Racial teirs?

Magical Rating System

In the course of studying the magical potentials of various substances and organisms, scholars have made a system of identification that labels the maximum amount of power an entity can manipulate of its own willpower. These so called "power tiers" are in fact highly flexible, as each tier increases in potential power exponentially. It should of course be noted that entities within any one tier can range from just barely qualifying to almost pushing the boundaries, but the vast majority of entities in any given tier arrange themselves toward a bell curve. Sometimes, an entity will ascend a tier with outside assistance; this becomes increasingly difficult at higher tiers and reaching the Deity tier is considered scientifically impossible at this time.

The first tier is labeled Inanimate, referring to rocks and crystals. While such objects can be used to store, manipulate, and release vast amounts of thaumic energy, they will not do so without provocation from outside sources.

Above that is the Automatic tier, populated mostly by plants and occasionally by self sustaining spells. These entities behave in predictable patterns, never deviating from one behavior, and in fact are not considered to be manipulating magic by the laypony; instead, they are often referred to as being "magical" in and of themselves, as many plants from this class are used as herbs in ritual magic.

When an entity is shown to be capable of controlling how it manipulates magic, it falls into the Animal tier. Creatures such as the infamous Cockatrice are perfect examples of what is meant by control; they can choose to turn their prey to stone at will and, in one case, even reverse the process. It is speculated that such control is needed at this level of magical power, as automatic processes that have attempted to maintain the same level of energy burn out easily.

Once an entity has the ability to understand and utilize magic in a flexible manner, it is considered part of the Intellectual tier. This does not necessarily mean that they do use magic; instead, due to the advanced processing their minds are capable of, they can handle a much vaster store of thaumic energy via regular and structured release. Twilight Sparkle is often vaulted as being at the upper end of the Intellectual tier.

There are some entities that have learned to use magic as a method of staving off death. Such level of control is remarkable, allowing for a much larger magical processing power; creatures in the Immortal tier are therefore regarded with awe and caution. The majority of entities that have this ability are Fae ((explained elsewhere)) but there are occasional "Fleshy" immortals.

A Demigod tier entity can, in theory, absorb the magical energy of a regional area for use in one massive spell. Fortunately for civilizations across the globe, most demigods do not choose to do so, instead using their magic only as an expression of their particular domain. The last recorded demigod to abuse his power in such a manner was King Sombra, who locked the crystal empire beyond time with its own magic.

The Deity tier is not something any individual can earn, but has to be granted by either destiny or some great cosmic coincidence. Deity tier entities can manipulate some of the most powerful forces in the universe, such as the sun and the moon, and have an informal council for maintaining peace amongst themselves. Inter-diety wars are always devastating.

With the recent release of Discord, scholars had to add a new level of control to their system; Primordial entities can fundamentally alter the firmaments of the universe, and may have had a hand in actually creating it. It is with great relief that scholars can assure us that such beasts must be rare, as they would by definition have to exist partially outside the bounds of reality.