Categorizing magic

[Addison]

Hi everyone!

I'm taking a break from one story to focus on another. It's a science-fantasy. the science part will be some advanced technology, inter-planetary travel and some robot stuff. The fantasy elements will be some creatures, the races and magic. That's where my problem is.

So far I have a sort of grasp of the Types or Classes of magic: Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Heart, Mind, Body and Will (still iffy on the last one). But it's the affects the magic takes that I'm having some trouble on. If you look at any fantasy novel, movie or even online game you'll see that magic is split it up into types that are commonly called transmutations, enchantments, conjuration etc. I don't want to classify the magic in my world that way.
So far the magic affects are as follows.
Magic to: Physically change
physically enhance
mentally aid
mentally deter
emotionally enhance
emotionally fool
heal
destroy
create
hurt
move
protect

That's everything I could think of. Although some might be condensed or re-named. Any and all advice is welcomed. Thanks.

 

[Snowpoint]

There are 8 things that magic does the most often that I made for a UF setting. This might be that list, or as best as I recall it.

Dominate (invading minds, mind control)
Animate (moving objects, or giving them the ability to move)
Protect
Gather information (future, spying, etc.)
Heal
Hide
Bind
Weather

Controlling the Weather and Gathering Information (including the future) are the most desired powers in the real world mythology, I would say.

 

[Kn'Trac]

some additional kinds of magic that sprang to mind:

Technomagic: technology empowered by Magic (I'm using this as a type of magic in my rpg "Realms of Nekhara")

Alter reality: as seen in the Kult RPG (the Dark Art) and what you would expect to see awakened people do in the Matrix ("This is not a spoon.")

 

[Snowpoint]

You can organize magic based on 1. Source 2. What is does (ie Destroy) 3. How it is done. (ie butter carving magic)

 

[skip.knox]

Addison, why do you want to classify magic at all?
Why do you dislike the taxonomy you rejected?
What are you aiming for here?