Magic is my favorite aspect of the game. I love spells, and I love playing spellcasters; I can safely say that 8 out of 10 of my characters are some form of magic user.
Besides the obvious mechanical benefits, I like the potential fluff that accompanies the use of spells in a game. In fact, I enjoy that more than the mechanics.
So my question is, what do you do to make your magic magical? And when you play a magic user, do you pick a certain theme to go along with your casting?
For example, a few back I played a very voodoo themed wizard in a one shot game. All of his spells were based loosely on trapping spirits and curses; when he cast a magic missile against a foe, he pulled out a voodoo doll and stabbed it a number of times with a silver pin.
What sort of flavor do you give magic in your games or characters, if any?
No takers? Really?
I let my players fluff their spells in any way their imagination wants to go. It's kind of like Spell Thematics from Forgotten Realms, but without any mechanical benefit.
I have an elf Diviner who fancies himself a "gem mage." His spell components consist of bits of gem pieces (virtually worth nothing), and based on which gem is used, his spells will come out colored differently.
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2nd edition Dark Sun had random tables as magic visually and sound-wise was unique for each caster. Magic missiles may be purple and have no other effect, but a high-level cone of cold may shake the ground when cast, and a finger of death might cause everyone to visualize a loved one who has passed on. Nothing that changed game mechanics but good stuff for the player who wants flavor.
I'm a big fan of the IME concept from Goblins (as well as the more subtle spell aura colors from Order of the Stick). I like coming up with an IME for each character and fluff all the spells to visually have an effect consistent with the IME, and like to encourage players to do the same.
I'm always careful with selecting "fluff" for magic, because there is the danger of the fluff clashing with either the mechanics or the setting. For example the voodoo mage you describe is really cool and interesting, but raises questions about what spirits are and how they might interact with other aspects of the setting. This isn't a problem, but I think you need to discuss it with the GM and figure out if it will work and if it'll also change any of the mechanical effects.
I'll often set up the flavour for my own magical characters by giving them some sort of limitation. One character I played with a martial arts chi theme couldn't cast any air magic if they couldn't breathe, because they used their own breath to manipulate the air. They also drew fire magic from their own body warmth and so couldn't use fire magic if they were suffering from hypothermia. These were fairly small limits and only came up maybe once or twice in the campaign, but they made them feel more interesting.
I also played a sorcerer who could only gain spells known by killing another sorcerer who possessed the new spell or a monster with it as a spell-like ability. I cleared this with the GM and was allowed to keep my spell selections blank until an appropriate time. He was an assassin/enforcer for the mage's guild in the setting and so had plenty of opportunity to gain spells from rogue sorcerers, it also meant he ended up with a very interesting and eclectic spell-list that I had to be quite creative using.
Well, I by and large hate hate loathe despise preparation casters; I can't imagine playing one*. So, in my next game world, that just won't be happening. If you know a spell, you KNOW a spell; you can't change them up every day. That makes no sense to me.
*With the possible exception of Brewer's Blockbuster Wizard, who plays in a vaguely sorcerer-esque way in that you only prepare various permutations of Metamagicked Fireballs.
I'm always careful with selecting "fluff" for magic, because there is the danger of the fluff clashing with either the mechanics or the setting. For example the voodoo mage you describe is really cool and interesting, but raises questions about what spirits are and how they might interact with other aspects of the setting. This isn't a problem, but I think you need to discuss it with the GM and figure out if it will work and if it'll also change any of the mechanical effects.
For this particular character, the spirits were immaterial until one with a strong soul (a spellcaster) forced them to manifest through force of will, faith, or intellect. Basically, spells were manifested spirits. To his mind, they were sentient entities locked into a specific shape/effect, and forced to act in a specific manner; a fireball was simply a burst of flame conjured with the aid of sulfur and bat poop, it was the physical embodiment of a fire spirit.
Thus there was no conflict between mechanics and flavor. At least, none that my DM came up with.
One guy I played with proclaimed after casting certain spells that the scent of cinnamon was left hanging in the air, then the character would dab his forehead with his kerchief.
I myself have gone a bitt overboard as both a player and DM in role-playing out the Raise Dead spell.
