Games with alternatives to MP

[rusty_shackleford]

Where MP refers to generic mana, magic pool, etc.,

I'll quickly rule out d&d vancian magic which is interesting due to how it was NOT adopted by video game RPGs. But there are still a lot of adaptations of tabletop. 5e has a more generic vancian system that is some hybrid of spontaneous casting.

[ArcaneLurker]

IDK, but you could have soul slots. Each slot can hold a soul from an enemy slain, which enables you to cast one spell.

Also, I quite like that in GW1, some spells cost a pip of Mana regeneration to maintain.

[J1M]

Cooldowns (for real-time)
Restore on rest
Once per combat
Conditional (can only shock when enemy has wet debuff, but can always shock when enemy is wet)
Deck/card/hand based (can use only the spells drawn that turn/combat)

Basically, you need a limitation and optionally a randomization element.

[Insect God]

If I recall correctly, in EYE: Divine Cybermancy, psi powers cost stamina to perform instead of drawing from a pool of magic points.

[Manny V]

Runescape: Using different combinations of runes, elemental and secondary (stuff like mind, body, law, chaos) which end up effectively being used as ammunition

Total War Warhammer: Derives it somewhat from the tabletop, it uses 'Winds of Magic' which is like drawing the magical energies from the air to cast spells. You start out the battle with a small amount, usually allowing you to cast a few spells in succession, before having to rely on your 'reserves', which trickles in slowly over time. You only have a certain amount of reserve winds per battle, but that can be bumped up with campaign skills/tech/environmental conditions n shiet. This means you have to be picky with your spells, since your reserves take a while to regen and take longer as it goes on(eg. you regen 1 winds every 3 seconds at the start of the fight, then later as you've drawn from most of your reserves, it takes 10 seconds). If you have multiple casters in your army, they all draw from the same pool of Winds of Magic, so you have to be even more stingy with their spellcasting. Enemies have their own winds, tied to their army, so you don't have to worry about them yoinkin your spellz, but you can sabotage their winds sometimes, particularly as Tzeentch. You can also overcast spells, empowering them but costing more winds, and running the risk of miscasting (which in lore would like explode or mutate the caster or whatever, but in game it just hurts you).
I don't explain it well enough, me smoothbrain, you read: https://totalwarwarhammer.fandom.com/wi ... s_of_Magic

Mordheim City of the Damned: Has no 'winds of magic' system, so spells can technically be cast freely, but obviously you have to be mindful of cooldowns and action economy. The main thing is it has a miscasting system (like all Warhammer stuff), but you can also just flat out fail to cast the spell as well. Spellcasting becomes giga risky, especially early on without invested skills or gear, since you could be casting some basic *** buff then BAM TZEENTCH WRACKS YOUR MIND WITH ELDRITCH HORRORS BEYOND YOUR COMPREHENSION and your caster's out for the rest of the battle. It comes in two flavours, Arcane and Divine, so a Chaos sorcerer will get ****** over by Tzeentch for the lulz, whereas a Warrior Priest will be smote by Sigmar. There's all sorts of effects that can proc when you trigger a negative effect, from stunning everyone around you(friend or foe), turning you into a beacon of light(lowering range resistances but making you immune to 'All Alone' where you panic when surrounded), or getting inflicted with stupidity(chance to lose your turn if not in combat or with someone nearby who can counteract it, oogabooga brain).
Once again me no explain so good, you read:
https://mordheim-city-of-the-damned-arc ... iki/Spells
https://mordheim-city-of-the-damned-arc ... ve_Effects

[rusty_shackleford]

Runescape: Using different combinations of runes, elemental and secondary (stuff like mind, body, law, chaos) which end up effectively being used as ammunition

Runescape does not get enough credit for not only having spell reagents, but it being a major part of the game + serious considering, including getting them

[Manny V]

Runescape: Using different combinations of runes, elemental and secondary (stuff like mind, body, law, chaos) which end up effectively being used as ammunition

Runescape does not get enough credit for not only having spell reagents, but it being a major part of the game + serious considering, including getting them

it's such a simple system but works well ay

[Lich]

Infra Arcana has spells that use HP and raise shock, which can cause insanity.

[Tweed]

It's an adventure game and not a very good one at that, but the magic system to I, Damiano is unique. All magic comes from Satan so casting any spell is an evil act that must be counterbalanced by using it for good purposes and generally being good. If you slide too far into evil, Satan appears and drags your soul to hell. I've always wanted to design a game with a magic system similar to that.

[Acrux]

In Sulphur Memories, all spells are potion based, but a lot of them have effects you think of from more general spells in other games.


I suppose item-specific spellcasting in general would fall into the same category.

[Tweed]

Darklands replaces magic with saint calls and alchemy. Divine Favor functions like MP, but the saint calls themselves are very different from the usual magic system, and saint calls have usefulness everywhere: from getting an audience with the nobility to escaping from the wild hunt. Alchemy fills in the more traditional areas of magic, but you need to be really good to use the better versions of formulas.

You can also get some information on every saint you know.

[WaterMage]

Warhammer online. "Bright Wizards are able to cast spells using the Lore of Fire. Due to the volatile nature of Aqshy, they always risk a backlash that could incinerate themselves as well as their opponents. This buildup of Aqshy is known as 'Combustion' and the greater the level of Combustion Bright Wizards place into their destructive spells the more likely they will explode with stupendous results (Critical Hit). However, even the most skilled wizard will get burned when playing with fire. Pushing the Combustion level too high can result in a damaging backlash of magical energy." src https://warhammerfantasy.fandom.com/wik ... ght_Wizard

It is also present in Darktide and Vermintide for 40k and fantasy. The more you use psyker powers or fire magic, the more likely it is to blow yourself up.

But you can spam psyker power endlessly if you quell/wait perils of the warp...