Magic for All or magic for some

[Generic.Archdemon]

Which do you like more?

A world where everyone can use magic as long as they learn, and people that can't use it are a rarity.

or

there is magic but only special people can use it and 90% people just can't.

Supplemental
Do you think the rare magical or the rare non-magical chance, a result of genetic/scientific reason or unexplained random selection?

 

[Novel_Fam]

I prefer the rare magical system, and the result of my own reason is due to the hair colour and their emotions (basically I focus on mentality rather than other symptoms) and rarely the colour of the eyes though I only use that as a whole different race for one of my novels.

 

[HelloHound]

I like the idea that minor magic (lifestyle type of stuff) is reasonably common but the magic that can be an active threat is rarer and based on efforts/resources

 

[Paul_Tromba]

Having everyone be able to use magic is cool but it needs to be balanced since everyone would use magic instead of using weapons if weapons didn't stand much of a chance against magic. With it being rare, magic becomes a good asset for any and all governments as it can basically be a nuke with limited supply compared to a regular militia with easily replenishable ranks.

 

[Deleted member 113259]

Magic should be treated as an art, everyone has the capacity for it but only those who are both born truly gifted, and actually put in the work can be considered mages.

Oh, you just gave me an idea of a story I could do where a mage travels to the future and sees that magic has become weaker because the standard of what makes a mage has gotten lower, similar to lazy abstraction corrupting the art community.

 

[Cipiteca396]

Magic is common, easy, and strong enough to be useful.

Weapons are designed to increase the potency or utility of magic even further.

The gifted can use it in ways that other people can only call genius, and then copy.

 

[Lorelliad]

Magic for all removes the concern of factions gaining too much power. It also helps balance out the overall scale, and will perhaps allow more unique magicians to pop up.

It also means there will be less of a divide between the magic wielders and the normal, mundane people. Although yes, those who aren't backed by large corporations/factions will inevitably be oppressed/coerced by those who are, it still gives them a chance to retaliate if it ever were to escalate. It'd be better if the magic was something that you could learn by yourself if you put in the time as opposed to only learning it through learning institutions.

 

[TheEldritchGod]

There should be just enough magic to drive the plot.

Everyone has magic? Then it's just Electricity without wires. So the purpose of magic is to make things weird.
Magic is Rare? Then it is either what drives the plot, some sort of maguffin, or an allegory about something...
I dunno. Every magic user's father goes off to buy a pack of milk or something.

 

[APieceOfRock]

In my world, everyone can learn magic. But most don't because magic comes from Draconic or Elvish language. Just teaching magic requires constant usage of spells (and consumption of energy) since even writing the words down activates spells.
Printing the words won't help since without energy (Aether), it would just turn out blank.
So the books that do exist are expensive, and the existing magic users can't be bothered to teach anyone.
A nice balance I think.

 

[ArrogantYoungMaster]

In the Yellow Skies Continent, only 5% of the population are able to become cultivators, and only 15% of them can even complete Qi Condensation Stage. However this daoist is not only blessed with mutated Heavenly Spiritual Roots, but also blessed with an Ultimate Annihilation Spring Physique! I am also a 1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000 years genius, handsome, lucky, and wealthy. Sigh, The Heavens are truly unfair! This one understands it is unreasonable for others to compete against this one so I, their grandfather, am very forgiving in punishments from face-slapping.

As fellow daoist is the author of the story, you control how fair the Heavens are with its blessings. If fellow daoist pities the elderly mountain villager who failed the sect entrance examination, daoist can bless everyone with the ability to practice at least basic cultivation. Maybe there exists more talented cultivators like 1 genius per 100,000 people (1 in 1,000,000,000,000,000 years genius is too unfair), and it is dependent on the time of birth and feng shui of the location they are born in if daoist does not want to use genetics to explain.

 

[OP1000]

Oh, you just gave me an idea of a story I could do where a mage travels to the future and sees that magic has become weaker because the standard of what makes a mage has gotten lower, similar to lazy abstraction corrupting the art community.

I once saw an anime that has a similar premise to what you plan to write. It is called 'The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody'.