Whatevermancy: Difference between revisions
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{{quote|"I call it[[Beat|...]] Lactokinesis!"|"Brian" from [[Misfits]] on his [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?|ability to control dairy based products]].}} |
{{quote|"I call it[[Beat|...]] Lactokinesis!"|"Brian" from [[Misfits]] on his [[What Kind of Lame Power Is Heart, Anyway?|ability to control dairy based products]].}} |
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A standard naming convention for specialized magic- (or [[Magic |
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. |
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A very pervasive trope, and old enough that it's very prone to being [[Playing |
A very pervasive trope, and old enough that it's very prone to being [[Playing with a Trope|played with]]. |
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A notable variant is when people with [[Psychic Powers]] get classified by the suffixes "Kineticist" and "Kinesis". So a fiery psychic is a pyrokineticist/pyrokinetic, a water-controlling psychic is a hydrokinetic, a cold-manipulating psychic is a cryokinetic and so on with the endless possibilities of [[Gratuitous Greek|Greek and Pseudo Greek]]. Also if a work features a [[Fantastic Science]], there's a good chance that it's going to have a similar naming scheme. |
A notable variant is when people with [[Psychic Powers]] get classified by the suffixes "Kineticist" and "Kinesis". So a fiery psychic is a pyrokineticist/pyrokinetic, a water-controlling psychic is a hydrokinetic, a cold-manipulating psychic is a cryokinetic and so on with the endless possibilities of [[Gratuitous Greek|Greek and Pseudo Greek]]. Also if a work features a [[Fantastic Science]], there's a good chance that it's going to have a similar naming scheme. |
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== Comicbooks == |
== Comicbooks == |
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* The light-hearted ''[[Stanley and His Monster]]'' series by [[DC Comics]] included a character who practiced "Jell-O-Mancy". |
* The light-hearted ''[[Stanley and His Monster]]'' series by [[DC Comics]] included a character who practiced "Jell-O-Mancy". |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Hellblazer]]'' does this ''a lot'', usually with the title character. |
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* Kieron Gillen's [[Phonogram]] is centered around London's [[Britpop]] scenesters, who practice "phonomancy," or the application of music as magic. |
* Kieron Gillen's [[Phonogram]] is centered around London's [[Britpop]] scenesters, who practice "phonomancy," or the application of music as magic. |
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* ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' have a few; Pyromancy, Necromancy, Neuromancy, and the like. Joked about when Harry refers to wizard Peabody as a "Bureaucromancer." When he calls Mac "a master Beeromancer". He's not kidding, either. Queen Mab refers to mortal technology as "Ferromancy". |
* ''[[The Dresden Files]]'' have a few; Pyromancy, Necromancy, Neuromancy, and the like. Joked about when Harry refers to wizard Peabody as a "Bureaucromancer." When he calls Mac "a master Beeromancer". He's not kidding, either. Queen Mab refers to mortal technology as "Ferromancy". |
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* T.A. Pratt's [[Marla Mason]] series has all kinds of sorcerers with different (and often bizarre) specialties depending on what they draw power from: pyromancers, aquamancers, geomancers, pharmacomancers, necromancers, biomancers, technomancers, sex magicians(who are jokingly referred to in the books as [[The Pornomancer|pornomancers]]), aviomancers, vermomancers(who have power over vermin like rats and roaches) nihilomancers(who can drive their enemies to suicide), herbomancers, mycomancers(who derive power from mushrooms of all things), and nearly every other kind of -mancer one could possibly imagine. Marla herself, an Anti-Heroine/''very'' Dark Action Girl, refers to herself half-seriously as a "brute-force-o-mancer." |
* T.A. Pratt's [[Marla Mason]] series has all kinds of sorcerers with different (and often bizarre) specialties depending on what they draw power from: pyromancers, aquamancers, geomancers, pharmacomancers, necromancers, biomancers, technomancers, sex magicians(who are jokingly referred to in the books as [[The Pornomancer|pornomancers]]), aviomancers, vermomancers(who have power over vermin like rats and roaches) nihilomancers(who can drive their enemies to suicide), herbomancers, mycomancers(who derive power from mushrooms of all things), and nearly every other kind of -mancer one could possibly imagine. Marla herself, an Anti-Heroine/''very'' Dark Action Girl, refers to herself half-seriously as a "brute-force-o-mancer." |
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* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to |
* ''[[The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy/And Another Thing|And Another Thing]]'' introduces "Tyromancy", which uses ''cheese'' to predict the future. |
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* One of [[David Langford]]'s spoof ''[[Occult Detective]]'' stories features a discussion of various methods of divination, each with a -mancy name. They get increasingly ridiculous, before ending with the art of predicting the future by ''doing absolutely nothing''. Which is, of course, {{spoiler|dormancy}}. |
* One of [[David Langford]]'s spoof ''[[Occult Detective]]'' stories features a discussion of various methods of divination, each with a -mancy name. They get increasingly ridiculous, before ending with the art of predicting the future by ''doing absolutely nothing''. Which is, of course, {{spoiler|dormancy}}. |
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* Averted in the [[Nasuverse]], where the general term for that thing magi do is "Thaumaturgy", or miracle working (derived from an eponymous [[Real Life]] term). As the name implies, the aim of Thaumaturgy is to replicate or reproduce "miracles" or "true magic". |
* Averted in the [[Nasuverse]], where the general term for that thing magi do is "Thaumaturgy", or miracle working (derived from an eponymous [[Real Life]] term). As the name implies, the aim of Thaumaturgy is to replicate or reproduce "miracles" or "true magic". |
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* [[Exalted]] has Necromancy (the dark magic of the Underworld, power of and over the dead), and Oneiromancy (power of dreams and over Wyld), although the latter is almost exclusively practiced by the [[Fair Folk]]. |
* [[Exalted]] has Necromancy (the dark magic of the Underworld, power of and over the dead), and Oneiromancy (power of dreams and over Wyld), although the latter is almost exclusively practiced by the [[Fair Folk]]. |
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* ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' only uses the -mancer suffix for Necromancers, using more unique names for the other schools of magic. |
* ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' only uses the -mancer suffix for Necromancers, using more unique names for the other schools of magic. |
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** One exception is the NPC class Oracle, introduced in one issue of [[Dragon ( |
** One exception is the NPC class Oracle, introduced in one issue of [[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]] magazine. The class is a diviner with 26 different divining abilities, all pertaining to a different thing, and each ending with -mancy. However, this one is actually an appropriate use of the term -mancy, as the Oracle is a diviner. |
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** Actually, some of the subclasses (Kits in 2nd edition, Prestige Classes in 3rd) used class names ending in -mancer. |
** Actually, some of the subclasses (Kits in 2nd edition, Prestige Classes in 3rd) used class names ending in -mancer. |
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** Also, the Diplomancer, the slang term for a build with such high Diplomacy skill that a roll of the dice would turn enemies into fanatical servants. |
** Also, the Diplomancer, the slang term for a build with such high Diplomacy skill that a roll of the dice would turn enemies into fanatical servants. |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Unknown Armies]]'' uses this heavily. Every magic school is some kind of "-mancy." Examples include the entropomancer (who powers up through risking her own life), dipsomancer (power from alcohol), bibliomancer (power from acquiring rare books), and many others. |
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** However, calling everything _____mancy is mentioned as a modern fashion. The name "Urbanmancy" is an example of this, with the book [[Lampshaded|stating that if mages cared about language]] it would be called "Polisurgy". Earlier schools of magic were generally named things like The Way Of The Cogs, or The Way Of All Freedom. |
** However, calling everything _____mancy is mentioned as a modern fashion. The name "Urbanmancy" is an example of this, with the book [[Lampshaded|stating that if mages cared about language]] it would be called "Polisurgy". Earlier schools of magic were generally named things like The Way Of The Cogs, or The Way Of All Freedom. |
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** One notable fan-made school of magick from the website is "[http://ua.johntynes.com/content_comments.php?id=3139_0_3_0_C1 Tropamancy]". Yup. Inspired by this very wiki. |
** One notable fan-made school of magick from the website is "[http://ua.johntynes.com/content_comments.php?id=3139_0_3_0_C1 Tropamancy]". Yup. Inspired by this very wiki. |
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* [[Rifts]] has nicknames for various specialist psionicist classes with "fun" alternates. Pyrokinetic=Burster, Brontokinetic/electrokinetic=Zapper. Not one but TWO Necromancer classes. One from Africa, and a Russian alternate known as a Bone Wizard. Necromancers can learn bone magic spells and vice-versa though. There is also the Techno-Wizard, the Fire Sorcerer, the stone magic-using Stone Master, and the Nega-Psychic, who nullifies or negates magical effects and psychic abilities. |
* [[Rifts]] has nicknames for various specialist psionicist classes with "fun" alternates. Pyrokinetic=Burster, Brontokinetic/electrokinetic=Zapper. Not one but TWO Necromancer classes. One from Africa, and a Russian alternate known as a Bone Wizard. Necromancers can learn bone magic spells and vice-versa though. There is also the Techno-Wizard, the Fire Sorcerer, the stone magic-using Stone Master, and the Nega-Psychic, who nullifies or negates magical effects and psychic abilities. |
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* [[ |
* [[FATAL]] has a total of '30' whatevermancy skills, ranging from gleaning information off of staring at the clouds to telling the future from someone's droppings (of course). |
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* ''[[Magic |
* ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'' is full of mancers, and while they do have their share of future-seeing mancers, most mancers use the "control whatever it is" version 'cause it's more fun (some, like Retromancer or Anathemancer, are a little shaky on even what their prefix means). Matt Cavotta gives us the scoop on Magic's 'mancers [http://www.wizards.com/magic/magazine/Article.aspx?x=mtgcom/daily/mc63 here]. |
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* In the [[New World of Darkness]], [[Changeling: The Lost |
* In the [[New World of Darkness]], [[Changeling: The Lost|changelings]] have oneiromancy as the art of entering and manipulating dreams (as opposed to interpreting them to tell the future) and [[Mage: The Awakening|mages]] have geomancy as the art of manipulating the local landscape to redirect ley lines to alter local auras (as opposed to divining using the landscape). |
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** In the [[Old World of Darkness]]'s ''[[ |
** In the [[Old World of Darkness]]'s ''[[Vampire: The Masquerade]]'', some vampire clans can learn Necromancy, which combines the historical divination aspect with the more modern pop culture raising zombies aspect. Also, Clan Tremere could learn the Path of Technomancy. |
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** The clanbook for the Mekhet in ''[[Vampire: The Requiem]]'' uses it correctly, however, outlining various methods of divination with "-mancy" as a suffix. This makes sense, as the Mekhet are the clan with the Discipline of [[Psychic Powers|Auspex]] and heavy occult trappings. |
** The clanbook for the Mekhet in ''[[Vampire: The Requiem]]'' uses it correctly, however, outlining various methods of divination with "-mancy" as a suffix. This makes sense, as the Mekhet are the clan with the Discipline of [[Psychic Powers|Auspex]] and heavy occult trappings. |
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* The Ogre Kingdoms of ''[[Warhammer]]'' have Gut Magic, AKA "Gastromancy". |
* The Ogre Kingdoms of ''[[Warhammer]]'' have Gut Magic, AKA "Gastromancy". |
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== Videogames == |
== Videogames == |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[E.Y.E.: Divine Cybermancy|EYE Divine Cybermancy]]'' has "Cybermancy" (Hackers with psi abilities) and "Necrocybermancy", which is the process of installing cybernetic implants, similar to fantasy necromancy; The patient dies, is cybernetically modified, and gets his spirit called back into the body. |
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* Some ''[[ |
* 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]]) |
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** The Necromancer class was added to the Game Boy Advance remake of ''[[ |
** The Necromancer class was added to the Game Boy Advance remake of ''[[Final Fantasy V]]''. |
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** The Game Boy Advance remake of ''[[ |
** The Game Boy Advance remake of ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' names Relm's class as "Pictomancer", because her magic comes from painting pictures. |
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** Averted in ''[[ |
** Averted in ''[[Final Fantasy XIV]]'', where one of the two mage classes is called "Thaumaturge". |
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* ''[[Runescape]]'' has the Culinaromancer, an [[Evil Chef]] mage, And Oneiromancy which is "dream magic". As it is a fantasy MMORPG, necromancy is naturally present as well. There is also a [[Dishing Out Dirt]] hobgoblin geomancer, and a literal [[Badass Bookworm]] "Liberomancer", Lexicus Runewright. At one point, a wizard known to possess magical beads even reveals that he is working on developing a type of magic called ''beadromancy''. |
* ''[[Runescape]]'' has the Culinaromancer, an [[Evil Chef]] mage, And Oneiromancy which is "dream magic". As it is a fantasy MMORPG, necromancy is naturally present as well. There is also a [[Dishing Out Dirt]] hobgoblin geomancer, and a literal [[Badass Bookworm]] "Liberomancer", Lexicus Runewright. At one point, a wizard known to possess magical beads even reveals that he is working on developing a type of magic called ''beadromancy''. |
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* Played with by - what else? - ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'', with the Pastamancer, who controls noodles, and can also summon the undead... through summoning noodly bodies. |
* Played with by - what else? - ''[[Kingdom of Loathing]]'', with the Pastamancer, who controls noodles, and can also summon the undead... through summoning noodly bodies. |
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* The Necromancer, Serpent Clan's most powerful unit, from ''[[Battle Realms]]''. |
* The Necromancer, Serpent Clan's most powerful unit, from ''[[Battle Realms]]''. |
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* Combined with [[Fire, Ice, Lightning]] in ''[[Devil May Cry]] 2'', resulting in Pyromancers, Auromancers, and Brontomancers. |
* Combined with [[Fire, Ice, Lightning]] in ''[[Devil May Cry]] 2'', resulting in Pyromancers, Auromancers, and Brontomancers. |
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* ''[[ |
* ''[[Adventure Quest]]'' and it's [[Spin-Off|spinoffs]] ''[[Dragon Fable]]'' and ''[[Adventure Quest Worlds]]'' love this trope. [[Necromancer|Necromancers]], [[Playing with Fire|pyromancers]], [[Magitek|technomancers]], ''[[Instant Awesome, Just Add Dragons|dracomancers]]'', etc. It's probably only a matter of time before [[Running Gag|baconmancers]] start showing up in ''[[Dragon Fable]]''. |
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* The Flash RPG ''[[MARDEK]]'' has necromancy, pyromancy, aeromancy, elemancy (which uses all four natural elements), and one character even claims to be an ''equillibriumancer''. |
* The Flash RPG ''[[MARDEK]]'' has necromancy, pyromancy, aeromancy, elemancy (which uses all four natural elements), and one character even claims to be an ''equillibriumancer''. |
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** In said game's universe (a rather extensive one, with multiple inhabited planets of various levels of technological development), an equilibriumancer is one who uses the two moral elements, or Light and Dark. Sounds fitting with the balance, doesn't it? |
** In said game's universe (a rather extensive one, with multiple inhabited planets of various levels of technological development), an equilibriumancer is one who uses the two moral elements, or Light and Dark. Sounds fitting with the balance, doesn't it? |
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* Mages in ''[[Lusternia]]'' subscribe to this naming philosophy: there are [[Playing |
* Mages in ''[[Lusternia]]'' subscribe to this naming philosophy: there are [[Playing with Fire|Pyromancers]], [[Making a Splash|Aquamancers]], [[Blow You Away|Aeromancers]] and [[Dishing Out Dirt|Geomancers]]. (Interestingly, the conflict setup is Pyromancy V Aeromancy / Aquamancy V Geomancy, and is based on philosophy rather than [[Elemental Rock-Paper-Scissors]].) |
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* [[ |
* [[Warcraft]] III throws out centaur pyromancers, geomancers, and more. |
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* The ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' series has a resident necromancer and cryomancer in the form of the evil sorcerer [[The Necromancer|Quan Chi]] and [[McNinja|Lin Kuei]] assassin [[An Ice Person|Sub-Zero]] respectively. |
* The ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' series has a resident necromancer and cryomancer in the form of the evil sorcerer [[The Necromancer|Quan Chi]] and [[McNinja|Lin Kuei]] assassin [[An Ice Person|Sub-Zero]] respectively. |
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== [[Real Life]] == |
== [[Real Life]] == |
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* Horoscopes for obvious reasons. "Horomancy" if you will. More acurately "Astromancy" or Astrology. |
* Horoscopes for obvious reasons. "Horomancy" if you will. More acurately "Astromancy" or Astrology. |
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* Bibliomancy is divination from [[ |
* Bibliomancy is divination from [[The Bible]]. |
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* Geomancy is the western word for Feng Shui. |
* Geomancy is the western word for Feng Shui. |
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* [[I Ching]] divination is a form of chartomancy. |
* [[I Ching]] divination is a form of chartomancy. |
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== Film == |
== Film == |
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* Subverted in ''[[Hellboy ( |
* Subverted in ''[[Hellboy (film)|Hellboy]]''. Liz notes that her powers could be described as 'pyrokinesis', but she doesn't like the term. |
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== Videogames == |
== Videogames == |
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* The powers granted by pins in ''[[ |
* The powers granted by pins in ''[[The World Ends With You]]'' are [[Psychic Powers]], only some of which use the -kinesis form. |
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* As are a number of the psychic powers available in ''[[ |
* As are a number of the psychic powers available in ''[[Psychonauts]]'' |
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== Web Original == |
== Web Original == |
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* In the ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'', Madras, who could telekinetically control fabric, called his power "Fasmokinesis", bastardizing "yfasma", the Greek word for "cloth". Also, there was [[Making a Splash|hydrokinesis]], [[Playing |
* In the ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'', Madras, who could telekinetically control fabric, called his power "Fasmokinesis", bastardizing "yfasma", the Greek word for "cloth". Also, there was [[Making a Splash|hydrokinesis]], [[Playing with Fire|pyrokinesis]], and many others. |
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* Naruto the Abriged Series does this, especially for an [[Ass Pull]] or [[Played for Laughs]] |
* Naruto the Abriged Series does this, especially for an [[Ass Pull]] or [[Played for Laughs]] |
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