OK. I’ve tried phrasing this question 3 times, and I can’t seem to get something that is easy to understand. So I’m just going to phrase it the way it’s rolling around in my head. In general, it is a question regarding allowability and the “flavor” of a spell’s effects. Here goes:
Let's say a player adds flavor to a fire spell effect description. For example, instead of the standard gout or ball of fire flying at its target, the player wants to describe it as miniature imp-shaped flames flying from his hands. Without any prerequisite action like a Summoning spell, would a GM have to disallow this, although the player doesn’t intend to have the fire do anything different than normal fire, just look different?
In a similar vein, a Forzare-type Spirit spell could just pile driver a target with invisible force, but could the same effect (But visible) be done by a Nichtomancer (Shadow-based Focused Practitioner) making a column of solid shadow to smash someone? Or would solid shadow be disallowed?
I used to play a lot of Mage: The Ascension, and coming up with weird unique spells still comes easily to me, I just haven’t fully sussed out what is allowable in the Dresdenverse.
Final example: Since Earth magic is linked to Electromagnetism, can an Earth based Block against leaving a zone be created by magneto-gravitically manipulating a flock of pigeons (who navigate via an ability to sense magnetic North) into kamikaze divebombing the zone borders (Lots of dead pigeons, ew)?
Yeah, I'm an odd sort of guy. You're just lucky I erased the post attempt involving spells from a Copromancer...