Some Ruminations on Magic

I know this has been beaten to death, buried, dug up and beaten some more; however, I am really thinking about what makes magic so interesting and seductive in fantasy? Matt Finch's work Elditch Wierdness Books One Through Three has really gotten me thinking. Is it the flashy flying around, burning enemies to cinders type magic, or the more subtle and insidious sort? I tend to lean towards the latter. I know, it’s all subjective, but what really pulls me in are the stories where magic is not common and even the slightest use of magic is impressive. I have a horrible memory so I can’t site specific details form any text, but things like Gandalf’s smoke rings from Lord of the Rings, The various implied magic from George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, and more importantly, the various fairy tales and legends from all over the world. Sure, there are some fairy tales that have overt magic, but more often than not it is more of the - oh, I don’t really have a word to describe it, um, more mundane type I suppose. The thing I like about these tales is that magic is often clever, subtle, and for the most part practical (in that it accomplishes some practical matter – not because the nature of the magic is practical). For instance, the tale of Jack and the Beanstalk; Jack trades the family cow for some magical beans. On the surface, this trade might seem wholly illogical and impractical. However, it does provide Jack with an avenue for adventure and ultimately he gets the goose that lays the golden eggs (which does provide a direct benefit to him and his family). At any rate, yeah, this might be different than Gandalf’s smoke rings, but it seems that more often than not, the way Fantasy Role Playing Games are played by most folks I encounter; magic is often geared directly to combat or combat support (after all, who wants to waste spell slots on smoke rings?). I remember when the Unearthed Arcana was released and cantrips were introduced. I really liked this idea in that it provided low level magic effects that could be used for all sorts of interesting and clever effects. I am just itching for more practical and clever applications of magic instead of blasting everything with a fireball… either that or I’m just old and cranky and need a nap ;).