Mages are the dominant casters of Boreas, where they originate. They follow the sophisticated Boreal approach to spellcasting, which sees it as an intellectual institution rather than something natural and doesn't distinguish between innate, erudite and ecclesiastic approaches as much. As a result, all mages use intelligence to some extent, and can produce any kind of spell. Their spell list is "all", if another archetype can cast it so can they. Mages are super dedicated as casters go, they need to be really careful because they can only attune a few spells and they always need a focus (usually a wand), but they have strong secondary effects.
Wizard: (Something something, Harry.)
Concept: Wizards study magic in an intellectual manner, analysing how it works to the best of their ability and figuring out from one technique to the next how to perform magic. They generally study at accredited institutions, though sometimes as less... Reputable ones, and sometimes they are indeed self-taught. Wizards, unlike most other casters, show no strong tendencies to be of any one particular race, or age, or sex, and the only common demographic trait is that they tend to be from somewhere on Boreas.
Where to find them: If they aren't out practicing their magic or being taught, they're either at home or in a library reading.
Their purpose: Wizards are the only SAD mages. If you have a way to achieve ridiculous INT, they are the right class.
Mage spells: Wizards are erudite casters, who use intelligence to cast. They can attune two spells per spell level.
Realignment: Dedicated casters can sacrifice aura points to quickly regenerate spirit points.
Cantrips: Wizards get a small supply of extraordinarily weak spells they can cast for free. The selection scales to intelligence.
Spell slots: Wizards get one free cast each day of each spell they have attuned.
Primary attribute: Intelligence.
If they had a theme song:
My kid would NOT let me get away without making this joke.
Sorcerer/Sorceress: (A great pool of knowledge, the fruits of superior wisdom and an unquenchable desire for truth.)
Concept: For the sorcerer, a little magic is talent. Unlike a wizard, they started casting spells at a very young age. So young, some part of it was talent even if they were thinking about their magic intellectually. Doing so, they managed to make a great deal of their magic second nature to them, and now can produce that magic as effortlessly and naturally as moving a part of their body.
Where to find them: Alongside wizards, but less time studying and more trying to relax while stressing about finals.
Their purpose: Sorcerers are both blasty and versatile, having high spellcraft and SP, attunement and cantrip barrage.
Mage spells: Sorcerers are erudite casters, who use intelligence to cast. They can attune three spells per spell level.
Realignment: Dedicated casters can sacrifice aura points to quickly regenerate spirit points.
Cantrips: Sorcerers get a small supply of extraordinarily weak spells they can cast for free. Their power scales to charisma.
Cantrip barrage: Choose offensive cantrips and learn to cast one a number of times in rapid succession based on charisma.
Primary attribute: Intelligence for casting, charisma for cantrips and the cantrip barrage.
If they had a theme song:
Fool's Idol? Dark Sun Gwyndolin? Crystal Sage?
Occultist: (Ah, Kos... Or some say Kosm...)
Concept: Similar to the wizard and the sorcerer, occultists have always had an intellectual approach to magic. However, they come from a religious background. It's in their god's name that they study magic, and it's in their god's name that they comb arcana and apocrypha alike. And between the arcane and the apocryphal, they found the occult. There, they learned new methods and techniques, new teachers and new circles. For the glory of the gods and the gift of magic, they dove down the rabbit hole into the scrawlings of those who too, in the past, tried to reconcile the revelations of magic and science with the gods and had gone mad in their attempt. When they emerged, they were occultists, well versed in how to draw on the power of the world, what they believe to be the power of the gods, and use it to cast magic instead of themselves.
Lore note: Occultic teachings originated in the occult movement on Boreas, which started ~1200 years ago in objection to a rise in authoritarianism in the elven church. When the occultic teachings emerged during that time period is anyone's guess, as it was highly secretive at the time, but they were only operating for about a century before the church personally punched their clocks. These teachings were meant to demonstrate a superior understanding of the gods through using aprocryphal teachings to achieve great works of magic. All things considered it was a flop, but at least the techniques are solid. After that point, it's largely gone underground. There's a good number of occult secret societies around today, which still teach these techniques despite them officially being condemned by the church (though with no effort made to do anything about it). But despite originating in a single movement, they've drifted all over the place politically and religiously since then. Some still oppose the church in various ways, others are part of the church, others are part of purely political or business conspiracies, and some's agendas are completely inscrutable. Most of them just do their thing in secret and in hushed tones for the sake of feeling far more important than they actually are and have no real agenda.
Where to find them: Deep in the forbidden section of the library, reading books that seem unintelligible to everyone else.
Their purpose: Occultists have great staying power, due to channelled spells. If there's no rush, there's also no cost.
Mage spells: Occultists are erudite casters, who use intelligence to cast. They can attune three spells per spell level.
Realignment: Dedicated casters can sacrifice aura points to quickly regenerate spirit points.
Cantrips: Occultists get a small supply of extraordinarily weak spells they can cast for free. The number scales to faith.
Channeled spells: Occultists can cast some spells for free, though it takes a great deal of time. Slots and time scale to faith.
Primary attribute: Intelligence for casting, faith for cantrips and channelled spells.
If they had a theme song:
Was there ever any doubt?
Witch:
Concept: Witches are casters of old, obsolete religions displaced by modern ones. Originating on Boreas and most common on Marakiz, where the Orthodox, Revelant, Reformist and Prophetic churches pushed all other, older human religions underground. Witches still practice the older, pagan religions of old. But this is only what they claim. In truth, the religion they practice does not actually much resemble the original religion they're claiming to practice. So much has been lost and demonised over the years, and so much had to be reconstructed by the practitioners, that the religion is in truth as much their own creation as anything else. In that way, so is their magic. It's innate, as they have refused all instruction and the modern view of magic in favour of a more primal, instinctive version they only think resembles the practices of their "predecessors".
Lore note: Modern witches originated ~1200 years ago on Boreas in the Boreal Occult Movement (also where occultic teachings originate). They're more common on Marakiz now, but that doesn't change anything. The modern witch movement originally followed older interpretations of the elvish gods, and older elvish gods that were forgotten, swept aside (or were completely made up for the movement), as an act of rebellion against the elven church's United Master Race movement. As it sounds, it was a supremacist movement with the goal of unifying elven territories in the belief that united they would conquer the world. They succeeded in the unification part, but not the world domination part. This didn't sit right with a lot of people, and it was being pushed through the church using modern religious teaching as justification, going back to far older teachings made sense to resist it. The occult tried to stop them and got its clock cleaned, but they weren't wiped out completely. Most modern witches are imitators with no ties to the original group, and those on Marakiz and entirely imitators. They started doing the same thing starting ~1150 years ago and gaining traction ~950 years ago, with even more obscured and buried ancient human polytheism (which has been dead for almost 3,000 years). As a result, they bear even less resemblance to the original religions.
Where to find them: Try a coven. They tend to gather in concealed groves and caverns. And their mother's basements.
Their purpose: Witches given enough time can produce immense arcane power. The problem is getting that time.
Mage spells: Witches are innate casters, who use charisma to cast. They can attune three spells per spell level.
Realignment: Dedicated casters can sacrifice aura points to quickly regenerate spirit points.
Cantrips: Witches get a small supply of extraordinarily weak spells they can cast for free. The selection scales to intelligence.
Ritual Magic: Witches can cast some spells with great power, though it takes hours. Slots and time scale to intelligence.
Primary attribute: Charisma for casting, intelligence for ritual magic.
If they had a theme song:
I put a spell on you... Nah, let's go with something
a bit more energetic and just generally not garbage.
Cosmic Theurge: (That is not dead which can eternal lie, and with strange eons even death may die.)
Concept: Cosmic Theurges are ecclesiastic casters who rebelled from modern religion and sought older gods, much like witches did. But rather than finding a dead religion and making up what they wanted, they found something else. Voices only they could hear, what they believed to be gods. When they heard them whisper, they knew they were on the right path. Following what they could make out, they sought wisdom in the words of those who had also heard the whispers. From there, they learned how to make out the voices more clearly, and what it was they felt the need to comment on. The wisdom of those above should not be wasted, they believe. Others must hear of this, they say. The whispers are right there, how can nobody else hear them?
Where to find them: Probably an asylum. Not that they belong there or anything, it's just where they tend to be.
Their purpose: Cosmic theurges can gain large bonuses to casting power in exchange for becoming weak to magic.
Mage spells: Cosmic theurges are ecclesiastic casters, who use faith to cast. They can attune three spells per spell level.
Realignment: Dedicated casters can sacrifice aura points to quickly regenerate spirit points.
Cantrips: They get a small supply of extraordinarily weak spells they can cast for free. The selection scales to intelligence.
Insight: When inflicted with madness, theurges gain insight (up to their Int). This increases spell power and vulnerability.
Primary attribute: Faith for casting, intelligence for insight.
If they had a theme song: I'm going with this
lovely little ditty. No reason.