Spellcasting

Hi! This notice is here for a while since not only is this article under construction, but it's such a big and important one that it gets this little tidbit. This is also here to tell you that this is part of the Retirement Process for the original Magic article. The reasons behind this can be explained, but this is just a handy little notice.

— Ieuana

"How do I use magic? Uh...I don't know, I'm not a scientist. It works, just trust me bro."

— Unnamed Shadowmancer, interviewed about spellcasting

Types of Casting

Channels and Ways

Spellcasting is an infinitely complex ability, relying upon sources of magic and the skill of a possibly untrained magic user. This has led to the need for speicialisation, the vast array of spells very rarely being learnt all at once by a single, elite spellcaster, but instead being focuused upon individually by certain types of spellcasters who train with a type of magic they either find themselves naturally gifted in or more inclined to learn.
These individual archetypes of magic are called Channels, and are precise measures of what different types of casting is related to what magic. However, understanding these Channels can get a bit complicated so they are further categorised into Ways, which are a major shared characteristic between certain types of spellcasters, usually a term in their name such as "-mancer" being an indicator of which Way they fit into.

Magic Sources

The most important part of any spellcaster's repertoire is their source of magic. This usually takes the form of either a Magic Conduit or high internal levels of magic, but there are many other sources of magic that usually have their own branch of spellcasting. Although most spellcasters tend to rely upon a single source of magic, more trained and experienced spellcasters have learn to incorporate multiple sources for more powerful and reliable magic.
Despite their reliance upon magic sources, it it still possible to use spells without a source of magic or latent magic, however, it is an extremely dangerous activity known as "Dry Casting" and taps directly into the lifeforce of the spellcaster, shortening their life, weakening them or outright killing them in the process.

Ways of Magic

Way of the Mancers

Mancers are a type of spellcaster focused upon manipulation and control of pre-existing magic or sources, such as utilising Necromancy to use the dead or possessing people through Psychomancy. Because of the more taboo nature of how Mancers operate, there is often far less of them and they see significantly less employment and public respect than the other Ways of Magic.

Shadowmancers are one of the most ominous Mancers. They draw magic from shadows and darkness rather than light and life. They are capable of terrifying feats such as dissapearing into and appearing from darkness and inducing magical blindness.

Necromancers are an easily recognisable Mancer. Necromancers are close cousins to Shadowmancers, but rely upon the shadow of life rather than the shadow of light to cast their spells, manipulating the magic within the dead or tearing it from the living to raise enthralled undead servants, drain someone's lifeforce or transform themselves into a highly powerful lich.

Psychomancers are a nefarious type of Mancer. They rely on manipulation of living beings to aler their perception of reality by controlling dreams, causing hallucinations and directly possessing victims. They are also capable of mass manipulation, convincing people of a certain viewpoint or hypnotising people into doing things they normally wouldn't.

Way of the Adepts

Adepts are one of the more natural forms of spellcasters, thriving off of their affinity with a natural aspect of the world, their magic drawn from their attunement to it. This manifests in the form of powers such as controlling water and fire or calling down vast thunderstorms to devastate settlements.

Flame Adepts have spent their careers attuning to fire, their magic thriving off of the volatile magic coursing through the embers. Flame Adepts are very combat orientated, capable of summoning fireballs or breathing fire, making them very useful for engaging an enemy.

Life Adepts are the complete antithesis of necromancers. They draw their magic directly from the prosperity of life, carefully managing how much they use and applying it for the good of living beings. Life Adepts are exceptional healers and assistant combatants, providing the means to tend and save wounded or dying troops with spells.

Water Adepts draw their magic from water and its various forms. Water Adepts cover far more than just liquid, drawing power from water, ice, steam and its place in the world such as being a vital component in living beings. Water Adepts usually have more practical spells rather than combat or healing, but they still have enough to prove versatile.

Way of the Mages

Mages are seen as the most pedigree of all spellcasters, relying simply upon drawing magic from simple, easily accessible things such as light or Mana Crystals. This also leads to a combination of Mage magic being much easier to utilise, being less dependent upon the environment and more of a natural, omniprescent source, but ultimately being seen as child's play, and not holding as much prestige.

Lesser Mages are the weakest type of spellcaster. Whether through a combination of no innate magical ability or outside interference, Lesser Mages are only capable of basic spells, struggling to utilise magic even in ways that to other spellcasters would be trivial idle practice. Despite this, Lesser Mages are not entirely useless as their lack of natural magical inclination makes them very easily shaped to fit another Channel of Magic if given the necessary tools to pull it off.

Light Mages are the counterpart to Shadowmancers. They utilise the innate magic within energy given off by stars and certain other sources, being able to reliably use their magic most of the time. This, however, makes them highly vulnerable to being cut off from their magic source under the right circumstances, rarely practicing how to use magic without their constant source.

Crystal Mages are able to be one of the most volatile and uncontrollable Mages. Crystal Mages are usually dependent upon the magical energy found within Mana Crystals. This not only leads to them becoming proficient with the use of highly volaatile spells that most spellcasters wouldn't have the raw energy to pull off, but it also means that they are able to have a constant supply of large doses of magic, provided that they have enough crystals.

Way of the Channelers

Channelers are some of the purest spellcasters, not relying upon potent magic from a specific source but instead being able to draw magic directly from everything around them. This makes Channelers both incredibly effective and prone to extreme amounts of collaterol damage and side-effects.

Mana Channelers are the most common of the two Channelers. They draw Mana Energy from the environments around them, their magic gorging itself on the bountiful feast of energy to use due its pure abundance. Mana Channelers, however, are capable of draining the environment around them, intense use of magic overusing the Mana Energy nearby, killing off plants and turning it into a Low-Magic Environment, even just temporarily.

Aether channelers are the rarest of all the different spellcasters. They are the only type of spellcaster capable of safely utilising Aether Magic to cast spells, the extreme potency of it allowing them to cast instensely powerful magic to perform extreme acts such as reshaping a world or bringing into being a weak god. Because of this, Aether Channelers are entirely incapable of using Mana spells, locking themselves into a specific branch of magic devoid of others.