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Magic points (MP), or “mana points”, are units of magical power that are used in many role-playing, computer role-playing and similar games as an expandable resource that is needed to “pay” for magic spells.
A character in such games will usually have a number of magic points based on his or her level and character class, among other things. Thus a mage will have more MP than a fighter and an experienced mage will have more MP than a novice. When a character uses a magic spell, a number of MP will be deducted from that character’s available MP to pay for the spell (more powerful spells generally cost more MP). If a character has too few MP, the spell cannot be cast. This system makes players choose between casting a few powerful spells, or many weaker ones.
In some games, MP replenish slowly over time, while in others a character must rest to recover MP. Other possibilities include stealing or absorbing them from other characters or from the ether, or by eating food or drinking mana fluids.
In many western computer games, the magic points gauge is depicted as being blue, in contrast with the red of the hit points gauge. These colors might be seen in the user interface and in the game’s items or spells (for example, a red potion is used for healing, a blue potion for restoring mana).
Examples
The concept of magic points has been used in numerous games of various types:
- Role-playing games, such as D&D, Tunnels and Trolls (1975), GURPS, or Palladium.
- Computer role-playing games like dnd and other CRPGs on PLATO, the Diablo series, or MMORPGs like EverQuest
- MUDs
- Trading card games:
- The Gathering uses mana as a way to pay for spells and creatures by drawing it from land. Different land gives different colors of mana. Mountains give red mana, for example, which could be used for fire spells.
- Strategy games, e.g., Populous, StarCraft, and the Warcraft series.
Synonyms
Many alternate names are used in different games. Magic points are also referred to as
- Mana (Populous, Diablo, and others)
- Spell Points (SP) ( Gates To Another World, The Succession Wars)
- Potential Psychic Energy (P.P.E.) (Palladium)
- Psynergy Points (PP) (Golden Sun)
- Gnosis points ( The Apocalypse)
- Magicka (The Elder Scrolls)
- Technical Points (TP) (Tales of Eternia, for example)
Other terms designate units of psionic, or otherwise supernatural, power equivalent to MP:
- Inner Strength Points (I.S.P.) (Palladium)
- Power Points (PP) (Dungeons & Dragons Psionics Handbook 3.5, In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas, among others)
- Force Points (FP) ( Knights of the Old Republic)
Similar concepts
In traditional RPGs, magic points remained entirely in the realm of magic spells or psionic powers, while fighting skills and abilities were never under such a restriction. Many newer games, however, have introduced similar skill-limitation systems for fighters:
- The Garou in The Apocalypse (1992) must spend Rage points for some of their special abilities (e.g., for changing forms, entering the spirit world, or performing extra attacks). These are distinct from the Gnosis points used to “fuel” spells and spell-like gifts.
- In the Pokémon video games (1995 and later), Power Points (PP) are used to limit the amount of times a Pokémon can perform each type of attack.
- Super Mario RPG (1996), as well as its informal sequels Paper Mario and The Thousand-Year Door, use Flower Points (FP) to fuel special moves.
- In Diablo II (2000), all character classes (magic users as well as fighters) each have access to a unique and exclusive set of skills, and many of the skills in each set are powered by mana as if they were spells.
- World of Warcraft (2004) uses Rage for Warriors, or Energy and Combo points for Rogues.
- Everquest II (2004) uses a Power pool to “fuel” combat arts as well as spells.
Alos, magic points can be considered a specialized type of action points that are renewed relatively slowly.
See also
"Magic point"