Summary
Magic, with its infinite possibilities, has always been central to roleplaying games, but not all spells are meant for slaying monsters. While early tabletop and computer RPGs were shaped in the deadly combat of dungeon crawls, it didn’t take long for players to look beyond the sword. As the genre matured, so did the possibilities of the magical arts. Spells became tools for exploration, diplomacy, survival, and storytelling. Players drawn to magic-users often sought more than firepower.
Inspired by peace-loving figures likeGandalf from The Lord of the Rings, they chose subtlety over strength,solving problems with charm, insight, and the occasional use of teleportation. Perhaps because the human imagination is infinite and words are more cost-effective than even the most efficient game developer’s workflow, cRPGs often pigeonhole magic users into tertiary combat roles. However, these rare gems carry that tabletop legacy forward, demonstrating (expensive) out-of-the-box magic systems where combat is just one path among many.
The indie open-worldDread Delusionis already impressive for its presentation of a vast chain of floating islands, all built on an indie budget. With all the psychedelic mushrooms, retro low-fi graphics, and focus on non-linear exploration, it could be described as a PS1-era take onMorrowind.Dread Delusiontakes on board some of the same game design philosophy in that it grants players access to a wide spectrum of spells to suit a variety of playstyles.
Many can be used to obliterate enemies, to be sure. However, spells like Entice, Fade, and Slow allow players to avoid combat encounters in a manner befitting a trickster magician. Other utility spells like Return Home and Agility’s Addendum allow their casters to flatten the spore-infested space between the floating islands and whip around faster thana sky pirate’s airship. Magic also has a part to play in opening secret entrances and finding hidden treasures only visible to the magically gifted.
The central premise ofVampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlinesis that in order to survive, vampires must learn to live amongst the human population undiscovered. Many of the spells, or Disciplines, revolve around the subtle manipulation of the world and others in order to maintain this cover.
The player’s magical abilities vary depending on their sire’s heritage. Those born into the Ventrue clan can dominate the minds of others in dialogue. Malkavians can vanish from sight and see the world more clearly than most, but their reality warping comes at a cost to their sanity. Despitebeing turned into a bloodthirsty vampire, it is entirely possible for the player to use magic to bypass violence, charm, or slip by obstacles before a fight even begins.
Arx Fatalisis undeniably janky by today’s standards.AF’s borderline experimental mechanics and presentation can be off-putting at first, but once players become accustomed to the strange controls and sensitive first-person simulation elements, they will find a lot to love, especially when it comes to its magic spells, which the player initiates by drawing runes in the air.
Because the entire game takes place inan underground society of tunnels and caves, normally game-breaking abilities like Levitate and Telekinesis are up for grabs for the enterprising mage. Players can enchant objects, conjure force fields, raise the dead, and paralyze en masse to get up to all sorts of mischief, but their mastery over magic will allow them to see past illusions and break the enchantments of others.
There are few games as ambitious asArcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura. Its size, depth, and build possibilities are staggering. While half of the game (theSteamworkspart) focuses on technology, it has a suite of mechanics that should appeal to both the firebolt aficionados and lovers of magic for its rule-breaking and mystical aspects, as the Tolkien-meets-industrial revolution world was built with player agency and broad build viability in mind.
Spells from the Convayance, Phantasm, and Temporal schools can mess with the fabric of reality, allowing a mage to open locks with a finger snap, teleport through hard matter, or become invisible. The Nature and Mental schools give mages options when dealing with foes, wild or civilized, that do not require resorting to dismemberment or blast damage. The White Necrotic school even allows players toroleplay as a healerand cure the sick, assuming their patients are attuned to magic.
From breaking off from the main quest to pick flowers to sitting by a hearth to read the next thrilling chapter of “The Real Barenziah,“The Elder Scrollsis known for providing players with activities that go beyond sword swinging and corpse-looting. A fantasy world that aims to give as much player agency as possible would, of course, feature magic that allows its caster to do more than hit obstacles head-on.
The Clever Craft inSkyrim,Oblivion, andMorrowindoffers many magical means by which to traverse Nirn, interact with NPCs, and reach off-limit places. Spells like Invisibility, Calm, Feather, and Water Breathing allow players to bypass enemies.Communion with Daedraoffers powers that can manipulate the weather and summon pack-mule servants. The most powerful magic users can even learn to fly (in Morrowind, at least).
Based onDungeons & Dragons5e,Baldur’s Gate 3has one of the most robust non-combat magic systems in modern RPGs. Every class gets access touseful non-combat utilityspells, like Speak with Animals, Friends, Feather Fall, and Disguise Self, that dramatically change how situations unfold and can potentially unlock entire quest branches or unique dialogue options.
The game’s flexible approach to spellcasting means players can shape encounters before initiative is even rolled. Charm a guard, teleport to a ledge, detect a hidden illusion, or light a room with Dancing Lights;Baldur’s Gate 3invites mages to think like problem solvers, not just mystical blasters.
