History Main / UtilityMagic

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', spells which fall under the Alteration attribute are almost entirely this - Levitation (''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' only), opening locks, increasing the amount of weight you can carry, night eye and light spells, water walking and breathing, etc. The teleportation spells (again, ''Morrowind'' only) offered by the school of Mysticism also have some extremely utilitarian uses. (Zapping out of danger, allowing you to move while over-encumbered, etc.)

* In the ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' series, the main characters have 'Ambient magic' which is magic from everyday things, including thread magic, metal working magic, gardening magic and carpentry magic.

* In the ''Literature/WheelOfTime'' series, the Aes Sedai have a rule that their pupils may not use magic for chores, partly to [[BeingMiserableBuildsCharacter build character]] and also because magic is highly addictive; however, full sisters do it from time to time. The Ashaman, on the other hand, are focused on becoming as magically competent as possible before [[BlessedWithSuck it drives them mad]], and so are required to use it for absolutely ''everything''.

* The ''{{Ultima}}'' series, and ''{{Ultima VII}}'' in particular, is the undisputed video game king of this trope. You can find a complete list of spells, along with some very colourful descriptions, [[http://lparchive.org/Ultima-VII-The-Black-Gate/Update%2014/ here (part I)]] and [[http://lparchive.org/Ultima-VII-Part-2-Serpent-Isle/Update%2055/ here (part II)]]. Some highlights include Ignite, which lights any flammable object, Awaken, which does ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, False Coin, which allows you to be a huge JerkAss to merchants, and Fireworks, which is [[UselessSuperpowers bloody useless (pretty, though)]].

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', spells which fall under the Alteration attribute are almost entirely this - Levitation (''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' only), opening locks, increasing the amount of weight you can carry, etc. The teleportation spells (again, ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' only) offered by the school of Mysticism also have some extremely utilitarian uses. (Zapping out of danger, allowing you to move while over-encumbered, etc.)

** ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' added more spells like Quimby's Enchanting Gourmet (Unseen Servant improved so that it cooks on its own) and Nchaser's Glowing Globe (controlled permanent glow-lamp). It also has historic examples in Netheril and Imaskar -- Netheril relied on the mythallar, a kind of orb which allowed the use of quasimagical items (quasimagical items being items who acted as magical within a mythallar's mile-radius field, but not outside, the upside being that they were ''much'' less draining to make for an arcanist) to make it practical within its famous flying cities, while Imaskar's focus on dimensional magic resulted in the elite mages of that society using portals and space-time trickery for some relatively mundane applications (like fresh water and recycling air by means of inverted {{No Flow Portal}}s to the Elemental Planes of Water and Air).

* ''The Wizard on 4th Street''. When Merlin returns, magic does as well, but electricity vanishes. With everything run by magic, this trope is in full force. For example, to drive a taxi, the driver must repeatedly chant a mantra to keep the vehicle moving. Experienced cabbies are able to ''banter with passengers and chant the mantra at the same time''.

* A lot of the trappings of "TheDragonDoctors" resembles modern-day Earth, and magic is often used as a more-advanced equivalent of modern technology. VoluntaryShapeshifting is a faster, more-complete form of plastic surgery, InstantSedation is due to magic sedatives, the AkashicRecords are like a shamanism-internet, and so on.

* Kirkwall in Webcomic/{{Blindsprings}} has an early 1900s approach when it comes to technology because Academy Magic is everywhere, and used for things like protection or to even display the lights.

* Averted in ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' with the witches: they use magic as little as possible, even for chores, preferring to use trickery and/or other people to do it. It shows how far Granny's gone when she magics the wheels of a cart, requiring a BrightSlap from Nanny. Played straight with the wizards, who indulge in MundaneUtility with it as well.

* This is how magic is used in the ''Literature/LordDarcy'' books. It many cases, magical devices will take the place of some sort of mundane technology in our world, e.g. the magical preservation chest that acts like a refrigerator. That's a "cold chest", and it's implied to be technical, like the telesons. On the other hand, the magical "tracers", the forensic tests, and at least one equivalent of a super-powered smoke bomb are ''definitely'' magical. As are their ways of sensing sociopathic and other tendencies and restraining them, kindly but firmly.

* In the world of ''Literature/PhoenixRising'' magic is used for many things that we use technology for: air conditioning, burglar alarms, surveillance, locks, printing...

* Creator/RobertAHeinlein's short story "Magic Inc." has magic being used on a regular basis for mundane purposes, such as construction work.

* The lead of ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDXD'', Issei, creates his first two personalized spells to fit under this: Dress Break, which destroys the clothing of and female he can touch, and Bilingual, which allows him to [[RefugeInAudacity communicate with a girl's breasts]] (did we mention he's a LovableSexManiac?). Hilariously, he manages to invert MundaneUtility and find combat applications for these skills.

* ''Fanfic/GameTheory'' has an entire magic style designed around constructing buildings and assembly line production.

* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} Technomancer''. Magic is used for mass market consumer products, such as electronics.

** ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'' added more spells like Quimby's Enchanting Gourmet (Unseen Servant improved so that it cooks on its own) and Nchaser's Glowing Globe (controlled permanent glow-lamp).

* While actual utility spells that the player characters can use is rare in the VideoGame/MightAndMagic series (mostly limited to old-standbys like Torchlight, which gives off light like a torch), it's a recurring element in the old New World Computing setting if you take the time to read dialogues and item-descriptions, mostly in the form of {{Magitek}} (for instance, the description for one type of plate-armour in ''VII'' mentions that it is made in forges enchanted to be hotter. Another example is that ''VI'' mentions that enchantments limiting tear-and-wear, who are so basic that they are incorporated in most everything ''and'' don't block off further more complicated enchantment).