Sources: I’ve looked and played at most of the Rpg edition barring 3rd, the 4th (new) version delved deeper in the Lore about magic, I will also look at the TT and the lore
Winds and the Immaterium
Not unlike light, Magic or Chaos Energy is refracted into different “colours” as it is entering the Materium. Those Colours are felt as Winds by practitioners of most races and became schools of magic in most countries.
All magic can be used via focus alone but doing so can cause great strain, Practitioners have found the use of ingredients to help them focus their powers, limiting the strain and pollution of the surrounding winds, Ingredients can be very simple or very complicated depending on the spell you want to do
History of Modern Magic
The first practitioners of magic were Elementalist and Hedge Witch, calling upon the winds to call upon the spirits of the elements, those Spirits still exist and are still called by some Elementalist even as the End Time happen (Golden Magus)
As those practices are very inefficient it creates a lot of pollution and cause instabilities in the Winds, The Elfs, highly attuned to the Winds decides to teach the Humans to limit the pollution and taught them of the school of magic, which later became the Colleges of Magic.
Different type of Magic
Magic in Warhammer can be separated in a few groups:
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Great Wind of Magic: 8 winds that are the most commonly use, their name vary from culture to culture: Lore of Aqshy (Fire), Lore of Azyr (Celestial/Heaven), Lore of Chamon (Metal),
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Leyline Magic: Magic that tied to the land (If you stand on a Leyline or inside the land you don’t suffer much corruption, possibly due to the Land being an ingredient/focus): Lore of Ice (Kislev/Oblast), Lore of Athel Loren (Athel Loren/Ancient Forest), Lore of the Deep (The Galleon’s Graveyard), Lore of the Greenskin (Ork tribes)
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Divine Magic: Magic tied to the belief in a certain god, can cause corruption: Ancient Lore of Nekeharan (Tomb King), Lore of the Big/Small Waaaagh (Greenskin), Lore of Sigmar (Empire/Human)
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Combined: Magic that necessitate the use of more than 1 wind of magic, they are most always forbidden in lower magic races for their danger: Lore of Qhaysh (High/Equilibrated), Lore of Dhar (Unstable), Hedgecraft (in theory)
Spells and Corruption
As all magic come from the realm of Chaos, and Tzeentch more in particular, using magic mean exposing yourself to it’s corruptive power, this can be bypassed via a few way.
A good way to represent it is as in the Dresden File (By Jim Butcher), all spells are tied to ones will, but you need enough energy too, and to be accustomed to it’s colour to reliably do it
Spell component:
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Will (Having the winds course through you is supposedly addicting and change your being, and maddening)
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Knowledge (To be able to shape it how you need to and not burn out by using it wrong)
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Power (Ambient Wind, can also be supplied with Power Stones, other being, yourself…)
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Ingredients (Tied to the type of the wind that you desire to use)
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Fulcrum (A Focus, like a staff, a Grimoire, a mirror…)
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Enchanted and/or symbolic Objects (Rune enchanted masterwork of the Dwarfs, Vile pelts of the Beastmens, The Shroud of a fallen Bretonnian Knight)
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Special places (Old Battle field, Ancient Forest, Site of Divine Worship…)
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Special Time (Due to Celestial bodies and rituals)
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Timely Aids, be it from other Magister, unwilling sacrifices, or other wordly beings, even in some cases non-practitioners (See spell of Aqshy: “Fury of Sigmar”)
But using Magic will always change you, certain race more than other but most (Practically just other than the Elf and some Slann). Magic will cause mutation, changing the practitioner in mind and in body, turning him toward an ease of use for his chosen colour while the other become harder and harder to cast, till it become virtually impossible
Exemption to the 1 Wind rule
Humans can in fact use multiple winds, there can be a few methods toward being able to do so, it is still very unlikely, even more so when you are at a certain power level:
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Outside Help: Deamon, Ghosts, Angels and even Gods can help a chosen human toward using more than 1 wind without developing the corruption of Dhar
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Artefact: Ancients focus of the Old Ones preserved by the Mage Slann of the Lizardmen can serve to learn more than 1 wind without any problem
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Dhar: Some Magister are not afraid by the Dark Magic and live with their corrupted mind and bodies without any problem
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Necromancy: Necromancy is the tainted use of the Lore of the Death, mainly a diverging philosophy (One try to avoid death, the other accept it as necessary), as Nagash rose and took in his grasp the Wind of Shysh, he turned it in the most present power, enabling most Magister from using it, it does in fact mean that most Magister could have been able to use the Lore of Death/Shysh but their lack of training mean they become de facto Necromancers
As in Warhammer nothing is simple, being a Magister or a Divine envoy (One who has enough faith to accomplish miracle) comport its risk (as seen with Sienna when she blow up), Magic in itself come from Tzeentch, the chaos god of Change and as always, Tzeentch has a plan.
From minor chaotic phenomenon to full blown Chaos gate yoinking you in the Realm of Chaos, Divine caster who do not use the Winds but the power of their gods can likewise suffer from their fickle gods whim or even from the help of a Deamon at their behest (The change being that a Magister roll on the table after the spell is done while the Divine caster does so before)
Lore of Magic
Most lore are quite old, the latest addition are the Lore of the Deep (Undeath Lore of the Sea) created by CA for the Total War game and a new version of Hedgecraft that arrive dwith the rpg (ed.4)
Wind of magic
Aqshy: Lore of Fire:
Aspect: Fire
Strong Offensive, low defensive and support, Magic Artillery
Signature Spells: Fireball, Flaming (Sword) of Rhuin
Known Mutation: Copper skin (tanned), Fiery eyes and flaming hair and beard, quick to anger and emotive
Azyr: Lore of Heaven
Aspect: Celestial bodies (Comets, Moons, Planets…) Dreams and Fate, Curse, Storm, Winds…
Strong Offensive and Support, very balanced and as useful in battle as outside of it
Signature Spell: Comet of Casandora, Fate Reading/Manipulation
Known Mutation: Ghostly appearance, clouded eyes and a propensity to be prepared for what’s to come
Hysh: Lore of Light
Aspect: Illumination (Light), Healing/Protection (Souls and body), Abjuration (Ghost Call) but also Stonework (As Stones absorb the light as it heat up)
Strong Defensive and Support ability, also can act as Magic Artillery but it is harder
Signature Spell: Crevasse, Healing Light, Radiant Gaze
Known Mutation: Skin of light (Glowing), white hair/beard, white glowing eyes, calm mind, research of Enlightenment
Chamon: Lore of Metal
Aspect: Metal, Alchemy, Engineering and other sciences
Strong Support
Signature Spell: Final Transmutation (Flesh to gold), Plague of Rust
Known Mutation: Metalic mask, living metal flesh, rigid mind and scientific interest
Ulgu: Lore of Shadow
Aspect: Shadows, Illusion, Sleight of Hands, Mist, secrets, spy-work
Strong Support
Signature Spell: Cloack (Hide), Healing Mist
Known Mutation: Mostly Unknown Propensity to be as mysterious as possible
Shysh: Lore of Death
Aspect: Death, Skeletons, Ghosts, curse, and other ritual about death and accepting it
Balanced lore with Offence focus
Signature Spell: Aspect of Dreadknight, Purple Sun
Known Mutation: White/pale skin, bony hands, hushed voice
They are also clean shaven but this is a cultural aspect in the Empire and not a mutation
Ghyran: Lore of Life
Aspect: Life, vegetations, Spring and Summer
Strong Support
Signature Spell: Geyser, Earth Blood (Heal), Fernbeast (Since ed.4 of the Roleplay game)
Known Mutation: Unknown, but their lifeforce wax and wane with the seasons
Ghur: Lore of Beasts
Aspect: Beast, Wilderness, Were-creatures, Shamanism
Strong Individual Buff, Shapeshifting and summons
Signature Spell: Amber Spear, Beastform, Flock of Doom
Known Mutation: Beast aspects, primitive minds
Qhaysh: High Lore
Aspect: Use of the other lores
Balanced and strong (but hard to master, unavailable to Humans)
Signature Spell: Spell from each of the other Spell Roster
Known Mutation: Unknown
Dhar
Aspect: Sacrifice, Witches, Blood Rituals, dark magic
Strong but crude, tainted
Signature Spell: Warpfire, Deamon summoning
Known Mutation: See Chaos Mutation, Insanity
Lore of Necromancy (Multiple)
Aspect: All those lore are based on the Lore of Death, but the practitioners fear death in place of accepting it
Summons and Offence
Lore of the Lichmaster
Lore created by Kremmler, basically a better/advanced lore of Necromancy, not much for the Vampire but is able to summon many more undead and control them better
Lore of Vampire/Nagash
Ancient lore of Necromancy, mention the work of Nagash more than the other
Lore of Nehekara
Lore of Necromancer for the Tomb King
Lore of the Deep
Centred around the Galleon’s Graveyard, a magical spot in the sea where the soul of the dead at sea return, Count Noctilus teleported his castle there
Ghostly ships, rotting sea beasts
Lore of the Big/Small Waaagh
Aspect: Aspect of Gork and Mork
Strong but unstable spells, More Ork mean more power
Signature Spell: Fist/Foot of Gork
Only for the Greenskin and possibly
Lore of Athel Loren/Fey
Aspect: Arthurian Legends magic, woodlands, sprites and fey spirits
Support focused
Signature Spell: Haunted Forest, Hidden path, Wild Hunt
Only for Wood Elfs
Lore of Ice
Aspect: Ice, Winter, Spirit
Balanced
Signature Spell: Blizzard, Frost Blade
Known Mutation: Cold skin, Ice death
Only for Kislevite Womens (Culturally!, men practitioner are either killed or “pacified”)
Runes
Aspect: Runes and enchanting
Very Stable, doesn’t cause corruption
Signature Rune: Rune of Wrath
Only for the Dwarf
Hedgecraft
Aspect: Witch, Traditional Wizardry
Non-military spells, defensive spells
Skaven Magic
Aspect: Vermins, usage of Warpstone
Highly Unstable
Signature Spell: Warp lightning, Plague
Deamon magic (Tzeentch/Nurgle/Slaanesh)
Aspect: Dependant on which god you follow
Lore of the Wild
Aspect: Tainted lore of the Beast/Life
Support/Debuff
Signature Spell: Viletide, Devolve
Mainly for Beastmen
Divine Lores
Aspect: Depend on the chosen God
Strong support and defensive spells