Deus Ex Machina magic

So I was thinking about magic and such in FIM, and I started to wonder about spells that could easily fix major problems, such immortality\age spells, bringing back the dead, ect. I’m sure there are plenty of other examples to.
 
Are these spells a good idea? Or should they be limited somehow, perhaps with serious drawbacks or consequences for using them?
 
I really don’t like the idea of such spells being usable on a whim, even by some of the more powerful beings such as Celestia or Luna.

The show has never been about the realism and consistency of the universe or magic.
 
So to ahead I say, so long as it isn’t used as a crutch for weak storytelling.

@Whatevs  
Meh, I’m not so sure that’s a good reason to overlook it, especially if your like me and take things like lore more seriously.
 
If spells like these were even practical, there would be no reason to not use them. Does that not seem bad?

Double posted, it lagged.

The only pony that could use the Age spell at will was Trixe with the Alicorn Amulet, which gave her vastly increased spell casting ability with unknown limits. Assuming that Celestia has the same trouble with learning a variety of magic as other unicorns, than she probably can’t do it at will, either.
 
Remember, only Twilight can learn all kinds of spells easily, and even she seems limited to unicorn magic. Celestia’s variety is probably the result of centuries of work rather than having the same ability.
 
Twilight can learn the range, but doesn’t have the power to take full advantage of it. Celestia has the power, but not the range to use it.

If I were doing the world-creating, extraordinary magic would be used for extraordinary circumstances with some sort of complication that makes it impractical for other things. (An analogy would be swatting mosquitoes with a sledgehammer.) Big magic should shape the world, not the details. It can be a plot device but shouldn’t be deus ex machina.

@Sjogre  
Twilight looks like one of those “copy mages” or a blue mage who could learn a spell just by observing it on the spot.

@SeraphimDawn  
pretty much  
hmmm I wonder if Twilight knows Grand Train (Ultimate Blue Magic of FFVI)

Deus Ex Magica eah?…hurmm…
 
Deus Ex to me is essentially when something is “bullshit”. Now…part of the general nature of magic it is well. Inherently bullshit. What it becomes then is a metering of bullshit. How much bullshit is too much bullshit? A question many Dr. Who fans I’m sure have had to ask themselves. An analog I draw due to the technology being so advanced in that show that it’s basically magic, and I’m sure we know the famous Arthur C. Clark’s 3rd law…
 
Has this really come up in the cartoon?  
Not really, the closest thing that I could see some people calling bullshit on is Chrysalis defeating the Princess in there little DBZ showdown. However, in the previous episode has parts establishing that Chrysalis is not exactly something to be trifled with, has S.Armor wrapped around her…um, hoof, and disposes of twilight with that really cool flaming bubble thing at pretty much a whim, (however she’s clearly in a vulnerable and saddened state…)
 
POSSIBLY one could argue that the alicorn amulate is a form of this kind of plot device…but one of the earmarks of true bad “Deus Ex” is when said plot device is so jarring, abrupt and senseless given previous context of the story that is almost ruins it. (Mass Effect 3?)  
Considering the whole episode’s cold-opening devoted the trinket itself and that Trixie was gone for a long time working on the rock farm to buy it, was shown to be at least somewhat talented with spells, a remorseful braggart, and that indeed the world they live in has plenty of magic and magical do-dads…there is nothing inherently unbelievable about it. I’m not saying I’ve really heard anyone having a problem with it…

@WassonG  
Maybe deus ex machina was the wrong word for it then.
 
I’m actually having a really hard time finding the words/explaining why exactly I don’t want such magic to be possible.

@WassonG
 
My Little Pony: Friendship is BS

’Course they should have drawbacks. In my headcanon, age spells are temporary and repeated usages begin to lose their effect.

My headcanon is that there is a magic reserve in the unicorn’s horn.  
If that runs dry, it starts pulling from either their energy or a magic source that is in contact with their body. Once they cast a spell, they can not cancel the spell.  
If they cast a spell that brings back the dead or reverses age, they are dead. (unless they have sv_cheats 1 on have the alicorn amulet)  
_{cookie to anyone who knows where that comes from}

Thanks to season 3, I’ve been lead to the theory-ish headcanon that unicorn spells like some sort of mix of software development, poetry, and those alchemy circles from Full Metal Alchemist. I would also contend that magic artifacts like the Elements of Harmony, Crystal Heart, and Alicorn Amulet all operate at a higher level than unicorns, like supercomputers among ipads (alicorns might pass as overclocked gaming rigs).

Swept