History Main / TrainingTheGiftOfMagic

* 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.
* In the ''Literature/{{Darkover}}'' series, there is a saying that "An untrained telepath is a danger to themselves and everyone around them". Thus at least basic training is considered a must for anyone who manifests actual PsychicPowers. A properly-trained psychic, aided by a [[AmplifierArtifact matrix crystal]], can perform feats of what are MagicByAnyOtherName.
* This trope is at least implied in several places in the Literature/{{Discworld}} series:

* In Literature/TheDresdenFiles, you need to have magical potential to work spells, but how hard you train ultimately affects what you can use your magic for. Harry starts out as StrongButUnskilled and over the course of the books learns a lot about using far more precision and focus (especially after he takes [[spoiler: Molly]] as his apprentice). This is made most apparent in ''Literature/SkinGame'', when he encounters another mage who he says has similar strength of magic as he does, but because she's only ever practiced fire magic and neglected other forms of magic, [[CripplingOverspecialization she's ultimately a weaker mage.]]
* Human magic may work this way in the Literature/{{Earthsea}} 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.

* Generally played straight in Creator/MercedesLackey works:
** In the Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar series, both true magic and "mind-magic" (PsychicPowers) are inborn Gifts. Untrained Gifts suffer from PowerIncontinence; an untrained {{telepath|y}}, for example, could drive herself mad through HearingVoices and needs to learn a PsychicBlockDefense to stay sane. Gifts tend to [[PubertySuperpower manifest at puberty]]. Those with the potential to be Heralds attract the attention of the [[BondCreatures Companions]], who Choose likely youngsters and carry them off to the capital to be trained. Others get training with Healers, Bards, independent magic schools, or even foreign mages like the Tayledras.\\\
The actual strength of Gifts varies wildly, with Mage gifts in particular being divided into tiers[[note]]Divided after the fact-- not every culture or school of magic agrees on the tiers. It's a categorization, not a level system.[[/note]] by the strongest source of magical energy they can access without backlash. Each power source offers upwards of an order of magnitude more energy than the last, yet it's oft-noted that a WeakButSkilled caster can still defeat somebody at a higher tier that does nothing but clumsily throw their weight around.
** Magic in the ''Literature/ElementalMasters'' series appears to follow this pattern. Marina specifically points out in ''Literature/TheGatesOfSleep'' that while she may have the potential to be an Elemental Master, she doesn't have the training to claim that title.

In other words, this trope has '''two parts''':
# the ability to use magic as an inborn gift
# 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 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.

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.

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. 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.

* 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/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.
** One exception to the inborn aspect of bending shows up in the third season of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''. The Harmonic Convergence at the end of season 2 somehow grants Airbending to people all over the world. It's implied that these people are the descendants of the original Air Nomads who for whatever reason just didn't inherit the gift, such as Aang's son Bumi. Having been born a non-bender, it was a huge shock to everyone when he started airbending at the dinner table.

* 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.

* ''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 ([[OddlyCommonRarity at least, overall]]) have it. And like the other Haki types, it has to be trained.

* ''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([[AnthropicPrinciple at least, overall]]) have it. And like the other Haki types, it has to be trained.

* In the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, only those who have a Linker Core, a magic organ that not everyone is born with, can have magic, and even then, mages are born with different levels of magic potential. However, to reach the higher mage ranks, you 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 every moment of her life]].

** In ''Literature/TalesOfTheFiveHundredKingdoms'', however, magic is the ability to manipulate the [[BackgroundMagicField Tradition]], and it does not appear to be an innate ability. What is needed is more the right set of Traditional circumstances, a GenreSavvy tutor, and a good stock of magic already at hand to learn on. Some characters receive the blessing of the Fae, which makes the magic visible and helps a lot, but it doesn't seem to be strictly necessary.

* The powers possessed by "psykers" in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' 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 generally all that sane to begin with).\\
One version of the Emperor's backstory (which may or may not still be canon) had him being the combined reincarnation of all of Earth's shamans (ancient psykers) after they committed mass ritual suicide. When his powers awakened, he also inherited the sum total of their memories, and with it their lifetimes of training. Thus he had the good fortune of inheriting both the gift ''and'' the knowledge needed to actually control it.

* The powers possessed by "psykers" in ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'' 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).
** One version of the Emperor's backstory (which may or may not still be canon) had him being the combined reincarnation of all of Earth's shamans (ancient psykers) after they committed mass ritual suicide. When his powers awakened, he also inherited the sum total of their memories and with it their lifetimes of training. Thus he had the good fortune of inheriting both the gift ''and'' the knowledge needed to actually control it.

* 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.

* ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' ([[FanNickname nicknamed]] 'D&D 3.75' for reasons enough to put it here) features the Arcanist class, which is described as a person with the sorcerous gift who learns to channel and control it by wizard-like studies of magic. While not meant to be more powerful than sorcerers or wizards (for balance reasons), by default they can be described as more magically adept than sorcerers, in that instead of the bloodline changes sorcerers develop arcanists get various tricks related to spells and magic.
* 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.

* In the [[Franchise/DragonAge Dragon Age series]] everyone except dwarves is connected to [[BackgroundMagicField the]] [[DreamWorld Fade]], a magical realm that exists alongside the normal world. Mages are those who are born with unusually strong connections that allow them to draw power from it by shaping [[WillOTheWisp 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 stunted magical potential, [[PowerIncontinence dangerous accidents]] and DemonicPossession.

** ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'' ([[FanNickname nicknamed]] 'D&D 3.75' for reasons enough to put it here) features the Arcanist class, which is described as a person with the sorcerous gift who learns to channel and control it by wizard-like studies of magic. While not meant to be more powerful than sorcerers or wizards (for balance reasons), by default they can be described as more magically adept than sorcerers, in that instead of the bloodline changes sorcerers develop arcanists get various tricks related to spells and magic.

** 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/HeraldsOfValdemar series, both true magic and "mind-magic" (PsychicPowers) are inborn Gifts. Untrained Gifts suffer from PowerIncontinence; an untrained {{telepath|y}}, for example, could drive herself mad through HearingVoices and needs to learn a PsychicBlockDefense to stay sane. Gifts tend to [[PubertySuperpower manifest at puberty]]. Those with the potential to be Heralds attract the attention of the [[BondCreatures Companions]], who Choose likely youngsters and carry them off to the capital to be trained. Others get training with Healers, Bards, independent magic schools, or even foreign mages like the Tayledras.
*** The actual strength of Gifts varies wildly, with Mage gifts in particular being divided into tiers[[note]]Divided after the fact-- not every culture or school of magic agrees on the tiers. It's a categorization, not a level system.[[/note]] by the strongest source of magical energy they can access without backlash. Each power source offers upwards of an order of magnitude more energy than the last, yet it's oft-noted that a WeakButSkilled caster can still defeat somebody at a higher tier that does nothing but clumsily throw their weight around.

* 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).

* In ''Manga/TheAncientMagusBride'', Elias [[SuperHumanTrafficking buys]] Chise in the first place to teach her magic. He says it's a common last resort since magically talent children are rare in the modern era.

* In ''Manga/MahouTsukaiNoYome'', Elias [[SuperHumanTrafficking buys]] Chise in the first place to teach her magic. He says it's a common last resort since magically talent children are rare in the modern era.

* In Creator/SergeyLukyanenko's ''Literature/NightWatch'', the [[DifferentlyPoweredIndividual Others]] are born with the potential to do magic (except for humans turned by vampires and werewolves). 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.)

* 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.

* The Ocampa on ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'' have absolutely enormous potential for PsychicPowers, with the possibility of even becoming EnergyBeings and AscendingToAHigherPlaneOfExistence. However, this is something that the vast majority of them will never achieve, as it usually requires are great deal of training (or something pushing them into SuperMode) to get them to this point. The SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Suspiria has made it her mission to train a small group of Ocampa to reach their full potential and join her in AnotherDimension.

** One exception to the inborn aspect of bending shows up in the third season of ''WesternAnimation/TheLegendOfKorra''. The Harmonic Convergence at the end of season 2 somehow grants Airbending to people all over the world. It's implied that these people are the descendants of the original Air Nomads who for whatever reason just didn't inherit the gift, such as Aang's son Bumi. Having been born a non-bender, it was a huge shock to everyone, especially himself, when he started airbending at the dinner table.

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 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.

* 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/HeraldsOfValdemar series, both true magic and "mind-magic" (PsychicPowers) are governed by inborn Gifts. Untrained Gifts suffer from PowerIncontinence; an untrained {{telepath|y}}, for example, could drive herself mad through HearingVoices and needs to learn a PsychicBlockDefense to stay sane. Gifts tend to [[PubertySuperpower manifest at puberty]]. Those with the potential to be Heralds attract the attention of the [[BondCreatures Companions]], who Choose likely youngsters and carry them off to the capital to be trained. Others get training with Healers, Bards, independent magic schools, or even foreign mages like the Tayledras.