How do you all treat magic in RPs, if existent? Do you apply a set of natural rules that dictate magic, as physics does the physical world? Or is it anywhere you damn well please?

I wonder this because a RP server for Minecraft I use to kill time features magic, generally as a way to explain why the admin likes to have bullshit plugins (I feel). Lore-wise it seems Magic has no real rule or grounding set of natural laws. It's diffuse and all over, and it's evident in its Wikipedia. There's maybe something like five totally different schools doing various things and not once has anyone asked, "So what says this works?"

The closest to a rule this thing has is that most often magics involved other worlds. But still, no one has explored anything beyond that. They're too busy using world-ending demon summons that are accidents as plot devices and I'm about ready to call the execution of all mages, spellcasters, and shit.

So gentlemen, where and when it's applicable how do you use or regulate Magic? Outside of DnD stats. how is it regulated as a natural thing with understood or with rules that can be explored, with natural effects both good or bad in your world?

I'm personally a fan of the effect of the spell being directly proportionate to the cost to utilize it, with other "modifiers" attached. To kill a target, you must first sacrifice someone else. But this may then take time, since in this it presumes the spellcaster is using spirits or ghosts to do his bidding and he knows how to use them. However they do demand a equal or greater price.

As a NRP'er primarily I think this works well into the hands of balancing across the board since it gets people to think about what they're doing. This also comes with the possibility of there being lore implications like the study of how to use spirits as conduits of magic comes with a great deal of study. Study that may be so intense you become a hermit or socially isolated as you read and practice. And the equal cost to effect of certain spells would make someone either dangerous, or incredibly eccentric and not well seen in the public eye.

It's the sort of thing that I discovered comes up in The Witcher when I actually got into the series later. Mages and other magic types are rare and their studies are rigorous. And due to their overall rarity and eventual isolation from the world a matured and practiced mage may be treated with a lot of contempt and scorn. Even if they manage to become powerful in royal courts - where they ultimately end up - they still get the treatment. And throughout the history of The Witcher wizards have been executed and hunted for their abilities.

So needless to say, I'm not one for uncontrolled "everyone can do it" magic. Or if it's presented as easy to get into while someone weakly says it's not.