Line #31 Main/UtilityMagic


1	[[quoteright:309:[[WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/magicmop_2368.jpg]]]]
2	[[caption-width-right:309:And when you're done with the basement you can clean the upstairs bathroom.]]
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4	In many works, magic is something to [[RuleOfCool blast things with and generally make stuff explode]]. A wizard may also use magic to create impressive, astounding effects.
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6	But not in this universe. In this universe, MundaneUtility isn't a secondary effect of all those awesome spells, but the primary one. The magic essentially has to do with things on the more mundane scale of the InverseLawOfUtilityAndLethality, like Cleaning Magic, or Gardening Magic, or Paper-Filing Magic. Why modify that [[KillitWithFire fireball spell]] to [[MundaneUtility cook your hotdog]], when you can just have a spell that does exactly that in the first place, and to your perfect specifications?
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8	This can get as crazy as worlds where ''everything'' is done with a spell, from cooking to transportation to brushing your teeth. Another manifestation of this trope is where everyday things or tasks seem to be ''imbued'' with magic. It might be so subtly done that it leaves one wondering MaybeMagicMaybeMundane, especially in a LowFantasy or MagicRealism work. Either way, this kind of magic is somewhat prone to the WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway question, especially in works where the more ordinary (less ordinary?) way we view magic is also used. It happens pretty often though that this kind of magic can turn out to be LethalHarmlessPowers, when the user is pushed into a corner, implying that HeartIsAnAwesomePower. If the ability is a personal power rather than a general spell the user might [[ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman be recruited to the Hero's group for some particular task]], or the character will [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer improvise the uses of their power to match the situation using cleverness]].
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10	It should be noted that in worlds where there is some kind of EquivalentExchange for performing magic, this kind of power appears much less often because the mundane nature of it can be performed without magic, and often times a mage, witch, or wizard would rather just wash those dishes by hand than pay out the cost, whatever it might be.
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12	Compare MundaneUtility and MartialArtsAndCrafts, for the martial arts version. If the magic is incorporated into or used in conjunction with some kind of mechanical aspect, it might be {{Magitek}}.
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14	----
15	!!Examples:
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17	[[foldercontrol]]
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19	[[folder:Anime & Manga]]
20	* Loads and loads of spells into ''Manga/AhMyGoddess'' can be used as this. The most notable instance are magic brooms, which can both fly at enormous speed and be used to clean (in fact that's the basic definition). Even Gluhen Des Herzen, which looks like a broom-shaped rocket but is actually a vacuum cleaner (much to Urd and Peorth's protests when they find out).
21	* ''Manga/CardCaptorSakura'': A lot of the Clow Cards were originally created by Clow Reed to help with various mundane tasks. One example is the Bubble, which he created in order to make it easier to give Keroberos a bath.
22	* In ''Anime/EarwigAndTheWitch'', Bella makes her living selling prepared spells and potions for mundane things like good luck and little acts of revenge, something Erica finds rather disappointing.
23	* The lead of ''Literature/HighSchoolDXD'', Issei, creates his first two personalized spells to fit under this: Dress Break, which [[TheNudifier destroys the clothing of any 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.
24	* In the world of ''Manga/FairyTail'', magic is a part of everyday life and "is bought and sold there every day. It is an integral part of people's lives, and there are people who use magic as their occupation". In other words, it's used instead of technology.
25	* ''Manga/FrierenBeyondJourneysEnd'': While Frieren certinaly knows (and uses) the big, fancy, explosive spells, she also collects much more mundane magic like spells to de-rust statues, make shaved ice, and produce tea. She will take on nearly any request or fight any monster in exchange for learning a new spell, however ridiculous it may sound. Frieren's master Flamme also seemed fond of utility magic; her favorite spell was one that caused flowers to grow. The affinity for it seems to be rubbing off on Frieren's apprentice Fern as well; when presented with the opportunity to learn a single spell from an [[TheArchmage Archmage]], Fern [[MundaneWish chooses a spell for doing the laundry.]]
26	* Alchemy in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist''. Granted, we see a lot of alchemy being used for fighting and blowing stuff up in the series, but that's primarily because we're following characters in the military. Alchemy has a ton of uses ranging from fixing broken appliances, to building things very quickly, to healing people... the list goes on and on. Since the official alchemist's creed is "alchemy is for the people," it's likely this is why most people become alchemists in the first place: To fix broken stuff.
27	* ''Manga/JoJosBizarreAdventureDiamondIsUnbreakable'': As Stands are FightingSpirit, they are generally used for combat. An exception comes with Antonio "Tonio" Trussardi, an Italian Chef who's Stand Pearl Gam provides [[MedicinalCuisine healing and remendies when eaten]], which he serves in his ImpossiblyDeliciousFood. Justified as Stands are PersonalityPowers, and Tonio developed his Stands as a result of [[SupremeChef mastering his skills in cooking]].
28	* ''Manga/Overlord2012'': Ainz discovers there are more kinds of magic in the new world than in YGGDRASSIL (which makes sense, as an MMO isn't going to have much use for non-combat spells). There are spells that make fruit grow bigger or restore nutrients in the ground, eliminating the need for field rotation, and the Empire is secretly experimenting with UndeadLaborers to increase agricultural production.
29	* In ''Literature/{{Slayers}}'', Lina invented a spell for fishing; Amelia uses a spell for spraying on graffiti; one episode in the third season demonstrates the usefulness of magic in heavy construction work.
30	* In ''Literature/TheSaintsMagicPowerIsOmnipotent'', this is the most common and by far important use of magic. Water spells are used to create large amounts of clean water for brewing potions and researching them; mana is more frequently infused into life-saving medicines than to fuel attack magic; and even those that know how to use magic for battle, like Capt. Hawke, knows a spell specifically for making ice cubes for your and your companion's drinks.
31	* Enforced in ''Manga/WitchHatAtelier'', where the current era is the result of the Witches' Auditorium doing everything in their power to restrict the use of magic to peaceful applications only, after a past age of violence and chaos was caused by magic being widespread. However, their zealousness extends even to condemning healing magic as TheDarkArts and attempting to erase all knowledge of it, as the same techniques are said to have once been used for grotesque human experimentation.
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34	[[folder:Comic Books]]
35	* ''{{ComicBook/Lanfeust}}'': Every person has a unique power that more or less dictates what their job will be, such as heating metal (blacksmith), making people thirsty (barmaid), or telekinetically controlling axes (woodcutter and later mercenary). However, powers only work when within range of a sage, a person who underwent a reversible ritual that replaces their power with the ability to project magic.
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38	[[folder:Fan Works]]
39	* ''Fanfic/{{Game Theory\|LyricalNanoha}}'' has an entire magic style designed around constructing buildings and assembly line production.
40	* ''Fanfic/FamilyOfTheShield'': Much like his Canon Self, [[Literature/TheRisingOfTheShieldHero Naofumi Iwatani]] manages to unlock a wide variety of Shields for his Legendary Shield that grants him both active and passive benefits upon mastering them. And due to his low ATK Stat; he has to get creative with how best to implement his abilities, with some of his more useful Shields allowing him to do the following: [[SpiderSense Detect hidden dangers]], [[WalletOfHolding holding his money]], [[SummonMagic Teleport Party Members to his side]], [[LevelMapDisplay display nearby terrain]], [[EnemyDetectingRadar Detect both Enemies and Resources]], [[ItemAmplifier Increasing the quality and quantity of items and materials]] that Naofumi [[ItemCrafting Creates]] ''and'' [[RandomDropBooster Collects]], [[FirstPersonSnapshooter Take Pictures]], [[CaughtOnTape Recording Audio or Video and to Play it back]], along with [[MissionControl Communicating with his Party Members across vast distances]]. All of which are Shield Abilities that his Canon Self ''[[AdaptationalBadass doesn't]]'' [[AdaptationalBadass possess]].
41	* ''Fanfic/TheDarkWars'' has a broken masquerade in the Harry Potter setting, leading to things like roads that self-heat to remove snow and tyres that never lose their grip.
42	* ''Fanfic/VowOfNudity'': Inherited from [[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons the source material]], the setting includes tons of magic spells with noncombat or mundane uses. The author also seems to enjoy finding as many alternate uses for D&D spells as possible. For example, characters have used ''shape water'' to create [[SlipperySkid invisible ice slicks]] or bust open a ship's locker, ''minor alchemy'' to forge counterfeit money, and ''floating disk'' as a makeshift umbrella. Haara herself uses ''produce flame'' as a source of light, warmth, and firestarting outside of combat. Even her regular use of ''disguise self'' to generate illusory clothing is a relatively mundane application for what's normally an infiltration/subterfuge-oriented spell.
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45	[[folder:Films -- Animation]]
46	* Most of the magic seen in Miyazaki's ''Anime/HowlsMovingCastle'' is used to keep the house together and moving. There is a magic war raging on, but most of it happens off-screen. Howl and Markl also run a kind of magic "shop" out of the castle, selling useful spells and potions to customers for profit.
47	* Merlin's higitus-figitus spell in ''WesternAnimation/TheSwordInTheStone'' -- good for packing, washing up, and other household chores.
48	* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fantasia}}'' has a segment that features Mickey as The Sorcerer's Apprentice, using magic to do his chores. We're not really sure what the original intent of the spell is (is it an actual 'cleaning' spell or does it just make objects sentient?) so it might also be MundaneUtility. Ends pretty disastrously, either way, because Mickey forgot to add a stop condition for the brooms.
49	* In ''WesternAnimation/SleepingBeauty'' the fairies have avoided using magic while hiding Princess Aurora from Maleficent, but when they mess up preparations for her sixteenth birthday, they resort to magic for making a dress, baking a cake, and cleaning up after their previous attempt. Earlier in the film, they are also seen conjuring up some tea and crackers.
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52	[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
53	* In the Film version of ''Film/PracticalMagic'', Sally Owens can be seen using a minor spell to make a spoon stir her coffee.
54	* Disney's ''Film/MaryPoppins''. In the "Spoonful of Sugar" segment Mary and the children snap their fingers to clean up a room.
55	* In ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'' there is a scene where Giselle magically convinces the bugs in Robert's apartment to help her clean.
56	* In ''Film/{{Godmothered}}'', Eleanor uses magic to make a raccoon help her put up Christmas lights, even though she could have done it herself.
57	* The film ''Film/TheSorcerersApprentice'', which is loosely based on the ''Fantasia'' example, and also contains a mops-gone-wild scene.
58	* ''Film/CastADeadlySpell''. Everyone can use magic, usually for completely normal activities.
59	* In the ''Film/HarryPotter'' films, any scene in the wizarding world will feature utility magic in the background for such tasks as sweeping or cooking. This is taken to eleven in ''Film/FantasticBeastsAndWhereToFindThem'', in which Queenie cooks an entire meal using only magic.
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62	[[folder:Gamebooks]]
63	* ''Literature/LoneWolf'':
64	** Kai-alchemy (which has nothing to do with mixing magic chemicals, just go with it) is full of utility spells that help you out in a pinch, but not so much combat magic (that would be Magi-magic, which at its highest level lets you do things like crush a man in armor like a paper cup).
65	** Elementalism (the Kai version, not the Shianti version) lets you do a number of things with small amounts of flame, dust, water, and puffs of air, so it too falls under the "Utility Magic" label.
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68	[[folder:Literature]]
69	* ''The Wizard of 4th Street''. When Merlin returns not long after fossil fuels have been depleted. 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''.
70	* In the ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' series, the main characters have 'Ambient magic' which is magic from everyday things, including thread magic, metalworking magic, gardening magic, and carpentry magic. Later books feature cooking, glass, carpentry, stone, and ''dance'' magics.
71	* Creator/RobinMcKinley loves this trope.
72	** In ''Literature/RoseDaughter'', the main heroine has a supernatural talent for growing roses, which seem to have some magic of their own.
73	** In ''Literature/{{Chalice}}'', the primary vehicle of the heroine's magic is honey - she was a beekeeper prior to becoming a member of her demesne's [[FisherKing Fisher Court]]. The most obvious effect of her magic for much of the story is that it makes her bees remarkably docile and productive, and her tiny farm supernaturally fruitful.
74	** In ''Sunshine'' there is a minor character who has a very specialized minor magical talent: coffee that she pours is always hot.
75	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
76	** Averted 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 in ''Literature/WyrdSisters'' when she magics the wheels off a cart that nearly ran her down, requiring a GetAHoldOfYourselfMan moment from Nanny. Played straight with the wizards, who indulge in MundaneUtility with it as well. Some younger wizards are also fond of {{Magitek}}, summoning miniature demons which are sold to the populace to act as cameras and personal organisers.
77	** In ''Literature/{{Wintersmith}}'', of the Tiffany Aching series, this comes up in a discussion Tiffany has with her mother. Using magic can end badly as with a witch who supposedly lived in Escrow; the witch lost not only her entire floor along with the soles of her shoes but also nearly lost a toe to over-enthusiastic cleaning from rogue magic that doesn't know how to differentiate dirt from everything else.
78	* Creator/RobertAHeinlein's novella ''Literature/MagicInc'' has magic being used on a regular basis for mundane purposes, such as construction work.
79	* In the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' books, wizards have roughly the same standards of living as muggles did in the '50s (radio but no TV or internet). Except they use magic for everything beyond medieval technology.
80	* The entire Magical Land of ''Literature/{{Xanth}}'' runs off of this. And puns. Often at the same time.
81	* ''Literature/LabyrinthsOfEcho'' by Max Frei describes mostly the magically strongest region of the World of Rod. Not only mages used to hang out where they are more powerful, but all locals use low-grade magic for everything and are spoiled rotten, having a very vague idea of living without telepathic communication and kitchen spells. Their equivalent of tea is almost undrinkable without magic, and houses are ready for living only when enchanted so that inhabitants never suffer from splinters, stumble on doorsteps, etc. Away from Heart Of The World magic gets harder, so... A lady from the capitol who can't afford servants will not stay in a remote province simply because she "used to have fat never spluttering from the pan and to crack nuts by poking them with a finger".
82	* In Sherwood Smith's ''Literature/{{Inda}}'' series, the protagonists' culture primarily uses magic for waste-disposal, FantasyContraception, and similarly mundane tasks.
83	* 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 "preservator" chest that acts like a refrigerator, the magical "tracers", the forensic tests, and at least one equivalent of a super-powered smoke bomb. There are also magical ways of sensing sociopathic and other tendencies and restraining them, kindly but firmly. Darcy's top-secret light source, on the other hand, is clearly just a battery-powered flashlight, although magic is used to make the bulb, and ensure only he can use it; the teleson (telephone equivalent) is likewise a technological device that everyone thinks of as an unusual kind of magic.
84	* ''Literature/CodexAlera'': Furycrafting has several military and commercial uses. This is due largely to it being used in place of just about any kind of technology. Unfortunately, this means that you need to have furycrafting to so much as turn off the light. This is mostly only a problem for children who haven't come into their furies yet, but Tavi, as the only adult Aleran without furycrafting, finds it annoying that he has to call in a guard to turn out his light every night. Some examples of their magic include the following:
85	** All lamps are fury-run because the flames are easier to control and anyone with even basic access to fury magic can turn the brightness up or down.
86	** Fire magic is again used in the creation of coldstones, which unlike lamp-furies and their exothermic properties, coldstones are endothermic and absorb the surrounding heat into them, which means they become refrigeration units.
87	** Roads are imbued with earth magic to maintain them and allow people to move at a faster rate.
88	** In the second book, Invidia Aquitaine reveals she has sponsored the creation of magical cloth which can change its colors to the user's desire. She shows this off by having her dress change color mid-conversation. Amara [[spoiler:and Bernard use cloaks made of the material to increase their stealth capabilities in the fifth book]].
89	** Bernard uses fire magic in the creation of small glass orbs of fire. [[spoiler:These are easy to make by anyone with fire magic, and when the orbs are gathered in larger quantities can generate an explosion comparable to a fire attack by a High Lord]].
90	* This is also the case in Jim Butcher's other series, ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles''. Harry comments frequently that most wizards specialize in mundane spells that are more useful in everyday life, and that evocation magic (a.k.a. magic that goes boom) is not only of incredibly limited use outside of combat but is extraordinarily difficult to use. Even White Council wizards typically don't specialize in combat magic (aside from the Wardens, since it's their job to kick ass).
91	** For instance, Harry, one of the strongest wizards in the world in terms of raw magic power, states that his true specialty is not evocation magic, but thaumaturgic magic, such as tracking spells that let him find lost items (which is of great help in his work as a PI).
92	** Probably the most frequent example of utility magic is Harry's invocation to light candles; "Flickum Bicus."
93	** At the climax of the first book, [[spoiler:he briefly uses a cleaning spell on a bog-standard broom to sweep up some scorpions about to attack him.]]
94	* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'' 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''.
95	* ''Literature/IncarnationsOfImmortality'' has an Earth where magic was always used publicly (and never [[TheMagicGoesAway went away]]); technology was eventually invented, resulting in such odd things as car salesmen competing with FlyingCarpet salesmen.
96	* ''Rhymes with Witches'' has a high school coven of witches who use their power to become the most popular girls in school.
97	* In the world of ''Literature/TheBalancedSword'' magic is used for many things that we use technology for: air conditioning, burglar alarms, surveillance, locks, printing...
98	* ''Literature/TheYoungAncients'' has a magitek industrial revolution, where sure, lots of magic devices are made with combat applications. But far more are along the line of magic water pumps, filters, flight, moving cargo, construction, refrigeration, and cooking. Tor's first magic device is an instant clothes dryer, and while one student mocks him for it, others are quick to point out how profitable such a thing can be.
99	* Magic in the ''Literature/YoungWizards'' series is based on asking the universe (or smaller things) to do things for you. It works well for combat, but it's at least as useful for mundane things. The protagonists have used magic for everything from fighting [[{{Satan}} the Lone Power]] directly to finding a lost pen, teleporting to a friend's house, or fixing a stuck damper that's blocking the air conditioning.
100	* In ''Literature/TheAscendantKingdomsSaga'', part of what causes TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt when magic disappears because of a FantasticNuke is that most people have a little bit of magic and became reliant on it in their work. They used magic to keep food from spoiling or drive away farm pests, and buildings and seawalls reinforced with magic to cover construction errors and corner-cutting often collapsed when the magic was lost. Some people are less handicapped than others: Blaine's magic just made him a slightly better swordsman and Verran's better at picking locks, which they compensate for by practicing more.
101	* Very common in the ''Literature/OneRoseTrilogy''. Roughly 25% of the population of the nation of Adara have magical powers of some kind (usually one power apiece), and those powers are an everyday part of life. Yes, there are people who can throw fire and lightning around, but they actually get ''less'' respect than those who can perform truly "useful" magics, like healing, farspeaking, controlling winds (a true boon for sailors), and baking bread that will never go bad. Adara's ruler in the first two books got the job at least partly because she can magically detect lies.
102	* Averted in the ''Literature/AWizardInRhyme'' series. After Matthew is transported from Earth and discovers he is really good at magic in this new world, he starts using it to start his campfire, etc. The other characters (who know the new world far better than he does), strongly caution him that using magic too casually will lead to laziness and pride, and so (in this world, literally) corrupt his soul to allow it to be sent to Hell.
103	* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'': Many of the {{Magitek}} fabrials are like this, such as quills that are quantum entangled to allow for long-distance communication, devices that can transform any material into any other used to make food and destroy waste, and even a few plumbing fabrials that attract water to pump it through pipes.
104	* ''Literature/TheScholomance'': Any spell ever written by a wizard can manifest in a MagicalLibrary, which is how El gets stuck memorizing 99 Old English housecleaning charms for a reading assignment. Only the well-off in MagicalSociety can afford to burn {{Mana}} on work they could just as easily do by hand, but it's sometimes a matter of life and death, like when El has to repair a monster-repelling barrier. Sometimes played for SeriousBusiness: people are willing to pay a mint to learn a low-energy spell to shift matter from one state to another.
105	* ''Literature/CradleSeries'': Due to the extremely broad nature of the [[SupernaturalMartialArts sacred arts]], this is common. While the main characters are almost purely combat-focused, per WordOfGod most people follow Paths based more around what would be helpful to a simple laborer or craftsman. One of the most prominent families in the Blackflame Empire is the Redflower family, focused on growing food anywhere and in great quantities, the Brightcrown family are healers, and one minor villain used his fire Path to help with lighting the forge before he got [[AmplifierArtifact an upgrade]].
106	* ''Literature/IntoTheBrokenLands'': The town of Gateway doesn't enforce the BanOnMagic against people with limited magical talents, such as the public servant whose touch purifies the water in all the public fountains. Outsiders have highly mixed reactions when they learn.
107	* In ''Literature/TheBlackSwan'', sorceress Odile von Rothbart finds that basic housekeeping is the one use of her magic that her father approves. Since she longs for his approval, she does more 'domestic' spells to please him, and doesn't show him her progress in advanced spells, which has the fortunate side effect of hiding her true power from her villainous father.
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110	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
111	* When Willow on ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' began using magic this way, it was a clear sign that she'd become over-reliant on her magic powers and that they were starting to corrupt her.
112	* Played with on ''Series/{{Charmed\|1998}}'' where on the one hand, selfish use of the witches' magic tends to lead to immediate and usually [[LaserGuidedKarma ironic]] punishment from the universe (lottery ticket goes blank, love spell attracts ''all the men'') and there's even a BadFuture with modern witch-hunts all started because the women used magic to punish an obnoxious neighbor. On the other hand, the universe never seems to object to their using their powers for mundane chores or to escape awkward situations, which often happen once or twice an episode.
113	* ''Series/TheMagicians2016'': It's a RunningGag that a lot of magic is actually pretty boring. On career day the most famous magician who came to the school was a magical foot doctor, one episode sees the students being taught a spell to drive a nail into wood perfectly, and Nate Silver has published a number of spells for accurate polls and approval ratings.
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116	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
117	* ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica''. It’s a fair sign of an old, powerful covenant (wizard community) that they have a lot of utility magic around the place. Magic is difficult and time-consuming enough that low-end wizards tend to feel they have better things to do with their time; they can always recruit mortal servants, and flaunting too much magic invites suspicion and persecution from the mundane world. Their elders, though, can toss off spells with relative ease, and may have accumulated quite a few utility magic items over the years through trade or as exercises in enchantment — and are generally either too powerful or too out of it to worry about persecution. So their homes tend to be full of weird and trivial wonders.
118	* ''TabletopGame/{{GURPS}}'':
119	** In ''TabletopGame/GURPSTechnomancer'', magic is used for mass-market consumer products, such as electronics.
120	** The ''GURPS Weird War II'' supplement gives us Cargo Magic, which allows South Pacific islanders to summon supplies and European manufactured goods for the tribe.
121	* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''. For the most part, (A)D&D tends to avert this. [[GameMaster Dungeon Masters]] are repeatedly advised not to let magic be treated as if it were technology. This is usually justified as being intended to preserve the mystique of magic from the perspective of the general public, as well as maintain a Medieval-style setting. While "general-purpose" utility spells and magic items can be found in the books in each edition, the focus is always decidedly on combat and (sometimes highly specialized) adventuring applications.
122	** Cantrips are the lowest level of mage spells, useful for lighting a candle, cleaning items, or sorting out a group of objects. Aside from cantrips, back from the Basic version it had spells like Read Languages, Magic Mouth, and Floating Disc, later adding spells such as Unseen Servant and Mending. And, of course, spells like Telekinesis, Stone Shape, and Wall of Stone/Iron are powerful construction tools while [[WeatherControlMachine Control Weather]] gives an advantage worth its high level in agriculture or sailing and occasionally becomes useful in almost any activity outdoors.
123	** The ''TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}}'' setting had spells such as Bigby's Dextrous Digits (magical hands for performing tasks requiring fine touch) and Drawmij's Beast of Burden (lightens the load on the back of a pack animal).
124	** ''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 a combination of ''every'' Netherese having some minor non-combat magic (called 'cantras') along with 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).
125	** However, the ''TabletopGame/{{Eberron}}'' setting uses Utility Magic on a society-wide scale. Use of {{Magitek}} is widespread and "working class" spellcasters such as magewrights earn their livings by providing everyday spellcasting services. There is even a spell called Magecraft, whose sole function is to improve the quality of products being created by ordinary craftsmen. The dragonmarked houses are basically corporations whose role in society is to provide magic-based services up to and including the mass-production of consumer goods using magical methods. Thus the market prices for many goods (such as swords) are fixed because House Cannith, with controls magical manufacturing, has imposed standardized pricing.
126	* ''TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening'' enforces an aversion in the rules for mages who wish to keep a high Wisdom score - use of magic for mundane tasks [[KarmaMeter dings the mage's Wisdom]], as they are so full of themselves that they'll use the transcendent essence of creation to do the laundry rather than get off their butts, and a mage's biggest enemy is his own hubris. It's not a ''severe'' act of hubris, though, and you can still be a respectable and humble mage who likes to get the simple stuff out of the way faster so they can get on to business.
127	* ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'' has several Charms and Sorcery spells of mundane use, but Thaumaturgy is notable in having no combat use whatsoever. It's mostly only good for fortune-telling, enchanting artifacts, and summoning First Circle demons.
128	* In the 2nd edition of ''TabletopGame/{{Ironclaw}}'' magic is largely oriented around combat but there are some utility spells. Thaumaturgy is half {{Counterspell}}s and the other half are utility. Ranging from simply making light to AstralProjection (upgraded to teleportation) and tracking and locking doors. Elementalists in general can perform minor stunts with matter and master Air or Water Elementalists can control the weather. Green and Purple mages communicate telepathically and read minds. Necromancers can speak with the dead.
129	* ''TabletopGame/{{Rifts}}'' has a variety of utility magics, particularly the Techno-Wizard core class, who is focused around enchanting advanced technology, his stone age counterpart the Eco-Wizard, the magic blacksmith Mystic Kuznya class, and the entire Shaman family of spellcasters (Shaman, Medicine Man, Rainmaker, Priest, Old Believer, Druid, Sea Druid, etc.)who largely protect communities from evil spirits, healing and doing things like make farmland more productive or call down the rains.
130	* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasyRoleplay'': Despite the [[MagicMisfire supernatural]] and [[BurnTheWitch mundane]] hazards of magic, most spellcasters have a spell or two to make life easier in the premodern setting, be it a [[PlayingWithFire Pyromancer]]'s trick to cook food instantly, a hedgefolk's charm to create pocket change, or a magical burglar alarm for your horse.
131	** The High Elves of this setting were [[CantArgueWithElves casually experimenting with arcane forces millennia before the first humans in the Old World ever developed a system of writing]], so their wizards use magic for things that humans would absolutely not trust their own wizards to perform. Through this the Asur are able to build their slender, gleaming white towers, [[TreeVessel craft warships directly from magically-grown trees]], and create abundant vegetable harvests from very little farmland. That said, having access to such powerful magic does mean the High Elves have stagnated technologically - whereas the "primitive" humans of the Empire completely avert MedievalStasis and have since caught up. While Imperial scholars of the Gunnery school of Nuln are constantly developing ever more advanced pieces of artillery including [[ClockPunk Leonardo da Vinci-esque]] [[GatlingGood gatling cannons]], the Asur have stuck with their Eagle Claw bolt thrower ballistae for thousands of years and not done anything beyond incrementally perfecting them. That's what unbridled magic power does to you.
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133
134	[[folder:Video Games]]
135	* One of the first uses of Psynergy in ''VideoGame/GoldenSun''? "Catch", a power for grabbing stuff in hard-to-reach places. Dora uses it to get Isaac's cloak for him in the prologue, Isaac uses it in the intro to patch holes in the roof, and when you have it, its primary use is picking fruit and nuts from trees. (''Dark Dawn'' revised this into Grip, a power mainly used for LeParkour but which retains MundaneUtility.)
136	** ''The Lost Age'' gives us Parch (dries out waterlogged areas), Blaze (lights torches), Tremor (knocks things down from high places), and Scoop (dig holes). (Parch and Blaze were replaced in ''Dark Dawn'' by powers which retain their use as MundaneUtility)
137	** There are also a wide variety of Psynergy powers in the series whose purpose is basically to get debris out of a traveler's way or to bridge gaps. Many of these have no combat utility whatsoever.
138	* Most spells in ''VideoGame/NiNoKuni'' fall into this, doing things like lighting torches, opening locks, letting one speak to animals, repair objects (much more powerful than it sounds since this can extend to restoring ancient ruins to fully-functioning buildings), instantly grow plants, etc.
139	* The ''VideoGame/QuestForGlory'' series has a full range of utility magic, including the spells of Fetch, Open, Detect Magic, and Trigger, the last of which is simply used to set off any already existing enchantments. Indeed, some of the more clever puzzles require a unique way to use these mundane spells.
140	* ''VideoGame/KingsQuest'': This is the majority of spells Alexander knows how to cast. The most lethal spells he knows are how to create rainstorms. It's still proven useful for killing dragons, overthrowing evil sorcerers, escaping pirates, and even ''challenging Death and winning.''
141	* ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'' has tons of magical spells in about twenty trees, and most of the trees have at least one utility spell in them (typically the weakest, first-level spell), or else the whole tree will be full of nice utility effects. In fact, it's rare for a tree to be solely dedicated to such prosaic things like combat. Effects could include sustained stat boosts, lockpicking/sealing, traversal spells, or so on.
142	* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' thaumaturgy can be used to fight, blasting enemies with the power of the elements... but that's actually its ''secondary'' purpose. It was originally designed for -- and is still used for -- ritually cleansing and preserving corpses.
143	* 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 Creator/NewWorldComputing 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 wear and tear are so basic that they are incorporated into most everything ''and'' don't block off further more complicated enchantment.
144	* The ''VideoGame/{{Ultima}}'' series, and ''VideoGame/{{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)]].
145	* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'', spells which fall under the Alteration school of magic are almost entirely this - Levitation (''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'' only), opening locks, increasing the amount of weight you can carry, night eye and light spells (later reclassified to [[MasterOfIllusion Illusion]]), water walking and breathing, etc. It's basically all about enhancing your mobility and your ability to explore. The [[WarpWhistle 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.)
146	* In ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', nobody in Thamasa seems to know magic. However, when you poke around, you discover townspeople using magic for things like starting cooking fires or curing a child's boo-boo. It turns out that ''everyone'' there is a descendant of the old mage warriors and has some minor magic, but the town's mayor forbids its public use. However, the citizens continue to use it in private for their own utility.
147	[[/folder]]
148
149	[[folder:Web Comics]]
150	* 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.
151	* The eponymous protagonist of ''Webcomic/{{Chitra}}'' has the ability to acquire helpers by drawing from a [[LootBox gacha system]] set up by the God of Beauty. Naturally, all the assistants she pulls are handsome men, and some of them are powerful warriors or military tacticians. Chitra puts them to work in her castle and the surrounding town, building up her wealth and base of power by having them use their talents to supplement the local economy.
152	** The [[LivingStatue Holy Golems]] she pulls are set to work hunting to provide food for the villages in Chitra's territory. Because they are animated statues, they never get tired or need to take a break.
153	** When she draws the battle wizard Tyrex, she isn't only interested in his demon-slaying prowess or ability to cut down 10,000 foes with a single spell. Chitra quizzes him on what he can do to earn his keep around the castle, and Tyrex is glad to tell her how useful he can be:
154	-->'''Chitra''': Because Tyrex is a wizard, there must be something that you can do, right?\
155	'''Tyrex''': Don't you need light?\
156	'''Chitra''': Light?\
157	'''Tyrex''': I could make a semi-permanent magic lamp for lights in the castle, and I can make a cooling item to store foods longer. I could also make a temperature setting device for setting the temperature inside the whole palace.
158	* Magic World from the webcomic ''Webcomic/CityOfReality'' is full of this. It looks just like modern-day Earth, in fact, they just use magic instead of electricity. So the beautician uses magic to make your hair color change, or they use magic to make cars float an inch off the ground to drive around, and so on.
159	* The eponymous Cucumber from ''Webcomic/{{Cucumber Quest}}'' is a trainee wizard, who remarked in a Q&A that his real dream is to be 'that [[CoolOldGuy nice old guy]] people go to for help with their crops or something'. [[JumpedAtTheCall His sister]] is less than impressed at [[NonActionGuy his life goals.]]
160	* A lot of the trappings of ''Webcomic/TheDragonDoctors'' resemble 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.
161	* Magic in ''Webcomic/ElGoonishShive'' is almost always [[PersonalityPowers based on the user's personality and desires]], meaning the majority of it is utility-based. One of the most common types of magic seems to be cosmetic {{shapeshifting}}. Magic isn't that widespread since it [[TheMasquerade does its best to keep itself secret]], but the main characters often use magic for conveniences like haircuts, or mess around with it at parties.
162	* ''WebComic/ErrantStory'' has the city Meji comes from. There's a door-opening spell (which doesn't work as it should because it's getting old!), routine magic facelifts, and other mundane boring stuff done by magic.
163	* In ''Webcomic/{{Castoff}}'' cleaning and drying spells from Arianna's repertoire come in handy all the time. Clean up the cuts on Vector's feet, clean a blood stain off her shirt, dry Frankie out... she also uses her trademark magic barrier as an umbrella for the entire group.
164	* ''Webcomic/{{Muted}}'': Silvia uses a blood transfusion spell to save Camille's life.
165	* ''Webcomic/{{Shallowskin}}'': After escaping a house fire to a beach, Browne used a cleaning spell on himself and his luggage to clean off the soot.
166	* In an early ''Webcomic/SleeplessDomain'' comic Undine is seen using her water-based powers to do the dishes.
167	[[/folder]]
168
169	[[folder:Western Animation]]
170	* In ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Rarity's magic is mostly useful for things like sewing, and Twilight Sparkle, although she can do more impressive magic, mostly uses hers for things like turning pages and writing. In fact, it's implied that most unicorn magic works for things like this. Unicorn magic seems to be divided into basic telekinesis and actual spells. The former is mostly used when a human would use their hands, which is obviously mostly for everyday stuff. As for the latter, it has been said outright that most unicorns only learn a few spells directly connected to their Cutie Mark (i.e. destiny/special talent). Most ponies' Cutie Marks aren't connected to violence. The single example of combat magic we have seen comes from Shining Armor, Twilight Sparkle's brother, but he is a MagicKnight by profession and his cutie mark is a shield, so him casting massive defensive spells [[spoiler:(large enough to protect the whole capital from an invading army)]] is only in line with the above rules.
171	* In ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'' and ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', [[ElementalPowers bending]] clearly has battle purposes, but in peaceful settings is almost more useful. Earth-Bending is used to deliver mail, move trains, and buildings. When metal-bending becomes more common it helps with the construction of skyscrapers and other machines. Fire-bending is great for warming food, welding, and powering combustion engines, while many lightning-benders get jobs at the local power plant. Water-bending has been used for filtering dirty water as well as healing and can create buildings in the North and South poles.
172	* In ''WesternAnimation/{{Trollz}}'', thanks to Simon stealing a lot of magic in the past, magic in the present-day Trollzopolis is mainly used for convenience and getting around. Most technology is magic-powered to some degree, including spell phones, watches, and Skoots.
173	* In ''WesternAnimation/WinxClub'' magic can be used as this, even if sometimes it can verge into laziness by using magic for something they could do by themselves. Faragonda once even warned her fairy students against using magic for something such as scrambled eggs with Griffin (a witch) suggesting instead to [[PowerPerversionPotential brainwashing someone to do it]].
174	[[/folder]]
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Context Main / UtilityMagic