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{{trope}}
{{quote|"''Since Light and Shadow cannot coexist, possessors of Shadow Magic must first give it up before learning this [Light] magic.''"|'''[[
In a fantasy setting, where magic is abundant, a commonly seen [[Magic A Is Magic A|rule]] is that no one can master multiple or opposing schools of
The reasons for this may vary. It may be that the teachers of either school [[Un-Equal Rites|don't particularly get along very well]], it may be that the talent for any given type of magic is an inherited trait, or it may simply be that all you used to learn one type contradicts what's used to learn the other, and most people just can't get over that hump. In some settings, this extends to ''all'' forms of [[Functional Magic]]: [[Hermetic Magic]], [[Psychic Powers]], [[Ki Attacks|Ki-powered]] [[Supernatural Martial Arts]], etcetera.
Depending on the series, it may still be possible to learn multiple schools, so long as they don't oppose each
Breaking this forced division is the source of the power of a [[Yin-Yang Bomb]]. [[The Red Mage]] averts this restriction.
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== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
* ''[[
* ''[[Kenichi:
* In ''[[Mahou Sensei Negima]]'', [[Ki Attacks|Ki]] and [[Mana|magical power]] are opposite, and trying to use both at once usually ends with [[Stuff Blowing Up]]. However, Negi himself gets around this by using magical power as a substitute for Ki in his martial arts techniques while still using it to power his spells as well. Additionally, there's a special technique which synthesizes Ki and magic, but it's notoriously difficult and only three characters are known to have ever done it, ever.
* Esper powers and magic in ''[[
* ''[[Tsukihime]] / [[Fate/stay
* Clow in ''[[
== [[Fan
* In ''[[Shinji and
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* The entire plot of ''Master of the Five Magics'' by [[Lyndon Hardy]] is a subversion of this trope. No one in the world believes that anyone can learn more than one type of magic, but Alodar not only learns the basics of all five, he manages to combine them.
* A similar thing happens to Pug/Milamber over the course of the many [[Riftwar Cycle]] books. Having studied, at first unsuccessfully, under a practictioner of 'lesser' magic, he finds it much easier with 'greater' magic, but later is able to use both, as well as elven magic and more, saying that in fact magic is just magic, and the only limitations lie with the user. That is, most people find they can only go down one path, but some can handle more.
* In [[John C. Wright]]'s ''[[Chronicles of
* The [[Old Kingdom]] series (''Sabriel'' and its sequels) has Charter Magic and Free Magic. Charter Magic is the more organized and academic sort of magic. Magical creatures found in nature and anything to do with the Dead are Free Magic. The only person who practices both is the Abhorsen.
* Since the eponymous ''[[Diana Wynne Jones|Chrestomanci]]'' has the job of overseeing all forms of magic use, his training requires that he learn about all of them, and preferably how to do them. However, candidates for the post are chosen for their strong natural talents as an Enchanter, and they find it extremely difficult if not impossible to perform magic in a way not natural to them. This is mostly because Enchanter magic shortcuts past most of the annoying parts, so when trying to do magic in another way an Enchanter is forced to take unnecessary steps.
* In the ''[[Apprentice Adept]]'' series, though magic is derived from a single source - [[Green Rocks|Phazite]] - there are many mutually exclusive ways to invoke that magic: Protagonist Stile ([[Color Coded for Your Convenience|The Blue Adept]]) utilizes rhyming spells and music, Adept Yellow uses potions, Red uses amulets and talismans, White uses runes and sigils, etc. The only exception is if someone is using the [[Great Big Book of Everything|Book Of Magic]], which gives even non-humans Adept-level power in ALL the disciplines.
* In ''[[
* [[Averted Trope|Averted]] and played straight in the ''[[The Night Angel Trilogy]]''. Kylar thinks this is true ''racially'', as people from one country use only [[White Magic|healing magic]]. [[Cynical Mentor|Durzo]] explains that hundreds of years ago, those very same healers gave up [[Black Magic]] after using it for '''ungodly''' powerful things. As a result, the problem is no one will ''teach'' them how to use [[Black Magic]] in their own country, not that they can't use it. It's played staright with the existence of Male and Female specific abilities (with uncommon exceptions) and the Vir. But you don't want to know about the Vir.
* The ''[[Saga of Recluce]]'' has [[Order Versus Chaos|order magic and chaos magic]], and almost always a mage will only practice one or the other. This is because most mages channel magical energy through their bodies, and some of the energy from each spell stays behind in the body; if a mage casts a order spell and then a chaos spell, the residual order energy will react in a painful (or lethal) manner with the new chaos energy. Mages who learn how to channel energy without the energy passing through their bodies can use both types of magic, but knowledge of how to do this is rare, since both order mages and chaos mages tend to be dogmatic about their type of magic being the best.
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** The power of Galla's temples grants a single spell after joining Galla's heresy, independent of previous magical ability.
** Geomancy. While difficult, obscure and powerful, it can be partially added or adapted into other schools; although there are only 2 such part-geomancy spells in the canon.
* In ''[[The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel]]'', it's completely possible to learn all four types of magic, but only the [[Chosen One
* Averted in the ''[[Mistborn]]'' trilogy. An Allomancer burns metals to fuel superhuman abilities, a Feruchemist stores his own abilities in metals and uses them later, but it's entirely possible to inherit both.
* Played straight in the ''World of [[Ethshar]]'' series. The primary restriction on magic-users is that the source of each type is different. Theurgists pray to gods; demonologist bargain with demons; sorcerers manipulate talismans; wizards manipulate reagents; witches manipulate their own magic; warlocks manipulate a foreign magic. Learning how to use even one school can take a lifetime so very few have the ability or interest to try and study another school.
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== Tabletop Gaming ==
* Specialist wizards in ''[[Dungeons
** While not ''fully'' incompatible, in the classic versions magical creatures and magic-users are less likely to discover psionic talents, while psonically powered creatures tend to be resistant to magic and have hard time studying it.
** [[
** In [[Dragonlance]] magic comes from the trio of moon gods, and while it's not technically incompatible, the leading wizardly organization enforces the split into three Orders.
* In ''[[Shadowrun]]'' you could be a hermetic mage or a shaman but not both, because their mindsets were so different. As more magical traditions were introduced, they all (as far as I can remember) followed this rule. In later editions you could mix the physical adept (magical martial artist) with spellcasting, though.
* Thaumaturges from the ''[[
* In ''[[
** Infernals of both types (Green Sun Princes and Akuma) are unable to learn sorcery in the standard sense (that is, as normal Exalts of their type). Instead, their sorcery is channeled through initiation charms specific to each Yozi, which has limits and enhancements on the types of magic they can perform.
** [[Golem|Alchemicals]] are unable to use either sorcery or necromancy, but instead have access to ''another'' kind of magic called Pattern Weaving, which only they can use. It is possible for them to access sorcery and necromancy, but only by using [[The Corruption|Voidtech]] and sacrificing their knowledge of Pattern Weaving.
* In several ''Palladium'' tabletop [[RPG
* A general rule in ''[[
* In [[Trinity Universe (
* In [[Age of Aquarius]], magic schools are based on sets of belief, and that's why you have a hard time trying to combine belief in Goetic demons, for example, and Viking gods to mix Hermetic and Runic magic. It's possible to believe in an [[All Myths Are True]] world in this setting, but it will result in a [[The Red Mage|really weak]] form of [[Post Modern Magic]].
* The [[Warhammer Fantasy Battle]] universe has magic powered by the 8 Winds of Magic. It's not impossible to use spells powered by different (or even multiple) Winds, but unless you're an [[Our Elves Are Better|elf]], or some form of [[Chosen One]], [[Superpower Meltdown|Bad Things]] tend to happen. Intriguingly, Rainbow Wizards<ref>
== Video Games ==
* In ''[[
** This has been a staple since the ''[[Romancing
* In the storyline of the ''[[
** Shadow Priests that are in Shadowform can't cast Holy spells at all, they force you out of Shadowform. There's no restriction for the healing specs to cast Shadow spells though.
** Most Warrior abilities require a certain stance to use, meaning that while they can use abilities more in tune with their other specializations, they would have to switch to use it, which prevents them from using the abilities most vital to their role until they switch back.
* In ''[[Master of Magic]]'' you cannot learn spells from both the Life and Death magic schools. All the others can be combined, (and these two can be combined with any of the other three schools) but not these two.
* ''[[
* Many ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' games that have job classes normally have classes that are only able to use one magic type, such as black mages and white mages using [[Black and White Magic]], respectively. This gets muddled, however, in games like ''[[
** There's also Red Mages, who can learn both white and black spells, but not as well as the ones who specialize in them.
** Played straight lorewise in the ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]'' universe, where people capable of casting both white and black magic are called "sages" and are exceedingly rare. Rydia begins with the ability to cast black and white magic in addition to her summons, but when she returns to your party, she [[Discard and Draw|sacrifices her limited white magic to use black and summoning magic to their fullest potential]].
* In ''[[Age of Wonders]]'' your leader can choose only non-antagonistic magic spheres.
** In ''Age of Wonders 2'', you can either choose all of them, giving your a random selection that often ends up game-breakingly good or bad, or a single sphere. Notably, no matter which you choose, you can still buy/find/receive any spell. Also, Common sphere spells always can be researched and Secret sphere never.
** In ''Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic'', you can either pick a single school or massively gimp yourself by taking multiple schools, ensuring that you never get any powerful spells.
* ''[[
* Variation in ''[[Knights of the Old Republic (
** ''[[Star Wars: Dark Forces
* ''[[Meridian 59]]'', the first "3-D" MMORPG, allowed you to master only one type of magic at a time. You could become somewhat decent at another one. But mastering another type meant you became less powerful in the other.
* In [[Mabinogi Fantasy Life|Mabinogi]], the [[Magic Knight|Dark Knight]] [[Super Mode|transformation]] is incompatible with the Paladin transformation. However, there is also a story-reason for this as well as magical incompatibility: [[Nay Theist|the choice one makes]] to become a Dark Knight would make one unable to access the Paladin transformation anyway.
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== [[Western Animation]] ==
* In ''[[
* In ''[[Teen Titans (
* Mixing different schools of magic in ''[[Aladdin (Disney film)|Aladdin]]'' is highly dangerous. This was frequently used, besides his diminished power, to keep [[Reality Warper|Genie]] from being able to fix things too easily.
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Magic and Powers]]
[[Category:
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