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[[folder:VideoGames]]
* In [[Franchise/DragonAge]] everyone except dwarves is connected to [[BackgroundMagicField the]] [[DreamWorld Fade]]. Mages are those who are born with unusually strong connections that allow them to draw power from it by shaping wisps into spells. While potential is at least partially genetic, it is impossible to say who will or will not be a mage at birth as the power usually begins to manifest at [[PubertySuperpower the onset of puberty]]. When discovered, a mage is required to join [[MutantDraftBoard the Circle of Magi]] immediately and permanently to receive training in using their powers. Those who fail to receive training as soon as possible risk [[PowerIncontinence dangerous accidents]] and DemonicPossession.
[[/folder]]
* In [[Franchise/DragonAge]] everyone except dwarves is connected to [[BackgroundMagicField the]] [[DreamWorld Fade]]. Mages are those who are born with unusually strong connections that allow them to draw power from it by shaping wisps into spells. While potential is at least partially genetic, it is impossible to say who will or will not be a mage at birth as the power usually begins to manifest at [[PubertySuperpower the onset of puberty]]. When discovered, a mage is required to join [[MutantDraftBoard the Circle of Magi]] immediately and permanently to receive training in using their powers. Those who fail to receive training as soon as possible risk [[PowerIncontinence dangerous accidents]] and DemonicPossession.
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* This is how "bending" works in the world of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. One is apparently born as either a "bender" or "non-bender". Without training, Katara's "waterbending" is little more than a parlor trick; you could move more water just by splashing with your hands. ''With'' training, she is capable of manipulating, freezing, and thawing large quantities, and even (under the right circumstances) manipulating water ''in people's blood'' to make PeoplePuppets out of her enemies. It does appear to be possible for some prodigies (such as Avatar Korra of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLegendOfKorra'', who is seen bending three of the four elements at a very young age with little or no formal training) to be self-taught, but it is ''very'' rare.
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* This is how "bending" works in the world of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. One is apparently born as either a "bender" or "non-bender". Without training, Katara's "waterbending" is little more than a parlor trick; you could move more water just by splashing with your hands. ''With'' training, she is capable of healing, manipulating, freezing, and thawing large quantities, and even (under the right circumstances) manipulating water ''in people's blood'' to make PeoplePuppets out of her enemies. It does appear to be possible for some prodigies (such as Avatar Korra of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLegendOfKorra'', ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra'', who is seen bending three of the four elements at a very young age with little or no formal training) to be self-taught, but it is ''very'' rare.
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Making sure that stuff actually relates to the trope. Note the TWO requirements for the trope to apply - innate gifts AND training.
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In some settings with functional magic (or magic-like powers), the ability to work it properly is an innate talent which not everyone possesses -- and if you haven't got it, you'll never be a high-power spell-caster. This is not the same as magic as an innate super-power, used instinctively; magic-working still requires study, and high levels of skill give a large advantage over under-trained casters. But you still want the "gift" to start with. Where magic works but this trope isn't in play, anyone with enough smarts, determination, and training may be able to work magic as well as anybody else.
In other words, this trope has two parts; the ability to use magic as an inborn gift, and the need for training to use it fully effectively. Both must be present for the trope to fit, and the combination has various social and narrative consequences.
In some cases, it is completely impossible to work magic without this ability, although it may be possible to operate some enchanted items. Perhaps more often, though, someone who lacks the gift can only work magic by the use of lengthy, complex, and unreliable {{Ritual|Magic}}s, whereas the gifted can learn to cast spells quickly and reliably, making them, for example, useful in combat.
In other words, this trope has two parts; the ability to use magic as an inborn gift, and the need for training to use it fully effectively. Both must be present for the trope to fit, and the combination has various social and narrative consequences.
In some cases, it is completely impossible to work magic without this ability, although it may be possible to operate some enchanted items. Perhaps more often, though, someone who lacks the gift can only work magic by the use of lengthy, complex, and unreliable {{Ritual|Magic}}s, whereas the gifted can learn to cast spells quickly and reliably, making them, for example, useful in combat.
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In some settings with functional magic (or magic-like powers), the ability to work it properly is an innate talent which not everyone possesses -- and if you haven't got it, you'll never be a high-power spell-caster. But you ''also'' need training to use this gift to full effect.
This is not the same as magic as an innate super-power, used instinctively; magic-working still requires study, and high levels of skill give a large advantage over under-trained casters. But you still want the "gift" to start with. Where magic works and is a matter of education but this trope isn't in play, anyone with enough smarts, determination, and training may be able to work magic as well as anybody else.
In other words, this trope hastwo parts; '''two parts'''; the ability to use magic as an inborn gift, and the need for training to use it fully effectively. Both must be present for the trope to fit, and the combination has various social and narrative consequences.
In some cases, it is completely impossible to work magic withoutthis ability, the gift, although it may be possible to operate some enchanted items. Perhaps more often, though, someone who lacks the gift can only work magic by the use of lengthy, complex, and unreliable {{Ritual|Magic}}s, whereas the gifted can learn to cast spells quickly and reliably, making them, for example, useful in combat.
This is not the same as magic as an innate super-power, used instinctively; magic-working still requires study, and high levels of skill give a large advantage over under-trained casters. But you still want the "gift" to start with. Where magic works and is a matter of education but this trope isn't in play, anyone with enough smarts, determination, and training may be able to work magic as well as anybody else.
In other words, this trope has
In some cases, it is completely impossible to work magic without
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* Louise from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' is notoriously bad at casting magic, so much so that she's been nicknamed "Zero" by all her classmates, but it's unclear if the actual ranks on the FantasticMeasurementSystem are in-born or something that can be achieved through training; both elements are involved. (Certainly, the fact that she is able to summon a familiar is seen as a miracle.) However, it turns out the problem involves a much more dramatic manifestation of elemental affinity. Magic in this setting is based on the principles of elemental power -- [[DishingOutDirt Earth]], [[BlowYouAway Air]], [[MakingASplash Water]] and [[PlayingWithFire Fire]]. Most individuals can only cast one element, or at least are ''much'' better with one element than they are with the others. Louise, however, is inheritor to the long-lost ElementNumberFive, [[ThePowerOfTheVoid Void]], and as a result she can't use ''any'' other form of magic -- implying an obvious problem in acquiring the necessary training.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal components of spells are pretty simple, really just "Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]". However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence, an untrained human like Leez couldn't get "Hoti Kubera" to work just by shouting the words; she'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understood the calculations behind it.
* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, only those who have a Linker Core, a magic organ that not everyone could be born with, could have magic, and even then, mages are born with different levels of magic potential. However, to reach the higher mage ranks, you would still need to train a lot to use your magical reserves effectively and [[FormulaicMagic master the formulas needed to perform the spells at a drop of a hat]]. Nanoha, the main character and a mage so powerful that {{Artificial|Human}} {{Super Soldier}}s question if she's actually human, reached her level because she was born with a high magic potential and [[TrainingFromHell constantly studied and trained herself during every moment in her life]].
* Ninjutsu in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' is available only to those who have the inherent gift of manipulating [[LifeEnergy chakra]], and unavailable to those without the gift like Rock Lee. Some ninja have more chakra to manipulate than others and with intensive training, they can learn to use their chakra more efficiently. Sakura is noted to be WeakButSkilled, with a smaller chakra pool that she uses more efficiently than the UnskilledButStrong title character, at least until he trains with Jiraiya and [[TookALevelInBadass takes several levels in badass]].
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal components of spells are pretty simple, really just "Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]". However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence, an untrained human like Leez couldn't get "Hoti Kubera" to work just by shouting the words; she'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understood the calculations behind it.
* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, only those who have a Linker Core, a magic organ that not everyone could be born with, could have magic, and even then, mages are born with different levels of magic potential. However, to reach the higher mage ranks, you would still need to train a lot to use your magical reserves effectively and [[FormulaicMagic master the formulas needed to perform the spells at a drop of a hat]]. Nanoha, the main character and a mage so powerful that {{Artificial|Human}} {{Super Soldier}}s question if she's actually human, reached her level because she was born with a high magic potential and [[TrainingFromHell constantly studied and trained herself during every moment in her life]].
* Ninjutsu in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' is available only to those who have the inherent gift of manipulating [[LifeEnergy chakra]], and unavailable to those without the gift like Rock Lee. Some ninja have more chakra to manipulate than others and with intensive training, they can learn to use their chakra more efficiently. Sakura is noted to be WeakButSkilled, with a smaller chakra pool that she uses more efficiently than the UnskilledButStrong title character, at least until he trains with Jiraiya and [[TookALevelInBadass takes several levels in badass]].
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* Louise from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' Magic involves both some kind of gift and training in ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'', though the details are vague. The protagonist, Louise, is notoriously bad at casting magic, so much so that she's been nicknamed "Zero" by all her classmates, but it's unclear if the actual ranks on the FantasticMeasurementSystem are in-born or something that can be achieved through training; both elements are involved. (Certainly, classmates (and the fact that she is able to summon a familiar is seen as a miracle.) However, it miracle), but it's unclear if ranks on the FantasticMeasurementSystem are in-born or achieved through training.[[note]]It turns out the that her problem involves a much more dramatic manifestation of elemental affinity. is complex. Magic in this setting is based on the principles of elemental power powers -- [[DishingOutDirt Earth]], [[BlowYouAway Air]], [[MakingASplash Water]] and [[PlayingWithFire Fire]]. Most individuals can only cast control one element, or at least are ''much'' better with one element than they are with the others. Louise, however, Louise is inheritor to the long-lost ElementNumberFive, [[ThePowerOfTheVoid Void]], and as a result she can't use ''any'' other form of magic -- implying an obvious problem in acquiring the necessary training.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal components of spells are pretty simple, really just "Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]". However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence, an untrained human like Leez couldn't get "Hoti Kubera" to work just by shouting the words; she'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understood the calculations behind it.
training.[[/note]]
* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, only those who have a Linker Core, a magic organ that not everyonecould be is born with, could can have magic, and even then, mages are born with different levels of magic potential. However, to reach the higher mage ranks, you would still need to train a lot to use your magical reserves effectively and [[FormulaicMagic master the formulas needed to perform the spells at a drop of a hat]]. Nanoha, the main character and a mage so powerful that {{Artificial|Human}} {{Super Soldier}}s question if she's actually human, reached her level because she was born with a high magic potential and [[TrainingFromHell constantly studied and trained herself during every moment in of her life]].
*Ninjutsu "Ninjutsu" in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' is available only to those who have the inherent gift of manipulating [[LifeEnergy chakra]], and unavailable to those without the gift like Rock Lee. Some ninja have more chakra to manipulate than others and with intensive training, they can learn to use their chakra more efficiently. Sakura is noted to be WeakButSkilled, with a smaller chakra pool that she uses more efficiently than the UnskilledButStrong title character, at least until he trains with Jiraiya and [[TookALevelInBadass takes several levels in badass]].
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal components of spells are pretty simple, really just "Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]". However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence, an untrained human like Leez couldn't get "Hoti Kubera" to work just by shouting the words; she'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understood the calculations behind it.
* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, only those who have a Linker Core, a magic organ that not everyone
*
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* This is how "Force sensitivity" works in the Franchise/StarWars franchise. Not everyone is "strong in the Force"; a BadassNormal like Han Solo could meditate on hokey ancient religions all he liked, but it would be no match for a good blaster at his side. Without training, most Force-sensitives can use their powers only unconsciously, rendering them lucky in ways subtle enough to only be identified through (for example) statistical analysis of gambling patterns, or enhance their reflexes in ways that render them not much different from a BadassNormal. ''With'' training, they can do all the flashy quasi-magical Jedi tricks we see in the films, novels, video games, etc.
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* This is how "Force sensitivity" works in In the Franchise/StarWars franchise. Not franchise, not everyone is "strong in the Force"; a BadassNormal like Han Solo could meditate on hokey ancient religions all he liked, but it would be no match for a good blaster at his side. Without training, most Force-sensitives can use their powers only unconsciously, rendering them lucky in ways subtle enough to only be identified through (for example) statistical analysis of gambling patterns, or enhance their reflexes in ways that render them not much different from a BadassNormal. ''With'' training, they can do all the flashy quasi-magical Jedi tricks we see in the films, novels, video games, etc.
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* In the Literature/HarryPotter series, you're either a witch/wizard or a "muggle". Witches and wizards can only perform minor and largely uncontrolled magic without training and the assistance of a wand, but a muggle can study all they like, they'll ''never'' be able to do it. Muggleborn wizards exist, so the gift isn't always inherited direct from your parents, but WordOfGod is that they must all have wizard ancestors, meaning that the gift is on something akin to a recessive gene.
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* In the Literature/HarryPotter series, you're either a witch/wizard or a "muggle". Witches and wizards can only perform minor and largely uncontrolled magic without training and the assistance of a wand, but a muggle can study all they like, they'll ''never'' be able to do it. Muggleborn "Muggleborn" wizards exist, so the gift isn't always inherited direct from your parents, but WordOfGod is that they must all have wizard ancestors, meaning that the gift is on something akin to a recessive gene.
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This stuff needs to relate to the actual trope.
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* Louise from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' is notoriously bad at casting magic, so much so that she's been nicknamed "Zero" by all her classmates. It's admittedly unclear if the actual ranks on the FantasticMeasurementSystem are in-born or something that can be achieved through training. The fact that she is able to summon Saito into her world to act as her familiar is a miracle. However, it turns out the problem is a simple matter of a much more dramatic manifestation of elemental affinity. Magic in this setting is based on the principles of ElementalPower, specifically [[DishingOutDirt Earth]], [[BlowYouAway Air]], [[MakingASplash Water]] and [[PlayingWithFire Fire]]. Most individuals can only cast one element, or at least are ''much'' better with one element than they are with the others. Louise, however, is inheritor to the long-lost ElementNumberFive, [[ThePowerOfTheVoid Void]], and as a result she can't use ''any'' other form of magic.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal component of spells are pretty simple, really just Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]. However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence why an untrained human like Leez couldn't get Hoti Kubera to work just by shouting the words. She'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understood the calculations behind it.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal component of spells are pretty simple, really just Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]. However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence why an untrained human like Leez couldn't get Hoti Kubera to work just by shouting the words. She'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understood the calculations behind it.
to:
* Louise from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' is notoriously bad at casting magic, so much so that she's been nicknamed "Zero" by all her classmates. It's admittedly classmates, but it's unclear if the actual ranks on the FantasticMeasurementSystem are in-born or something that can be achieved through training. The training; both elements are involved. (Certainly, the fact that she is able to summon Saito into her world to act as her a familiar is seen as a miracle. miracle.) However, it turns out the problem is a simple matter of involves a much more dramatic manifestation of elemental affinity. Magic in this setting is based on the principles of ElementalPower, specifically elemental power -- [[DishingOutDirt Earth]], [[BlowYouAway Air]], [[MakingASplash Water]] and [[PlayingWithFire Fire]]. Most individuals can only cast one element, or at least are ''much'' better with one element than they are with the others. Louise, however, is inheritor to the long-lost ElementNumberFive, [[ThePowerOfTheVoid Void]], and as a result she can't use ''any'' other form of magic.
magic -- implying an obvious problem in acquiring the necessary training.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocalcomponent components of spells are pretty simple, really just Hoti/Bhavati "Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here].here]". However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence why Hence, an untrained human like Leez couldn't get Hoti Kubera "Hoti Kubera" to work just by shouting the words. She'd words; she'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understood the calculations behind it.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal
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* In ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', the magical gift comes in [[FantasticMeasurementSystem two measurable parts]]: "bucket capacity" (how many "spell points" you can use with one spell) and "pool capacity" (how many "spell points" you can have in total). High levels of either attribute are an in-born gift, but if you have those, you also need to study and learn magical lore. Gourry Gabriev, for example, has magical gifts but lacks the intelligence and memory to learn magical skill. Furthermore, only pool capacity can be increased through training and practice; bucket capacity is something determined at birth, so the only ways to increase it are by magical cheating -- wearing extremely rare and specialized power boosting talismans, or undergoing the [[FusionDance chimera process]] with magical creatures like Brau Demons.
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* In ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', the magical gift comes in [[FantasticMeasurementSystem two measurable parts]]: "bucket capacity" (how many "spell points" you can use with one spell) and "pool capacity" (how many "spell points" you can have in total). High levels of either attribute are an in-born gift, but if you have those, you also need to study and learn magical lore. Gourry Gabriev, for example, has magical gifts but lacks the intelligence and memory to learn magical skill. Furthermore, only pool capacity can be increased through training and practice; bucket capacity is something determined at birth, so the only ways to increase it are by magical cheating -- "cheating" (e.g. wearing extremely rare and specialized power boosting talismans, or undergoing the [[FusionDance chimera process]] with magical creatures like Brau Demons.Demons).
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* Louise from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' is notoriously bad at casting magic, so much so that she's been nicknamed "Zero" by all her classmates. The fact that she is able to summon Saito into her world to act as her familiar is a miracle. However, there's actually a long lost fourth type of magic that Louise turns out to be a master at casting. The same principle applies to the other students and citizens of that world: They're only efficient at casting one of the four fields, but can't cast the others as well. In their cases though, it usually becomes apparent which field they belong to long before they go to school to learn it.
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* Louise from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' is notoriously bad at casting magic, so much so that she's been nicknamed "Zero" by all her classmates. It's admittedly unclear if the actual ranks on the FantasticMeasurementSystem are in-born or something that can be achieved through training. The fact that she is able to summon Saito into her world to act as her familiar is a miracle. However, there's actually a long lost fourth type of magic that Louise it turns out to be the problem is a master simple matter of a much more dramatic manifestation of elemental affinity. Magic in this setting is based on the principles of ElementalPower, specifically [[DishingOutDirt Earth]], [[BlowYouAway Air]], [[MakingASplash Water]] and [[PlayingWithFire Fire]]. Most individuals can only cast one element, or at casting. The same principle applies least are ''much'' better with one element than they are with the others. Louise, however, is inheritor to the other students long-lost ElementNumberFive, [[ThePowerOfTheVoid Void]], and citizens of that world: They're only efficient at casting one of the four fields, but as a result she can't cast the others as well. In their cases though, it usually becomes apparent which field they belong to long before they go to school to learn it.use ''any'' other form of magic.
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* In ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', the magical gift comes in two measurable parts: "bucket capacity" (how many "spell points" you can use with one spell) and "pool capacity" (how many "spell points" you can have in total). High levels of either attribute are an in-born gift, but if you have those, you also need to study and learn magical lore. Gourry Gabriev, for example, has magical gifts but lacks the intelligence and memory to learn magical skill.
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* In ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', the magical gift comes in [[FantasticMeasurementSystem two measurable parts: parts]]: "bucket capacity" (how many "spell points" you can use with one spell) and "pool capacity" (how many "spell points" you can have in total). High levels of either attribute are an in-born gift, but if you have those, you also need to study and learn magical lore. Gourry Gabriev, for example, has magical gifts but lacks the intelligence and memory to learn magical skill. Furthermore, only pool capacity can be increased through training and practice; bucket capacity is something determined at birth, so the only ways to increase it are by magical cheating -- wearing extremely rare and specialized power boosting talismans, or undergoing the [[FusionDance chimera process]] with magical creatures like Brau Demons.
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The trope requires a GIFT that then has to be TRAINED. The entry doesn\'t appear to involve this, (Plus, correct alphabetic sequence would have been nice.)
&&
%% (Please also ensure that the work you add involves both a Gift AND Training to use it
%% correctly. Works that require just one or the other come under different tropes.)
%% (Please also ensure that the work you add involves both a Gift AND Training to use it
%% correctly. Works that require just one or the other come under different tropes.)
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* Newtonian magic in the ''RiversOfLondon'' series works in this regard: anyone can, with sufficient study, get at least as far as first-order ''formae,'' and wizarding schools used to be extant (Nightingale mentions his alma mater, Casterbrook, on a few occasions). Non-human practitioners appear to operate on the Inherent Talent principle.
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* Newtonian magic in the ''RiversOfLondon'' series works in this regard: anyone can, with sufficient study, get at least as far as first-order ''formae,'' and wizarding schools used to be extant (Nightingale mentions his alma mater, Casterbrook, on a few occasions). Non-human practitioners appear to operate on the Inherent Talent principle.
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* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, ''{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'''s Willow Rosenberg undergoes magical training in England. This is a slightly odd example, in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Her post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point. Characters in the series such as Giles who possess sufficient education but no apparent gift can work magic, but must perform complex rituals and are a lot more tentative about it.
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* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, ''{{Buffy ''Series/{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'''s Willow Rosenberg undergoes magical training in England. This is a slightly odd example, in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Her post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point. Characters in the series such as Giles who possess sufficient education but no apparent gift can work magic, but must perform complex rituals and are a lot more tentative about it.
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Alphabetic sequence. Like the note at the top says.
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%% Examples here are in alphabetic sequence. PLEASE try to preserve this.
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%% Examples here are in alphabetic sequence. ALPHABETIC SEQUENCE. PLEASE try to preserve this.this!
* Mages in ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' have a law whereby, if a mage discovers anybody with untrained magic (usually children, but the occasional adult does pop up), the mage is required to become their teacher, or find someone better for the job -- the reason being that magic can be quite dangerous to people if they don't learn to control it.
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* Mages in ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' have a law, where if a mage discovers anybody with untrained magic (usually children, but the occasional adult does pop up), they're required to be their teacher, or find someone better for the job. The reason being that magic can be quite dangerous to people if not learned to be controlled.
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* Mages in ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' have a law, where if a mage discovers anybody with untrained magic (usually children, but the occasional adult does pop up), they're required to be their teacher, or find someone better for the job. The reason being that magic can be quite dangerous to people if not learned to be controlled.
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%%
%% Examples here are in alphabetic sequence. PLEASE try to preserve this.
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%% Examples here are in alphabetic sequence. PLEASE try to preserve this.
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* In Creator/SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/NightWatch'', the [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Others]] are born with the potential to do magic. However, in order to become a full-fledged Other, one must first be discovered by an Other (usually by AuraVision) and then initiated. At the moment of initiation, the new Other's alignment (Light or Dark) is determined by their current emotional state. ''Using'' magic requires spells, which an untrained Other would not know. Both the Night and the Day Watches have school facilities in their headquarters, where the newly-initiated Others are educated in the history of the Others, rudimentary magic skills, and the need to maintain TheMasquerade. Those who subsequently join their Watch can be trained further in magic, although true mastery requires centuries. (It helps that the Others are, effectively, TheAgeless.)
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* In Creator/SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/NightWatch'', the [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Others]] are born with the potential to do magic. However, in order to become a full-fledged Other, he or she must first be discovered by an Other (usually, by [[AuraVision looking at the aura]]) and initiated. At the moment of initiation, the new Other's alignment (Light or Dark) is determined by the current emotional state. Using magic requires knowing spells, which an untrained Other would not know. Both the Night and the Day Watches have school facilities in their headquarters, where the newly-initiated Others are educated in the history of the Others, rudimentary magic skills, and the need to maintain TheMasquerade. Those who subsequently join their Watch can be trained further in magic, although true mastery requires centuries (it helps that the Others are, effectively, TheAgeless).
* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, ''{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'''s Willow Rosenberg undergoes magical training in England. This is a slightly odd example, in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Her post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point. Characters in the series such as Giles who possess sufficient education but no apparent gift can work magic, but must perform complex rituals and are a lot more tentative about it.
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* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, ''{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer}}'''s Willow Rosenberg undergoes magical training in England. This is a slightly odd example, in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Her post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point. Characters in the series such as Giles who possess sufficient education but no apparent gift can work magic, but must perform complex rituals and are a lot more tentative about it.
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* In Creator/SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/NightWatch'', the [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Others]] are born with the potential to do magic. However, in order to become a full-fledged Other, he or she must first be discovered by an Other (usually, by [[AuraVision looking at the aura]]) and initiated. At the moment of initiation, the new Other's alignment (Light or Dark) is determined by the current emotional state. Using magic requires knowing spells, which an untrained Other would not know. Both the Night and the Day Watches have school facilities in their headquarters, where the newly-initiated Others are educated in the history of the Others, rudimentary magic skills, and the need to maintain TheMasquerade. Those who subsequently join their Watch can be trained further in magic, although true mastery requires centuries (it helps that the Others are, effectively, TheAgeless).
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Related to the "Inherent Gift" described in FunctionalMagic, but that also encompasses magic as a "superpower" that requires no training. WizardingSchool may be one source of training, and perhaps the only one. See also OurMagesAreDifferent, which describes various ways of training or channeling magic, any of which may be required to enable someone with the gift to work effectively or safely, and WitchSpecies, which covers situations where magical power (usually specifically "witchcraft") is a hereditary gift, to the point of defining a separate human species, but these "witches" may or may not need some degree of training.
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Related to the "Inherent Gift" described in FunctionalMagic, but that also encompasses magic as a "superpower" that requires no training. WizardingSchool may be one source of training, and perhaps the only one. See also OurMagesAreDifferent, which describes various ways of training or channeling magic, any of which may be required to enable someone with the gift to work effectively or safely, and WitchSpecies, which covers situations where magical power (usually specifically "witchcraft") is a hereditary gift, to the point of defining a separate human species, but these "witches" may or may not need some degree of training.
training. Compare TheSparkOfGenius, for settings in which super-advanced science and engineering are a form of ''de facto'' magic for which [[MadScientist certain individuals]] have an inherent talent.
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Please try to maintain alphabetic title order.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal component of spells are pretty simple, really just Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]. However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence why an untrained human like Leez couldn't get Hoti Kubera to work just by shouting the words. She'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understood the calculations behind it.
* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, only those who have a Linker Core, a magic organ that not everyone could be born with, could have magic, and even then, mages are born with different levels of magic potential. However, to reach the higher mage ranks, you would still need to train a lot to use your magical reserves effectively and [[FormulaicMagic master the formulas needed to perform the spells at a drop of a hat]]. Nanoha, the main character and a mage so powerful that {{Artificial|Human}} {{Super Soldier}}s question if she's actually human, reached her level because she was born with a high magic potential and [[TrainingFromHell constantly studied and trained herself during every moment in her life]].
* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, only those who have a Linker Core, a magic organ that not everyone could be born with, could have magic, and even then, mages are born with different levels of magic potential. However, to reach the higher mage ranks, you would still need to train a lot to use your magical reserves effectively and [[FormulaicMagic master the formulas needed to perform the spells at a drop of a hat]]. Nanoha, the main character and a mage so powerful that {{Artificial|Human}} {{Super Soldier}}s question if she's actually human, reached her level because she was born with a high magic potential and [[TrainingFromHell constantly studied and trained herself during every moment in her life]].
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* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, only those who have a Linker Core, a magic organ that not everyone could be born with, could have magic, and even then, mages are born with different levels of magic potential. However, to reach the higher mage ranks, you would still need to train a lot to use your magical reserves effectively and [[FormulaicMagic master the formulas needed to perform the spells at a drop of a hat]]. Nanoha, the main character and a mage so powerful that {{Artificial|Human}} {{Super Soldier}}s question if she's actually human, reached her level because she was born with a high magic potential and [[TrainingFromHell constantly studied and trained herself during every moment in her life]].
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal component of spells are pretty simple, really just Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]. However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence why an untrained human like Leez couldn't get Hoti Kubera to work just by shouting the words. She'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understood the calculations behind it.
* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal component of spells are pretty simple, really just Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]. However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence why an untrained human like Leez couldn't get Hoti Kubera to work just by shouting the words. She'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understood the calculations behind it.
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Does not actually relate to the trope.
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* The ''Literature/MythAdventures'' by Robert Asprin is about a boy who becomes a magician's apprentice. Unfortunately, his mentor is killed, and he becomes a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]]'s apprentice instead.
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* The ''Literature/MythAdventures'' by Robert Asprin is about a boy who becomes a magician's apprentice. Unfortunately, his mentor is killed, and he becomes a [[OurDemonsAreDifferent demon]]'s apprentice instead.
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grammar fixes
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* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal component of spells are pretty simple, really just Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]. However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like used. Hence why an untrained human like Leez couldn't get Hoti Kubera to work just by shouting the words. She'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understand the calculations behind it.
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* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal component of spells are pretty simple, really just Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]. However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like when used. Hence why an untrained human like Leez couldn't get Hoti Kubera to work just by shouting the words. She'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understand understood the calculations behind it.
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* In ''Webcomic/{{Kubera}}'', magic is performed by invocation. The vocal component of spells are pretty simple, really just Hoti/Bhavati [insert name of god here]. However, getting them to work requires calculation and seeing what the spell looks like used. Hence why an untrained human like Leez couldn't get Hoti Kubera to work just by shouting the words. She'd never even seen the spell in action, much less understand the calculations behind it.
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* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, only those who have a Linker Core, a magic organ that not everyone could be born with, could have magic, and even then, mages are born with different levels of magic potential. However, to reach the higher mage ranks, you would still need to train a lot to use your magical reserves effectively and [[FormulaicMagic master the formulas needed to perform the spells at a drop of a hat]]. Nanoha, the main character and a mage so powerful that {{Artificial|Human}} {{Super Soldier}}s question if she's actually human, reached her level because she was born with a high magic potential and [[TrainingFromHell constantly studied and trained herself during every moment in her life]].
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* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'s Willow Rosenberg undergoes such training in England. Slightly odd example in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Her post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point.
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* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy ''{{Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'s Slayer}}'''s Willow Rosenberg undergoes such magical training in England. Slightly This is a slightly odd example example, in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Her post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point. Characters in the series such as Giles who possess sufficient education but no apparent gift can work magic, but must perform complex rituals and are a lot more tentative about it.
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* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, Willow undergoes such training in England. Slightly odd example in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Her post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point.
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* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, [[BuffyTheVampireSlayer Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'s Willow Rosenberg undergoes such training in England. Slightly odd example in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Her post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point.
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* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, Willow undergoes such training in England. Slightly odd example in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Hher post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point.
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* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, Willow undergoes such training in England. Slightly odd example in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Hher Her post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point.
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* After her SuperpoweredEvilSide's RoaringRampageOfRevenge at the end of Season 6, Willow undergoes such training in England. Slightly odd example in that she had already reached a pretty advanced stage of development as a witch, but it's implied that she relied too much on raw power with less-than-perfect discipline, and Season 6 certainly saw the development of a very [[AddictiveMagic unhealthy approach to her power]]. Hher post-England attitude to magic is noticeably more Zen, or at least more focused and less wild, than it had ever been up to this point.
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* ''Franchise/OnePiece'': Potentially all living beings can use ''Haki'', a supernatural power based on ambition, although training is also necessary (and many people perhaps ''think'' that Haki is a rare gift). However, very few can use a rare type of Haki called "King's Disposition", which lets you subdue weak-willed people through force of will. It is described as a gift ("no amount of training will give you that Haki if you just don't happen to have it"), and only a handful of people have it. And like the other Haki types, it has to be trained.
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* ''Franchise/OnePiece'': Potentially all living beings can use ''Haki'', a supernatural power based on ambition, although training is also necessary (and many people perhaps ''think'' that Haki is a rare gift). However, very few can use a rare type of Haki called "King's Disposition", which lets you subdue weak-willed people through force of will. It is described as a gift ("no amount of training will give you that Haki if you just don't happen to have it"), and only a handful of people people([[AnthropicPrinciple at least, overall]]) have it. And like the other Haki types, it has to be trained.
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* ''Franchise/OnePiece'': Potentially all living beings can use Haki (a supernatural power based on ambition), but very few can use a rare type of Haki called "King's Disposition", which lets you subdue weak-willed people through force of will. It is described as a rare gift ("no amount of training will give you that Haki if you just don't happen to have it"), and only a handful of people have it. And like the other Haki types, it too must be trained.
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* ''Franchise/OnePiece'': Potentially all living beings can use Haki (a ''Haki'', a supernatural power based on ambition), but ambition, although training is also necessary (and many people perhaps ''think'' that Haki is a rare gift). However, very few can use a rare type of Haki called "King's Disposition", which lets you subdue weak-willed people through force of will. It is described as a rare gift ("no amount of training will give you that Haki if you just don't happen to have it"), and only a handful of people have it. And like the other Haki types, it too must has to be trained.
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* ''Franchise/OnePiece'':
** Potentially all living beings can employ a force of Haki (Ambition) that lets them augment their offense and defense with sheer power of will, and use precognitive ability. Not everyone realizes this, though, and the ability to use these powers is ''seen'' as rare, at least outside the New World sea. But much like physical training, you can train to tap into Haki abilities and then master them.
** A clearer example of the trope is the rare type of Haki called "King's Disposition", which lets you subdue weak-willed people through force of will; it is described as a rare gift ("no amount of training will give you that Haki if you just don't happen to have it"), and only a handful of people have it. And like the other Haki types, if you happen to have it, it too can be trained.
** Potentially all living beings can employ a force of Haki (Ambition) that lets them augment their offense and defense with sheer power of will, and use precognitive ability. Not everyone realizes this, though, and the ability to use these powers is ''seen'' as rare, at least outside the New World sea. But much like physical training, you can train to tap into Haki abilities and then master them.
** A clearer example of the trope is the rare type of Haki called "King's Disposition", which lets you subdue weak-willed people through force of will; it is described as a rare gift ("no amount of training will give you that Haki if you just don't happen to have it"), and only a handful of people have it. And like the other Haki types, if you happen to have it, it too can be trained.
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* ''Franchise/OnePiece'':
**''Franchise/OnePiece'': Potentially all living beings can employ a force of use Haki (Ambition) that lets them augment their offense and defense with sheer (a supernatural power of will, and based on ambition), but very few can use precognitive ability. Not everyone realizes this, though, and the ability to use these powers is ''seen'' as rare, at least outside the New World sea. But much like physical training, you can train to tap into Haki abilities and then master them.
** A clearer example of the trope is thea rare type of Haki called "King's Disposition", which lets you subdue weak-willed people through force of will; it will. It is described as a rare gift ("no amount of training will give you that Haki if you just don't happen to have it"), and only a handful of people have it. And like the other Haki types, if you happen to have it, it too can must be trained.
**
** A clearer example of the trope is the
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* This trope is very strongly implied in ''Webcomic/GrrlPower''. Zeph, a highly experienced scholar/adventurer, knows a lot about the occult, but apparently has to leave actual spell-casting to Gwen, who freely admits to being a bit of a novice — even when it's a matter of life and death. Presumably, she has a gift that he lacks.
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* This trope is very strongly implied in ''Webcomic/GrrlPower''. Zeph, a highly experienced scholar/adventurer, knows a lot about the occult, but apparently has to leave actual spell-casting to Gwen, who freely admits to being a bit of a novice — even when it's a matter of life and death. Presumably, she has a gift that he lacks. She's described as largely self-taught, but she did have to acquire some kind of understanding to ''use'' her gift.
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->'''Merlin:''' ''Oh, you do know something of the Art. Do you have the Sight?''
->-- ''Film/{{Excalibur}}''
In some settings with functional magic (or magic-like powers), the ability to work it properly is an innate talent which not everyone possesses -- and if you haven't got it, you'll never be a high-power spell-caster. This is not the same as magic as an innate super-power, used instinctively; magic-working still requires study, and high levels of skill give a large advantage over under-trained casters. But you still want the "gift" to start with. Where magic works but this trope isn't in play, anyone with enough smarts, determination, and training may be able to work magic as well as anybody else.
In other words, this trope has two parts; the ability to use magic as an inborn gift, and the need for training to use it fully effectively. Both must be present for the trope to fit, and the combination has various social and narrative consequences.
In some cases, it is completely impossible to work magic without this ability, although it may be possible to operate some enchanted items. Perhaps more often, though, someone who lacks the gift can only work magic by the use of lengthy, complex, and unreliable {{Ritual|Magic}}s, whereas the gifted can learn to cast spells quickly and reliably, making them, for example, useful in combat.
Likewise, in some cases, even someone with the gift can only work magic after learning the requisite skill or otherwise having it "unlocked" in some way. In others, the gifted can produce magical effects, perhaps when under stress or through intense concentration, but can't ''control'' them properly. The latter situation usually makes gifted but untrained individuals [[PowerIncontinence highly dangerous to themselves and others]]; magic-workers may consider locating and training the gifted to be an important social duty. If too many untrained gifted individuals have done too much accidental damage, they -- and sometimes other magic workers -- may be the target for semi-justified {{Witch Hunt}}s. More trivially, the ungifted may be at once jealous of the gifted, and puzzled about why they spend so much time in laboratories and classrooms, not understanding the importance of training.
The gift itself may be defined as the ability to perceive magical forces (so un-gifted spell-casters are in effect working blind), the ability to channel magical energies from the environment into spells (so un-gifted workers probably need a different source of energy), or the personal favor of some gods or spirits whose help is needed to make magic work. Or it may just [[BecauseDestinySaysSo be left vague]].
Related to the "Inherent Gift" described in FunctionalMagic, but that also encompasses magic as a "superpower" that requires no training. WizardingSchool may be one source of training, and perhaps the only one. See also OurMagesAreDifferent, which describes various ways of training or channeling magic, any of which may be required to enable someone with the gift to work effectively or safely, and WitchSpecies, which covers situations where magical power (usually specifically "witchcraft") is a hereditary gift, to the point of defining a separate human species, but these "witches" may or may not need some degree of training.
----
!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime/Manga/Light Novels]]
* Louise from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' is notoriously bad at casting magic, so much so that she's been nicknamed "Zero" by all her classmates. The fact that she is able to summon Saito into her world to act as her familiar is a miracle. However, there's actually a long lost fourth type of magic that Louise turns out to be a master at casting. The same principle applies to the other students and citizens of that world: They're only efficient at casting one of the four fields, but can't cast the others as well. In their cases though, it usually becomes apparent which field they belong to long before they go to school to learn it.
* Ninjutsu in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' is available only to those who have the inherent gift of manipulating [[LifeEnergy chakra]], and unavailable to those without the gift like Rock Lee. Some ninja have more chakra to manipulate than others and with intensive training, they can learn to use their chakra more efficiently. Sakura is noted to be WeakButSkilled, with a smaller chakra pool that she uses more efficiently than the UnskilledButStrong title character, at least until he trains with Jiraiya and [[TookALevelInBadass takes several levels in badass]].
* ''Franchise/OnePiece'':
** Potentially all living beings can employ a force of Haki (Ambition) that lets them augment their offense and defense with sheer power of will, and use precognitive ability. Not everyone realizes this, though, and the ability to use these powers is ''seen'' as rare, at least outside the New World sea. But much like physical training, you can train to tap into Haki abilities and then master them.
** A clearer example of the trope is the rare type of Haki called "King's Disposition", which lets you subdue weak-willed people through force of will; it is described as a rare gift ("no amount of training will give you that Haki if you just don't happen to have it"), and only a handful of people have it. And like the other Haki types, if you happen to have it, it too can be trained.
* In ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', the magical gift comes in two measurable parts: "bucket capacity" (how many "spell points" you can use with one spell) and "pool capacity" (how many "spell points" you can have in total). High levels of either attribute are an in-born gift, but if you have those, you also need to study and learn magical lore. Gourry Gabriev, for example, has magical gifts but lacks the intelligence and memory to learn magical skill.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Comic Books]]
* While the metaphysics of the Creator/DCComics universe is often confused, it seems that some characters (such as ComicBook/{{Zatanna}}) are "Homo Magi", members of a subspecies of humanity with the ability to work magic quickly and easily, while others (such as [[ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}} John Constantine]]) have to work through rituals and hard study.
* Mutants in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse are sometimes described in similar terms, although their powers are explicitly ''not'' magical; these powers usually kick in at adolescence, and it's sometimes said that mutants need training to prevent them harming themselves and others. However, in practice, many mutants seem to get their powers to work pretty well without much or any training, with at worst twinges of megalomania or outbursts of PowerIncontinence.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Film]]
* In ''Film/{{Excalibur}}'', when Merlin assesses Morgana as a possible magic-worker, he tests her knowledge of "the Art" -- training in magic-related lore -- and then attempts to determine if she has "the Sight" -- innate magical sensitivity.
* This is how "Force sensitivity" works in the Franchise/StarWars franchise. Not everyone is "strong in the Force"; a BadassNormal like Han Solo could meditate on hokey ancient religions all he liked, but it would be no match for a good blaster at his side. Without training, most Force-sensitives can use their powers only unconsciously, rendering them lucky in ways subtle enough to only be identified through (for example) statistical analysis of gambling patterns, or enhance their reflexes in ways that render them not much different from a BadassNormal. ''With'' training, they can do all the flashy quasi-magical Jedi tricks we see in the films, novels, video games, etc.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* This trope is at least implied in several places in the Literature/{{Discworld}} series:
** In the earliest books, wizards (and presumably witches) are said to be able to see "octarine", the eighth color of the spectrum, the "color of magic". This isn't mentioned much in later books, but it still seems in those that magic is some sort of innate gift.
** It also seems that people with ''strong'' magical gifts, such as Eskarina Smith, can be dangerous to everyone around them if not properly trained. Even partly-trained but powerful casters can be dangerous to themselves; for example, "borrowing" an animal's mind can lead to a witch becoming lost in the animal's senses. Unseen University has a gymnasium lined with magic-proof materials where students are required to practice.
** The one attempt we see by untrained characters to work significant magic, in ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'', involves lengthy rituals and external sources of power. It sort of works, very spectacularly, but does not end at all well.
* Human magic may work this way in the Literature/{{Earthsea|Trilogy}} series; Ged is first taken as a trainee by a witch when he shows a remarkable ability to cast simple spells after hearing them once, then recruited for (extensive) training at a WizardingSchool after showing greater but still limited power. It's possible that anyone could achieve ''something'' if they knew the right [[LanguageOfMagic true names]], but most people would probably be dangerously clumsy at best.
* Magic in the ''Literature/ElementalMasters'' series appears to follow this pattern. Marina specifically points out in ''The Gates of Sleep'' that while she may have the potential to be an Elemental Master, she doesn't have the training to claim that title.
* In the Literature/HarryPotter series, you're either a witch/wizard or a "muggle". Witches and wizards can only perform minor and largely uncontrolled magic without training and the assistance of a wand, but a muggle can study all they like, they'll ''never'' be able to do it. Muggleborn wizards exist, so the gift isn't always inherited direct from your parents, but WordOfGod is that they must all have wizard ancestors, meaning that the gift is on something akin to a recessive gene.
* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', approximately one percent of people have the ability to touch the True Source and draw on the One Power, but they'll never do it unless they learn [[MeditationPowerUp the proper form of meditation]]; then they have to learn the precise ways of arranging the Power into [[GeometricMagic weaves]] to create a specific desired effect. This attribute is partly genetic, partly spiritual, which basically means it crops up more often among families, but the main characters are more capable than most BecauseDestinySaysSo. Of those who can channel, about one percent have what is called the "spark", and will eventually channel whether they try or not. If they aren't guided the first few times, they have a three in four chance of dying.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action Television]]
* In ''Series/{{Charmed}}'', witches are born with their abilities, and plenty of people are shown as being unable to use magic. And while you're born with your specific gift (other than the ability to cast spells and scry, each of the witches has their own skill -- telekinesis, empathy, etc.), you have to learn to use your abilities and hone your skills. Powers can also be "bound" (repressed) or transferred from one character to another. Characters can also power up over time with abilities changing to more powerful forms.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* In ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'', full-power magicians have to possess "The Gift", although some other people can work slightly less impressive forms of magic. The Gift must be "unlocked" to be useful, but even before that, characters who possess it tend to be perceived as creepy and dubious by other humans and animals, often causing them to be [[WitchHunt persecuted]] by their neighbors.
* This kind of distinction is represented in the basic TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} magic system by the "Magery" character advantage (also known as "Magical Aptitude"). In some settings, only characters with Magery can cast spells; in others, in areas of "high mana", anyone can do so, but levels of Magery give a bonus.
* The powers possessed by "psykers" in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40K'' aren't called "magic", but they might as well be. Psykers are randomly born, but they have a very strong tendency to get possessed by demons if not found and trained by the Imperium, a process that takes years and is extremely detrimental to the psyker's mental health (and since being a psyker involves hearing voices pretty much all the time, they aren't all that great to begin with).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:WebComics]]
* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', "the Spark" is a rare, largely hereditary personal attribute that grants access to mad science that frequently verges on the magical. "Sparks" primarily possess a capacity for insane levels of hyperfocus on technical tasks, and can function without training -- but obviously, a good technical education helps. They also need to learn to channel their own abilities ''relatively'' safely, and some are lynched by the non-Spark general populace when their abilities manifest uncontrollably for the first time.
* This trope is very strongly implied in ''Webcomic/GrrlPower''. Zeph, a highly experienced scholar/adventurer, knows a lot about the occult, but apparently has to leave actual spell-casting to Gwen, who freely admits to being a bit of a novice — even when it's a matter of life and death. Presumably, she has a gift that he lacks.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* This is how "bending" works in the world of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. One is apparently born as either a "bender" or "non-bender". Without training, Katara's "waterbending" is little more than a parlor trick; you could move more water just by splashing with your hands. ''With'' training, she is capable of manipulating, freezing, and thawing large quantities, and even (under the right circumstances) manipulating water ''in people's blood'' to make PeoplePuppets out of her enemies. It does appear to be possible for some prodigies (such as Avatar Korra of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLegendOfKorra'', who is seen bending three of the four elements at a very young age with little or no formal training) to be self-taught, but it is ''very'' rare.
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->-- ''Film/{{Excalibur}}''
In some settings with functional magic (or magic-like powers), the ability to work it properly is an innate talent which not everyone possesses -- and if you haven't got it, you'll never be a high-power spell-caster. This is not the same as magic as an innate super-power, used instinctively; magic-working still requires study, and high levels of skill give a large advantage over under-trained casters. But you still want the "gift" to start with. Where magic works but this trope isn't in play, anyone with enough smarts, determination, and training may be able to work magic as well as anybody else.
In other words, this trope has two parts; the ability to use magic as an inborn gift, and the need for training to use it fully effectively. Both must be present for the trope to fit, and the combination has various social and narrative consequences.
In some cases, it is completely impossible to work magic without this ability, although it may be possible to operate some enchanted items. Perhaps more often, though, someone who lacks the gift can only work magic by the use of lengthy, complex, and unreliable {{Ritual|Magic}}s, whereas the gifted can learn to cast spells quickly and reliably, making them, for example, useful in combat.
Likewise, in some cases, even someone with the gift can only work magic after learning the requisite skill or otherwise having it "unlocked" in some way. In others, the gifted can produce magical effects, perhaps when under stress or through intense concentration, but can't ''control'' them properly. The latter situation usually makes gifted but untrained individuals [[PowerIncontinence highly dangerous to themselves and others]]; magic-workers may consider locating and training the gifted to be an important social duty. If too many untrained gifted individuals have done too much accidental damage, they -- and sometimes other magic workers -- may be the target for semi-justified {{Witch Hunt}}s. More trivially, the ungifted may be at once jealous of the gifted, and puzzled about why they spend so much time in laboratories and classrooms, not understanding the importance of training.
The gift itself may be defined as the ability to perceive magical forces (so un-gifted spell-casters are in effect working blind), the ability to channel magical energies from the environment into spells (so un-gifted workers probably need a different source of energy), or the personal favor of some gods or spirits whose help is needed to make magic work. Or it may just [[BecauseDestinySaysSo be left vague]].
Related to the "Inherent Gift" described in FunctionalMagic, but that also encompasses magic as a "superpower" that requires no training. WizardingSchool may be one source of training, and perhaps the only one. See also OurMagesAreDifferent, which describes various ways of training or channeling magic, any of which may be required to enable someone with the gift to work effectively or safely, and WitchSpecies, which covers situations where magical power (usually specifically "witchcraft") is a hereditary gift, to the point of defining a separate human species, but these "witches" may or may not need some degree of training.
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!!Examples
[[foldercontrol]]
[[folder:Anime/Manga/Light Novels]]
* Louise from ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'' is notoriously bad at casting magic, so much so that she's been nicknamed "Zero" by all her classmates. The fact that she is able to summon Saito into her world to act as her familiar is a miracle. However, there's actually a long lost fourth type of magic that Louise turns out to be a master at casting. The same principle applies to the other students and citizens of that world: They're only efficient at casting one of the four fields, but can't cast the others as well. In their cases though, it usually becomes apparent which field they belong to long before they go to school to learn it.
* Ninjutsu in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'' is available only to those who have the inherent gift of manipulating [[LifeEnergy chakra]], and unavailable to those without the gift like Rock Lee. Some ninja have more chakra to manipulate than others and with intensive training, they can learn to use their chakra more efficiently. Sakura is noted to be WeakButSkilled, with a smaller chakra pool that she uses more efficiently than the UnskilledButStrong title character, at least until he trains with Jiraiya and [[TookALevelInBadass takes several levels in badass]].
* ''Franchise/OnePiece'':
** Potentially all living beings can employ a force of Haki (Ambition) that lets them augment their offense and defense with sheer power of will, and use precognitive ability. Not everyone realizes this, though, and the ability to use these powers is ''seen'' as rare, at least outside the New World sea. But much like physical training, you can train to tap into Haki abilities and then master them.
** A clearer example of the trope is the rare type of Haki called "King's Disposition", which lets you subdue weak-willed people through force of will; it is described as a rare gift ("no amount of training will give you that Haki if you just don't happen to have it"), and only a handful of people have it. And like the other Haki types, if you happen to have it, it too can be trained.
* In ''LightNovel/{{Slayers}}'', the magical gift comes in two measurable parts: "bucket capacity" (how many "spell points" you can use with one spell) and "pool capacity" (how many "spell points" you can have in total). High levels of either attribute are an in-born gift, but if you have those, you also need to study and learn magical lore. Gourry Gabriev, for example, has magical gifts but lacks the intelligence and memory to learn magical skill.
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[[folder:Comic Books]]
* While the metaphysics of the Creator/DCComics universe is often confused, it seems that some characters (such as ComicBook/{{Zatanna}}) are "Homo Magi", members of a subspecies of humanity with the ability to work magic quickly and easily, while others (such as [[ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}} John Constantine]]) have to work through rituals and hard study.
* Mutants in the Franchise/MarvelUniverse are sometimes described in similar terms, although their powers are explicitly ''not'' magical; these powers usually kick in at adolescence, and it's sometimes said that mutants need training to prevent them harming themselves and others. However, in practice, many mutants seem to get their powers to work pretty well without much or any training, with at worst twinges of megalomania or outbursts of PowerIncontinence.
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[[folder:Film]]
* In ''Film/{{Excalibur}}'', when Merlin assesses Morgana as a possible magic-worker, he tests her knowledge of "the Art" -- training in magic-related lore -- and then attempts to determine if she has "the Sight" -- innate magical sensitivity.
* This is how "Force sensitivity" works in the Franchise/StarWars franchise. Not everyone is "strong in the Force"; a BadassNormal like Han Solo could meditate on hokey ancient religions all he liked, but it would be no match for a good blaster at his side. Without training, most Force-sensitives can use their powers only unconsciously, rendering them lucky in ways subtle enough to only be identified through (for example) statistical analysis of gambling patterns, or enhance their reflexes in ways that render them not much different from a BadassNormal. ''With'' training, they can do all the flashy quasi-magical Jedi tricks we see in the films, novels, video games, etc.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Literature]]
* This trope is at least implied in several places in the Literature/{{Discworld}} series:
** In the earliest books, wizards (and presumably witches) are said to be able to see "octarine", the eighth color of the spectrum, the "color of magic". This isn't mentioned much in later books, but it still seems in those that magic is some sort of innate gift.
** It also seems that people with ''strong'' magical gifts, such as Eskarina Smith, can be dangerous to everyone around them if not properly trained. Even partly-trained but powerful casters can be dangerous to themselves; for example, "borrowing" an animal's mind can lead to a witch becoming lost in the animal's senses. Unseen University has a gymnasium lined with magic-proof materials where students are required to practice.
** The one attempt we see by untrained characters to work significant magic, in ''Discworld/GuardsGuards'', involves lengthy rituals and external sources of power. It sort of works, very spectacularly, but does not end at all well.
* Human magic may work this way in the Literature/{{Earthsea|Trilogy}} series; Ged is first taken as a trainee by a witch when he shows a remarkable ability to cast simple spells after hearing them once, then recruited for (extensive) training at a WizardingSchool after showing greater but still limited power. It's possible that anyone could achieve ''something'' if they knew the right [[LanguageOfMagic true names]], but most people would probably be dangerously clumsy at best.
* Magic in the ''Literature/ElementalMasters'' series appears to follow this pattern. Marina specifically points out in ''The Gates of Sleep'' that while she may have the potential to be an Elemental Master, she doesn't have the training to claim that title.
* In the Literature/HarryPotter series, you're either a witch/wizard or a "muggle". Witches and wizards can only perform minor and largely uncontrolled magic without training and the assistance of a wand, but a muggle can study all they like, they'll ''never'' be able to do it. Muggleborn wizards exist, so the gift isn't always inherited direct from your parents, but WordOfGod is that they must all have wizard ancestors, meaning that the gift is on something akin to a recessive gene.
* In ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'', approximately one percent of people have the ability to touch the True Source and draw on the One Power, but they'll never do it unless they learn [[MeditationPowerUp the proper form of meditation]]; then they have to learn the precise ways of arranging the Power into [[GeometricMagic weaves]] to create a specific desired effect. This attribute is partly genetic, partly spiritual, which basically means it crops up more often among families, but the main characters are more capable than most BecauseDestinySaysSo. Of those who can channel, about one percent have what is called the "spark", and will eventually channel whether they try or not. If they aren't guided the first few times, they have a three in four chance of dying.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Live-Action Television]]
* In ''Series/{{Charmed}}'', witches are born with their abilities, and plenty of people are shown as being unable to use magic. And while you're born with your specific gift (other than the ability to cast spells and scry, each of the witches has their own skill -- telekinesis, empathy, etc.), you have to learn to use your abilities and hone your skills. Powers can also be "bound" (repressed) or transferred from one character to another. Characters can also power up over time with abilities changing to more powerful forms.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
* In ''TabletopGame/ArsMagica'', full-power magicians have to possess "The Gift", although some other people can work slightly less impressive forms of magic. The Gift must be "unlocked" to be useful, but even before that, characters who possess it tend to be perceived as creepy and dubious by other humans and animals, often causing them to be [[WitchHunt persecuted]] by their neighbors.
* This kind of distinction is represented in the basic TabletopGame/{{GURPS}} magic system by the "Magery" character advantage (also known as "Magical Aptitude"). In some settings, only characters with Magery can cast spells; in others, in areas of "high mana", anyone can do so, but levels of Magery give a bonus.
* The powers possessed by "psykers" in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40K'' aren't called "magic", but they might as well be. Psykers are randomly born, but they have a very strong tendency to get possessed by demons if not found and trained by the Imperium, a process that takes years and is extremely detrimental to the psyker's mental health (and since being a psyker involves hearing voices pretty much all the time, they aren't all that great to begin with).
[[/folder]]
[[folder:WebComics]]
* In ''Webcomic/GirlGenius'', "the Spark" is a rare, largely hereditary personal attribute that grants access to mad science that frequently verges on the magical. "Sparks" primarily possess a capacity for insane levels of hyperfocus on technical tasks, and can function without training -- but obviously, a good technical education helps. They also need to learn to channel their own abilities ''relatively'' safely, and some are lynched by the non-Spark general populace when their abilities manifest uncontrollably for the first time.
* This trope is very strongly implied in ''Webcomic/GrrlPower''. Zeph, a highly experienced scholar/adventurer, knows a lot about the occult, but apparently has to leave actual spell-casting to Gwen, who freely admits to being a bit of a novice — even when it's a matter of life and death. Presumably, she has a gift that he lacks.
[[/folder]]
[[folder:Western Animation]]
* This is how "bending" works in the world of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender''. One is apparently born as either a "bender" or "non-bender". Without training, Katara's "waterbending" is little more than a parlor trick; you could move more water just by splashing with your hands. ''With'' training, she is capable of manipulating, freezing, and thawing large quantities, and even (under the right circumstances) manipulating water ''in people's blood'' to make PeoplePuppets out of her enemies. It does appear to be possible for some prodigies (such as Avatar Korra of ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLegendOfKorra'', who is seen bending three of the four elements at a very young age with little or no formal training) to be self-taught, but it is ''very'' rare.
[[/folder]]
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