I'm sure this Nicholas Cage movie was discussed at great length on these boards when it was new, but that was during a period when I wasn't active in the ArM Community.
I just watched the movie again this week (introducing younger family members to it) and it reminded me how many spell ideas there are for this game. Also some general resemblances here and there to things in our game's actual rules (talismans, Waiting Spells(I think)).
On the off chance some readers haven't seen this movie, there will be possible spoilers below this point. Do yourself a favor and go watch it, then come back and read/contribute to this thread.
So, very early on we see a device that can apparently "detect the Gift" though it's a bit more specific in the movie's context. Shortly after that we get our first on-screen clash between wizards. Lots of Rego effects, including one that looks like Horvath casting a Wizard's Grimoire spell (Re Te but forget the name and Noble's Parma) through his talisman (he's directing a rapier's movements with his cane). I think it's his talisman because Balthazar is able to use the connection between the rapier and the cane to bop Horvath with the latter. We also see at least one Creo Ignem spell, and I believe our first plasma bolt before the two are entrapped in a magical urn that apparently cancels the connection between a wizard and their existing spells when it traps them, because Horvath's fire goes out shortly.
(I would love to see some of you contribute game stats for that urn if you've any ideas how it works)
Later on, we see a Hungarian Mirror Trap. If any of you have any ideas how to design that in ArM rules, please share. I've tried and have not been able to make any existing guidelines fit the effect. I suspect a new one or two would be required.
We also get a really good example of a humorous and embarrassing, but also potentially fatal, Botch with the cleaning scene. I think that's a Triple, right? For "potentially deadly"?
Closer to the climax of the movie we see that the various rings are apparently enchanted with some Muto or Rego Vim effect to amplify spells cast by the wielder. They are also all apparently enchanted with some device effect akin to Wizard's Communion as their power seems to be cumulative when wielded by one person.
The end of the movie could likely be equated to the climax of a saga so there are some rule-bending effects (probably a lot of vis burned in ArM terms) that I wouldn't even try to duplicate except in the same context e.g. The Rising.
And then there are those plasma bolts. Again, anyone have any idea how to make that work with existing guidelines? Paradigm notwithstanding, I'm asking about game mechanics. Our saga isn't medieval and probably has a paradigm more closely resembling that of this movie than of Mythic Europe.
Best I can come up with is to morph a Mu Te guideline "make dirt very unnatural" (Level 15 IIRC) into a Mu Au guideline along the lines of "make air unnatural in such a way it inflicts (level +/-X) damage" or similar.