Aestrix

"Spellbooks exist, through which people can learn spells. Casting spells depletes a kind of personal energy reserve called MP, of which people have varying amounts that can improve with practice. A particular spell costs a particular amount of MP, and some of them also cost zorkmids, which are a specific kind of gold coin. If you've read the Quality Discount Spellbooks thread, you've seen some of the spells I know about. I don't know of any drawbacks to learning the magic system, although the coin costs of spells can be inconvenient since you have to be physically carrying all the coins you need for the spell at the time that you cast it."