Minimalist Magic and Sacred Wine

I love how magic allows my players to solve problems in creative and unanticipated ways.  Spells can be fabulous tools at the players' disposal, especially spells that have broad applicability.  For instance, a spell that allows a player to conjure flame can be used in a myriad of ways (from burning down the local pub, to producing light in a pitch-black dungeon, to melting the ice encasing the Frost Prince's corpse).  On the other hand, an open lock spell really only has one function, and is therefore less interesting. 

When crafting a TTRPG rules system, one challenge facing the designer is how to actually get these tools into a player's pocket.  Does the player choose from a list of spells when he creates his character?  Does she learn spells as she acquires and studies arcane tomes?  Does the player have access to a particular "domain" of magic (such as the domain of "necromancy") and then fabricate spells that stick to that domain's specific flavor?

These are all valid and interesting ways for a player to acquire spells.  But lately I have been interested in systems that are as lightweight and minimalist as possible.  When a player is presented with a menu of potential spell options, the player must expend mental energy and time to pick their choices.  There is nothing wrong with this.  But I am curious whether I can design a system where there are fewer steps between choosing to be a wizard and performing awe-inspiring feats of sorcery.

One choice is for the GM to tell the player that she knows these four spells (Conjure Flame, Animate Undead, Invisibility, Telekinesis, for instance) and then allow the Player to acquire more spells as she discovers and analyzes spellbooks, which are hidden about dungeons and other dark corners of the world.

Another option is for the player to let the GM know what variety of magic he is interested in.  A player may be interested in mental magic, like casting illusions.  The GM then tells the player that he may cast any spell affecting the mind, such as producing hallucinations or instilling fear.  There is no rigid spell list.  Rather, the player must think of spells that fit within his domain of magic, and then utilize these spells to overcome challenges.

There should be a cost to spellcasting, as magic can be a particularly powerful tool, and drawbacks create interesting choices for the players.  The mental magician may become more foggy-headed or fatigued as he casts spells.  Casting a potent illusion might have even more deleterious effect on the caster - he could become quite weak for a given time, during which his companions may need to really help him out.

I have a friend in my current game who has started playing as a cleric of the goddess of wine.  We have not quite worked out how her magic functions yet.  I am thinking that for our next session, I will let her know that as long as she appeases her deity, she may bestow blessings and miracles, such as conjuring sacred, healing wine.  She may appease her deity through self-sacrifice, by giving up some of her own vitality.  As she casts blessings, she loses strength in the process.  A powerful miracle (summoning a torrent of wine to drown her enemies, causing an obstinate target to become helplessly inebriated) requires a greater sacrifice of vitality.  If she becomes too weak, when the time comes to dodge the snapping jaws of a monster, she will be at a great disadvantage.

Falstaff at the table with a wine jug and pewter cup (1910), by Eduard von Grützner