[quote=@Golem]
<Snipped quote by HeroicGathering>

I'm all for magic, as long as it's what it should be: magic and mysterious. Worlds where everyone has access to arcane forces are boring. Those worlds have managed to take something awesome and turn it into an everyday thing, and it's sad. Make it so that magi and magic items exist but are rare and legendary (or at least uncommon and famous/infamous). Make it something that you have to spend your entire life studying to fully understand. Make it something dangerous that takes a part of you with it everytime you use it.

That's what I think.

[/quote]

Sounds good to me. 

I don't want it so rare that only two people out of the entire realm can use it though, but I think we're on the right track. People like Lair Masters, should be able to use it, alongside the heroes once the RP starts -- but yeah, it should be one of those things that exists, but is rarely seen. A man might live his entire life without ever seeing it, but at the same time, it's a known thing in the world. 

So let's try and simplify it; all standard monsters and NPCs should have very little or no magic, although this excludes undead creatures and gollems who are by their very nature magical. 

This is to say, if you walk into a village and set a tree on fire with the wave of a hand, then the peasants are gonna be like WHOA OMFG THAT GUY CAN USE MAGIC!!! AUTOGRAPH PLZ!

You'll rarely encounter it in dungeons either, but the Lair's master may have access to it (i.e raiding a crypt full of undead minions, and the necromancer is the only one who can actually cast spells and what not). 

Any of my ramblings sound good?