Magic in Istaria

Fire

Energy

Life

Blight

Spirit

Nature

Augmentation

Ice

Mind

Summoning

These are the spheres of Istarian Magic. Each has a different uses, different natures. Fire and Energy are the offensive magics, most of the spells of these spheres harm, though a few protect against their own sphere. Ice also is involved in damage, but while fire works with burns and continued damage, and energy works with pure damaging energy in great torrents, Ice involves slowing the foe, freezing and wearing down and holding. Mind involves attacks on the mind and the destruction of thought. Summoning involves the conjuration of many types of objects, from swords of flame to hammers of ice, to beasts. Nature tends to focus around the wrath of nature, and summons the earth and the elements to fight. Augmentation is the general enhancement and enhancement of a varied set of skills. Spirit involves the soul, harming the target at its very core. Spirit magic ignores all physical protections provided by armor and most other magical spells.  Blight saps an adversary's physical form, weakening his resolve and crippling his skill.  Life magic heals wounds and can even revive the dead.

Different kinds of magi work with different elements. The Mage is skilled with fire and energy, and learns a tiny amount of mind and ice to boot. The Cleric studies augmentations and Life. The Spiritist is the learner of Spirit and Blight. The Druid walks with nature.

The Mage is pure offense. There is very little a mage can do to help, besides granting wards against the spells which they use to slay. They can cause a beam of energy to fall upon a beast, can throw fireballs and spinning fire to burn and destroy, they can weave fire from their hands and drop bombs of both fire and energy. They also have a tiny amount of skill with Mind and Ice, the Ice they have enough strength to freeze foes, but Mind is too weak to allow much use. All mages can learn to summon fire and ice and energy around a weapon, to enhance its damage.

The Prestige Classes associated with the Mage are the Wizard, the Conjurer, and the Sorcerer. Each has specialized in a different field, the Wizard in Pure Fire and Energy, the Conjurer in Summoning with Ice and Fire on the side, the Sorcerer in the Mind with some Fire, Ice, and Energy, though little compared to the other classes.