Magic points (
MP; also called
mana) are units of magical power that are used in many
role-playingA role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines...
,
computer role-playingA computer role-playing game is a broad video game genre originally developed for personal computers and other home computers. While technically not a separate genre, and sharing the same defining characteristics as console RPGs there are nonetheless general tendencies that make them distinct...
and similar games as an expendable resource that is needed to pay for
magic spellSome role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
s and other abilities, such as
special attackA special attack is a literary device of fiction, particularly comic books, manga and anime, though this is not universal; videogames, primarily those in the fighting genre, feature these attacks as well...
s. Thus, magic points can be considered a specialized type of
action pointAction point is another name for action item.An action point, commonly abbreviated AP, is a point in games to determine how much action a player, unit, or video game character can do in a single turn....
s that are renewed slowly compared to other game events.
A character in such games will usually have a number of magic points based on his or her
levelAn experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
and
character classIn role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
, among other things.
Magic points (
MP; also called
mana) are units of magical power that are used in many
role-playingA role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines...
,
computer role-playingA computer role-playing game is a broad video game genre originally developed for personal computers and other home computers. While technically not a separate genre, and sharing the same defining characteristics as console RPGs there are nonetheless general tendencies that make them distinct...
and similar games as an expendable resource that is needed to pay for
magic spellSome role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
s and other abilities, such as
special attackA special attack is a literary device of fiction, particularly comic books, manga and anime, though this is not universal; videogames, primarily those in the fighting genre, feature these attacks as well...
s. Thus, magic points can be considered a specialized type of
action pointAction point is another name for action item.An action point, commonly abbreviated AP, is a point in games to determine how much action a player, unit, or video game character can do in a single turn....
s that are renewed slowly compared to other game events.
A character in such games will usually have a number of magic points based on his or her
levelAn experience point is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's progression through the game...
and
character classIn role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
, among other things. Thus a
mageThe Wizard is a magical character class in many role-playing games and computer role-playing games. Wizards are spellcasters who wield powerful magic spells, but are often physically weak as a trade-off. They are primarily based on wizards from assorted fantasy literature...
will have more MP than a fighter and an experienced mage will have more MP than a novice. When a character uses a
magic spellSome role-playing games or game systems can include a set of rules that are used to portray magic in the paranormal sense. These rules simulate the effects that magic would have within the game context, according to how the game designer intended the magic to be portrayed...
, 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
etherAccording to ancient and medieval science, aether , also spelled æther or ether, is the material that fills the region of the Universe above the terrestrial sphere.- Mythological origins :...
, or by eating food or drinking magic fluids.
In many western computer games, the magic points gauge is depicted as being
blueBlue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
, in contrast with the
redRed is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked human eye...
or
greenGreen is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
of the hit points gauge. These colors might be seen in the
user interfaceThe user interface is the aggregate of means by which people—the users—interact with the system—a particular machine, device, computer program or other complex tool...
and in the game’s items or spells (for example, a red potion is used for healing, a blue potion for restoring magic).
In general, losing all of one's MP in a game does not do the same thing as someone losing all of their HP (dying, fainting, etc), though a few cases (Star Ocean 3, for example) will cause a character to faint if their MP reaches zero.
Examples
Magic points have seen use in many fantasy games, including tabletop
role-playing gameA role-playing game is a game in which the participants assume the roles of fictional characters. Participants determine the actions of their characters based on their characterization, and the actions succeed or fail according to a formal system of rules and guidelines...
s such as
GURPSThe Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a role-playing game system designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming environment. It was created by Steve Jackson Games in 1986. GURPS won the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Rules of 1988, and in 2000 it was inducted into the Origins Hall...
and
computer role-playing gameA computer role-playing game is a broad video game genre originally developed for personal computers and other home computers. While technically not a separate genre, and sharing the same defining characteristics as console RPGs there are nonetheless general tendencies that make them distinct...
s such as
Diablo.
Synonyms
Many alternate names are used in different games. Magic points are also referred to as
- Ability Points (AP) (Breath of Fire)
- Energy (E) (Guild Wars
Guild Wars is an episodic series of multiplayer online role-playing games developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft. Although often mistaken for an MMORPG, the developers define it as a CORPG due to notable differences from the MMORPG genre. It provides two main modes of gameplay—a...
)
- Ether Points (EP) (Xenogears
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation. It was released on February 11, 1998 in Japan and on October 21, 1998 in North America. The game was never released in PAL territories...
,Xenosagais primarily a series of science fiction video games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Namco. Xenosaga's main story is in the form of a trilogy of PlayStation 2 video games...
)
- Fatigue (Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura
Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura is a single player computer role-playing game developed by Troika Games and published by Sierra Entertainment. It was released in North America and Europe in August, 2001 for Microsoft Windows...
)
- Flower Points (FP) (Paper Mario
Paper Mario, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in Europe on October 5, 2000, and in North America on February 5, 2001...
games and Super Mario RPG)
- Force Points (FP) (RF Online
RF Online, originally named 'Rising Force', is a 3D MMORPG developed by CCR.The first version of the game was released in South Korea and was later followed by Chinese , Japanese, Brazilian and English translations. The North American/European version of the game launched its retail phase on...
)
- Gnosis points (Werewolf: The Apocalypse
Werewolf: The Apocalypse is a role-playing game and series of novels from the old World of Darkness line by White Wolf. In this game, players take the role of werewolves known as Garou , warriors who are locked in a two-front war against the spiritual desolation of urban civilization and Werewolf:...
)
- Magicka (The Elder Scrolls
The Elder Scrolls is a computer role-playing game series developed by Bethesda Softworks.-History:The development of the series began in 1992, when the staff of Bethesda Softworks, which had until then been a predominantly sports game-producing company, decided to shift the focus of their upcoming...
)
- Mana (Populous
Populous is a computer game developed by Bullfrog in 1989 and is regarded by many as the seminal god game. In 1991, Populous won the Origins Award for Best Military or Strategy Computer Game of 1990 as well as 1990 Computer Game of the Year in American video game magazine Video Games & Computer...
, Diablo, GURPSThe Generic Universal RolePlaying System, or GURPS, is a role-playing game system designed to adapt to any imaginary gaming environment. It was created by Steve Jackson Games in 1986. GURPS won the Origins Award for Best Roleplaying Rules of 1988, and in 2000 it was inducted into the Origins Hall...
, World of WarcraftWorld of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
, MapleStoryMapleStory is a free-of-charge, 2D, side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by the South Korean company Wizet. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, and each is published by various companies such as Wizet and Nexon...
, FableFable is an RPG video game for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows platforms. It was developed by Big Blue Box, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and was published by Microsoft. The game shipped for Xbox on September 14, 2004...
and others)
- Mojo/Muscularity/Mana Points (MP) (Kingdom of Loathing
Kingdom of Loathing is a browser-based, multiplayer role-playing game designed and operated by Asymmetric Publications, including creator Zack "Jick" Johnson and writer Josh "Mr. Skullhead" Nite. The game was released on February 23, 2003...
, MapleStoryMapleStory is a free-of-charge, 2D, side-scrolling massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by the South Korean company Wizet. Several versions of the game are available for specific countries or regions, and each is published by various companies such as Wizet and Nexon...
)
- Potential Psychic Energy (P.P.E.) (Palladium)
- Parasite Enegry (PE) (Parasite Eve
Parasite Eve is a Japanese fiction novel by Hideaki Sena, first published in Kadokawa Horror Bunko in 1995. The book was published in North America by Vertical, Inc. in 2005....
)
- Psychic
A psychic is a person who claims to have the ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception, or is said to have such abilities by others...
Points (PP) (EarthBoundEarthBound, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game co-developed by Ape and HAL Laboratory and published by Nintendo for the Super NES video game console. It was designed by Shigesato Itoi, who also developed its predecessor, Mother, which was released only in Japan. EarthBound was...
)
- Psynergy Points (PP) (Golden Sun
Golden Sun, released in Japan as , is the first installment of a series of fantasy role-playing video games developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It was released in November 2001 for Nintendo's Game Boy Advance, with a Game Boy Advance sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age,...
)
- Skill Points (SP) (.Hack
.hack is a Japanese multimedia franchise that encompasses two projects; Project .hack and .hack Conglomerate. Both projects were primarily created/developed by CyberConnect2, and published by Bandai...
, Persona 3Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3, known in Japan as , is the the fourth video game in the Persona series of console role-playing games developed by Atlus. The game is also a part of the larger Megami Tensei series of video games...
, Persona 4)
- Spell Points (SP) (The Bard's Tale
The Bard's Tale is a fantasy computer role-playing game created by Interplay Productions in and distributed by Electronic Arts...
, Might and Magic, Heroes of Might and Magic IIHeroes of Might and Magic II: The Succession Wars is a turn-based strategy video game developed by New World Computing and published in 1996 by the 3DO Company. The game is the second installment of the Heroes of Might and Magic series and is typically credited as the breakout game for the series...
)
- Technical Points (TP) (Tales series
The series is a franchise of fantasy console role-playing games published by Namco Bandai Games , and primarily developed by its subsidiary, Namco Tales Studio. Created in 1995, the series now spans over twelve flagship titles, over fifteen side games, and four animated productions, into several...
)
- Technique Points (TP) (the Phantasy Star series
Phantasy Star is a series of role-playing video games and other supplementary media created by Sega which started in 1987 on the Sega Master System, where it pioneered a generation of traditional single player RPGs, and continues into the present with Phantasy Star Universe, Sega's foray into the...
, from Phantasy Star 2 on)
- Voodoo (Pirates of the Caribbean Online
, sometimes shortened to Pirates Online, is a massively multiplayer online game, or MMOG, created by The Walt Disney Company, based on the film series and theme park attraction of the same name...
)
Other terms designate units of
psionicPsionics, in role-playing games, is a broad category of fantastic abilities originating from the mind, similar to the paranormal psionic abilities that some people claim in reality.- Common features :...
, or otherwise supernatural, power equivalent to MP:
- Force
The Force is a binding, metaphysical and ubiquitous power in the fictional Star Wars universe, created by George Lucas. First mentioned in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, it is integral in all subsequent films in the series, as well as the Star Wars "Expanded Universe" of comic books, novels, and...
Points (FP) (Star Wars: Knights of the Old RepublicStar Wars: Knights of the Old Republic is a role-playing game developed by BioWare and published by LucasArts. It was released for the Xbox on July 15, 2003, for Microsoft Windows on November 19, 2003, and on September 7, 2004 for Mac OS X. The Xbox version is playable on Xbox 360 with its...
)
- Inner Strength Points (I.S.P.) (Palladium)
- Mist Points (MP) (Final Fantasy XII
is a single-player console role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series...
)
- Power Points (PP) (Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game is currently published by Wizards of the Coast, a subsidiary of Hasbro...
Psionics HandbookThe Expanded Psionics Handbook is a sourcebook by Bruce Cordell for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game that contains a multitude of rules and options for integrating psychic powers into the D&D game...
3.5, In Nomine Satanis/Magna VeritasIn Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas is a French role-playing game, created by Croc.In Nomine Satanis/Magna Veritas was first designed by the French company Siroz, available in its fourth edition. The French edition of the game was stopped in 2006, with the publication of the sourcebook "On Ferme !"...
, Pokémonis a media franchise published by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world,...
, RoleMasterRolemaster is a role-playing game published by Iron Crown Enterprises. Rolemaster has come in four separate editions. The 3
rd edition, first published in 1995, is also known as the "Rolemaster Standard System"...
and many others)
- Eve (Bioshock
BioShock is a first-person shooter video game, developed by 2K Boston/2K Australia—previously known as Irrational Games—designed by Ken Levine. It was released for the Windows operating system and Xbox 360 video game console on August 21, 2007, in North America, and three days later in Europe and...
)
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:
- Spirit Commands in the Super Robot Wars
is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. Its main feature is having a plot involving multiple mecha titles, allowing characters from different titles to team up or battle each other...
series of video games (1991) include a variety of exceptional feats used by expending Spirit Points (SP), while attacks are used by expending Energy (EN).
- In the World of Darkness
The World of Darkness is the name given to three related but distinct fictional universes. The first was conceived by Mark Rein-Hagen, while the second was designed by several people at White Wolf Gaming Studio, which Rein-Hagen helped to found...
(1991), and ExaltedExalted is a role-playing game published by White Wolf Publishing. The game is classified as high fantasy, but may be more accurately described as "mythic fantasy," as the original developer specifically avoided drawing on J. R. R. Tolkien for inspiration. A second edition of the core rule book has...
, supernatural creatures must expend some resource, such as Blood Points, Gnosis, Rage, Quintessence, Vitae, Essence or Mana to fuel many of their powers.
- In the Pokémon video games
The Pokémon video game series is a series of role-playing video games developed by Game Freak and Creatures Inc. and published by Nintendo. First released in 1996 in Japan for the Game Boy, the franchise has continued with at least two new games for each Game Boy generation...
(1995 and later), Power Points (PP) are used to limit the number of times a Pokémonis a media franchise published by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world,...
can perform each type of attack.
- Super Mario RPG (1996), as well as its spiritual successors Paper Mario
Paper Mario, known in Japan as , is a role-playing video game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo 64 game console. It was first released in Japan on August 11, 2000, in Europe on October 5, 2000, and in North America on February 5, 2001...
and Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year DoorPaper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, released in Japan as , is a console role-playing game developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo GameCube...
, use Flower Points (FP) to fuel special moves. Both characters on the field draw FP from the same pool.
- In Diablo II
Diablo II is a sequel to the game Diablo, a dark fantasy-themed action role-playing game in a hack and slash and "dungeon roaming" style. It was released for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS in by Blizzard Entertainment, and was developed by Blizzard North.Diablo II was one of the most popular games...
(2000), all character classIn role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
es (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.
- Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga, known in Japan as , is a role-playing game developed by AlphaDream and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. The game is the third Mario role-playing game, following Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars for the SNES, and Paper Mario for the...
(2003) has Brothers Points (BP) which the two titular characters use to perform special team-up attacks.
- World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft, often referred to as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
(2004) uses Rage for Warriors, or Energy and Combo points for Rogues, Runes and Runic Power for Death Knights, as well as Focus for Hunters' pets. Casters such as Mages use Mana.
- Everquest II
EverQuest II , based upon the popular EverQuest, is a fantasy massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Sony Online Entertainment and shipped on 8 November 2004...
(2004) uses a Power pool to “fuel” combat arts as well as spells.
- In Star Ocean 3 (2004), MP was used as a second 'life-gauge'. Certain attacks reduced the target's HP and MP or may only target MP entirely, and characters die when their MP reach 0 as well. Enemies also follow this and the player can decide whether to kill them by attacking their HP or MP.
- In Guild Wars
Guild Wars is an episodic series of multiplayer online role-playing games developed by ArenaNet and published by NCsoft. Although often mistaken for an MMORPG, the developers define it as a CORPG due to notable differences from the MMORPG genre. It provides two main modes of gameplay—a...
(2005), energy powers most skills, even non-spell ones. Certain skills use adrenaline, which is increased by attacking.