# Words for "wizard" linked to types of magic **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 16, 2007, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302 "2007-05-16T11:52:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/1 "2007-05-16T11:52:28Z")
I’m writing a fantasy-themed game that’s going to revolutionize the boardgaming industry and leave me a disgustingly wealthy man, or, failing that, provide me with a cute little hobby from time to time. I need the help of a bunch of geeks (that being you guys) to come up with words for various types of wizard that can be linked to various broad types of ill-defined magic. Examples: Necromancer - death magic Shaman - nature magic Illusionist - illusion magic Elementalist - elemental magic (possible divided into pyromancer - fire magic, hydromancer - water magic and so on; terms for other elementalists welcome) Hit me with what you got. A good word for a wizard doing “life magic” would be great, but anything your fevered minds can produce is welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/2 "2007-05-16T11:59:39Z")
Maybe Jinkster/Jinxter for Mischievous Magic? Disclaimer: I am not a true geek (at least when it comes to D&D type stuff). ---
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/3 "2007-05-16T12:05:26Z")
OK, I’m at work so I don’t have much time. Just for shits & giggles, I got a list of Greek roots. Putting some of them together with “-mancer” (=“divination”, Greek), I get: bibliomancer- using or controlling books biomancer- controlling life demomancer- controlling people (not demons) not to be confused with dermomancer, controlling skin (to mimic other people, perhaps?) Or, mimomancer- makin’ copies. Geomancer- controlling earth hypnomancer- controlling or inducing sleep lithomancer- stone morphomancer- controlling form (oooh, cool!) philomancer- controlling love phonomancer- sound photomancer- light (like Dazzler in the Marvel universe, eh?) OK, back to work now! ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/4 "2007-05-16T12:15:04Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] Hit me with what you got. A good word for a wizard doing “life magic” would be great, but anything your fevered minds can produce is welcome. [/QUOTE] Vivamancer? Gaeamancer? -Joe ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/5 "2007-05-16T12:25:01Z")
A few of the AD&D specialists haven’t been mentioned so far: Abjurer - protection magic Conjurer - summoning creatures Diviner - informational and observational magic Enchanter - persuasive magic and/or imbuing inanimate objects with magical properties Evoker - calling up essential forces and energies (some overlap with ‘elementalist’) Transmuter - changing something into another ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/6 "2007-05-16T12:31:23Z")
I could do the -mancer theme, but a lot of those sound so science-fiction-y (like biomancer, otherwise a good word) and if I do a lot of them the ones that aren’t -mancer are going to look out of place. I think I’ll stick with necromancer there. Conjurer, diviner and enchanter are all excellent suggestions, thanks. I might use “summoner” over conjurer, though. Transmuter might make it. Jinxster is a good little idea, if I can think up cool enough uses for “mischievous magic”. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/7 "2007-05-16T12:47:33Z")
To me, “Conjurer” would me more of a ‘guy who makes things appear out of thin air’ while a “Summoner” would be someone who makes living things come to him in a “what is your bidding, my master” kind of way. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/8 "2007-05-16T12:51:51Z")
Theurgist- Divine magic. Channels the power of God. Warlock- Infernal magic. Uses power taken or bought from demons. ---
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/9 "2007-05-16T13:00:04Z")
Well, OK, but the elementals sound pretty cool… Hydromancer Pyromancer Geomancer Aeromancer a la Avatar. Eh? Eh? ---
**Author:** ![Theobroma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b5a626/32.png) [@Theobroma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theobroma)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/10 "2007-05-16T13:01:08Z")
And I like “jinxster”, too…maybe a bit of magic-using that confounds other magic! HA! ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/11 "2007-05-16T13:07:43Z")
From various books, or my imagination : Theurgist : Magic drawn from a god. Demonologist : Magic drawn from demons/summons demons. Diabolist : As above; devils instead of demons. Thanaturge : User of death magic. As opposed to a necromancer, who’d work with the dead. Sandmage : Someone who commands the desert. Bloodmage : Someone whose magic is based on blood sacrifice; may or may not be lethal. Algomancy : Pain magic. Alchemist : Works magic via alchemy. Black Healer : A healer who can also cause harm, or can heal by draining the life of one to help another. Nyctomancer : Creates/manipulates darkness. Mentalist : Mental powers. “These are not the paladins you’re looking for.” ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/12 "2007-05-16T13:09:01Z")
There is a pretty good book called “Master of the Five Magics” > **[Master of the Five Magics](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_the_five_magics)** > > Master of the Five Magics is a fantasy novel by Lyndon Hardy, first published in 1980. It is the first of a trilogy set in the same world; the second book is Secret of the Sixth Magic and the third Riddle of the Seven Realms. The books feature different characters, but each explores the same system of magic in successively more detail. It may be an early example of hard fantasy. > The book focuses on the adventures of its main character and hero Alodar in the fictional land of Procolon. Alodar's... The forms were: Thaumaturgy, Alchemy, Magic, Sorcery, and Wizardry Brian ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/13 "2007-05-16T14:26:10Z")
The best I can come up with for “life magic” is animancer. Maybe for someone who can animate the non-living. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/14 "2007-05-16T15:37:50Z")
I’m thinking “animist” for life magic. Sure, it has another meaning, but so does shaman. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/15 "2007-05-16T16:04:01Z")
Privamancer (he does magic for money. He’ll do what you want him to do) ok, really here’s a list of ones I don’t believe anyone’s yet come up with: Mage magus adept disciple runecaster windwalker sorceror loreweaver entrancer seer witch prophet enchanter ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/16 "2007-05-16T16:58:23Z")
Mancermancer. Does magic that affects magic. Mancermancermancer. Does magic that affects magic that affects magic. Mancermancermancermancer. You get the idea… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/17 "2007-05-16T21:23:58Z")
Some more, from fiction and lore: Spellsinger Witch doctor Medicine man Archon Medium Astrologer Druid Shadowcaster Of course, some of these relate more to how the magic is done, than its effects, and some of them are probably synonymous. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/18 "2007-05-16T21:46:51Z")
[QUOTE=Lemur866] Mancermancermancermancer [/QUOTE] Wi-zard wi-zard! _cough_ Actually, that might be metamancer instead. Neomancer - either deals in new applications of magic or turns people into Keanu Reeves. ---
**Author:** ![MrJackboots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MrJackboots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrJackboots)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/19 "2007-05-16T22:07:19Z")
[Erfworld](http://www.giantitp.com/comics/erf0040.html) had some creative versions of the traditional names. They’re pretty silly, though. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2007, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302/20 "2007-05-16T22:13:09Z")
Cartomancy — magic with cards. Chronomancy — magic with clocks. But why spell it out? Wikipedia has a [page devoted to a list of types of magical divination.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Divination) For grins, here’s their list of [magical terms and traditions.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_magical_terms_and_traditions) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-for-wizard-linked-to-types-of-magic/404302.md?page=2)