The Minds of Almantha

[Landis963]

In the interest of 1) instituting limits, 2) drumming up some more discussion, and 3) bumping this thread in a manner only slightly more/less subtle than the first time, I have compiled a list of 10 things my magic can't do:

1. Cannot create sentient undead without the help of another mage (Earth mages can animate bodies and Fire mages can bring back souls and give them incorporeal bodies, but not both at the same time)
2. Cannot violate conservation of Matter or Energy (magical energy is instead taken from the caster in the upkeep of a spell)
3. Cannot change the phase of any matter to be used in a spell (in this way, Cold Orb is not an orb of supercooled air, it is a ball of cold water that turns to supercooled gas when the caster lets it go).
4. Cannot create life with its own magical presence without the assistance of another mage or massive amounts of power and a level of fine control difficult to more than one mage. (the creation of the nomon and the goblinoid races are thus unprecedented)
5. Cannot be used indefinitely
6. Cannot travel through time
7. Can only extend to line-of-sight of caster
8. Cannot be forced to take energy from somewhere (the sigils are an exception to this, and one that still stymies most of the civilized world).
9. Cannot control any phase of matter beyond that under the element of the caster. (This is the reason for #3, up there: water is stuck with controlling liquid and cold, Fire, on the other hand is stuck with plasma and heat)
10. Cannot provide intelligence to a being beyond that of the caster.