The difference between magic users

[BlackKnightX]

What’s the difference between the magician, the mage, the wizard, the witch, the sorcerer, the sorceress, and the warlock?

 

[Maze_Runner]

(Me being curious as well googles it:)

Sorcerers are distinguished from wizards as having an innate gift with magic, as well as having mystical or magical ancestry. Warlocks are distinguished from wizards as creating forbidden "pacts" with powerful creatures to harness their innate magical gifts.

 

[Cauldrons]

Going off the top of my head I know at least some of these.

Warlock's - usually obtain magic (generally evil but not always) through a contract with some type of entity
I think of sorcerers/sorceress' as people who inherit natural magical power, while magicians need to work for it.
Witch may be a female version of a magician or maybe not it almost seems like an in-between of all three to me.
IDK mage might be a general term for all magic users.

 

[Maze_Runner]

My version of this is:
Magicians: are normally fake and use their hands to produce the magic
Wizards: Males that use magic with wands
Witches: same as wizards other than that they are female
Sorcerer: tends to be evil and is male (uses hands)
Sorceress: same as sorcerer other than that they are female
Warlock: I'm not totally sure but aren't they normally evil and have the looks of a goblin?
Mage: I don't really know anything about mages to be honest.

 

[Paul_Tromba]

Going off the top of my head I know at least some of these.

Warlock's - usually obtain magic (generally evil but not always) through a contract with some type of entity
I think of sorcerers/sorceress' as people who inherit natural magical power, while magicians need to work for it.
Witch may be a female version of a magician or maybe not it almost seems like an in-between of all three to me.
IDK mage might be a general term for all magic users.

Witches are just magic users whose why use their magic to create medicines and potions through herbology and help from fae or spirits. Gender plays no actual role in the definitions of any of the magic users other than in pop culture.

 

[DarkeReises]

Wizard studies and learns magic through understanding. They're the ones in robes and with big ol spellbook and wands.
Sorcerers/Sorceress' are born with the ability to use magic(I believe in D&D they pretty much all have dragon blood) and manipulate magic through instinct. Also, usually bloodline related.
Warlocks acquire their power through making a pact/contract with some powerful being(spirit, eldritch god, demon, etc.). If you want, even Clerics and Paladins can be considered Warlocks, except their patron is a god.
Witches are kinda weird and are a lot more heavily based on just personal preference IMO. They usually have aspects of sorceress with bloodline being important, but they usually focus on potion brewing and rituals. Usually on the eviler side.
Mage and Magician are kinda just whatever you feel like terms. You can use them as umbrella terms for anyone that manipulates mana/magic, or have specific definitions for them. Whatever.

Also, all 'wizards' in Harry Potter are sorcerers.

 

[NotaNuffian]

Magician: fake.
Mage: real.
Wizard: nerd
Sorceror: trust fund kid
Sorceress: trust fund kid, but female.
Warlock: male escort
witch: female escort

 

[BlackKnightX]

Wizard studies and learns magic through understanding. They're the ones in robes and with big ol spellbook and wands.

Sorcerers/Sorceress' are born with the ability to use magic

Also, all 'wizards' in Harry Potter are sorcerers

Wait, so you’re saying that anyone can become a wizard just by studying magic?

 

[NotaNuffian]

Wait, so you’re saying that anyone can become a wizard just by studying magic?

That was the idea, similar to how in xianxia, everyone can cultivate and become immortal.

Then some smoothbrain author decided that the written world isn't pessimistic enough and brought in RL nepotism and bloodline. It makes it more realistic, it hurts so much.

 

[Lorelliad]

Idk, which one sounds cooler?

 

[BlackKnightX]

Idk, which one sounds cooler?

Magi.

That was the idea, similar to how in xianxia, everyone can cultivate.

JK Rowling won’t agree with you, muggle!

 

[TotallyHuman]

the magician, the mage, the wizard, the witch, the sorcerer, the sorceress, and the warlock?

Depnds on setting. Magicians, however, are stage people who do magic tricks.
Warlock = male ver of witch
Sorcerer and sorceress are same as above

That was the idea, similar to how in xianxia, everyone can cultivate and become immortal.

Then some smoothbrain author decided that the written world isn't pessimistic enough and brought in RL nepotism and bloodline. It makes it more realistic, it hurts so much.

I always go for bloodlines+nepotism because I'm not some smoothbrain author that likes doing nice shit to humanity

 

[NotaNuffian]

Wow, a quick google of warlock vs witch and I have the most ehm moment.

The witch is accessing power from an evil being that is almost as powerful as a deity. The warlock has made a contract with a minor demon or similar in hopes of gaining favor and thus more power.

The difference between witch and warlock is subtle and in some games its just the difference between the person being male or female.

In real world traditions, its exactly the difference between being male (warlock) or female (witch).

What's the difference???

 

[CrypticalFlint]

Sorcerer/ess: Innate talent and gift for sorcery by having inherited the blood of magical creatures.
Witches: Women who use herbalism to supplement their magic. Basically a mix of alchemist & wizard, and maybe warlock due to Demonology.
Wizard: Its like a researcher researching magic, rather than common science, to achieve supernatural phenomenon.
Mage: From how I see it, something of a mix between wizard and sorcerer/ess. They have innate source for magic, but needs tools to properly cause magical phenomenon.
Warlock: Someone who uses an external source of magic to cast.

 

[NotaNuffian]

I always go for bloodlines+nepotism because I'm not some smoothbrain author that likes doing nice shit to humanity

Drama llama I guess, after all, if everybody's super, nobody is.

 

[ConansWitchBaby]

magician- A try hard who gets magical scraps in their settings.

mage- One who is a natural in manipulating magic can become greater than a regular wizard

wizard- Someone who studies magic and because of that gains in knowledge can now practically use it.

witch- Male or female that tries to tap into natural and old magics. Usually in an unstable way for unfinished half-baked results. Unless talented, in which case they become as good or powerful as a wizard in his/her prime.

sorcerer/sorceress- Freaks of nature that have magic at their beck and call. Got handed the platinum spoon that was promptly inserted up their ass.

warlock- Person either magically dull or inclined that made a pact with another being that gives them even more power. Always subservient to their master.

 

[Echimera]

Most of the answers so far use the D&D classifications, but ultimately it depends on the setting.
In some it's a difference in specialization (e.g. Wizards use elemental magic, Sorcerers use arcane magic), in others alignment (e.g. Warlocks and Sorcerers are evil, Wizards and Mages good), in others it can be cultural, others go in depths about the nature of the magic like D&D does.

JK Rowling won’t agree with you, muggle!

Who cares, she's done more than enough to devaluate her opinions.

 

[DarkeReises]

Magi.

JK Rowling won’t agree with you, muggle!

harry potter is a sorcerer, tyvm

Most of the answers so far use the D&D classifications, but ultimately it depends on the setting.
In some it's a difference in specialization (e.g. Wizards use elemental magic, Sorcerers use arcane magic), in others alignment (e.g. Warlocks and Sorcerers are evil, Wizards and Mages good), in others it can be cultural, others go in depths about the nature of the magic like D&D does.



Who cares, she's done more than enough to devaluate her opinions.

Yeah, it all depends on personal preference with how many different variations and lores there are out there. I just like going the D&D route cause it's what I know and is easiest to explain.

 

[K5Rakitan]

That is completely up to the writer.

 

[longer]

That is completely up to the writer.

Exactly. Besides what are magicians going to do if you upset them? Saw you in half?