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* ''Literature/TheObsidianChronicles'': Spells or {{magic potion}}s in the books' universe have to be carefully prepared ahead of time for a specific purpose. Once depleted they cannot be replenish quickly.
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This is a description of mana, not vancian magic.


* In ''Literature/ArtemisFowl'', everyone able to use magic has a set amount of magic available to use, and when they run out they have to undergo an arduous ritual to replenish it. Also, the mesmer uses up decidedly less power than the other magics... [[NewRulesAsThePlotDemands unless you need to heal the villain's chronic lack of smell]]. When HeroAntagonist Holly Short is captured by VillainProtagonist Artemis in the first book, [[spoiler:she's only able to escape her cement holding cell because there's a small amount of dirt where she can perform the ritual.]]
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* ''Fanfic/InvaderZimABadThingNeverEnds'': Poopmancy allows its users to practice a wide variety of spells, but only if they drink the appropriate flavor and/or combo of flavors of Poop Cola. Fizzmitz trying to teach the incredibly detailed list of combos to Dib and Gaz nearly puts them to sleep out of boredom the first time they hear it all.
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* All the Infinity Engine games (''VideoGame/BaldursGate'', ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII', ''[[VideoGame/IcewindDale Icewind Dale I and II]]'', and ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment)'', since they are based on various editions of ''Dungeons and Dragons'', feature Vancian casters. Their spiritual sequel, ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', features both Vancian and non-Vancian magic being practised by different [[CharacterClassSystem classes]].

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* All the Infinity Engine games (''VideoGame/BaldursGate'', ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII', ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII'', ''[[VideoGame/IcewindDale Icewind Dale I and II]]'', and ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment)'', since they are based on various editions of ''Dungeons and Dragons'', feature Vancian casters. Their spiritual sequel, ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', features both Vancian and non-Vancian magic being practised by different [[CharacterClassSystem classes]].
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* In ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'', skills work this way as opposed to techniques which employ a more traditional {{Mana}} system. The game does feature some twists to it though: there are cases that require the character to wield the appropriate weapon to use the skill i.e Chaz can use Earth, Crosscut, Air Slash, and Ray Blade as long as he's wielding a sword or dagger and the amount of maximun uses usually increases at higher levels.
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Multiple characters have been transformed into amphibians in the books, and "the usual floating bag of flesh" has only happened once.


** This is subverted in a fashion in ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'', when a character who is a literal conduit of magical energy is present, wizards are capable of overriding the usual restrictions of conservation of their own bodies by using the excess energy floating around. This also allows them to perform highly tricky transmogrification of turning people into newts without the usual floating bag of flesh containing all the parts that are too big to fit.
** Also, the whole idea of spells taking so much energy to prepare is now sometimes passed over with "well, it was the least competent wizard in the world claiming that" or words to that effect.

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** This is subverted in a fashion in ''Literature/{{Sourcery}}'', when a character who is a literal conduit of magical energy is present, wizards are capable of overriding the usual restrictions of conservation of their own bodies by using the excess energy floating around. This also allows them to perform highly tricky transmogrification of turning people into newts without the usual floating bag of flesh containing all the parts that are too big to fit.\n
** Also, the whole idea of spells taking so much energy to prepare is now sometimes passed over with "well, it was the least competent wizard in the world claiming that" or words to that effect. Pretty much the last reference to the wizards having a Vancian system is in ''Literature/ReaperMan'', where the Dean justifies firing a whole bunch of highly destructive spells at once on the grounds that he has them prepared, so ''not'' using them would mess up the University inventory.
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** ''VideoGame/EldenRing'' follows a different system from the above: while spells still need to be prepared in advance, spell slots are ''not'' tied to any particular stats or character level - even the most magically inept characters have a few slots open - and instead are tied to collecting Memory Stones in particular out-of-the-way areas in the open world, mostly wizard towers, which when found permanently increase the slots up to a maximum of 12.

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* Being nearly an RPGMechanicsVerse, mages in ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'' can only cast so many spells in a day. Same goes for ReligionIsMagic users and their miracles.
** A spell can be recorded on a scroll which can be cast once by anybody capable of reading it, after which the scroll will burn up. This is a LostTechnology making these scrolls extremely rare and valuable.

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* Being nearly an RPGMechanicsVerse, mages in ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'' ''Literature/GoblinSlayer'' can only cast so many spells in a day. Same goes for ReligionIsMagic users and their miracles.
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miracles. A spell can be recorded on a scroll which can be cast once by anybody capable of reading it, after which the scroll will burn up. This is a LostTechnology making these scrolls extremely rare and valuable.
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** ''TabletopGame/{{Starfinder}}'s'' spellcasting classes are all spontaneous casters by default, but the "Galactic Magic" supplement has optional rules for converting them to prepared spellcasting.
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* ''VideoGame/{{Wizardry}}'', being the original RPG that inspired ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' (and thus, all JRPGs) used Vancian magic heavily. Spells have levels, from 1 (effectively cantrips) to 7 (world shaping magic), each with a limited use per day -- up to 9 per level. There was effectively no way to regain magic in the dungeon, either, meaning that all magic was a very limited resource. There were two classes of magic, Priest and Mage spells, and via class changing shinanigans one could teach this magic to other classes, at limited use.

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* ''VideoGame/{{Wizardry}}'', being the original RPG that inspired ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' (and thus, all JRPGs) [=JRPGs=]) used Vancian magic heavily. Spells have levels, from 1 (effectively cantrips) to 7 (world shaping magic), each with a limited use per day -- up to 9 per level. There was effectively no way to regain magic in the dungeon, either, meaning that all magic was a very limited resource. There were two classes of magic, Priest and Mage spells, and via class changing shinanigans one could teach this magic to other classes, at limited use.
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Added Pathfinder 2e. More specific examples from someone more familiar with the system would be appreciated.

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** Pathfinder Second Edition, meanwhile, does a few variants on the trope, attempting to prevent casters from overshadowing non-casters through sheer flexibility while still letting them play more flexibly than First Edition:
*** Prepared casters (Cleric, Druid, Magus, Witch, and Wizard) play the trope straight, preparing a fixed number of leveled spell slots based on their level. However, they get the benefit of being able to prepare heightened versions of their spells in higher-level spell slots, and some class feats play with the trope by letting you use certain spell slots flexibly or override spell slots you prepared with another spell.
*** Spontaneous casters (Bard, Oracle, Psychic, Sorcerer, and Summoner) use a variant: they can use their spell slots on any spell in their repertoire, but they learn their spells heightened to specific levels and can only use spells at the specific level they learned them at—if they want to cast a spell they know at different level, they have to use up their limited spells known to learn them at a different level. However, they also have “signature spells” they can cast at any level.
*** Magus and Summoner [[ExaggeratedTrope in particular suffer from their respective variants]], with each using a “bounded casting” paradigm that leaves them with four spell slots at most (before items that allow more spells to be prepared are taken into account). However, unlike First Edition and [=DnD=] 5e, those limited spell slots scale up with your level almost as well as a full caster—the only spells of a Magus’s or Summoner’s spell list they can never truly cast are 10th level spells.
*** Cantrips, focus points, and rituals, meanwhile, avert the trope:
**** Cantrips can be used at will and scale with your level (similar to [=DnD 5e=]).
**** Focus points (used for focus spells and some class mechanics like the Psychic’s empowered cantrips) function as “encounter powers” a la [=DnD=] 4e. All casters have access to them, as well as the Ranger, Monk, and Champion.
**** Rituals, like in [=DnD=] 4e, can be accessed by any party that knows them and has enough qualified secondary casters to make them work. The Ritualist dedication can make them easier to perform and easier to find.
*** The 2e Kineticist, when it leaves playtesting, will likely avert the trope as its 1e counterpart did.
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A frequently used fourth rule is a [[NamingConventions naming convention]]: [[InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt Possessives and variations thereof]] -- e.g. Phandaal's Mantle of Stealth. In a series of spells that is often the same or slightly varied, e.g. "[[TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}} Bigby]]'s [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer X]] [[HelpingHands Hand]]" (...Grasping, Pushing, Clenched).

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A frequently used fourth rule is a [[NamingConventions naming convention]]: [[InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt Possessives and variations thereof]] -- e.g. Phandaal's [[Literature/DyingEarth Phandaal's]] Mantle of Stealth. In a series of spells that is often the same or slightly varied, e.g. "[[TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}} Bigby]]'s [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer X]] [[HelpingHands Hand]]" (...Grasping, Pushing, Clenched).
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A frequently used fourth rule is a [[NamingConventions naming convention]]: [[InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt Possessives and variations thereof]] -- e.g. Sumpjumper's Incendiary Surprise. In a series of spells that is often the same or slightly varied, e.g. "[[TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}} Bigby]]'s [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer X]] [[HelpingHands Hand]]" (...Grasping, Pushing, Clenched).

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A frequently used fourth rule is a [[NamingConventions naming convention]]: [[InCaseYouForgotWhoWroteIt Possessives and variations thereof]] -- e.g. Sumpjumper's Incendiary Surprise.Phandaal's Mantle of Stealth. In a series of spells that is often the same or slightly varied, e.g. "[[TabletopGame/{{Greyhawk}} Bigby]]'s [[WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer X]] [[HelpingHands Hand]]" (...Grasping, Pushing, Clenched).
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[[folder:Western Animation]]
* ''WesternAnimation/TheOwlHouse'': Glyph magic in the Boiling Isles is a form of Vancian Magic. It works with specific pentacles and runes known a "glyphs" that work as the LanguageOfMagic: each glyph corresponds to a specific effect, and simply needs to be memorized, drawn and "activated" to cause said effect. Luz, a human among witches, gets by in magical battles despite lacking any natural magical ability through using glyphs: she prepares them on pieces of paper and then uses them as "spell grenades" by sticking them somewhere and activating them. Of course, this also means that the typical Vancian limitation applies when she runs out of "ammunition", but she can still draw the glyphs on the spot if needed.
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# Spells represent a kind of magic bomb which must be prepared in advance of actual use, and each prepared spell can be used a limited number of times before needing to be prepared again. That's why it is also known as "Fire & Forget magic."

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# Spells represent a kind of magic bomb which must be prepared in advance ad[[StealthPun vance]] of actual use, and each prepared spell can be used a limited number of times before needing to be prepared again. That's why it is also known as "Fire & Forget magic."
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* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'' and ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' follow this model. Each spell has a given number of uses, which replenishes when resting at a bonfire. Spells must be equipped at a bonfire before they can be cast, and take up one or more Attunement slots. The number of slots can be increased by leveling the Attunement stat, or by wearing certain rings. More powerful spells are limited by a small amount of casts per slot (the sorcerer's starting spell [[MagicMissile Soul Arrow]] can be cast 30 times, while [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Pur]][[ActionBomb suers]] is limited to only 3 and takes up two slots.) Multiple copies of the same spell can be equipped at once in order to increase the number of uses before having to rest. ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' and ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' have a ManaMeter instead, but spells still need to be equipped and take up a certain number of slots. ''Demon's Souls'' even has two separate kinds of slots for sorcery and miracles.

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* ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsI'' and ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' follow this model. Each spell has a given number of uses, which replenishes when resting at a bonfire. Spells must be equipped at a bonfire before they can be cast, and take up one or more Attunement slots. The number of slots can be increased by leveling the Attunement stat, or by wearing certain rings. More powerful spells are limited by a small amount of casts per slot (the sorcerer's starting spell [[MagicMissile Soul Arrow]] can be cast 30 times, while [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Pur]][[ActionBomb suers]] is limited to only 3 and takes up two slots.) Multiple copies of the same spell can be equipped at once in order to increase the number of uses before having to rest.rest, but you have to have ''bought'' the spell multiple times to allow this. ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII'' and ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' have a ManaMeter instead, but spells still need to be equipped and take up a certain number of slots. ''Demon's Souls'' even has two separate kinds of slots for sorcery and miracles.
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Dixon did not parituclarly follow Vancian magic.


* In ''Comics Scene'' #7, Chuck Dixon noted that he wrote magic users in his ComicBook/ConanTheBarbarian stories as having similarly restricted by stringent parameters for magic, with users required to make at times painful sacrifices and efforts.
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Up To Eleven is a defunct trope


* The game ''Balances'' by Graham Nelson was written as a demonstration of how to write Vancian magic in the [[http://www.inform-fiction.org Inform programming language]], and is explicitly based on the ''Enchanter'' series. As befits its status as a demo program and source of code snippets, it takes Vancian magic UpToEleven -- spells can be reversed, [[DevelopersForesight work on almost every object and NPC in the game (and fail gracefully when they don't)]], and one spell even provides an example of a spell that can only be memorized once.

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* The game ''Balances'' by Graham Nelson was written as a demonstration of how to write Vancian magic in the [[http://www.inform-fiction.org Inform programming language]], and is explicitly based on the ''Enchanter'' series. As befits its status as a demo program and source of code snippets, it takes Vancian magic UpToEleven -- spells can be reversed, [[DevelopersForesight work on almost every object and NPC in the game (and fail gracefully when they don't)]], and one spell even provides an example of a spell that can only be memorized once.
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* Used by the White Witch, in the pre-boot ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes''.

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* Used by the White Witch, in the pre-boot ''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes''.''ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes''.



* [[DefiedTrope Defied]] in Literature/IDoNotWantToDoThis. Set in a modern age in a D&D-inspired world, it's not clear exactly how things changed, but even the most nostalgic-for-past-ages geeks see "the curse of Vance" and having to deal with spell slots like the ancients did as a thing best left in the mythic past.

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* [[DefiedTrope Defied]] in Literature/IDoNotWantToDoThis.''Literature/IDoNotWantToDoThis''. Set in a modern age in a D&D-inspired world, it's not clear exactly how things changed, but even the most nostalgic-for-past-ages geeks see "the curse of Vance" and having to deal with spell slots like the ancients did as a thing best left in the mythic past.



** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' used a fairly TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons-inspired system, if limited by the technology of the time. Every magic user had a number of spell charges for each level of magic, with the preparation aspect coming from the fact that they could only learn 3 spells out of the four for each level (Red Mages had both schools available). Unlike the Elixirs and Ethers in later games, spell charges could only be recovered by resting. Some of the remakes use the ManaMeter instead but the learning restrictions still apply.

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** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyI'' used a fairly TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons-inspired ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons''-inspired system, if limited by the technology of the time. Every magic user had a number of spell charges for each level of magic, with the preparation aspect coming from the fact that they could only learn 3 spells out of the four for each level (Red Mages had both schools available). Unlike the Elixirs and Ethers in later games, spell charges could only be recovered by resting. Some of the remakes use the ManaMeter instead but the learning restrictions still apply.



* Spellcards in ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' work along these lines. Generally. The exact mechanics vary from game to game. Also worth noting is that magic is in no way implied to be inherently Vancian-- Spellcards are part of a formalized dueling system.

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* Spellcards in ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' ''Franchise/TouhouProject'' work along these lines. Generally. The exact mechanics vary from game to game. Also worth noting is that magic is in no way implied to be inherently Vancian-- Spellcards are part of a formalized dueling system.



* All the Infinity Engine games (''[[VideoGame/BaldursGate Baldur's Gate]]'', ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGateII Baldur's Gate II]]'', ''[[VideoGame/IcewindDale Icewind Dale I and II]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment Planescape Torment]])'', since they are based on various editions of ''Dungeons and Dragons'', feature Vancian casters. Their spiritual sequel, ''[[VideoGame/PillarsofEternity Pillars of Eternity]]'', features both Vancian and non-Vancian magic being practised by different [[CharacterClassSystem classes]].

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* All the Infinity Engine games (''[[VideoGame/BaldursGate Baldur's Gate]]'', ''[[VideoGame/BaldursGateII Baldur's Gate II]]'', (''VideoGame/BaldursGate'', ''VideoGame/BaldursGateII', ''[[VideoGame/IcewindDale Icewind Dale I and II]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment Planescape Torment]])'', ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment)'', since they are based on various editions of ''Dungeons and Dragons'', feature Vancian casters. Their spiritual sequel, ''[[VideoGame/PillarsofEternity Pillars of Eternity]]'', ''VideoGame/PillarsOfEternity'', features both Vancian and non-Vancian magic being practised by different [[CharacterClassSystem classes]].






[[folder:Web Comics]]

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[[folder:Web Comics]][[folder:Webcomics]]
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* In the 1975 computer version of ''VideoGame/{{dnd}}'', you can only cast a specific number of spells per day and then you must rest before casting a spell again. The game deviates from the Vancian systems popular in tabletop [=RPGs=] by removing the need to decide which of the lists of spells you're going to cast that day and how many times. Instead, you can just pick and freely choose which spells to cast on the fly.
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* [[DefiedTrope Defied]] in Literature/IDoNotWantToDoThis. Set in a modern age in a D&D-inspired world, it's not clear exactly how things changed, but even the most nostalgic-for-past-ages geeks see "the curse of Vance" and having to deal with spell slots like the ancients did as a thing best left in the mythic past.
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** The ''Anime/{{Slayers}}'' d20 adaptation averted this trope and introduced a more flexible (and arguably much more powerful) variant to coincide with the anime and manga on which it was based (the series using basically a mixture of Theurgy and Rule Magic). Spells per level were retained, becoming "spell slots", but these only affect how many spells a caster can learn in total; all the spells they know can be cast whenever they want and how often the way, at the cost of requiring LifeForce (non-lethal damage and eventually lethal damage is taken each time a spell is cast, whether it succeeds or not).

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** The ''Anime/{{Slayers}}'' d20 adaptation averted this trope and introduced a more flexible (and arguably much more powerful) variant to coincide with the anime and manga on which it was based (the series using basically a mixture of Theurgy and Rule Magic). Spells per level were retained, becoming "spell slots", but these only affect how many spells a caster can learn in total; all the spells they know can be cast whenever they want and how often the way, at the cost of requiring LifeForce LifeEnergy (non-lethal damage and eventually lethal damage is taken each time a spell is cast, whether it succeeds or not).

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** In 3rd Edition, a spell's effects can be fine-tuned with "metamagic feats"
** 3rd edition introduce sorcerers, a separate class from wizards, who don't have to prepare spells, [[CompetitiveBalance but can only know a very limited number of them]]. They can't cast those spells at will either, since just as prepared casters, they have a number of "spell slots" for each level.
** The Warlock class, as it appeared in 3.5e's ''CompleteArcane,'' was completely non-vancian. Warlocks can cast Invocations ''at will'', an unlimited number of times per day, without penalty. However, unless you go epic or invest in feats, [[CompetitiveBalance you can only learn 12]]. In addition, the list of invocations is far smaller than the list of available spells. It was later joined by another class that used the same system, the Dragonfire Adept.
** Late into edition 3.5e, "reserve feats" were introduced, which grant non-Vancian abilities to the caster as long as he has not cast a particular Vancian spell yet.
** [[ReligionIsMagic Clerics and druids]] in third edition have a sort of "virtual Vancian" system. Most spells have to be prepared ahead of time, but they each have one classification of spell that can be cast spontaneously at the expense of a prepared slot of the same level. Clerics can spontaneously use a healing effect like ''cure light wounds'' if good or one of the inverted negative energy effects like ''inflict light wounds'' if evil (neutral ones have to pick one at character creation, although choice of god may influence it - Wee Jas, Greyhawk's lawful neutral goddess of necromancy and love, typically grants spontaneous inflict spells, for example), while all druids regardless of alignment have the power to ''summon nature's ally'' at the appropriate level.
** The 3.5 Spirit Shaman (not to be confused with the many classes simply called Shaman floating around) was a prototype of the 5E/Pathfinder Arcanist casting system, the only difference being that it refers to the 'decide what spells to know for the day' part as retrieving instead of preparing.
** 4th Edition gave characters of every class, magic or not, "at-will powers," similar to the 3.5e Warlock's invocations, that can be used as often as a player likes. At the same time, the new edition gave ''every character class'' Vancian abilities, from Cleric prayers to Fighter exploits. The "encounter power" mechanic sort of splits the difference between Vancian powers and at-will one by having the encounter powers only refresh after a brief rest. The "daily power" can only be used once per day.
** In addition, 4th Edition has added a ritual system based in HermeticMagic rather than Vancian, adapting some of the larger and more potent spells from earlier editions into something anybody can use if they take the feat to perform rituals and have the appropriate skill for the ritual (with the exception of Bardic Rituals, which require being a ''Bard''). The irony here is that most of the ''fourth rule'' spells of earlier editions, like ''Tenser's Floating Disk'' or ''Bigby's Giant Hand,'' have been turned into Rituals rather than remaining as Vancian spells amongst one or more of the class powers. This is likely due to Rituals being a broader access, while each class has it's own, personalised power list, rather than drawing from a general exploit, spell, prayer, evocation, discipline, or hex list (corresponding to Martial, Arcane, Divine, Primal, Psionic, and Shadow Power Sources, respectively).
** As a corollary, ''Psionic'' powers, previously completely different from the Vancian system, have now been pulled somewhat closer in. Outside of the Monk's disciplines, the disciplines of the other Psionic classes are a mixture of at-will and daily powers -- though the at-wills can be augmented with Power Points for better effects rather than requiring PP to utilise at all. This has made the 3 PP-using Psionic classes (''Ardent, Battlemind,'' and ''Psion'') only slightly less Vancian than other 4E classes.

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** In 3rd Edition, ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsThirdEdition'':
*** [[ReligionIsMagic Clerics and druids]] in third edition have
a spell's sort of "virtual Vancian" system. Most spells have to be prepared ahead of time, but they each have one classification of spell that can be cast spontaneously at the expense of a prepared slot of the same level. Clerics can spontaneously use a healing effect like ''cure light wounds'' if good or one of the inverted negative energy effects can be fine-tuned with "metamagic feats"
**
like ''inflict light wounds'' if evil (neutral ones have to pick one at character creation, although choice of god may influence it - Wee Jas, Greyhawk's lawful neutral goddess of necromancy and love, typically grants spontaneous inflict spells, for example), while all druids regardless of alignment have the power to ''summon nature's ally'' at the appropriate level. Clerics and druids, as well as paladins and rangers, also do not need to learn spells and add them to a spellbook beforehand, since their spells are granted through their faith.
***
3rd edition introduce sorcerers, a separate class from wizards, who don't have to prepare spells, [[CompetitiveBalance but can only know a very limited number of them]]. They can't cast those spells at will either, since just as prepared casters, they have a number of "spell slots" for each level.
**
level. The 3.5E add-on book ''Complete Divine'' added the Favored Soul class as an equivalent for the cleric.
*** The 3.5 Spirit Shaman (not to be confused with the many classes simply called Shaman floating around) was a prototype of the 5E/Pathfinder Arcanist casting system, the only difference being that it refers to the 'decide what spells to know for the day' part as retrieving instead of preparing.
***
The Warlock class, as it appeared in 3.5e's ''CompleteArcane,'' ''Complete Arcane,'' was completely non-vancian. Warlocks can cast Invocations ''at will'', an unlimited number of times per day, without penalty. However, unless you go epic or invest in feats, [[CompetitiveBalance you can only learn 12]]. In addition, the list of invocations is far smaller than the list of available spells. It was later joined by another class that used the same system, the Dragonfire Adept.
** *** Late into edition 3.5e, "reserve feats" were introduced, which grant non-Vancian abilities to the caster as long as he has not cast a particular Vancian spell yet.
** [[ReligionIsMagic Clerics and druids]] in third edition have a sort of "virtual Vancian" system. Most spells have to be prepared ahead of time, but they each have one classification of spell that can be cast spontaneously at the expense of a prepared slot of the same level. Clerics can spontaneously use a healing effect like ''cure light wounds'' if good or one of the inverted negative energy effects like ''inflict light wounds'' if evil (neutral ones have to pick one at character creation, although choice of god may influence it - Wee Jas, Greyhawk's lawful neutral goddess of necromancy and love, typically grants spontaneous inflict spells, for example), while all druids regardless of alignment have the power to ''summon nature's ally'' at the appropriate level.
** The 3.5 Spirit Shaman (not to be confused with the many classes simply called Shaman floating around) was a prototype of the 5E/Pathfinder Arcanist casting system, the only difference being that it refers to the 'decide what spells to know for the day' part as retrieving instead of preparing.
**
''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragonsFourthEdition'':
***
4th Edition gave characters of every class, magic or not, "at-will powers," similar to the 3.5e Warlock's invocations, that can be used as often as a player likes. At the same time, the new edition gave ''every character class'' Vancian abilities, from Cleric prayers to Fighter exploits. The "encounter power" mechanic sort of splits the difference between Vancian powers and at-will one by having the encounter powers only refresh after a brief rest. The "daily power" can only be used once per day.
** *** In addition, 4th Edition has added a ritual system based in HermeticMagic rather than Vancian, adapting some of the larger and more potent spells from earlier editions into something anybody can use if they take the feat to perform rituals and have the appropriate skill for the ritual (with the exception of Bardic Rituals, which require being a ''Bard''). The irony here is that most of the ''fourth rule'' spells of earlier editions, like ''Tenser's Floating Disk'' or ''Bigby's Giant Hand,'' have been turned into Rituals rather than remaining as Vancian spells amongst one or more of the class powers. This is likely due to Rituals being a broader access, while each class has it's own, personalised power list, rather than drawing from a general exploit, spell, prayer, evocation, discipline, or hex list (corresponding to Martial, Arcane, Divine, Primal, Psionic, and Shadow Power Sources, respectively).
** *** As a corollary, ''Psionic'' powers, previously completely different from the Vancian system, have now been pulled somewhat closer in. Outside of the Monk's disciplines, the disciplines of the other Psionic classes are a mixture of at-will and daily powers -- though the at-wills can be augmented with Power Points for better effects rather than requiring PP to utilise at all. This has made the 3 PP-using Psionic classes (''Ardent, Battlemind,'' and ''Psion'') only slightly less Vancian than other 4E classes.



** Retained for ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', save for bards and sorcerers of course.
*** The Magus class released in an expansion has an interesting hybrid with their [[{{Mana}} Arcane Pool]] class feature. At a fairly low level, they gain the ability to expend points from the pool to re-use a a prepared spell they already used that day. At a higher level, they can do this for less points, as well as being able to prepare a different spell for the same cost as simply re-using a spell in the weaker version of the skill.

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** Retained for ''TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}}'', save for bards and sorcerers of course.
course. The Witch base class and Shaman hybrid class, as well as the Eldritch Scoundrel archetype for rogues, all prepare their spells.
*** The Magus class released in an expansion has an interesting hybrid with their [[{{Mana}} Arcane Pool]] class feature. At a fairly low level, they gain the ability to expend points from the pool to re-use a a prepared spell they already used that day. At a higher level, they can do this for less points, as well as being able to prepare a different spell for the same cost as simply re-using a spell in the weaker version of the skill. In exchange for this, like the bard their spell list only goes up to 6th level, compared to 9th level for full casters.
*** The Oracle is to the Cleric as the Sorcerer is to the Wizard, using the same spell selection but selecting a spell list on level-up that is then fixed. The Inquisitor is a more combat-focused version, with a reduced spell list (capped at 6th level) that hybridizes the Cleric and Bard lists and a greater focus on non-spellcasting class features.
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* Used by the White Witch, in the pre-boot ''Comicbook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}''.

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* Used by the White Witch, in the pre-boot ''Comicbook/{{Legion of Super-Heroes}}''.''Comicbook/LegionOfSuperHeroes''.

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