History Main / Mana

* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' by Creator/BrandonSanderson features the titular Stormlight. This mysterious energy is carried in the uber-hurricanes known as highstorms, and can be stored in gemstones (gems are charged by leaving them outside in a storm). Once charged, gemstones can be used to fuel the [[{{Magitek}} fabrials]]. Additionally, the mages known as Surgebinders can draw Stormlight from gems and hold it in their bodies for short periods of time, which boosts their physical abilities and allows them to expend Light to use their various powers.
** [[spoiler:''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'', the second book in the series, reveals the existence of a person with the unique ability to metabolize food directly in Stormlight.]]

** [[spoiler: Previews for ''Literature/WordsOfRadiance'', the second book in the series, reveal the existence of a person with the unique ability to metabolize food directly in Stormlight.]]

* Referred to in TheBible. When an old woman touched {{Jesus}}'s robe, believing it would heal her disease, he noticed despite being in a large crowd of people because he felt "virtue" (Greek ''dunamis'') flow out of him.

Compare with VancianMagic. See also PsychicPowers (the {{Sci-Fi}} genre's version of human special powers).

** The ''Dark Sun'' setting in 2nd Edition used a Mana system, as spellcasting required drawing power from living things in one's environment. Preservers drew power slowly from their surroundings, so they didn't kill anything; while Defilers drew power quickly and forcefully, destroying plant life around them and leaching vitality out of the soil (and eventually even harming animals), as good as salting the earth. In case you couldn't guess, the world of ''Dark Sun'' is mostly a desert now. Most people have come to rely on psionics instead of magic as a result.

* Mana is a large staple of ''Videogame/{{Disgaea}}'' and later Creator/NipponIchi strategy [=RPGs=] as it is needed to create characters, unlock events, reincarnate, and so forth. Mana is treated in-game as a sort of currency. It also has SP for special moves and casting spells.

* In Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/TheMagicGoesAway'' series, Mana is a non-renewable resource, and generations of basing entire civilizations on heavy magic use eventually drains the entire world.

* The ''WorldOfMana'' (''Seiken Densetsu'') series, naturally, uses it as the source of magic (and all life in general), with assorted spirits overseeing each of the elements, coming from TheWorldTree. How much is available depends on [[NiceJobBreakingItHero how active the heroes have been at breaking said tree]].

* ''Literature/TheStormlightArchive'' by Creator/BrandonSanderson features the titular Stormlight. This mysterious energy is carried in the uber-hurricanes known as highstorms, and can be stored in gemstones (gems are charged by leaving them outside in a storm). Once charged, gemstones can be used to fuel the [[Magitek fabrials]]. Additionally, the mages known as Surgebinders can draw Stormlight from gems and hold it in their bodies for short periods of time, which boosts their physical abilities and allows them to expend Light to use their various powers.

* ''[[TabletopGame/MummyTheCurse]]'' subverts it a little - while the Arisen gain power from Sekhem, they have no "common" pool of power. Rather, they draw strength from their five defining Pillars, and may need to spend from one or the other depending on circumstances.

* ''ShinMegamiTensei'' games have Magnetite, a mystical substance that makes up the physical bodies of demons when they are summoned; it is, unsurprisingly, produced most richly by human bodies and a critical need for the series' MagicFromTechnology. ''ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' has Magatsuhi, quite possibly related if not the same thing as Magnetite; large enough stockpiles of the substance are enough to recreate the world from nothing or utterly obliterating the cycle of life and death. It is very clearly shown that the effects of forcefully removing an individual's Magatsuhi is quite painful to the drainee and may have long-reach consequences, leaving the victim weak and despondent.

* ''ShamanKing'' had "Furyoku", which is translated as "Mana" in the English manga.

* ''VideoGame/Darklands'' has "divine favor" points (DF). They are spent when a character prays to saints for miracles and are slowly regenerated over time. To regain DF faster a character can spend the day praying for divine favor instead of working or studying.

* In ''ConspiracyX'', magicians draw their power from the Seepage. You see, 95% of humans actually have psychic potential, but [[spoiler: since humans were created by the Atlanteans utilizing genetic material from three different species]] the vast majority cannot use even a fraction of it. The rest dissipates passively over time (and spills out in great amounts when great emotions such as fear or anger are experienced). This is the "aura" psychics can see. So basically, Seepage is the untapped psychic potential of the entire human race. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, since so much of it is the product of negative emotions, over the ages it has not only gained an alien consciousness of its own, it is actually malevolent. It actively seeks to cause fear and suffering to expand itself.]] It often manifests in explainable, "spontaneous" supernatural phenomena, and it causes people to go mad if they mess too much with it. Those who don't go mad may be transformed into vampires, werewolves, or other such monsters.

The term is actually a Melanesian/Polynesian word for the power of the elemental forces of nature, as embodied in an object or person (essentially, a {{Badass}} is someone with lots of mana). The current usage no doubt descends directly from LarryNiven's novel ''Literature/TheMagicGoesAway'' and related stories from the 1970s, in which he used "mana" to refer to the non-renewable resource which powered magic in prehistoric times, and whose depletion ushered in the "modern" historical era.

* In LarryNiven's ''Literature/TheMagicGoesAway'' series, Mana is a non-renewable resource, and generations of basing entire civilizations on heavy magic use eventually drains the entire world.

* ''WorldOfWarcraft'': All classes except rogues, warriors, death knights, and hunters use mana. [[hottip:*:Druids don't use mana when in certain forms, but they still have it.]] The previously mentioned classes tend to [[LeeroyJenkins forget this fact and rush into battle]] before the mana users are ready.\\

* The plasmids from ''VideoGame/{{BioShock|1}}'' are powered by "Eve," which is mechanistically identical to mana.
** ''VideoGame/{{BioshockInfinite}}'' has Salts which fulfill the same function as Eve in previous games.

* In ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series, it is referred to as Magicka, and regenerates on it's own in later series, based on your Willpower, with your total available magicka based on your Intelligence. The cost of casting a spell changes depending on how skilled in a particular casting skill you are. (For example, in ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' you have Destruction, Conjuration, Restoration, Alteration, Illusion and Mysticism skills. As you get better in each by casting spells of that type, casting those spells gets cheaper.) In the later games, Luck also plays a part, as it does in everything.

A subset of LifeEnergy, mana is the [[PowerSource spiritual fuel]] that makes FunctionalMagic work; in additional to EyeOfNewt. The character stores the mana somewhere on or inside his person and uses it up as he casts spells or performs other superhuman acts. The amount of mana is directly proportional to the number and strength of spells that can be cast consecutively.

Once used, it depends on the story how [[RegeneratingMana regenerated]]. It could simply require rest or eating; or it could require more exotic means; such as IntimateHealing or feeding on the LifeEnergy of others. Sometimes all that's required is a good old [[{{Kiai}} primal scream]] and focusing on what's important, really, really hard with a lot of emotion.

* Referred to in TheBible. When an old woman with an issue of blood touched {{Jesus}}'s robe; he felt "virtue" (Greek ''dunamis'') flow out of him and this with her faith healed her.

[[folder: mythology and religion]]

A subset of LifeEnergy, mana is the [[PowerSource spiritual fuel]] that makes FunctionalMagic work. The character stores the mana somewhere on or inside his person and uses it up as he casts spells or performs other superhuman acts. The amount of mana is directly proportional to the number and strength of spells that can be cast consecutively.

A subset of LifeEnergy, mana is the [[PowerSource spiritual fuel]] that makes magic work. The character stores the mana somewhere on or inside his person and uses it up as he casts spells or performs other superhuman acts. The amount of mana is directly proportional to the number and strength of spells that can be cast consecutively.

Once used, it depends on the story how mana is regained. It could simply require rest or eating; or it could require more exotic means; such as IntimateHealing or feeding on the LifeEnergy of others. Sometimes all that's required is a good old [[{{Kiai}} primal scream]] and focusing on what's important, really, really hard with a lot of emotion.

* In TheElderScrolls series, it is referred to as Magicka, and regenerates on it's own in later series, based on your Willpower, with your total available magicka based on your Intelligence. The cost of casting a spell changes depending on how skilled in a particular casting skill you are. (For example, in [[TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]] you have Destruction, Conjuration, Restoration, Alteration, Illusion and Mysticism skills. As you get better in each by casting spells of that type, casting those spells gets cheaper.) In the later games, Luck also plays a part, as it does in everything.