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{{trope}}
Commonly referred to as "Magic Points" or MP in [[Role -Playing Game|Role Playing Games]]s and depicted by the [[Mana Meter]].
 
A subset of [[Life Energy]], mana is the [[Power Source|spiritual fuel]] that makes magic work. The character stores the mana somewhere on or inside his person and uses it up as he casts spells or performs other superhuman acts. The amount of mana is directly proportional to the number and strength of spells that can be cast consecutively.
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Once used, it depends on the story how mana is regained. It could simply require rest or eating; or it could require more exotic means; such as [[Intimate Healing]] or feeding on the [[Life Energy]] of others. Sometimes all that's required is a good old [[Kiai|primal scream]] and focusing on what's important, really, really hard with a lot of emotion.
 
[['''Mana]]''' can have many names, and often [[Hermetic Magic]] and [[Ki Attacks]] will overlap in its depiction. Mana, Ki, Chi, Chakra, etc. What differentiates them is how they are drawn out and used. [[Ki Attacks]] are martial-arts based, while [[Hermetic Magic]] often requires components and rituals. But prior to leaving the body, the "stuff" used seems to be the same.
 
If someone has a ''lot'' of mana stored up, expect various people in [[Anime]] to comment on how their [[Aura Vision|aura]] is strong.
 
The term is actually a Melanesian/Polynesian word for the power of the elemental forces of nature, as embodied in an object or person. The current usage no doubt descends directly from [[Larry Niven]]'s novel ''[[The Magic Goes Away (Literaturenovel)|The Magic Goes Away]]'' and related stories from the 1970s, in which he used "mana" to refer to the non-renewable resource which powered magic in prehistoric times, and whose depletion ushered in the "modern" historical era.
 
''Not'' to be confused with the holy sustenance (often assumed to be breadlike, though the original source describes it as being quite different) rained from heaven by God for the Israelites in [[The Bible]]. That's ''manna'', with two N's.
 
See: [[Psychic Powers]] for the [[Sci-Fi]] genre's version of human special powers.
{{examples|Examples:}}▼
 
If you were looking for a work called "Mana", you might want ''[[Mana (series)]]'', ''[[Mana Khemia: Alchemists of Al-Revis]]'', or ''[[Trials of Mana]]''.
== Anime and Manga ==▼
 
▲{{examples|Examples:}}
▲== Anime and Manga ==
* In ''[[Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pitch]]'', Michel stole [[Life Energy]] apparently to fuel his powers and make him stronger. While this is part of it, it soon turns out that the other part is just to keep himself alive through the process of {{spoiler|altering his DNA to merge with Michal.}}
* ''[[DragonballDragon Ball]]'': "Sentô-ryoku (literally "fighting power", and actually called such in the Latin American dub)" or "Power level" is an famous use of this trope; it resembles Ki. Note that power level isn't something that can be used up like most of the other examples and is more like a [[Character Level]] than a [[Mana Meter]]. It can go down, but only if the character is ''really'' low on energy. Generally when it starts dropping, that means the fighter is on their last legs, and is fighting to stay conscious. (On one occasion, Gohan actually got his dropped to zero; he looked comatose.)
* ''[[Shaman King]]'' had "Furyoku", which is translated as "Mana" in the English manga.
* ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'' outright uses RPG terminology to differentiate Chi as [[Hit Points|HP]] and Mana as MP. [[Ki Attacks]] are the ability to draw on one's own internal [[Life Energy]], and Magic is the ability to manipulate and draw in elemental forces from without. Using one interferes with the other ''unless'' one somehow knows the "Kanka Technique" which fuses them. Negi's ability to share mana with his students via "Pactio" contracts is impressive.
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* "Reiki," "Yoki," {{spoiler|and "Seikoki"}} in [[Yu Yu Hakusho]].
* ''[[Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha]]'' has "Linker Cores", which are ethereal organs in the bodies of mages and magical creatures that store magic power.
* In ''[[Zatch Bell]]'', this is simply called "[[Exactly What It Says Onon the Tin|Power from Within]]."
* In ''[[ToA AruCertain Majutsu noMagical Index]]'', there is natural mana produced by ley lines on the Earth, but there are also several ways to produce mana, which is why there are different schools of magic. However, mana is incompatible with AIM fields of espers, which disallow the existence of a magician-esper hybrid. AIM fields also function as the science-side equivalent of mana, produced by the Personal Realities of espers. Huge enough amounts of it can result in the creation of [[Our Angels Are Different|artificial angels]]. Telesma, meanwhile, is the variation used by [[Our Angels Are Different|real angels]]. Telesma is highly dangerous, destructive, and cannot be controlled by humans, unless there is a medium such as [[Public Domain Artifact|the Curtana]] in England.
* Mages (that is, pretty much everyone) in ''[[Maburaho]]'' have limited numbers of spells, and their numerical mana is extremely difficult to replenish without making a [[Deal Withwith the Devil]]. Running out of spells causes ''instant death''; though, fortunately, they seem to be able to measure their remaining spell counts very precisely and most people ([[Butt Monkey|except the protagonist]]) are born with hundreds or even thousands of spells.
 
== ComicsComic Books ==
* In ''[[Gold Digger]],'' all living creatures produce "ether," which hovers invisibly around them. For most people, the stuff is both undetectable and useless, but spellcasters use it to power their spells. Rakshasas like Gen [[Phlebotinum Muncher|eat]] the stuff.
 
== Literature ==
* In [[Larry Niven]]'s ''[[The Magic Goes Away (Literaturenovel)|The Magic Goes Away]]'' series, Mana is a non-renewable resource, and generations of basing entire civilizations on heavy magic use eventually drains the entire world.▼
 
▲* In [[Larry Niven]]'s ''[[The Magic Goes Away (Literature)|The Magic Goes Away]]'' series, Mana is a non-renewable resource, and generations of basing entire civilizations on heavy magic use eventually drains the entire world.
* Subverted in ''[[Night Watch]]''. ''Others'' do appear to use some internal generation of mana-like power, but {{spoiler|it's actually the opposite. Magicians are the ones that ''cannot'' generate this "mana", but can only use what normal people generate. The higher their [[Power Levels|level]], the 'less'' of this "mana" they generate.}}
* It's usually called Essence in the [[Whateley Universe]], and what makes a mutant a 'wizard' type is the natural ability to call it up.
* In ''[[Warbreaker]]'', [[Functional Magic|BioChroma]] is fuelled by an energy called "Breath", which is an aspect of the human soul. People are born with one Breath, but can give it away fairly easily to someone else (which doesn't kill them, though it does dampen their ability to percieve the world), and many wealthy and powerful individuals stockpile ''thousands'' of Breaths. The more Breaths one has, the more spectacular magical effects one can produce.
* ''[[The Banned and Thethe Banished]]'': Mages of the Chiric and Choric styles store mana in their hands, which turn a dark red shade that lightens as the power is slowly used up. Both types can recharge from sunlight, and Choric "wit'ches" can also use moonlight or the glow from a ghost (gaining access to different types of spells when they do so.) However, they can't recharge a hand unless it's completely empty of power, which can be problematic if a Chiric mage is running out of mana near sundown.
* ''New Mana: Transformations of a Classic Concept in Pacific Languages and Cultures'' [http://press.anu.edu.au/publications/series/monographs-anthropology/new-mana book] edited by Matt Tomlinson and Ty P. Kāwika Tengan explores the history of the term. The last part being ''How Mana Left the Pacific and Became a Video Game Mechanic'' by Alex Golub and Jon Peterson.
 
== Tabletop Games ==
* Aversion: One of the eccentricities of ''[[Dungeons and Dragons (Tabletop Game)|Dungeons and& Dragons]]'' is that it does not have the concept of Mana, but instead uses [[Vancian Magic]] revolving around the limited capacity to prepare spells beforehand.▼
 
▲* Aversion: One of the eccentricities of ''[[Dungeons and Dragons (Tabletop Game)|Dungeons and Dragons]]'' is that it does not have the concept of Mana, but instead uses [[Vancian Magic]] revolving around the limited capacity to prepare spells beforehand.
** [[Psychic Powers|Psionics]], interestingly, uses this instead with a pool of Power Points. You can also spend more power points on early-learned powers to put them on par with their higher-level counterparts.
** ''Net Wizard's Handbook'' fan supplement has several non-Vancian magic options, involving spell-points and/or skill checks. Some of the spell-point systems have recovery rate dependent on into account "magic rich"/"magic dead" areas and magic items acting as "reservoirs", i.e. treated as a measure of accumulated mana rather than magical fatigue.
** There is a variant rule presented, in an official D&D book called Unearthed Arcana, where Spell Points take over from the "spells per day" rule, in which spells of each level have a set base requirement cost, and spells which grow in power based on the level of the caster need more mana dumped into the spell (Fireball, being the best example, costs a base amount of 5 spell points for a Lv3 spell, dealing 5d6 damage, plus 1 spell point for each 1d6 added onto that, to a max of a possible 10d6 being thrown, and thus 10 spell points being spent). The result, however, is that Mages end up working almost identically to Psions. Go figure.▼
** ''Netheril: Empire of Magic'' [[Forgotten Realms]] Arcane Age expansion used spell points (called "arcs" and "winds" respectively) both for arcane and divine magic.
** In the most recent fourth edition, spells are simply another instance of class-specific special powers that can typically be used once per encounter or per day each. (There are a very few at-will powers for each class, and some specific ones that can be used more than once in a given span of time.) Of the core classes, only wizards still prepare spells in advance, and even then that only affects their daily ones (because they have a wider selection of those than other classes, but can only ''use'' the same number as everybody else in a given day). Still no explicit mana, though.▼
** ''Player’s Option: Spells & Magic'' introduced an optional Spell Point System for major and minor spellcasting classes, which allows to ''combine'' fixed (Vancian) and free magic (the latter eats twice as many spell points, and it's up to the player how much efficiency to trade off for flexibility) and even cast spells somewhat above one's normal level (it's more wasteful still), with various mitigating factors.
▲** ThereD&D is3 revisited the concept, as a variant rule presented, in an official D&D book called Unearthed Arcana, where Spell Points take over from the "spells per day" rule, in which spells of each level have a set base requirement cost, and spells which grow in power based on the level of the caster need more mana dumped into the spell (Fireball, being the best example, costs a base amount of 5 spell points for a Lv3 spell, dealing 5d6 damage, plus 1 spell point for each 1d6 added onto that, to a max of a possible 10d6 being thrown, and thus 10 spell points being spent). The result, however, is that Mages end up working almost identically to Psions. Go figure.
▲** In the most recent fourth4th edition, spells are simply another instance of class-specific special powers that can typically be used once per encounter or per day each. (There are a very few at-will powers for each class, and some specific ones that can be used more than once in a given span of time.) Of the core classes, only wizards still prepare spells in advance, and even then that only affects their daily ones (because they have a wider selection of those than other classes, but can only ''use'' the same number as everybody else in a given day). Still no explicit mana, though.
*** Now that 4e has Psionics, they work like a variant of this. Instead of Encounter powers they have extra at-will powers, but their at-will powers can optionally be enhanced by consuming power points, of which they have only a limited supply.
* In ''[[Magic: theThe Gathering (Tabletop Game)|Magic the Gathering]]'', mana is drawn from the land, though some creatures (both humanoid and not) can provide it as well. In addition, mana is divided into five colors, and each color can only fuel certain kinds of spells.
** ''[[Duel Masters]]'' is practically the same, except that any card can be set aside and used for mana.
** "Energy" in the [[Pokémon (Tabletop Gamegame)|Pokemon TCG]] is similar.
* Every ''[[The World of Darkness (Tabletop Game)|The World of Darkness]]'' game has its own version of Mana, conveniently broken down into points:
** Both ''[[Tabletop Game/Vampire The Masquerage|Vampire: the Masquerade]]'' and ''[[Vampire: The Requiem (Tabletop Game)|Vampire: the Requiem]]'' use Vitae (mystically-enhanced blood) to fuel Disciplines. Vitae is measured in blood points.
** ''[[Werewolf: The Apocalypse (Tabletop Game)|Werewolf: the Apocalypse]]'' used Gnosis (the ambient power of Gaia), while ''[[Werewolf: The Forsaken (Tabletop Game)|Werewolf: the Forsaken]]'' uses Essence (the stuff of the spirit world).
** ''[[Mage: The Ascension (Tabletop Game)|Mage: the Ascension]]'' used Quintessence, the "free" version of the energy that, when bound up, made all of creation. ''[[Mage: The Awakening (Tabletop Game)|Mage: the Awakening]]'' uses Mana, the essence of the Supernal Realms filtered down into the Fallen World. Both systems are unusual in that mages don't need to spend Mana to cast spells -- theyspells—they can optionally spend it to keep their magic from screwing up in the worst possible moment.
** ''[[Promethean: The Created (Tabletop Game)|Promethean: the Created]]'' uses Pyros (a raw form of the "Divine Fire" that powers the universe).
** ''[[Wraith: The Oblivion (Tabletop Game)|Wraith: the Oblivion]]'' used Pathos, emotional strength reaped from humans.
** ''[[Changeling: The Dreaming (Tabletop Game)|Changeling: the Dreaming]]'' and ''[[Changeling: The Lost (Tabletop Game)|Changeling: the Lost]]'' both use Glamour (the embodiment of dreams and emotions).
** ''[[Geist: The Sin Eaters (Tabletop Game)|Geist: the Sin-Eaters]]'' uses Plasm (the stuff of the dead), which can be gathered by visiting the Underworld, staying in haunted houses... or eating ghosts.
** ''[[Hunter: The Reckoning (Tabletop Game)|Hunter: the Reckoning]]'' used Conviction (a measure of the inner reserves of the hunter's devotion).
** ''[[Demon: The Fallen (Tabletop Game)|Demon: the Fallen]]'' used Faith (human faith, reaped and processed by demons through divine revelation).
** ''All'' races have Willpower (raw inner strength), which is used similarly and often in concert with the above. Mortals with special powers (such as hunters from ''[[Hunter: The Vigil (Tabletop Game)|Hunter: The Vigil]]'') use it exclusively in place of other forms of "mana".
* ''Aberrant'' used [[Sci Fi Name Buzzwords|Quantum]] as fuel, which apparently was generated automatically over time.
* ''[[Exalted (Tabletop Game)|Exalted]]'' uses rules similar to the ''World of Darkness'' Storyteller system, with "Essence" as the power stat, which affects what "Charms" (skill-based superpowers/spells) the character can take, and which is used to calculate the character's "motes" (magic points).
* In "standard" ''[[GURPS (Tabletop Game)|GURPS]]'' magic, casting spells uses up some of the magic user's Fatigue Points, just like any other hard work, ''and'' can only be done in an area with ambient magical force, called "Mana". ''GURPS'' borrowed as much from Niven as ''D&D'' did from [[Vancian Magic|Jack Vance]]. Supplements have varied sorts of mana, even a type that is actively malevolent.
* ''[[The Dark Eye]]'' uses "astral energy" in point form, recoverable by sleeping, meditation and extremely expensive mana potions.
* ''[[Cartoon Action Hour]]'' avoids this the following way by using Clusters. which were call Spell Clusters as wizard-type characters will be using them most.
* Averted in ''[[Eon (Tabletop Game)|Eon]]'' where magicians channel mana from the surroundings to produce effects. The effects possible are only restricted by how much mana you can channel and hold at one time. Mana is not a generic concept though, there are 21 different kinds of mana that have different uses, and two of those can't even be channeled by mere mortals. When there is one kind of mana you lack you could transform a suitable type of mana into the one you want.
* ''[[In Nomine (Tabletop Game)|In Nomine]]'', has Essence, the energy of the universe, which is generated by most beings daily, and can be used by angels and demons, ethereal beings (beings generated by human dreams), and a few supernaturally aware humans to fuel [[Magic Music|Songs]] and sometimes other supernatural abilities, as well as to provide a boost to mundane actions. Ordinary humans spend their Essence unconsciously to boost themselves when they really want to succeed at something.
* ''[[Rifts (Tabletop Game)|Rifts]]'' and other books by Palladium Books uses P.P.E, or Potential Psychic Energy. The name comes from an in-universe book written in the 1970s about magic. It's called Potential Psychic Energy because all people are born with a large store of it, but with the exception of magic users, almost all a person's P.P.E. disappears as it is used in the creation of talents and other things that define the person as an adult. Every living creature has some P.P.E. inside them, and magic users become living batteries able to store vast amounts. Inexplicably, a person's P.P.E. doubles at the moment of death; this is the in-universe reason for the use of sacrificial victims in connection with rituals. It's also the reason young victims are preferred, as a small child has 3-5x the P.P.E. an adult has.
 
== Video Games ==
 
* In the ''[[Lunar]]'' games, all special attacks, including [[Ki Attacks]] use up the same MP. However, they do not all count as "magic" as defined by the series. This gets weird in ''Lunar 2'', when Ronfar's healing spells are determined to be "not magic."
* The MMORPG ''[[City of Heroes]]'' uses Endurance to fuel all superpowers, whether they are magical, technological, the result of mutation or scientific experimentation, or plain ol' martial arts.
** Temporary powers are a bit different. Offensive and support effects -- like summoning a Signature Character, a baseball bat, stun grenades, or med kits -- generally operate on charges; the stronger the power the fewer charges it's likely to have. Temporary travel powers are usually on a timer, like a jet pack which starts with 30 minutes' use. And then there are things like the ring you get from a story arc in Striga Island that lasts a flat time, whether you're logged on or not -- in this case 48 hours.
* The ''Zelda'' series generally allows Link access to a [[Mana Meter|Magic Meter]] in order to use magic powers, although it is not present in all games (''[[The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Video Game)|The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess]]'' being a notable example).
* The ''[[Ultima]]'' series uses a hybrid system in which casting spells does cost mana, but it also requires special ingredients called reagants to be cooked up into a usable spell. Certain spells in ''Dungeons and Dragons'' use something similar, called "material components".
* Mana is a large staple of ''[[Disgaea (Video Game)|Disgaea]]'' and later [[Nippon Ichi]] strategy RPGs as it is needed to create characters, unlock events, reincarnate, and so forth. Mana is treated in-game as a sort of currency. It also has SP for special moves and casting spells.
* ''[[Makai Kingdom]]'': Many of the characters are often mentioning how they can often feel might mana powers, and how much mana power any characters have.
* All player characters in ''[[Kingdom of Loathing (Video Game)|Kingdom of Loathing]]'' have "MP" and it all works the same way. The twist is that what MP stands for is different for different classes. Mysticality (spellcaster) classes have mana points, but Muscle (warrior) classes have muscularity and Moxie (rogue) classes have mojo points.
* Somewhat subverted in ''[[Star Ocean]]'', where MP equates more to mental strength. In ''[[Star Ocean: Till the End of Time]]'', when you run out of MP, you get incapacitated (adding more to the mental strength fact) and that only Runology (magic) consumes MP. Killer moves consumes HP instead.
* ''[[Geneforge]]'' has essence, which functions in the same way, but is semi-living goo that can (and often is) stored outside of people's bodies.
** Also energy, which is used up faster by spellcasting but rapidly regenerates, and is not needed to make [[Mons]].
* ''Paladin's Quest'', a RPG for the SNES, has no MP. All magic use is [[Cast Fromfrom Hit Points|tied to Hit Points]]. Healing, for obvious reasons, is not available as magic, and instead is in "bottles" which provide a character with a specific number of uses until they are refilled.
* In the GBA ''[[Golden Sun (Video Game)|Golden Sun]]'' series, the heroes are masters of "Psynergy", a type of magic''/''[[Psychic Power]]. They encounter a martial arts school, and the head of the dojo comments on how their powers differ from [[Ki Attacks]]. "Psynergy comes from the mind, while Chi comes from the body." It's commented that Psynergy is genetic, while "anyone" can eventually learn to use Chi, however [[When All You Have Is a Hammer|nobody in the party does.]] However, there are ''Ki'' techniques (not Chi) from a different temple/dojo, with Psynergy substitutes that the heroes can learn.
* The ''Mana'' (''Seiken Densetsu'') series, naturally, uses it as the source of magic (and all life in general), with assorted spirits overseeing each of the elements, coming from [[The World Tree]]. How much is available depends on [[Nice Job Breaking It, Hero|how active the heroes have been at breaking said tree]].
* The plasmids from ''[[BioBioShock Shock(series)]]'' are powered by "Eve," which is mechanistically identical to mana.
* Prana in the [[Nasuverse]] are separated between Odic force and [[Mana]]; the first is generated from the magus (small pool), and Mana is the energy in the environment (big pool). The two are essentially interchangeable, except for those rare occurences where only Mana supply is affected. Higher Elementals are essentially ''made'' of Mana, similar to [[Energy Being|Energy Beings]]s. How mana is gained and used are plot points of ''[[Fate Stay Night|Fate/stay night]]''. [[Life Energy]] theft and [[Intimate Healing]], primarily.
* The ''[[Atelier Iris]]'' sub-series does the same thing. Most alchemists are required to befriend mana spirits to improve the success rate of the items they create. The older ''Atelier'' games avoid this completely however; the alchemists simply make things like bombs without any outside "mystical" assistance, keeping with the [[Low Fantasy]] feel of the setting.
* Licensed ''[[Star Wars]]'' games which feature Force use generally model it in a very [[RPG]]-ish fashion, with "Force powers" (spells) powered by "Force points" (mana).
* ''[[Tales of Symphonia (Video Game)|Tales of Symphonia]]''. The characters spend a majority of the game trying to restore the mana flow to {{spoiler|both worlds}}. In Symphonia life can't even ''exist'' without mana.
** The sequel [[Tales of Symphonia (Video Game)|Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World]] also has a plot based heavily about mana.
*** As does ''[[Tales of Phantasia (Video Game)|Tales of Phantasia]]''', which the ''[[Tales of Symphonia (Video Game)|Tales of Symphonia]]'' duology is a prequal to.
* Many ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' games have mana, but there also are many exceptions. I, III, and VIII use a mana pool. The games mentioned use a ''[[Dungeons and Dragons (Tabletop Game)|Dungeons and& Dragons]]''-style "uses per day" system, with VIII having some twists on the idea. The first game had its system converted to a mana pool in later remakes for ease of use. ''[[Final Fantasy XIII (Video Game)|Final Fantasy XIII]]'''s battle system is another exception, there is no MP in this game, either. Magic functions as it does in [[Valkyrie Profile]], essentially: An alternate form of attack with some charge times tacked on. III's system is labeled as MP though (atleast in the DS version) and can be restored by an elixir as mana often can be.
* ''[[World of Warcraft]]'': All classes except rogues, warriors, death knights, and hunters use mana. <ref>Druids don't use mana when in certain forms, but they still have it.</ref> The previously mentioned classes tend to [[Leeroy Jenkins|forget this fact and rush into battle]] before the mana users are ready.<br /><br />The aforementioned classes use resources similar to mana (rage, energy, runic power, focus), but with two main differences: First, the maximum amount you can have and the rate of regeneration don't scale with level and gear. Second, whereas mana regenerates more slowly if at all during combat, energy and focus regenerate at the same rate in and out of combat, and rage and runic power actually drain when you're not in combat.
** The aforementioned classes use resources similar to mana (rage, energy, runic power, focus), but with two main differences: First, the maximum amount you can have and the rate of regeneration don't scale with level and gear. Second, whereas mana regenerates more slowly if at all during combat, energy and focus regenerate at the same rate in and out of combat, and rage and runic power actually drain when you're not in combat.
** Energy and Focus regenerate during combat, with Focus having an attack to replenish it faster (Steady Shot and Cobra Shot). Rage and Runic Power are gained by either hitting mobs or letting mobs beat on you.
* ''[[EveEVE Online]]'' has a capacitor for ships, which is used to activate all the equipment on a ship with the exception of projectile weapons. The capacitor is drained by a certain amount with each activation, and has a base regeneration rate, which can be enhanced with a multitude of skills and ship fittings. As in World of Warcraft, one of the most important duties for any pilot is to find a balance that won't completely drain the capacitor, leaving the ship helpless while it regenerates.
* ''[[The Reconstruction (Video Game)|The Reconstruction]]'' has three stats that different abilities can be cast from, of which Mind and Soul would correspond to different types of Mana. Interesting, not only is it just as frequent to [[Cast From HP]], Mind and Soul function as alternate HP counters, and dropping one of them to 0 will also defeat someone.
* Power Points (PP) in ''[[Pokémon]]'' function like mana.
* ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' I and II have MP, with every spell taking up a certain amount or fraction of the MP in the meter. This was recharged in the first game by physical attacks, and by collecting MP Orbs. The second game had an MP meter that could be refilled by MP orbs as long as it still had some MP in it, but once it was all used up, you had to wait a short time for it to refill completely before you could use any spells. This could be sped up by collecting MP Orbs. Both games also had items that refilled MP, and abilities that gave other conditions for getting MP.<br /><br />The other games employed variations on Vancian Magic, forcing you to stock the spells you thought would be most useful ahead of time.
** The other games employed variations on Vancian Magic, forcing you to stock the spells you thought would be most useful ahead of time.
* Pretty much all [[Roguelike]] games use some mana-type system which spell casting and psionics use, with mana regenerating over time. In the few games where the player could gain different [[Religion Is Magic|divine powers]] by worshiping different gods there's a separate pool of "faith" or "piety" points which are expended to use those powers, with each religion having a different method of regaining points.
* Nono from ''[[Solatorobo]]'' is something of a combination of mana and [[Star Wars|The Force]]. While it can be used to produce magical effects such as [[Barrier Warrior|barriers]] and levitation, being attuned to it also results in being able to sense other people or objects who are tapping in, such as the Paladins and the [[MacGuffin|amulet]].
* Crest Magic users from the [[Wild ArmsARMs]] series are all [[Big Eater|Big Eaters]]s, and they claim that casting spells uses a lot of energy. This results in the often scrawny or waiflike magic users consuming truly prodigious amounts of food (Celia in the first game at one point orders more food than should actually be able to fit in her body). The first game does use MP however, for two of the characters, and thus it might be that the fuel used for magic is perfectly normal bodily energy, as the other user uses his MP to fuel his various sword techniques. This makes a bit more sense when you realize {{spoiler|that the only character who doesn't have MP, Rudy, is actually a [[Ridiculously Human Robot]].}} Later games do away with traditional MP, but the implication that Crest Magic users burn lots of energy and eat lots of food remains.
* ''[[Master of Magic]]'' has Mana economy for magic. Spells have mana cost (sometimes allowing to pour more power for extra effect), and casting skill limits amount of mana a [[Non-Entity General|Wizard]] can use on spells in a single turn. Teleporting magic items costs mana. The largest feature on Magic screen are sliders that distribute power income between Mana reserve, Magic casting training and spell research. Mana comes from Wizard's fortress, [[Place of Power|magic Nodes]], [[Religion Is Magic|temples]], population for magic races and some mineral resources. Alchemy allows to convert mana to gold or vice versa. Traits of a Wizard affects all of the above. Spellcasting [[Hero Unit||heroes]] have their own casting skill, which is used as personal mana pool for combat spells or adds to the controlling Wizard's casting skill for overland spells if they are at the fortress.
 
== WebcomicsWeb Comics ==▼
 
▲== Webcomics ==
* Lux in ''[[Tales of the Questor]]'' is a bit light on ritual, but otherwise fits the spell-casting thing pretty well. [[Word of God]] says lux is more akin to a really funky neutrino field than typical magic. Most of the populace treats it like magic, though, and it can summon lightning bolts.
* In ''[[Drow TalesDrowtales]]'', drow call the substance that powers their [[Functional Magic]] "[[Mana]]". In fact the author rather objects to the term "magic". Not only is it generated by the elves' own [[Life Force]], it is necessary to allow the fey races to remain immortal.
* ''[[Two KindsTwokinds]]'' has normal Mana, which is used for mainstream magic and will crystallize into a [[Green Rocks|little blue rock]] when concentrated, and Dark Mana, which is actually [[The Lifestream]] used in place of mana, and allows summoning and necromancy (which usually doesn't work). It causes crystals to form as well, but this is simply a side-effect. Dark Mana causes brain damage, insanity and death.
* Izzy from ''[[Adorable Desolation]]'' has the ability to map mana trails.
* In ''[[The Dragon Doctors]]'' it's possible to go into "Mana Shock" when you accumulate too much; this happens to a girl who was turned to stone and left soaking in the bottom of a leyline for 2000 years. She nearly exploded when she went into Mana Shock later.
 
 
== Western Animation ==▼
* In ''[[Ben 10 (Animation)|Ben 10]]'' we are led to believe that Gwen's powers are purely magic-based, but ''[[Ben 10 Alien Force (Animation)|Ben 10 Alien Force]]'' quickly starts [[Doing in The Wizard]] by explaining that Gwen's powers originate from an alien grandmother, who states that 'magic' is caused by mana. If that wasn't enough, the granny then sheds her skin to reveal an energy being made of mana, and says that Gwen can do the same. Naturally, she refuses.▼
* ''[[Jackie Chan Adventures (Animation)|Jackie Chan Adventures]]'': Uncle's and Dao Long Wong's "Chi Spells" seem to be [[Hermetic Magic]] with an eastern flavour. How Chi is distributed is a major part of the plot throughout the seasons.▼
 
 
== Web Original ==
* Mana in ''[[Arcana Magi]]'' main series, is treated as a form of energy, with two types; kinetic and potnetial, that is used by magical people to cast spells and activate magical items. Mana is common now in ''[[Arcana Magi Universe]]''.
* Aura in ''[[Chaos Fighters]]'' and using it effectively requires charging, i.e. accumulating it into something. However, aura are ''atom sized particles'' and in-universe it is partially explained using ''quantum mechanics'' and partly using ''classical wave theory''.
* ''[[RWBY]]'': When asked at a convention during or just after volume one what Dust was, [[Word of God|Miles Luna]] simply replied, "Mana."
 
▲== Western Animation ==
▲* In ''[[Ben 10 (Animation)|Ben 10]]'' we are led to believe that Gwen's powers are purely magic-based, but ''[[Ben 10: Alien Force (Animation)|Ben 10 Alien Force]]'' quickly starts [[Doing inIn Thethe Wizard]] by explaining that Gwen's powers originate from an alien grandmother, who states that 'magic' is caused by mana. If that wasn't enough, the granny then sheds her skin to reveal an energy being made of mana, and says that Gwen can do the same. Naturally, she refuses.
▲* ''[[Jackie Chan Adventures (Animation)|Jackie Chan Adventures]]'': Uncle's and Dao Long Wong's "Chi Spells" seem to be [[Hermetic Magic]] with an eastern flavour. How Chi is distributed is a major part of the plot throughout the seasons.
 
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Trope{{PAGENAME}}]]▼
[[Category:Magic and Powers]]
[[Category:ManaPower Source]]
▲[[Category:Trope]]
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