Magic that improves normal abilities

[Yora]

I am working on a setting for which I intend magic to be a system of realizing the full potential of the body and mind to do things that are usually impossible, instead of making things appear out of thin air or rearranging space and time. Basically that means lots of transmutations and enchantments, with very few divinations, evocations, and abjurations. Instead of creating prismatic walls, sending swarms of insects on enemies, creating toxic clouds, and masking your position with illusions, you use a burst of superhuman speed to run up to your enemy and wack him in the chest with a magically charged staff or fist, and send him into a wall with bone crushing force. Or give him lethal head ache. With your mind!

Now psionics is very good at that job, but I'd like to look into other options to make robust spellcasters that can fight next to warriors by using their magic in place of weapons and armor, with the results being not too different, and occasionally providing "heavy fire support" by throwing a fireball into a room before the party charges in.

Any ideas what magic systems to give a look?

[SilverLeaf167]

Uh... probably not what you're looking for, but Mutants & Masterminds would work; it's basically a system where your character can do whatever your DM approves and you have enough point buy for. It's really open for refluffing, so even though it's originally made for superhero games, it works just as fine in any kind of setting, as long as it doesn't need to be too gritty.

[Eldan]

I would have suggested psionics, but you already mentioned that. A limited and refluffed Incarnum could work as well.

[Swooper]

Hmm. You could up-play the supernatural parts of ToB classes? Binders might work, except you'd need to refluff vestiges...

Can't think of anything else that would work with Pathfinder - putting my vote on psionics, it seems closest both to what you want to achieve and to your inspiration.

[Lapak]

I would have suggested psionics, but you already mentioned that. A limited and refluffed Incarnum could work as well.Seconding this suggestion. If you remove the visual special effects, almost every soulmeld or bind can be refluffed as a physical enhancement and/or minor supernatural effect that wouldn't be out of place in a kung-fu movie. Girallion Arms are just a super-fast flurry style effect, Mage's Spectacles are just enhanced/focused vision, and so on. Plus 90% have the base effect of 'skill improvement,' which is right in the same theme.

[Yora]

I never really looked into incarnum, as the whole blue glowing stuff seems quite of silly to me. But I'm really looking for ideas on what mages could be, so I'll see if I can take a peek at it.