ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha.'' Clear rules are presented for things like [[MadeOfMagic mana constructs]], spell design, mana itself, and much more.
* In ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheAlienReality'', Harry learns that occlumency allows him to resist other forms of mental manipulation as opposed to just legilimency after he is able to use it to resist Hathor's use of ''nishta''. He is even able to teach a version of it to SG-1 after this event, which makes it even harder for the Keeper to read their minds.

** In ''Daughter of the Lioness'' it has been confirmed that there are further types of innate magic: one heroine has 'the Sight' which enhances her perception skills in various ways. In ''Provost's Dog'', one has the ability to communicate with certain beings (ghosts and wind-spinners). It is implied these types of magic aren't inherently different from the more common Gift, but that the way these skills are classified is more of a societal invention.

* ''ComicBook/XMen'' explicitly tries to be internally consistent with mutant powers in that each mutant gets one mutation, along with any RequiredSecondaryPowers. Then "Secondary Mutations" throws that right out the window, not that it hasn't been broken in the past.
* Franchise/{{Superman}} is an interesting example. When he was first published in UsefulNotes/TheGoldenAgeOfComicBooks, he was simply "leap an eighth of a mile or hurdle a 20 story building", "lift tremendous weights", "run faster than an express train" and "Nothing less than a bursting shell could penetrate his skin", or as later adaptations more eloquently put it: "faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, and able to leap tall buildings with a single bound". Then, UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks started a ''massive'' PowerCreepPowerSeep, with his abilities including powers as ludicrous as Super-Ventriloquism and ''Super-Weaving''. It wasn't until later when his powers finally settled in the most accepted set nowadays: flight, invulnerability, super-strength, super-speed, super-hearing, X-ray vision, heat vision, and super-breath. Additionally, the basic/familiar power set above had become cemented by the early Silver Age (heat vision became a permanently separate power from x-ray vision in the early 60s). [[note]] The tacit rule in UsefulNotes/{{the Silver Age|of Comic Books}} was that Superman could do (or learn to do) anything a normal man could do, only much faster and more powerfully. So if he weaves a large item in a matter of seconds, that can be called "super-weaving" without anyone actually considering it a distinct power. The Ventriloquism is an odd case, though: it was once a popular misconception that a ventriloquist could ''literally'' throw his voice; and so, "logically," if a normal man could do it, then Superman could do it exceptionally well. Once more sensible writers came along and noticed that it was now established canon that Supes ''could'' literally throw his voice, they just kept it--especially since it provided a handy explanation for how Superman and Supergirl could talk to each other in the vacuum of space. [[/note]]

* ''ComicBook/{{Fables}}'' is a bit confusing. AllMythsAreTrue, and exist in another universe. However, Nick Slick (apparently the devil) and the Frankenstein monster seem to have always existed in the real world, and even mundane world wolves appear to have a complex language and even a religion, implying that they're far more intelligent than real-world wolves. It's partially resolved in that over the course of the series it becomes apparent that it is not our world. ''Jack of Fables'' makes it much more noticeable as it shows superpowered abstract entities already exist in the Fables universe.
* The ComicBook/GreenLantern Power Ring should be able to avoid this, as it is advertised as being capable of anything the wearer can imagine. People still complain when it does something exceptional, though, mostly because it stands out as being extremely unusual. However, most of the Green Lantern [[TheChosenMany Corps]] don't exercise the full advantage of imagination when wielding one. This is why people like Kyle Rayner, an artist, stand out. And when handled properly, John Stewart, an architect.
** With the former, he is considered utterly unpredictable because of his artistic imagination, making figures like mecha or {{Magical Girl}}s to fight. With the latter, John Stewart actually takes time to apply his architectural knowhow when constructing items, so they have a lot more 'solidness' to them.

* Subverted in Matt Wagner's ''Mage'' arc; in ''[[ComicBook/MageTheHeroDiscovered The Hero Discovered]]'', Kevin Matchstick's mentor Mirth told him that "Magic is Green." Subsequently, Kevin's various magic feats are invariably depicted in a greenish hue. In the sequel, ''The Hero Defined'', Wally Utt ([[spoiler: a different face of Mirth]]) said that Kevin was taught "Magic is Green" so he could visualize magic more easily. As Utt revealed, "Magic isn't any color. Magic ''is'' color!"
* In ''ComicBook/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagicIDW'' Chrysalis tries to drain Twilight of her magic power to gain access to Twilight's more powerful spells. Twilight points out that even if Chrysalis drained her of her magic, the Queen still wouldn't be able to use Twilight's spells because Twilight [[spoiler:gained her power through focused study; Chrysalis would [[UnskilledButStrong have power without knowing how to use it]]]].

* There is an epic occurrence of this trope in a slightly NSFW comic (by EC or Warren? Wally Wood??) named "The Broadsword". Unfortunately, the whole plot must be told. The [[IncrediblyLamePun Broadsword]] is the sword that the hero carries to slay the local evil magician, as a quest before he may marry his broad. As he is bored on the long journey and speaks her name, the sword turns into her. Because the good magician has built in a toggleswitch so the hero is not bored on the long journey. (You have one guess what they do to counteract their boredom.) Woes, oh woes, the evil magician has a mag(ic)netic field around his lair: no trespassing with swords. He has to toggle and promptly the mooks grab him and drag him before the overlord. But suddenly, his broad slips him a dagger and he slices-and-dices the baddie. Happy End. Of course now you ask, the broad was [[ShapeshiftingExcludesClothing nekkid]], where did she get the dagger? Drumroll: [[spoiler: It was their unborn baby.]]
* Discussed by Chuck Dixon in Comics Scene#7 for his Hyborian Age tales in Savage Sword. "The supernatural stuff generally never makes any sense to me. I have to give it an interior logic in the story. As [artist] Gary Kwapisz says, if you conjure up a demon, you lose an arm or something. All the wizards are obsessed, psychotic people who have some kind of death wish".

* ''Fanfic/{{Stardust|Arad}}'', a crossover with ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' and ''VideoGame/XCOMEnemyUnknown'', equates Equestrian magic with the advanced abilities and technology the aliens display in the original game. The element "elerium" from the game is stated to be identical to Equestrian "arcanite," and is used to combine magic and technology, allowing for a positively dizzying array of MagiTek weapons and devices. The author gets pretty much about as in-depth as is possible without a degree in physics when it comes to explaining the mechanics of magic.

* In the ''Series/{{Farscape}}''/''Series/StargateSG1'' crossover "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/1345146/1/Pathways Pathways]]", it is revealed that, despite the differences in the wormholes between the two series, the wormholes found by Crichton and the wormholes used by the Stargates are basically the same system. Carter and Crichton speculate that the Stargates serve to keep the wormholes contained to a single universe while the [=DHDs=] make them easy to use, whereas Crichton deals with ‘wild’ wormholes that require more effort to navigate properly.
* The ''[[Fanfic/TheEquestriaChronicles Legends of Equestria]]'' continuity establishes some extra rules around those discussed in the ''My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic'' entry below. Among them:
** There are two over-arching types of magic: light magic which is available to most ponies by default and includes the Pegasi's abilities with the weather and the unicorns' natural abilities; and dark magic, which is an independent entity that flows from the earth. Dark magic is significantly more powerful than standard light magic, but [[ThisIsYourBrainOnEvil tends to corrupt everything it touches]].
** The story also makes a clear distinction between the concepts of magical power and magical complexity. While any unicorn, regardless of study or skill, can cast simplistic spells (such as the standard telekinesis), and can cast very ''powerful'' versions of these spells when properly motivated (i.e. being able to lift large objects or throw items with great force), skill and instruction are required to master ''complex'' magic. So only a pony that has studied extensively can work with transmutation, teleportation, time spells, thought control, etc.

* In the ''Franchise/PowerRangers'' fic "[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13550638/1/Forever-Yellow Forever Yellow]]", as various Yellow Rangers join forces, the Rangers observe various links between their more subtle powers. Most notably, while Lily's Cheetah spirit (''Series/PowerRangersJungleFury'') doesn't get along with the Red Lion Wildzord (''Series/PowerRangersWildForce''), Maya (''Series/PowerRangersLostGalaxy'') is able to communicate with the Wildzords just as she used to talk with the Galactabeasts.
* ''[[Fanfic/GuardiansWizardsAndKungFuFighters Guardians, Wizards, and Kung-Fu Fighters]]'' clarifies that that the magic used by the [[WesternAnimation/{{WITCH}} Guardians and Meridianites]] (called Raw Magic) is different from the Chi Magic used by [[WesternAnimation/JackieChanAdventures Uncle, Tohru, and Wong]]. However, [[spoiler: [[MysteriousWatcher Nimue]]]] later makes it clear that it's possible to use both types.

** Alice’s abilities are clearly established as being unable to perceive anything non-human or non-vampire, with the result that just sitting beside Hagrid blocks her abilities when she’s attending a quidditch match, [[spoiler:and Death Eaters are able to bypass her by forcing a house-elf to accompany them on raids]].

* ''Fanfic/AvengersInfiniteWars'';
** In chapter 23, Peter compares the Force to what he's heard about Chi and similar concepts on Earth after talking with Ahsoka and Barris. It is eventually confirmed that the Force is another name for what the Franchise/MarvelUniverse calls the "Power Cosmic", which has been used by characters such as the ComicBook/SilverSurfer.
** Speculated; while lightsabers will always require Kyber Crystals to be created, [[spoiler:Celeste Morne]] wonders if a Master of the Mystic Arts could create one with their abilities as a 'substitute' for the ability to use the Force.

* ''Fanfic/ABrighterDark'': It's not quite explained ''how'' magic works, much like its [[VideoGame/FireEmblem original source material,]] however it does establish that there are certain things that can't be changed, at least in regards to healing magic. Healing magic can accelerate the body's natural healing abilities, nothing more, and thus can't do anything about things that wouldn't naturally heal or would otherwise heal incorrectly like [[ScarsAreForever scars,]] [[AnArmAndALeg amputations, crippling injuries,]] and [[AllDeathsFinal death.]]
** Gets further expanded upon by the introduction of Nyx, currently the oldest living character and most powerful dark mage. She explains that what stands out about dark magic is that it specifically ''averts'' this by being completely unlimited in scope and being able to completely break the rules of nature, however there is a cost to each spell. The cost being amplified based on how much you're breaking the natural order.
** Meanwhile, ordinary magic works within the natural order and is thus incredibly limited. After all, wounds ''want'' to heal. Fire ''wants'' to burn. Wind ''wants'' to blow. There is no cost to using ordinary magic because, unlike dark magic, it isn't doing anything that nature isn't already doing on its own, just directing it.

* Taylor's power in ''Fanfic/ADarkerPath'' is known as Path To Ending which allows her to (plan out the steps to) kill anything. The author has specified that it does not allow Taylor to gain anything as part of the path unless it's something she needs to kill her target. While she will find ways to gain resources as part of killing something, said resources are almost invariably used up in doing so. The few exceptions are when the resources are best reused for later paths, such as her costume, which she got right after killing Oni Lee. Though her power has [[SwissArmySuperpower a great deal of versatility]][[labelnote:*]]Killing misunderstandings, someone's self-confidence, a forum ban, or even the odds of her being identified[[/labelnote]], the end goal can ''not'' be Taylor gaining something. So she can't say, kill the fact she's broke, or that she'll die one day, as both are about gaining rather than ending.

* The rules of time travel were fairly consistent in ''Series/QuantumLeap'', insofar as Project Quantum Leap was concerned: Dr. Sam Beckett could travel in time, but only within the range of his natural lifetime (starting on his date of birth). He "leaps" into someone who already exists at that time, and he retains his physical form and abilities while everyone around him sees the image of the "leapee" (conversely, the leapee is kept at Project Quantum Leap because they look like Dr. Beckett). Children, animals and psychics [[GlamourFailure can see Sam's true form]]. The times this was broken were explained as extremely unlikely events:
** Sam and Al exchanged places and leaped to a point before Sam's birth due to a [[LightningCanDoAnything lightning strike]] hitting Sam and Al at the same time just as Sam was leaping out.
** Sam leaped into one of his Civil War ancestors because the ancestor and Sam were close enough genetically to cause a cross-time jump.
** Similarly, Al (as the Observer) has very strict rules - he can only be seen by Sam and certain others (animals, children, the mentally disabled, and those whose brainwaves are similar to Sam's). Sam can see Al because Al is "tuned" to Sam's brainwaves, and anyone else who tries to fill in as Observer when Al is not available is seen by Sam as a distorted or ghostly image due to the mismatch. And Al cannot interact with anything except what he brings into the Imaging Chamber because from his perspective ''he's'' real and everything else is a hologram.
* Meanwhile, ''Series/QuantumLeap2022'' is consistent with its own rules for time travel. Leaping outside of one's lifetime, or leaping forward into the future, is now possible thanks to some new code Ben uploaded into Ziggy, with the ability to do so likened to a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_assist gravity assist]]. Also, Ben's leaps don't involve a temporal switcheroo and Waiting Room; rather, Ben and the leapee are in the same place at the same time due to quantum superposition, with Ben even retaining the leapee's physicality and muscle memory -- which is great when he leaps into an athlete, but not so much when he leaps into a middle-aged man -- while still surrounded by the leapee's aura. That said, Addison explicitly states that Ben has to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong in order to leap, adding that it's just how it apparently works based on what Sam Beckett did.

** The rules change drastically in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition''. Following the [[HellMouth Breach event,]] the limitations of magic are significantly loosened in ways that even the most learned scholars are struggling to comprehend. Even a form of time travel becomes possible following this event, albeit in an extremely unstable fashion. Surprisingly, an entire new school of magic revolving around manipulating the newly released energies arises mere months afterwards, although not without significant risks.

* There's two forms of magic in the ''[[VideoGame/DivineDivinity Divinity]]'' series; regular magic and Source magic. Regular magic is the usual fantasy magic, with fireball and polymorph and the like. Source magic tends more towards esoteric powers, like blessing people or producing orbs that can heal any ailment.
** Source magic also seems to come from a different origin than regular magic and is especially prone to breaking. There's never been a ''Divinity'' game where Source has been present and worked as intended the whole way through; at best, it just doesn't work. At worst it'll [[WithGreatPowerComesGreatInsanity make you go crazy]] or summon [[EldritchAbomination eldritch horrors]]. Despite all this, regular magic has never had such problems.

* Bending in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' mostly follows this:

** Even Ty Lee's chi blocking is based off of the idea that acupuncture can block chi, and that bending uses chi as well. ''Legend of Korra'' proves that anyone can learn this if they practice, [[spoiler: and can be used in conjunction with bloodbending to semi-permanently take away someone's bending.]]
* ''The Last Airbender'''s SequelSeries, ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', follows up on what the original show set down.

** With the episodes "Beginnings, Part 1 and 2", the history of the Avatar is set out. [[spoiler: Notably, bending was ''given'' to people by lion-turtles, who acted as guardians to humanity in a world ravaged by spirits. At the end, Wan becomes the first Avatar by merging with the Spirit of Light Raava and becoming the first person capable of bending all four elements at once. With the coming of the Avatar, the lion-turtles relinquished their position as guardians of humanity and notably claimed that they will not give humans the power to bend elements anymore. This provides for two possibilities: All benders are descendants of those humans who kept their bending powers after the lion-turtles left. Or, subsequent generations of humanity really did learn to bend the elements by watching animals (and the Moon) do it. The show vaguely implies the second, as the effects of energy-bending were shown to not be hereditary, meaning that the people with bending granted by energy-bending can't pass it on to their children.]]
** The ability of spirit-world interference to bestow bending is further built upon at the end of Season 2, when the Harmonic Convergence causes [[spoiler: random non-benders around the world to suddenly become airbenders, correcting the imbalance caused by the Fire Nation's earlier genocide.]]
** In Season 3, the members of the Red Lotus are capable of bending in unique and unusual ways, but even then they don't seem to deviate from the previously-established rules. Indeed, other people are shown being able to use those powers.

* ''Manga/DragonBall'':
** While the exact mechanics of ki and battle power are never fully explained, they do follow consistent rules. Among other things, the rules about who can fly, who can transform, and who can [[GoodThingYouCanHeal regenerate]] are all the same for everyone across the board. And if there's someone who does break the rules, an explanation is given as to why they can.
** ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' also does this for the rules of the Saiyan race, which are kept internally consistent throughout the entire series for every Saiyan character, especially when it comes to Super Saiyan levels.
** The titular Dragon Balls have their own rules that govern how often they can be used and what wishes they can grant. Earth's dragon, Shenron, notably cannot affect people whose power exceeds his creator, cannot revive the same person twice, and can be used to bring back multiple people under one wish as long as they died within the last year. Porunga is similar, but offers three wishes, can revive the same person any number of times, and originally cannot revive multiple people with a single wish. Later, both sets of Dragon Balls are upgraded to be similar in power.
* ''Anime/ReadOrDie'' sets the arbitrary yet consistent rule that only the most skilled paper-manipulators may use paper that gets wet.
* ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'' never gets into the "nuts and bolts" of how one learns alchemy or gets it to work, but we are shown through repeated example that it requires a great deal of research, practice and the use of [[GeometricMagic inscribed runes or circles]] to make it happen. There is also the constantly repeated rule of ''EquivalentExchange,'' that for the alchemist to create something, he or she must destroy something of equal value (in practice, this means just having the necessary raw materials at hand -- the act of construction itself doesn't seem to "cost" anything, since alchemy uses geothermal energy). In fact, the author's notes at the beginning of the manga emphasize that the series was originally intended to showcase a B-movie style version of real-life alchemy, without so much emphasis on the actual science behind it. In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemist2003'', though, it's revealed that [[spoiler:''[[HumanResources human souls]]'' from our world, especially the influx of souls from World War One]] are the cost being paid to perform alchemy. [[{{PhilosophersStone}} Philosopher's Stones]] seem to break this, acting as an infinite energy source, but in the manga/''Brotherhood'' it's revealed quite early on they're [[spoiler: compressed human souls]] and they eventually run out like a battery.

* ''Manga/RanmaOneHalf'': [[InvoluntaryShapeshifting Magical transformations]] have a set of basic of very generalized rules to purposely avoid complicated minutiae ("I don't think about it, and [[BellisariosMaxim neither should you!]]") despite [[FanWank whatever fans say.]]

* ''Anime/CodeGeass'' has Lelouch test out via experiment the constraints of his Geass. The show mostly sticks to the established rules, and when it doesn't, it's usually because a Geass has "evolved".
* For all the magic and curses flying around in ''Manga/TsubasaReservoirChronicle'' and ''Manga/XxxHOLiC'', it is made indisputably clear that the one rule of that multi-verse is that the dead don't come back. No matter what you pay, they stay dead. [[spoiler:Yoko's living dead situation caused all the Mind Screwy mess in the former series because this sort of thing isn't supposed to happen.]]
* ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' does this with the Nen-system. Going further, while Nen itself has its own rules and limits, specific abilities can also have rules of their own set in place by their creators. Examples of such rules can be placing limitations on how and when an ability can be used. Further, due to the general rules of Nen, setting such limitations can make the actual ability far more powerful. The stricter the limitation and the more harsh the penalty for violating it, the greater the power boost gained. For example, Kurapika creates powerful attacks with the limits that they can only be used against the Phantom Troupe and he will die if he misuses them. These limitations allow him to take on the most physically powerful of his enemies one-on-one without difficulty.
* ''Manga/FutureDiary'' has diaries that can predict the future. However, the limits of the future that they may predict varies from character to character. Yukki, for instance, has a diary that can only predict what is going on around him, from his perspective. Yuno, being Yukki's stalker, has a diary that updates her on things that are going to happen to Yukki. The only exceptions to the rules are if a character's DEAD END comes up, which will be a prediction of the future of the diary holder's death.
* ''Manga/{{NEEDLESS}}'': One Needless, one Fragment. It's consistent throughout the story, with certain Fragments that can imitate the effect of other Fragments to some extent, i.e. [[WrenchWench Kana's]] [[SchizoTech Flamethrower]] is as good as the power of a [[PlayingWithFire Fire Needless.]] [[spoiler:TheHero and the BigBad have fragments that can learn the abilities of other fragments.]]
* Each episode of ''Anime/{{Gunbuster}}'' has a little "science lesson" short that explains a certain aspect of the show's universe, laying out the physics behind it.
* In ''Anime/MajokkoTsukuneChan'', the CuteWitch heroine explains that while she can reverse her magic spells, she can't reverse any collateral damage that results from said spells. Since this is a GagSeries, HilarityEnsues.
* A certain middle school class in ''Literature/{{Another}}'' must deal year after year with a curse that will potentially kill members of the class and/or their immediate loved ones. This goes on for ''twenty-five'' years, more than long enough to determine many of the rules that govern the curse. For instance, the curse only takes effect within the school's town. The one time a death appears to be an exception the actual cause of death was an injury that occurred before they even left.
* ''Franchise/{{Zoids}}'':
** The ''Manga/ZoidsChaoticCentury'' manga establishes a rule that [[RobotBuddy Organoids]] cannot beam into any [[HumongousMecha Zoid]] at will. Zeke needs their permission, and Shadow will kill any Zoid it beams into. The [[Anime/ZoidsChaoticCentury anime,]] on the other hand, never establishes an equivalent limitation, and as a result the series has a ton of plot holes as the Organoids behave in an inconsistent manner.
** ''Anime/ZoidsGenesis'' states that Bio-Zoid armour can only be harmed by Metal Zi weapons, and in particular are immune to beam weapons. This stays consistent, and later the armor is upgraded to be even more resistant to Metal Zi. However, there are other weaknesses related to the structure of the Bio-Zoids -- their mouths (which breath fire) are extremely vulnerable, if difficult, targets, and can be destroyed by even the aforementioned beam weapons. The Bio-Zoids that didn't get the more powerful armor can be crushed, for instance by [[RockBeatsLaser a group of falling rocks larger than them.]] And they also have one other, even rarer weakness -- if they fall into lava, they melt. Late in the show a Brastle Tiger comes around with a gun that can turn land into pits of lava, which is a very effective weapon against a swarm of them.

* "Magic" in the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise is essentially a massive pool of energy that certain living creatures can tap into and shape with the help of very complex mathematics to bring about spectacular, if temporary effects. Since it is very much rooted in conventional physics, the settings' mages actually have ''computers'' to help them store magical formulas and reproduce them quicker, and they can teach "spells" (essentially, [[PowersAsPrograms magical programs]]) to other mages with minor alterations to produce exactly the same effects.

* Deconstructed in ''Manga/{{Uzumaki}}'': it becomes clear that the supernatural events afflicting the town ''aren’t'' random. There are rules deciding what happens and breaking those rules incurs [[NightmareFuel horrifying punishments.]] One problem; ''nobody knows what the rules are''. And the EldritchAbomination causing all this doesn’t care to explain. ''And'' the rules change over time, with zero announcement. The only method of discerning them is trial-and-error, but any error means you’re dead.
* ''Manga/DrStone'' has a similar deconstruction: [[spoiler:Initially nobody knows what the "Stone Beam" that [[TakenForGranite petrified humanity]] is or where it came from, but during the Treasure Island arc, the heroes meet a villager whose people are terrorized by people who have a weapon that produces a smaller-scale version of the effect, and actually managed to escape the effects of the beam personally. Senku is excited by this because it proves that the "Stone Beam" is a scientific weapon, meaning it has rules and restrictions and therefore they can work out a way to defeat and potentially reverse it.]]
* This is the fundamental narrative rule behind ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventure'' from ''Stardust Crusaders'' and onward: [[FightingSpirit Stands]], wielded by heroes, villains, and neutral parties alike, can endow their users with superhuman abilities. However, all of them are bound by particular rules, each one is entirely self-consistent (albiet unique), and a more effective Stand must have a tradeoff or restriction of some sort, which adversaries can exploit once discovered and which bound their users to fight in particular ways. For instance, Josuke Higashikata's healing powers work at a distance, but only up to about two meters away from him, requiring him to stay on the front lines to be effective.
* In the anime/manga of ''Literature/TheHeroicLegendOfArslan'', Zahhāk Warlocks, despite their formidable powers and are using magic in an otherwise realistic story, have limitations of their magic and can be combated and defeated by normal people. Their most common form of magic is Earth-diving that allows them to move beneath the surface like water, but it ''only'' works on earth and does nothing to protect them from being stabbed or burnt, especially once they emerge from the ground. Additionally, they can't attack beyond the length of their arm so if someone climbs up a tree, they can avoid their attacks. They also cannot perform unnatural phenomenons at will like summoning fire or lightning, resorting to knives and blades they are in a fight. The sole exception is the mists that obscured the Lustianian traps upon the fields of Atropatene, but even that required lots of preparation, all the warlocks to perform the ritual and the leader being greatly weakened for several months after.

** One of Donner's criticisms of Richard Lester's ''Film/SupermanII'' was that it gave Superman a variety of powers that he'd never had before, including teleporting, telekinetic beams and [[BigLippedAlligatorMoment the power to pull off a cellophane "S" shield and throw it at your enemies.]] The audience has no trouble accepting a man who can shoot laser beams from his eyes or start hurricanes with his breath, but will immediately balk when the fictional boundaries of his abilities are overstepped.

* ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture'' trilogy established three things about how their TimeMachine works: you need to be moving at least 88 MPH, you need 1.21 gigawatts of energy, and the [[AppliedPhlebotinum Flux Capacitor]] makes TimeTravel possible. The lack of the proper energy source to create 1.21 gigawatts is what drives the story of the [[Film/BackToTheFuture first movie]] and after a visit to the future Doc Brown installed "Mr. Fusion" that eliminated the dilemma by being able to use anything to create that energy. In the [[Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII third movie]] a lack of proper octane gasoline fuel for the engine to get them up to speed is a different issue (they even made sure to specify that Mr. Fusion doesn't apply to the internal combustion engine). Some fans also noticed that the lightning strike in the [[Film/BackToTheFuturePartII second movie]] that shot Doc into the old West happened while the Delorean was mostly stationary, filmmakers clarified that the car ''rotated'' at 88 MPH which is seen with the fire trail after it happened.
* It's probably more accurate to say that ''Franchise/StarWars'' gets away with this, rather than embrace it wholeheartedly.
** The Original Trilogy depicted [[SentientCosmicForce the Force]] through the eyes of a character who is [[TheHerosJourney gradually learning how to use it]], so new powers and abilities can be introduced to the canon without breaking the system because there is so little definitive rules presented. When the Emperor breaks out [[ShockAndAwe lightning from his hands]] the best foreshadowing that is given is Yoda telling Luke not to underestimate the Emperor. The few definitive rules was the need for training and discipline to use the force and there is a [[TheDarkSide dark side to the Force]] that [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique promises great power]] but warns of PowerAtAPrice. Individual powers get different focus depending on the story, with some dependent on which alignment you are (ie [[HealingHands Force Healing]] and [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Force Transcend]] for Jedi and [[ShockAndAwe Force Lightning]]for Sith).
** The Prequel Trilogy featured a form of making the force feel more mundane because [[UniquenessDecay the Jedi were at the height of their power and common across the galaxy]], with talk of Midichlorians [[DoingInTheWizard in the blood of force users to explain their abilities]]. This in turn reduced the number of powers introduced for Jedi to use because much of it was already introduced or hinted at in the Original Trilogy. But as the films progressed and the particular era is explored more in supplemental media it better shows [[EndOfAnEra the transition]] from TheAgeOfMyth to ShroudedInMyth.
** The Disney sequel era films was the first time Creator/GeorgeLucas was absent from Star Wars development and it was noted that aspects of the setting started to be reimagined into something less coherent. Most notably using hyperdrive to travel around the galaxy required careful calculations and "isn't like dusting crops," with a HyperspeedEscape a common aspect across numerous works, but as a whole it was presented as mostly a method to get from one place to another and speed does matter. Travel time in the sequels became less carefully considered and hyperspace tracking introduced in ''Film/TheLastJedi'' was dependent on a belief that it was previously impossible to track ships in hyperspace, which was technically never stated either way but still came across as throwing out TechnoBabble to undermine a Star Wars trope rather than working within the established rules. The Hyperspace Ram used later in the film also went against assumed rules, requiring ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' to have to explain it as a OneInAMillionChance.

* The original ''Franchise/{{Ghostbusters}}'' films establish that the Proton Pack's stream is very dangerous to property and physical beings, but is incapable of harming ghostly entities, instead restraining them and allowing the 'Busters to lasso them into a ghost trap. Future adaptations would play faster and looser with this setup, but both movies stick to it pretty well, with BigBad Vigo from part II going down because the team doused him with a mood slime that could actually ''harm'' his non-corporeal form, while the proton streams still did their main job of keeping him in place.
* Averted in ''Film/ATalkingCat''. After [[spoiler:Duffy gets hit by a car]], Trent suggests they dig up the magical collar that lets him talk, despite having given no indication it has healing powers. [[spoiler:It works.]]
* ''Film/FastColor'': The central rule of the family's superpowers is that they can only turn things to dust and then back to normal. They can't repair anything that was already broken before their powers touched it. The one time Lila tries to fix a broken window with her power, it promptly shatters to pieces again.

* Magic in ''Literature/APracticalGuideToEvil'' has multiple competing systems, all of which are internally coherent, but none of which can entirely explain any of the others. It's also stated that trying to learn two different systems of magic has a tendency to [[GoMadFromTheRevelation send the practitioner insane]]. Most of the major characters are trained in Trimegistan theory, which uses [[FormulaicMagic Spell Formulas]]. It's crowning principle is stated as "Usurpation is the essence of Sorcery", and most of its major works are characterised as taking apart Creation, which is the work of the Gods, and putting it back together how the practitioner wants it to be. Did we mention that Trimegistan theory was developed by [[TheEmpire The Dread Empire of Praes]] based on the original works of the [[BigBad Dead King]]?
* The powers in ''Literature/TheZombieKnight Saga'' are handled this way. They are broken into six separate classes, including [[ThePowerOfCreation materialization]] and [[BodyHorror transfiguration]], among others. Each servants power has unique elements to it, like the type of material they can create, but the core functionality is the same. Even the arguably main source of magic in the story, that of [[GrimReaper the existence of reapers]], is explained as [[spoiler:a genetic trait which manifested in humans several millennia ago]].

* Literature/TheBrightestShadow: Sein is deeply embedded in culture and always has been. They may not be completely understood by people, but there is never any doubt that they *could* be completely understood.

* Creator/RobertAHeinlein's works:
** ''Literature/MagicInc.'' uses it more or less conventionally -- the magic in the story follows strict rules, which turns out to be important to the plot.
** ''Literature/{{Waldo}}'' is an in-universe example. The title character (after whom remote-control manipulation machines are named IRL) is an expert technologist and problem solver who is called in when remote power receptors are failing mysteriously. He finds that someone is fixing broken receptors ''by magic'', and is told that magic can do anything -- no rules. He disbelieves this and proceeds to discover the rules of magic and applies them, becoming a very successful magician as well as technologist.
* The ''Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar'' series is quite consistent with its depiction of magic and "mind-magic" -- which starts to confuse the main characters in some of the later series, when characters from far-distant locales come in with techniques that break rules they thought were unbreakable. In particular, Gates from one location to another always require an arch or similar frame, and a single mage's own power... until an eastern mage shows up and says they've always done it in teams, and that frames are just a convenience for them. The Adept Firesong once gave a speech declaring that most rules and limits of magic were all in the mage's head -- they couldn't do something simply because the way they were taught made them think that it was impossible. And indeed, he and others did manage to do things that other mages couldn't -- then a few books later he met the aforesaid Eastern mages who treat magic as a science complete with mathematical tools, and is forced to work with a group of engineers in figuring out a scientific approach to solving a magical crisis, proving that there are ''some'' real rules out there after all.

* The stories of Australian children's writer Creator/PaulJennings often revolve around this trope -- each has a TwistEnding which (however disturbing or disgusting) follows logically from the established rules of an item's or character's special power.
* The ''Literature/LordDarcy'' stories by Creator/RandallGarrett use self-consistent Laws of Magic to determine what can and can't be done by the characters. It's appropriate, since in this alternate world magic is a science. "Witchcraft" is used to refer to doing things that the Laws of Magic say are nonsense -- like using willowbark to cure headaches when everyone knows that there's no symbolic affinity between the willow and pain. Magic as Science, and Science as Magic... Though there is starting to be some of what we would consider more normal technological development: a top secret military research project has developed...''a flashlight!''\\\
A few of the simpler rules are explicitly named in the stories. For example, there's the Law of Contagion, which allows a forensic wizard to determine whether a particular bullet was fired from a particular gun. Occasionally hints of greater detail are given; for instance, the bullet has a strong affinity for the gun, but the gun has a fairly weak affinity for the bullet... it's all explained in-story. It's strongly implied that at the higher levels Theoretical Magic is at least as complicated as Quantum Physics; one of the characters mentions that he has only a Master's degree and not a Th.D. (Thaumaturgiae Doctoris) because he couldn't handle the math.
* Creator/JohnDicksonCarr's commitment to the FairPlayWhodunnit, where everything necessary to solve the mystery must be laid in front of the reader, meant that in those rare cases where he wrote a story involving the supernatural, the rules the magic operated by were clearly explained. For example, in ''The Devil in Velvet'', Professor Nicholas Fenton makes a DealWithTheDevil to go back in time and try to solve (even better, prevent) a murder; he and the devil hash out a detailed contract as to how this is to happen. He will go to the 16th century by inhabiting the body of his ancestor Sir Nicholas Fenton, suppressing the latter's personality, though the devil warns that Sir Nick's personality might come to the fore in moments of strong emotion. Unfortunately, Sir Nick's wife is murdered on schedule and Prof. Fenton still doesn't know who did it. [[spoiler:Turns out Sir Nick did; Fenton wasn't aware of having blacked out because of a moment of rage, during which Sir Nick took over.]]
* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'':
** The One Power has a convoluted system, especially [[GenderRestrictedAbility when it comes to differences between male and female "channelers"]] and how [[GeometricMagic various weaves are constructed]]. Once the author figured out how he wanted things to work (around the second or third book) it became perfectly consistent. Before that, the rules were slightly looser.
** There also are other forms of magic besides channelers-- Perrin's wolf powers, Min's viewings, Hurin's sniffing -- these don't fit within the rules and confuse channelers. The [[SummonMagic Horn of Valere]], has less to do with magic and more with the story's cosmology. Then there's [[HumanoidAbomination Padan Fain/Mordeth]], whatever ''he'' really is, who has all sorts of bizarre abilities that aren't connected to the One Power, though mercifully he seems to be the only wielder of the "Mordeth Power".
** It's further complicated by the fact that the setting is full of LostTechnology, PoorCommunicationKills and {{Culture Clash}}es, and is set [[AfterTheEnd after multiple different apocalypses]]. When something weird pops up, it's anyone's guess whether it seems completely impossible to the current viewpoint character but would be well-known and understood by someone from another country; was commonplace during the Age of Legends and has been forgotten by the present day; or has truly never been seen before by anyone in the world, often to the incredulity of the QuirkyMinibossSquad who have been [[SealedEvilInACan Sealed In A Can]] since the Age of Legends.
* Creator/BrandonSanderson's magic systems are regulated to the point of being almost ''science''. In one case, once the series was over and only about half the magic system was revealed, fans were able to ''correctly determine the rest of the system'', based on the science of the parts that had been revealed. Sanderson ''[[SandersonsFirstLaw owns]]'' this trope. You can find his essay on the subject [[https://brandonsanderson.com/sandersons-first-law here.]]
** As an example, in ''{{Franchise/Mistborn}}'', the primary magic power is Allomancy. In Allomancy, you have to ingest metals and then "burn" them to produce very specific effects. Each "set" of effects are based on burning an elemental metal and an alloy of that same metal produces a generally opposite effect. For example, Iron allows you to pull nearby metal and steel allows you to push against nearby metal. Zinc gives the ability to enhance emotions in people and brass allows you to reduce emotions. This elemental/alloy relationship even allows an InUniverse deduction when a character is exposed to a new elemental metal and realizes there must be an alloy that produces an opposite effect she figures it out and actually gains an edge against other Allomancers for a while. The effect of a metal never change but its science-like nature allows characters to get really creative with applications.
** Each of his other series and books thus far have had very different but similarly complex, highly developed rules-based magic systems. Not only that, but a subset of his works take place on different planets in a universe called ''Literature/TheCosmere'', which comes with a magical version of a Theory of Everything that all the other magic systems are special cases of (including the aforementioned Allomancy). This underlying super-system is slowly revealed over the course of the metaseries, though you'd have to be paying close attention to figure out the connections without reading [[AllThereInTheManual Sanderson's annotations, Q&As]], and other bits of WordOfGod.

* The Endowment magic system from ''Literature/TheRuneLords'' books is very much MagicAIsMagicA. Internally-consistent and thought out rigorously well, it was actually one of the inspirations behind Sanderson's ideas for the Mistborn books.
* ''Literature/SkulduggeryPleasant'' uses this, with two separate magic systems. It describes exactly how the magic works -- e.g. instead of "he snapped his fingers and a flame appeared above them," it's "she snapped her fingers, felt the spark and heat generated by the friction, and fed it her magic until it grew into a visible flame."
** Further development on the system is given in the spinoff book, ''The Maleficent Seven''. Magic is similar to a tree that's growing two trunks: Adept Magic and Elemental magic. The Elemental branch is pretty bare, just being the use of the four classical elements. The Adept branch contains all other branches of magic, from Necromancy (which is based heavily on the manipulation of shadows), to the multi-branch Sensitivity (which contains most psychic powers: LaserGuidedAmnesia, mind reading, prophecy, etc.) to the quite-popular Energy Throwing ([[ProjectileSpell Projectile Spells]] from the hands, eyes or for one character, the mouth). Some branches, like Wall Walking (which makes gravity pull you towards the wall or ceiling), have twigs, tiny branches that break off from the main branch, but main branch users can easily master them, in the case of Wall Walking, magically opening locks and strengthening doors. Trying to use two or more separate branches interferes with the magic you originally began studying. Some people can use multiple magic types, the two examples we've seen so far both using Necromancy and Elemental magic.
** Furthermore, before adulthood, a person can freely choose between different magic types. However, at the end of puberty, around the 18/19 area, a sorcerer experiences "The Surge", which locks you into one magic branch and increases your ability. Essentially, teenagers get versatility in exchange for raw power, but they cannot keep it forever.
** Symbol Magic seems to be an exception, as it seems any branch of magic can use it. For the most part, it requires precise measurements and years of study.
** Finally, the source of magic in the series is uniform for all: a person's True Name, the name they are born with, provides it. Knowing your True Name gives god-like power, anyone else knowing it makes you a slave to their commands. It's protected with your Given Name, the name your parents give you, but power can be exerted on you through its use (you're more likely to answer someone if they call you by name). The Given Name is protected by the Taken Name, a name the person gives themselves. Sometimes, it's something quirky but still normal, like Deacon Maybury. Most of the time, it's completely out-there, going from those who use at least one normal name (e.g. Philomena Random, Gracious O'Callahan) to those whose names would probably be rejected by the birth register (e.g., the titular Skulduggery Pleasant, China Sorrows, The Torment, Neferian Serpine).
* During the ''Franchise/StarTrek''/''Franchise/XMen'' crossover novel ''Planet X'', Geordi La Forge spends some time studying the X-Men to learn more about their abilities, and notes that when Nightcrawler teleports he returns to real space covered in verteron particles, a form of particle created in the subspace dimension that starships travel through when at warp. La Forge observes that this suggests that Nightcrawler is teleporting through the same dimension as starships at warp, impressed at the idea that Nightcrawler can do by himself what Starfleet needs an entire ship to achieve.

* Magic in ''Literature/RiversOfLondon'', at least the type practiced by human wizards, appears to be exceptionally rules-based and its apparent violation of the laws of thermodynamics greatly worries apprentice Peter Grant. [[spoiler: Beverley Brook, a minor river goddess, seems to do magic in an instinctive fashion.]]

* ''Literature/ThirteenthChild'': There are three different traditions of magic, but the differences are mostly ''how'' you go about it. There's three main schools.
** Avrupan (European) magic is mostly FunctionalMagic. It's very individualistic, and to achieve the really large spells, multiple mages will each cast a part of the spell, which can then be fitted together. It's the best style for everyday stuff, but is usually weaker the greater you go.
** Cathayan (Asian) magic involves a group of mages pooling their power to cast spells together. This results in better large-scale spells, but if you wanted to use it to, say, light a campfire, you're out of luck.
** Aphrikan (African) magic is less direct and mostly about manipulating magic that's already in things. While this means it uses less power than the other two styles and can achieve different things than them, it also has less of the straightforward effects the other styles have.

* ''Literature/ShadowsOfTheApt'': Humans all possess the Art, giving them powers and abilities based on the particular insect-archetype. This is all inherited -- if you have Beetle parents, you're a Beetle yourself and you get Beetle Art. There's also Aptitude -- either you're Apt, and can use -- and learn to create -- technology, or you're Inapt and can't even open a door with a spring-latch. However, the Inapt can learn magic -- another interesting part being that if you ''see'' Art, you ''know'' it's Art and not magic.
* ''Literature/CodexAlera'' takes ElementalPowers into Magitek levels. Furycrafting uses [[BondCreatures furies]] to control the elements, as well as providing [[ComboPlatterPowers other abilities]], with all Alerans being capable of furycrafting to varying degrees. Legionaries are required to have basic abilities in all six varieties of crafting, but they tend to specialize in just one or two. High Lords and Ladies are strong in all six elements (earth, air, fire, water, metal, wood). GuileHero Tavi also specializes in using the well-established rules coming up with surprising new twists, yet still within the rules.

* ''Literature/TheBelgariad'':
** There has to be "the Will and the Word" -- you gather your Will and focus it with a Word. This uses the same amount of energy as doing it any other way, but means you can pull in energy from your surroundings and apply it with more flexibility. The exact nature of the word isn't important (though Belgarath chides Garion several times for choosing insufficiently impressive words), but there does need to be a word.
** The one thing magic ''cannot'' do is "unmake" anything. It can kill and destroy, for that it just changes live people to dead people or whole objects to broken ones, but it cannot erase anything from existence. Doing so causes the universe to take ''massive'' offense, protect the targeted object, and annihilate the sorcerer. (As a corollary, this means that there is one object any sorcerer can freely unmake -- ''themselves''. Several characters have either attempted or committed suicide this way.)
** It is theorized that many mages who never had any practical training accidentally killed themselves by trying to annihilate objects. When the group meets a two-hundred-year-old scholar whose work was ignored because all of his apprentices mysteriously vanished, they find that he is a really nice guy and the worst thing he ever did was teleport an assailant out to sea.
** It also includes the fact that Newton's laws of motion still apply, and not pulling energy from elsewhere will drain you quickly. The main character, Garion, tries to lift a large rock when he first learns of his power. He succeeds, but [[spoiler:then becomes very dizzy, falls asleep with his head on his arms, and only upon awakening realizes he didn't lie down. Instead, he is up to his armpits in soft soil.]]
** There is also the warning that just because something can theoretically be ''done'' doesn't mean it should be ''attempted.'' There are many things that no experienced sorcerer is stupid or crazy enough to attempt under normal circumstances, such as bringing the dead back to life. This comes from the fact that for it to work, the sorcerer has to be completely ''committed'' to making it work, and that the smallest bit of doubt can cause it to fail.
** There are also other forms of magic, such as wizardry -- demon summoning, witchcraft -- some sort of natural magic, and various others such as seers and necromancers who get even less explanation. Even if the rules of one form of magic prevent you from doing something, there's probably another type with different rules that would allow you to do it.
* ''Literature/TheNameOfTheWind'': Magic is surprisingly mundane and consistent. The most common type, sympathy, follows (''really'' follows) the law of conservation of energy. For example, if you bound two coins, lifting one would lift both, but it would weigh like both, not accounting for the loss of energy (the more similar, the less energy lost). One can use an outside energy source, though (like, say, using a fire's power to move an iron wheel). Sygaldry is sympathy, but based on written runes, and Knacks are individual and very mundane skills (always getting sevens when rolling dice, growing very large fruits). Lastly, [[IKnowYourTrueName Naming]] is barely explained, but it's rare, far more powerful than sympathy, and described as "fairy tale magic". There are also the even rarer Fae magics, grammarie and glamourie, the art of making things BE, versus making things SEEM. The same University that teaches these arts also teaches medicine, informatics, rhetoric, and linguistics, which aren't exactly magic.
* ''Literature/CollegiaMagica'': Subverted, in that this is certainly how it is ''taught''... whether the true nature of magic follows this trope or not is a different matter.
* ''Literature/TheGrimnoirChronicles'': Superpowers fall on a grid that is one part [[http://www.profantasy.com/rpgmaps/?p=62 The Quade Diagram]] and one part ROYGBIV. All supers start out with a single power which either comes from one part of the grid or the overlapping of two or more parts. In turn, the [[GeometricMagic kanji]] [[PowerTattoo brands]] are two-dimensional [[LocardsTheory sympathetic]] representations of whichever part(s) of the grid the user wishes to draw power from.
* ''Literature/TimeScout'': There are a few rules to time travel that aren't broken.
** No paradox. Don't bother trying.
** If you exist twice in the same time, you'll die. It's called shadowing yourself. You can't cross your own shadow and live.
* ''Literature/AlexVerus'' has a fairly definite set of rules for the powers the mages can use. The author even has a series of articles on his website called the [[http://benedictjacka.co.uk/encyclopaedia/ Encyclopaedia Arcana]] talking about it.
%%* ''Literature/ThePeople'': Zenna Henderson tends to do this with the psychic powers of the People.
%%* ''Literature/GreenSkyTrilogy'': Zilpha Keatley Snyder with the Spirit-skills.
* ''Literature/TheHollows'': Magic has a different set of laws for each magical species, and several arcs on the series rest on the relationships between the species and the rules of their magics.
%%* ''Literature/{{Salamander}}'' opens with a college lecture on the laws of magic.
* ''Literature/StoriesOfNypre'': Magic may at first sound like a bunch of gibberish. That is until each of the words used in the incantations are given meanings. It grows to the point where it's almost a separate language!
* ''Literature/NewArcana'': The magic system is partly based on fantasy rpgs, but also has its own rules; for example, technology drains mana, and female mages can cast spells only on themselves, while male mages can cast spells only on things other than themselves.
* ''Literature/TheBrokenCrescent'': The Language of the Gods operates much like a programming language for reality. Once you know the words and syntax, you can precisely define and predict the effects.

* In both of Tamora Pierce's universes, magic is bounded by rules but there's quite a lot of undiscovered territory.
** In the first series of her Tortall universe, Literature/SongOfTheLioness, we find that classical 'pseudo-medieval fantasy magic' is around. Some people are born with it and are called Gifted, but they are under no particular obligation to become Mages. Some people have enough innate power to level a building, some people with the Gift can just about light a candle and little else.
** In the next series, ''The Immortals'' we discover a Magic B: Wild Magic. This seems bound up with the natural world and the gods, inherent in all living things but only available as usable magic to a few (also born with the talent innately).
** In ''Daughter of the Lioness'' it has been confirmed that there are further types of innate magic: one heroine has 'the Sight' which enhances her perception skills in various ways. In ''Provost's Dog'', one has the ability to communicate with certain beings (ghosts and wind-spinners). It is implied these types of magic aren't inherently different from the more common Gift, but that the way these skills are classified is more of a societal invention.
** There are plenty of other magical things going on too which don't fall into these categories (the magical communion of the Bazhir tribes, the magical abilities of dragons etc).
** In Pierce's other universe, ''The Circle'' magic works along similar but different lines.
*** As in the Tortall-verse, some people are born with an inherent capacity for sorcery. This is known as Academic magic, and is an all-purpose force that can be turned to many different tasks.
*** A second form of inherent magic is the one focused on in the series: Ambient Magic. A person can have an affinity for a particular craft, activity, force or thing (in the series we see Ambient Magics for weaving, weather, forging/fire, plants, dancing, glassworking and stones amongst other things). The wielders can only express their magic through the thing they have the affinity for, but with a little imagination and a lot of practice and study this doesn't have to be limiting at all: for example, Sandry the thread-mage is able to work with all sorts of materials by stubbornly persuading herself to think of them as weavable or spinnable. In addition, when desperate, Ambient Mages are able to work with their raw power rather than through their 'thing', but since this uses their own life-force rather than accessing the power inherent in the activity or object of their alignment it is swiftly exhausting. Furthermore, Ambient Mages are bound by the natural order of their 'thing': the weather mage Tris is able to push storm clouds around but more often than not she finds it's either pointless or a bad idea to mess with what the weather wants to do. Lastly, the abilities of the ambient mages vary between people and have certain limits: Lark, an ambient thread mage, must work with physical cloth and thread to represent the thing she is trying to spin or weave, while Sandry can spin and weave ''magic itself.'' Neither of them (nor any other ambient mage, as Briar discovers) can heal, even if they try to think of veins or nerves as part of their magic. It just doesn't work.
*** Interestingly for this trope, the 'rulesiness' of Ambient Magic makes it maligned in-universe: Academic Mages are often contemptuous of what they see as limited, folksy magics bound in the superstitions of the temple-folk who teach it. Unlike the Tortall-verse there doesn't seem to be any conformation of magics beyond these human ones: whereas in Tortall we meet the gods and see their god-magics, there's no conformation of any god's existence in the Emelan-verse; there are no magical creatures (e.g. dragons, unicorns etc).
* ''Literature/MagicByTheNumbers'': In ''Master of the Five Magics'' there are, oddly enough, five different schools of magic which all operate under a strict set of foundational axioms. The sequel adds a new set of higher level rules which govern how the other rules can be manipulated. Though the rules themselves can change, each magical system is itself internally consistent.
* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'': Magic is a consistent and learnable skill in this verse and [[Literature/AMagespower Eric spends the first book doing just that.]] ''Introduction to Magecraft'' was written two thousand years ago and it is ''still'' the most popular reference guide for beginners because regardless of time or practioner, the basic rules of magic don't change. The Three Laws of Magecraft are as immutable as the Three Laws of Motion.
** 1.''{{Mana}}''. You can't do magic without mana because it is the root of all power.
** 2. ''Knowledge.'' You have to know what you're doing. You can't just say say "Fireball!" while focusing hard if you don't how that spell is supposed to work
** 3.''Willpower.'' Since mana flows from the goddess Chaos, all magic can be seen as WildMagic. Magecraft is the tamest of all forms of magic but a mage still needs a strong will to force mana to take the shape he/she wants and go into the direction that he/she desires.
* In ''Literature/TheIronTeeth'' web serial, magic is done by growing crystals using alchemy. Each crystal can then be used by a mage to produce some effect.
* ''Literature/TheLightbringerSeries'': The main form of magic, drafting, consists mainly of being able to conjure and control one or more of seven different varieties of "luxin" (a sort of solidified colour or light). Each kind of luxin has very specific physical properties, and the way drafters work magic usually resembles engineering problems more than anything; for example, combining blue luxin (which is hard but brittle), red luxin (which is highly flamable) and yellow luxin (which is unstable and releases energy when dissolving) in the right form lets you create timed explosives.
* ''Literature/MagicExLibris'' involves libriomancy, the magic of pulling items from a book with the powers they're described as having. This leads to [[ReferenceOverdosed many references]] but a few hard limits are laid out, too. No necromancy, no time-travel, no wishes. Minor exceptions occur, but these are clearly marginal examples of these things happening in a far more limited form.

* ''Literature/TheTravelersGate'': Travelers use Gates to "Territories" from which they summon monsters and allies. They can also use the Gates for travel (hence the name). Those are the general rules, but each Territory also has its own quirks. Endross Gates get bigger the longer they are open and eventually run out of control, Lirial Travelers can only summon things if they know exactly where they are, Valinhall Travelers summon powers into themselves rather than summoning allies, so on and so on.
* In ''Literature/TheDivineCities'', miracles can be used by anyone who knows what they're doing. Granted, most people are unaware that there are even any miracles still available after the (supposed) death of the gods. As such, they almost take on the role of LostTechnology.
* ''Literature/TheToughGuideToFantasyland'': It's stated the Rules of Magic rarely change, but some secrets often will be reserved to have a nasty surprise later on a "Tour". Additionally, usually at least three different kinds of magic will exist, all with their distinct Rules.
* Referenced in ''Literature/MagicForLiars'' when Ms. Webb attests that magic is ''exactly'' like science in that both are documenting information derived from experimentation and that the body of knowledge is constantly growing. The underlying rules are assumed to be unchanging.
* ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'':
** The precise rules that magic and other powers operate on is never discussed in much detail, but there are ways to break the rules. Such "Balance Breakers" range from simply being obscenely powerful, to a supposedly uncontrollable YinYangBomb.
** It's established fairly early that due to the effects of the GreatOffscreenWar ([[spoiler:Namely, GodIsDead]]), the rules in the setting are starting to break down. This results in such plot-relevant oddities as a sword that has both holy and demonic properties at the same time, and [[spoiler: Issei being able to incorporate a fragment of Divine Dividing into his Boosted Gear, despite the two being ''designed to cancel each other out''.]]

* ''Series/{{Bewitched}}'', the UrExample of many shows about magic, was surprisingly consistent in its rule system for casting spells. The basic rules were as follows:
** Typically, only a particular witch or warlock could undo any charm they had personally cast.
** If it was possible for another magic user to reverse a spell, they had to get it ''exactly'' right, often by determining what movements and words the caster used in the first place.
** Generally speaking, magic had to be done with extreme precision--one wrong word or movement would either make the spell fail, or cause some kind of strange side-effect.
** Mortals were unable to learn magic, though they could use enchanted objects.
** ThePowerOfLove was far too great for any magic user to control; similarly, witches and warlocks couldn't raise the dead, although it was possible to ''summon'' famous individuals from their own time period, when they were still alive.
* The rules of time travel were fairly consistent in ''Series/QuantumLeap'', insofar as Project Quantum Leap was concerned: Dr. Sam Beckett could travel in time, but only within the range of his natural lifetime (starting on his date of birth). He "leaps" into someone who already exists at that time, and he retains his physical form and abilities while everyone around him sees the image of the "leapee" (conversely, the leapee is kept at Project Quantum Leap because they look like Dr. Beckett). Children, animals and psychics [[GlamourFailure can see Sam's true form]]. The times this was broken were explained as extremely unlikely events:
** Sam and Al exchanged places and leaped to a point before Sam's birth due to a [[LightningCanDoAnything lightning strike]] hitting Sam and Al at the same time just as Sam was leaping out.
** Sam leaped into one of his Civil War ancestors because the ancestor and Sam were close enough genetically to cause a cross-time jump.
** Similarly, Al (as the Observer) has very strict rules - he can only be seen by Sam and certain others (animals, children, the mentally disabled, and those whose brainwaves are similar to Sam's). Sam can see Al because Al is "tuned" to Sam's brainwaves, and anyone else who tries to fill in as Observer when Al is not available is seen by Sam as a distorted or ghostly image due to the mismatch. And Al cannot interact with anything except what he brings into the Imaging Chamber because from his perspective ''he's'' real and everything else is a hologram.
* Meanwhile, ''Series/QuantumLeap2022'' is consistent with its own rules for time travel. Leaping outside of one's lifetime, or leaping forward into the future, is now possible thanks to some new code Ben uploaded into Ziggy, with the ability to do so likened to a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravity_assist gravity assist]]. Also, Ben's leaps don't involve a temporal switcheroo and Waiting Room; rather, Ben and the leapee are in the same place at the same time due to quantum superposition, with Ben even retaining the leapee's physicality and muscle memory -- which is great when he leaps into an athlete, but not so much when he leaps into a middle-aged man -- while still surrounded by the leapee's aura. That said, Addison explicitly states that Ben has to SetRightWhatOnceWentWrong in order to leap, adding that it's just how it apparently works based on what Sam Beckett did.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}''
** ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' First Edition is almost exactly like its parent 3.5 when it comes to Arcane and Divine magic, with only a few minor differences. It lacks official support for the other systems, however[[note]]except for psionics, Paizo would have to write around copyright, and with psionics they basically went "We want to take it in a bit different direction, and anyway those people over at Dreamscarred have already done a brilliant conversion of 3.5 psionics to Pathfinder"[[/note]], but also adds the Psychic magic type, which is similar but not identical in theme to psionics (as an example, psychic magic is heavier on the magic ultimately coming from interaction between the mage and other things, even things like concepts, while psionics leans more towards psionic effects coming from the wielder's mind and self), and uses the standard VancianMagic as the base.
** ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' uses four types of magic, but they all interact in a unified system. Divine and Arcane are back. They are joined by Primal, similar to Dungeons and Dragons Fourth Edition, and Occult magic. Each of these traditions of magic affects the world differently; Arcane magic can do the broadest range of things, but is bad at manipulating the soul or healing, Divine magic appeals to powers from beyond the world, Occult magic can deal with the esoteric and strange, and Primal magic is the magic of nature and the natural world. Wizards are the prototypical Arcane magic user, Clerics Divine, Druids Primal, Bards Occult, and many other classes are actually variable. Sorcerers, for example, get their tradition based on their bloodline. A Fey-blooded Sorcerer casts Primal spells, while a Demon-blooded one casts Divine magic.

** Technically everyone can learn all of these charms and spells even if their exaltations are too weak for them to put them to use
* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}'': There are a few things that magic absolutely cannot do: no resurrections, no time travel, and no teleportation. Furthermore, if you do not Awaken naturally, there is (practically) no chance that you ever will. There are several different flavors of magic-user.
** '''Adepts''' are limited to one type of magic; this can be casting spells (sorcerers), summoning spirits (conjurers), or enhancing the capabilities of their own bodies ("Phys-Ads").
** '''Magicians''' can both cast spells and summon spirits. The exact style and trappings of each magician's talents varies from one practitioner to the next, but the two most common catchall terms are [[HermeticMagic hermetic mages]] and [[ClapYourHandsIfYouBelieve shamans]]. It should be noted that, despite the names, there's no arcane/divine magic split; anyone capable of sorcery can learn and use any spell.
* The indie superpowered-sleuth system ''TabletopGame/MutantCityBlues'' uses this trope. Sure, there are mutants in the setting, and they can fly, shoot assorted kinds of energy bolts, read minds and even steal each other's powers. All these abilities are meticulously catalogued in the so-called Quade Diagram which provides solid insight about what powers can concievably coexist in a person. Some, like supernatural analytical abilities and remote control of electronic devices, are very *close* so that the person possessing one can be routinely assumed to possess another. Others, say, the ability to fly and become invisible, are so far apart in the chart that it is impossible for one man to have both (without breaking the setting and/or having Infinite Experience Points). This diagram, along with more conventional investigative methods, makes the task of solving "Heightened" crimes more of an unusual analytical exercise and almost none of the "whoever got more control of The Force" thing.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' has a very simple magic (all right, "psychic powers") system allowing various psykers to do different things (mostly attacks or buffs), though they all have a chance of suffering the [[MindRape consequences]].
* ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}'' has a more detailed system that has most people drawing on a collective library of spells, though Lizardmen, Chaos, Undead, Orcs and Goblins, High Elves, and Dark Elves all have access to an extra group of spells.
* In ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'', wizards can do virtually anything, but every spell they case must be formed by combining and constructing a Latin sentence consisting of one of five "techniques" (the verbs, all with the subject "I") and one of ten "forms" (the direct objects). For example, throwing bolts of flame would be "Creo Ignem" ("I create fire"), while making someone forget something would be a "Perdo Mentem" spell ("I destroy the mind"). Every wizard has varying levels of ability with each form and technique which determine how powerful of an effect they can generate (someone with a high score in Creo is good at making things in general; someone with a high score in Mentem is good at working with people's minds in general; someone with high scores in both Creo and Mentem would be extremely good at putting thoughts in other people's heads). Each edition of the game also has a few hard-and-fast rules beyond the verb/object format, such as it being impossible to raise the dead or travel back in time, although whether those things are literally impossible or simply unknown or forbidden to members of the Order of Hermes (the organization player character magi are assumed to belong to) is generally unclear (by design).
** In addition, these rules apply to Hermetic magic and only Hermetic magic. Other forms of magic exist in the setting, and even Hermetic mages often have access to some quirky abilities that violate the rules. Hermetic magic is uniquely powerful for two reasons: one, the sheer breadth of its verb/object format, which allows for virtually any effect that doesn't run up against the limits of Bonisagus' theory, and two, the jealously-guarded knowledge of the Parma Magica, [[AntiMagic a universal defense against magic]]. Incidentally, the Parma Magica is ''not'' "Hermetic magic" in the strictest sense: It doesn't use the verb/object format and can't be tinkered with by Hermetic experimentation, [[WrongContextMagic except when it can]]. But the latter has only happened once.
** ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'' (which draws from ''Ars Magica'' to some extent) and ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'' have spheres that work like the "mind" side, and can also be combined (e.g. Correspondence + Mind to mess with someone's head from a distance). ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming'' uses a two-factor system (along the lines of "the mind of a human" or "the mind of another fae"), as does ''TabletopGame/GeistTheSinEaters'' (where a Key determines general dominion and power source and a Manifestation determines what you can do with it).
* ''TabletopGame/WorldTreeRPG'' uses a noun/verb system (7 and 12 of each), but lets several of each be combined in one spell. Eg. a life-extension spell involves "Sustain/Body+Mind+Spirit". And that's the standard "pattern magic", one of several systems the main races know, each with known rules. The trope is played straight in that the rules exist, but subverted in that ultimately the gods control magic and don't do it predictably.

* ''TabletopGame/TheDarkEye'': Played mostly straight with a few notable aversions. In general, magic within the setting is an organized, mostly rigid system drawing on a finite, regenerating resource ("astral power", i.e. Mana). There are several "representations" of magic that differ in-universe, but work more or less identically rules-wise:
** All player characters and the vast majority of NPC magic users makes use of said organized, restricted magic, with spells being described as specific patterns of astral energy ("matrices" in in-game terms) with set effects, duration, range, cost etc. It is possible to modify things like range and duration on the fly, albeit to a small extent, but the effects are set in stone. In-universe, the spells are codified in definite formulas ("theses") that a guild mage (the "scientific", organized study of magic) can learn. There are also the druidic and witchcraft representations, as well as the magic of elves and the few magic-capable dwarves, which are not as rigidly stratified and considered more like "wild magic" in the fluff, but are mostly similar in gameplay terms to guild magic, only with a different set of spells and some additional bonuses and restrictions.
** The aversion comes in the form of "free magic" (''Freizauberei'' in German), which is off-limits for player characters and is also a very seldom form of magic among [=PCs=], restricted to a few legendary figures of Aventurian history, the (extinct) High Elves, the higher (i.e. sentient) dragons (of which there are only a few) and the entire kobold species. These magic users are still limited in capacity, having a limited, regenerating pool of astral energy just like all other magic-capable characters, but theoretically unlimited in power: they can achieve any effect they wish, essentially creating unique spells on the fly, with the only limitation being that greater power (in nature and scope of the effect) costs them more astral energy. There are no further rules and no spell list for free magic, seeing as it is not meant to be used by [=PCs=] anyway -- the GM is encouraged to get creative with it.
* ''TabletopGame/GeniusTheTransgression'': [[MadScientist Mad Science]] is the order of the day, and Wonders can run however you want them to. The thing is, every Wonder ''has'' to have a theory behind it, even if that theory is utter nonsense to everyone but the Genius who built the thing -0 and it will run ''exactly as that theory states'' without deviation or alteration. In short, the Genius ''defines'' what "Magic A" is in this scenario, but once it's defined, it ''stays'' defined.
* ''TabletopGame/TheChroniclesOfAeres'': Aside from the standard ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' classes of Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock and Wizard, there are also the primal magic-wielding Witch, the [[DreamWeaver dream-manipulating and summoning]] Dreamcaller, and the [[AlchemyIsMagic Alchemist]], who attempts to magically manipulate the raw fabric of creation with often-explosive results.

* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}'': Even the Pokémon of the Elite Four and other powerful Trainers, as well as Legendaries, still have to work with Power Points and type advantages and disadvantages. Immunities are kept consistent as well -- unless "Miracle Eye" is used, Dark types are immune to Psychic attacks, for example.
* ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' plays with this, where certain things will be described and appear consistent... until something comes along that 'breaks the rules'. The authorities on that particular subject will subsequently be as confused as the player, demonstrating the Aesop of "Attempting to apply strict rules to natural phenomena is foolish, as the world is chaotic and wonderful".
* ''VideoGame/{{Magicka}}'' revolves around this. Players have eight basic elements with which to cast spells. Each element has given properties and can be cast directly forward like a projectile, in an area around the caster, or on the caster. There are also opposing elements that will cancel each other out if used while conjuring a spell, [[StuffBlowingUp or worse.]] It is very possible to [[PressXToDie kill yourself with ease]] or heal the enemy by accident.
* ''VideoGame/FirstEncounterAssaultRecon'': Although the games do not generally provide hand-and-fast rules on how the [[PsychicPowers psychic abilities]] of [[PersonOfMassDestruction Alma]] work, the abilities of the Point Man and Paxton Fettel are fairly consistent. For example, the Point Man's [[BulletTime slo-mo]][=/=][[SuperSpeed reflex]] abilities can only be used for short periods, while Fettel's [[DemonicPossession possession powers]] will kill anyone he possesses shortly after taking over their bodies. [[spoiler: Including Michael Beckett.]]
* ''Franchise/DragonAge'' has, among other restrictions, "The Rules" which apply to magic: it's impossible to raise someone from the dead, it's impossible to use magic to travel any faster than "putting one foot in front of the other" (anyone who appears to be teleporting is actually just using an illusion to make them appear to be in one location while they hide and run somewhere else), and entering [[SpiritWorld the Fade]] physically, while it's ''technically'' possible, requires an EXTREME amount of resources (lots of [[GreenRocks lyrium]] and HumanSacrifice) and is a VERY bad idea likely to result in divine retribution. In addition, magic requires that mages expend mana (and/or lyrium) or [[BloodMagic blood]]. Exactly how other things work (magical healing and the [[TheCorruption darkspawn taint]] in particular) sometimes varies.
** The rules change drastically in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition''. Following the [[HellMouth Breach event,]] the limitations of magic are significantly loosened in ways that even the most learned scholars are struggling to comprehend. Even a form of time travel becomes possible following this event, albeit in an extremely unstable fashion. Surprisingly, an entire new school of magic revolving around manipulating the newly released energies arises mere months afterwards, although not without significant risks.
** The trainer for a Mage Inquisitor in Rift Magic is literally the only person to not die and/or disappear out of 20 mages experimenting with the rifts. And even then it's quite clear that not all of her made it back. The lore of the Specialization in the Codex has an account about how the writer's master found that the rules had changed, which led to her drawing far more magic than she could control. Both Cole and Solas recognize it, however, since they're both attuned to the Fade, and know that a Rift mage is using spirits themselves as a source of energy.
* Magic in ''VideoGame/RuneScape'' seems to follow the rule that energy can not be created or destroyed. Magic always needs some kind of source of energy to be cast. For the player character, this takes the form of rune stones, an energy absorbing mineral that has been charged with elemental energy. Whenever the player character casts a spell, they consume rune stones. Wizards in game have theorized that the temples where rune stones are made might have only a limited amount of energy that may one day run out, forcing them to find another source of energy. Other characters in the game may get magical power from other sources. In the quest Nomad's Requiem, it turned out that Nomad was collecting souls for a SoulPoweredEngine that grants him a massive amount of magical power. The Mahjarrat do not require any runes to cast magic. It has been strongly implied that their powers are CastFromLifespan, because a Mahjarrat named Kharshai was able to completely stop himself from aging by erasing his own memories of being a Mahjarrat which made him undetectable to other Mahjarrat and prevented him from using any of his Mahjarrat powers. Another interesting thing is that when a god in Runescape dies, their power does not disappear with them, some of it is transferred to the person who killed them while the rest is dispersed back into the world and can then be collected by anybody who happens to find it. This dead god energy apparently is completely different than the energy used for magic and so its uses are very different. Another interesting rule about power in Runescape is that the different tiers of godhood have specific rules about what they are capable of doing depending on how high their tier. Currently the only rule that has been revealed so far is that only an elder god can create life out of nothing. Young Gods, no matter how powerful they are can only create life by altering what already exists.
* The lore of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has very in-depth analyses of the workings of magic in Hydaelyn:
** All magic is performed using [[BackgroundMagicField aether]], which seeps into the world from TheLifestream, the life force of the planet itself.
** Teleportation spells send the caster's body and aether through the planet's [[TheLifestream Lifestream]]. Large aetheryte crystals act as beacons that guide a person safely between two points on the planet via the Lifestream. While it is technically possible to teleport anywhere on the planet without the need for aetheryte, to do so is extremely dangerous, as without aetherytes, one can be lost in the Lifestream until their bodies and aether break down completely.
** Primals are a form of SummonMagic which entails concentrating large quantities of aether through prayer and reverence to give form and life to simulacrums of godlike beings. This has been a major issue in recent years, as beast tribes summon primals of their gods to protect them from incursions by Spoken races. The dangers posed by primals are twofold: in addition to being summoned to use against the Spoken races, their bodies require massive amounts of aether not only to be summoned, but also to maintain their form: left unchecked, they can potentially drain the planet of its life force. While it was initially believed that primals could only be summoned by beast tribes, it has been recently discovered that those of the Spoken races can summon primals as well.
** Each class of magic has its own methods of being used. Conjury draws aether from one's immediate surroundings to focus through their staves into spells. Thaumaturgy uses aether from the caster's own bodies, which they attune to specific elements. [[WhiteMage White magic]] and [[BlackMage black magic]] have the same basis in spellcasting as conjury and thaumaturgy (respectively), albeit on a much larger scale, such that their destructive potential makes their usage [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique highly restricted, if not outright forbidden]]. Arcanists use complex calculations to essentially program unaspected aether into desired functions, most commonly in their carbuncle familiars. Summoners use arcanum to create smaller-scale, controllable primals, while scholars use arcanum to summon fairies to provide support. Astralogians use star globes and cards to foresee the immediate future, allowing them to cast spells as needed. Red magic was born from both white and black magic, and while it uses aether from the caster's body similar to black magic, it is out of a philosophy of preserving the planet by not overusing environmental aether. In addition, red mages have mastered the technique of using special magic crystals to amplify the effects of small amounts of aether, minimizing the risk to themselves while maximizing the potency of their magic. Blue Mages use spells that replicate the abilities of monsters, first by observing their techniques, then by absorbing their aether after they are vanquished, gaining both the power of that monster and the knowledge of how to perform that monster's techniques.

* ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'' has two different schools of magic: reason and faith. Reason-based magic is based on academic knowledge, while faith-based magic is based on piety towards the goddess of Fódlan. Reason-based magic is entirely offense-oriented, while faith-based magic is primarily supportive with only a handful of attack spells.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' does this with ''D&D'' rules (specifically 3.5th edition), except when the result would be really funny or sufficiently cool. For an example, there's a strip where Durkon uses Control Weather to attack a group of treants warded against electrical attacks...by generating a thunderclap so loud that it breaks the treants in half. When an angel tells Thor (Durkon's patron god who enabled the spell) that that's not how the spell works (Control Weather cannot cause sonic damage, thunderclaps or no), Thor tells him to be quiet [[RuleOfCool because it was awesome.]] Though it later turns out that the [[EasternZodiac Southern Gods]] didn't appreciate Thor breaking the rules within ''their'' territory, and prohibit him from making further such interventions on Durkon's behalf.
* In ''Webcomic/GunnerkriggCourt'', Reynardine's [[DemonicPossession possession abilities]] and [[RestrainingBolt contract of ownership]] with Antimony follow specific and consistent rules. Some of them are given in-comic, but some are only spelled out by [[WordOfGod the author]] on [[AllThereInTheManual the forum]].

* ''Webcomic/TalesOfTheQuestor'' has "magic" that is, essentially, [[SufficientlyAdvancedTechnology Sufficiently Advanced Science]]--- Magic is a natural ability to manipulate an exotic form of energy, can be used via technological means, and generally follows the known laws of physics (Conservation of mass and energy, for example, still apply).

* In ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' the video game Sburb (or Sgrub), around which the plot is based, has a series of strict, consistent rules. Its TimeTravel rules are also internally consistent. The few "magical" concepts that pop up (usually with Rose Lalonde) tend to be loosely defined and fairly inconsistent, because ''real'' magic (ie. not based on an explicit RealityWarper's powers or on Sburb itself) [[CatchPhrase is fake as all shit]].
* Despite the craziness of ''Webcomic/{{Educomix}}'', certain things about the ecos are firmly established, e.g. urine is better than water. Also, the magic system is coincidentally based on letters -- the known types of magic are Qmagic (used by Qwizards, and essentially the same as "normal" magic), Wmagic (used by the Whats in the VideoGame/{{Portal}} parody), Emagic (there's only one spell, but its effects are [[{{Magitek}} programmable by computer]]), Rmagic (SummonMagic), and Tmagic([[TimeMaster affects time]]).

* ''Webcomic/{{Unsounded}}'' calls its magic system "pymary", because calling it "magic" would imply something unknown and mystical. Not so with pymary, which has been researched extensively and functions according to clear-cut rules and limitations. And while it's channeled through a LanguageOfMagic, a translated snippet of that language sounds a lot more like ''programming code'' than any regular incantation. [[http://www.casualvillain.com/Unsounded/world/index.php?title=Pymary Here's an article]].
* ''Webcomic/MissingMonday'' has rules for who is eligible to visit another world and how to open the magic door. Monday followed the instructions in her favourite childhood storybook.

* ''Webcomic/CucumberQuest'':
** The Ripple Kingdom's magic gachapon machine. All of the capsules provide spells that will work, but they create items so mundane, or the ability to do things in such incredibly specific situations, that they're basically useless. Nautilus eventually saves everyone with her ability to order a pizza only if nobody is in the mood for it, allowing the group to escape an airship crash by jumping into the delivery vehicle--but she can't repeat it when she's in Rosemaster's prison, because she actually ''is'' in the mood for pizza.
** Rosemaster can alter the memories of people with botanical names. This makes Carrot, Cucumber, and Almond subject to her plot, but she throws Nautilus and Peridot in the dungeon because she can't mess with their heads the same way.
* In ''Webcomic/AnecdoteOfError'', the local WizardingSchool exclusively teaches magic derived from [[AppliedPhlebotinum dust]] called tshetsha, and the classes consist of the students learning how to mix it to produce the desired effect. Then {{subverted}} when [[spoiler:the heroes gain the inherent ability to manifest household objects just by willing it]], [[WrongContextMagic an old discipline taught in Alemi which has since been forgotten]].

* ''WebAnimation/HomestarRunner'': In the WebAnimation/StrongBadEmail "[[Recap/StrongBadEmailE192Shapeshifter shapeshifter]]", Strong bad riffs on this by listing possible downsides that would accompany the power of shapeshifting. For instance, he imagines the power to turn into any species "of ''balloon'' animal", the power to turn into legal tender (which causes him to blow away in the wind after turning into a hundred dollar bill), and the power to turn into ''almost'' anybody in the world (that is, one-half of the intended person, [[ExactWords hence the "almost"]]).

* Explicitly averted in ''Literature/TalesOfMU'', where the laws of magic will change if they detect someone trying to figure them out. In-universe, science is a heavily discredited pseudo-, uh, ''science'', much like people who believe in AllNaturalSnakeOil in the real world. How, then, does the heavy use of MagiTek work, in-universe? There's a difference between craftsmanship and science. You can make a gun without knowing ballistics. Pointing out this inconsistency to the author is an excellent way to make her not pay attention to you anymore.

* Franchise/TheSlenderManMythos is an interesting example; the character is shared between several projects by different groups, and one of the reasons he's so effectively frightful is that the most well-known Slenderblogs and vlogs keep things consistent. They accomplish this while retaining wiggle-room for variation without angering the fandom: In ''WebVideo/MarbleHornets'', audio and video distortions show up when something bad is about to happen, whereas in ''WebVideo/EverymanHYBRID'', video usually doesn't distort unless Slender Man himself is both in the shot and very close to the camera.

* [[HandWave Handwaving]] lack of internal consistency with extreme applications of BellisariosMaxim is discussed in #3 of ''Website/{{Cracked}}'''s [[https://www.cracked.com/blog/6-common-movie-arguments-that-are-always-wrong 6 Common Movie Arguments That Are Always Wrong]].
* ''Website/ChatoyantCollege'': There are strict rules on what can be achieved with each type of magic.
* ''Literature/SagaOfSoul'': After the main character acquires [[FunctionalMagic magical powers]], the first thing she does is run experiments to try and fit her new abilities into a scientific framework. A large part of what makes her effective in battle afterward is her ability to [[BadassBookworm figure out the most efficient applications of what powers she has]].
* WebVideo/TheCriticalDrinker stresses this as an important component in a story involving supernatural powers of any sort. Failing to clearly establish the boundaries and capabilities of such powers from the get-go makes it harder for the audience to get invested in the story (because setting no limitations on your hero's power means it's difficult to tell when the stakes are genuinely high) and it encourages laziness in writing (having a hero with no limitations means the stakes can't be high because nothing provides a real challenge to them). It also tends to create {{Plot Hole}}s of a "Wait, if they can do [x], then why didn't they just [y]?" nature whenever a writer [[NewPowersAsThePlotDemands makes up new capabilities that a character wasn't already established to possess]].
* Website/SFDebris often points out violations, typically phrasing it as "All I ask is that you be consistent with your nonsense."

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Gargoyles}}'' lays down a few rules of magic and sticks with them:
** Magic is sourced from energy, and the relative power of magic is simply a factor of the energy put into it. Magical energy can also be matched by energy created by other means, like electricity -- at least in theory. Actually ''doing'' so is another thing entirely, as powerful magical beings (like the Children of Oberon) are basically the raw energy equivalent of the world's nuclear arsenal. But technology can keep up for a while, such as in "The Gathering", where Xanatos uses a force field to temporarily fend off Oberon. That episode also features an explicit invocation of this trope:
--->'''Owen:''' Energy is energy, whether generated by science or sorcery.
** The stronger the mage, the less effort they have to put into the actual act of spellcasting. For example, Demona has to cast spells by chanting in Latin, Puck can work magic in English but has to use rhyming verse, and Oberon can knock out a whole city just by yelling "Sleep!"
** A CurseEscapeClause makes casting spells easier, so most magic includes one (and mages make them ludicrously implausible to compensate).

* ''WesternAnimation/BeastMachines'': a planet-wide virus on Cybertron incapacitated anyone who didn't change and those who did have a transmetal form reverted into their first forms. While it had some nasty side-effects such as memory loss and the inability to transform, that ended up being what saved them from certain capture.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollz}}'' has a complex system of magic.
** Only girl trolls can use magic. Originally everyone could until the BigBad grabbed most of it and turned it evil, minimizing magic as a result.
** Spells don't work unless they rhyme, and can vary depending on how they're worded.
** The most powerful magic is done with five trolls from five different gem alignments (the Magic of the Five).
** Most spells are cast using spell beads, though a beadless transformation spell required the Magic of the Five to be used correctly. When Onyx and Topaz tried it on their own, it worked, but caused the woman they used it on to become mute and ill.
** Magic is powered via amber, found in the Amber Caves.

** The Original Trilogy depicted [[CosmicSentientForce the Force]] through the eyes of a character who is [[TheHerosJourney gradually learning how to use it]], so new powers and abilities can be introduced to the canon without breaking the system because there is so little definitive rules presented. When the Emperor breaks out [[ShockAndAwe lightning from his hands]] the best foreshadowing that is given is Yoda telling Luke not to underestimate the Emperor. The few definitive rules was the need for training and discipline to use the force and there is a [[TheDarkSide dark side to the Force]] that [[DangerousForbiddenTechnique promises great power]] but warns of PowerAtAPrice. Individual powers get different focus depending on the story, with some dependent on which alignment you are (ie [[HealingHands Force Healing]] and [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Force Transcend]] for Jedi and [[ShockAndAwe Force Lightning]]for Sith).

* It's probably more accurate to say that ''Franchise/StarWars'' gets away with this, rather than embrace it wholeheartedly. Since we typically see the Force through the eyes of a character who is [[TheHerosJourney gradually learning how to use it]], new powers and abilities can be introduced to the canon without breaking the entire magic system. It helps that there are very few hard and fast rules about what the Force can and can't do. At present, it seems the only true upper limit is how talented and experienced the user is. But on the other hand, the few definitive rules that there are almost NEVER get broken in official media: there's a light side and a dark side to the Force, the dark side is more dangerous to the user than the light, and there are certain powers specific to the light (e.g. [[HealingHands Force Healing]] and [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence Force Transcend]]), and certain ones specific to the dark (e.g. [[ShockAndAwe Force Lightning]])... Usually!
** Part of the reason there was such backlash to the Disney sequel films by established fans (particularly ''[[Film/StarWarsTheLastJedi The Last Jedi]]'' and ''[[Film/StarWarsTheRiseOfSkywalker The Rise of Skywalker]]'') is because they introduced many elements that contradicted previous established canon and they are used carelessly to solve problems the screenwriters got them into in the first place or for the mere spectacle without considering the implications that the existence of such an element would have on the universe (in particular, weaponizing the hyperspace zip as an attack was criticized on both fronts).