Whatevermancy: Difference between revisions

[[File:All thu mancies.jpg|link=Erfworld|frame|Because names like Flowermancy, Hatomancy, and [[Retconjuration|Retconmancy]] would just be ''silly''.]]

 

 

A standard naming convention for specialized magic- (or [[Magic by Any Other Name|magic-equivalent]]-) users; they are referred to as something'''mancer'''s, and their specialized form of magic is called something'''mancy'''. The something is usually the Greek word for the thing or some other acceptably important-sounding term for it. As an example, death mages are known throughout all of fiction as necromancers. This structure makes it quite easy to create names for branches of magic using just about anything you can think of. You use [[Playing with Fire|fire]]? You're a pyromancer. [[Making a Splash|Water]]? Hydromancer. [[An Ice Person|Ice and cold]]? Cryomancer. It's that simple.

* ''[[Hellblazer]]'' does this ''a lot'', usually with the title character.

* Kieron Gillen's [[Phonogram]] is centered around London's [[Britpop]] scenesters, who practice "phonomancy," or the application of music as magic.

 

=== Literature ===

** Also, Legilimency and Occlumency, the arts of mind reading and blocking mind reading, respectively. Legilimency comes from Latin "''legens''" and "''mens''", which mean "reader" and "mind;" Occlumency, from "occlude," which means "conceal," and "''mens''." Or alternitavely, from "occulus" meaning "eye".

* Don Callandar's novels: Pyromancer, Aquamancer, Geomancer, and Aeromancer.

* One of the [[Elric of Melnibone]] stories referred to Elric as a nigromancer, evidently meaning someone who uses black magic.

* The ''[[Mistborn]]'' trilogy features metal-fueled magic called allomancy, in which only four out of sixteen metals involves divination (the mythic atium that gives you a few seconds' sight into the future, its pair malatium that allows you to see glimpses of a person in their own past, gold which allows you to see a glimpse into your own past, and gold's alloy electrum which lets you see a few seconds into your own future and is largely useless except as a counter to atium). The similar magical system is called feruchemy, which is poorly named for the opposite reason - it is indeed a chemical magic, but only two of the sixteen metals contain iron. The blood-based magic, hemalurgy, is the only one with a truly appropriate name.

* In the "Divination" episode of ''[[QI]]'', the four contestants were invited to predict their scores by various methods of divination. [[Butt Monkey|Alan Davies]] was invited to use [[wikipedia:Rumpology|Pygomancy]]. Alan got the last laugh, however, by 'vanishing' from the set (he wanted to watch his football team, Arsenal, play in the finals). It was the only episode of ''QI'' in which he was not a panelist.

{{quote|'''Alan''': Well, you did say, "Divination, my [[Incredibly Lame Pun|arse]]," and all.}}

 

=== Tabletop Games ===

** The ''Technomancer'' setting, obviously, has Technomancy, which is the local name for [[Magitek]].

* In ''[[EverQuest]]'' wizards get 3 Alternate advancement abilities called Pyromancy, Cyromancy, and Acromancy that cause additional damage and resist debuff to Fire, Cold, and Magic respectively.

** Harry in the sidenotes jokes about Geekomancy. Examples have Chronomancers and such... and in the sample setting we got a honest-to-goodness Caffeinomancer (coffee themed potion specialist)!

* ''[[Legend of the Five Rings]]'' doesn't specifically use the -mancy/-mancer suffixes for its magic-users, but could justifiably do so: rather than directly creating the effects, the Shugenja talks to the relevant spirits (fire/water/earth/whatever) and asks them to (cause a fireball/heal someone/strengthen a weapon/summon [[Captain Planet]]).

 

=== Western Animation ===

 

* Some ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' games have [[Class and Level System|character classes]] that use this. Most spellcasters are referred to as Mages ([[White Mage|White]], [[Black Mage|Black]], or otherwise,) but the Geomancer is a recurring character class whose powers are drawn from the terrain type the party is fighting on. (likely a direct result of Feng Shui User [[Cultural Translation|just not sounding cool in English]])

** The Necromancer class was added to the Game Boy Advance remake of ''[[Final Fantasy V]]''.

* [[Magitek|Technomancy]] in [[Harkovast]].

* ''[[Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal]]'' shows us that it at least [http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1593 knows something about this trope.]

* Rubbermancy in the S&M themed [[Collar 6]]

 

 

 

* If Hawk trains as a Ninja in [[Seiken Densetsu 3]], he learns 4 Jutsu attacks corresponding to the elements: Water Jutsu, Earth Jutsu, Thunder Jutsu, and Fire Jutsu.

* ''[[Wizardry]]'' "Oriental" character classes have skill "Kirijutsu" which gives a chance of [[One-Hit Kill]]. "The art of cutting" sort of fits the idea, though it applies to blunt and unarmed attacks as well.

 

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]]

[[Category:Tabletop Game Tropes]]

[[Category:Magic and Powers]]