History Main / UnEqualRites

** And finally, there are a great many Prestige Classes built around defying this trope and blending various types of magic: [[RedMage Mystic Theurges]] who master scholarly wizardry and divine contemplation, Fochlucan Lyricists who combine the magic of bardic music and druidic secrets, Cerebremancers who cast arcane spells and manifest psionic powers, Anima Mages who supplement their arcane spellcasting with the power of a bound Vestige, etc. Interestingly, Anima Mages are hated even by other Binders because they mercilessly exploit vestiges to enhance their spellcasting, an act which makes them unable to be good aligned (and has earned them the reputation for being [[StopBeingStereotypical the embodiment of every bad stereotype of a Binder]].

For a trope that covers a ([[WitchSpecies usually]]) different kind of prejudice among fantasy characters, see FantasticRacism. Compare KlingonScientistsGetNoRespect.

It's not uncommon to see a lot of rivalry between magicians in a fantasy setting, be it due to academic pride, competitive spirits, or plain envy. This is especially common if the setting has MutuallyExclusiveMagic… and even if it [[TheForce all comes]] from [[{{Mana}} the same source.]]

*** A few times the "{{Whatevermancy}}" designations (such as Mort the Ectomancer who communicates with ghosts) are used to refer to specific skill sets. Harry goes to Mort for help on a few occasions for ghost-related problems, as his abilities in that particular domain are much better than Harry's. However Mort has basically no magical ability outside his specialization.
** The term ''Sorcerer(ess)'' is used a few times, but lacks a clear cut definition. The implication seems to put them somewhere near the middle of the spectrum, capable of considerable magical feats, but lacking the power or training of a full fledged Wizard. It has also been used in the context of nonhuman magic users like vampires.

** Most non-Divination wizards consider Divination to be useless. Divination is described by Professor [=McGonagall=] as "one of the most imprecise branches of magic." Supporters of the subject claim that it is an inexact science that requires innate gifts, rather than something that can be easily taught academically. Those opposed claim that the subject is irrelevant and fraudulent. Sybil Trelawney, the professor of Divination, appears to be totally inept at it, as Hermione never fails to point out; in fact, Hermione drops the class as useless. Sybil's predictions are almost always wrong or obviously fraudulent, with the exception of [[spoiler:the two regarding Voldemort]], which she has no memory of, and the [[spoiler:prediction of Dumbledore's death]] in the [[Literature/HarryPotterAndTheHalfBloodPrince sixth book]], which she herself disregards as incorrect.

*** ''Literature/TheShepherdsCrown'', the last book in the series, brings things full circle with a boy who wants to become a witch. Although he does prove adept at the medical and "social services" angle, he never manages to do actual witch-style magic[[note]]Apart from being able to fly a broomstick and being able to perform stunts with it that leave Tiffany Aching blinking in disbelief[[/note]]. He does develop a preternatural ability to calm potentially violent situations and encourage people to improve their own lives, which his trainer believes to be something completely new. The plotline is never really resolved, most likely thanks to the book being unfinished when the author DiedDuringProduction.

It's not uncommon to see a lot of rivalry between magicians in a fantasy setting, be it due to academic pride, competitive spirits, or plain jealousy. This is especially common if the setting has MutuallyExclusiveMagic… and even if it [[TheForce all comes]] from [[{{Mana}} the same source.]]

** The Gnosis, practised by the Mandate. It is far more powerful than the rest and its secrets hotly coveted and jealously protected. WordOfGod compares it to ''philosophy'', defining the terms of reality exactly and objectively. [[note]][[AuthorAppeal It might be noted that R. Scott Bakker has a degree in philosophy and thinks highly of its importance.]][[/note]]

** The subclass of wizards called witches, who are regarded as a more primitive form of wizardry. Depending on the setting, wizards may consider them savages and a few gods jealous of their powers that they ordered members of their churches to hunt them down.

* In ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'', the Miracle wielding clerics view soul arts as an abomination. The pracitioners of soul arts dislike clerics for trying to hold them back and treating them like pariahs. The clerics aren't exactly wrong to dislike soul arts though -- it's a dangerous power fueled by the souls of the dead that comes from the Old One itself, and the world is a CrapsackWorld because people abused soul arts in the past. [[spoiler:It's heavily implied that the god the clerics worship ''is'' the Old One (though they aren't aware of this), which would mean that the "miracles" (which are also fueled by souls) are just soul arts with a more "benevolent" flavor to them.]]

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': Weaves of Saidar (the female half of the One Power) are shown as white. Weaves of Saidin (the male half) are shown as black. Similar color-coding was in the books for male and female halves of the yin-yang Aes Sedai symbol: white "Flame of Tar Valon" and black "Dragon Fang".

* ''Series/TheWheelOfTime'': Weaves of Saidar (female half of the One Power) are shown white. Weaves of Saidin (male half) are shown black. Similar color-coding was in the books for male and female halves of the yin-yang Aes Sedai symbol: white "Flame of Tar Valon" and black "Dragon Fang".

*** ''Literature/TheShepherdsCrown'', the last book in the series, brings things full circle with a boy who wants to become a witch. Although he does prove adept at the medical and "social services" angle, he never manages to do actual witch-style magic. He does develop a preternatural ability to calm potentially violent situations and encourage people to improve their own lives, which his trainer believes to be something completely new. The plotline is never really resolved, most likely thanks to the book being unfinished when the author DiedDuringProduction.

** All of this rivalry is rather beside the point, however, as the most powerful magic in Discworld history was that of ''sourcerers'', not witches or wizards. (Witches and wizards, in different ways, manipulate the BackgroundMagicField of the Discworld, sourcerers ''radiate'' magic.) Sourcerers' relationship to other magic-users is that they both empower them by their very presence, and scare the living crap out of them. And the most brilliant magic-user still around today isn't a human at all, but Hex, a {{Magitek}} {{AI}} which doesn't even have a gender.

** The Binder class may get it the worst of all. These {{Willing Channeler}}s get their powers by forming pacts with beings called Vestiges that are less than gods but more than mortal. Wizards look down on them as lazy, foolish, or cheaters, but they are outright ''despised'' by divine casters, who consider them blasphemers and heretics for bowing to false gods. The default assumption is that any setting with Binders is going to have organizations devoted to hunting them down, such as the Order of Seropaenes, an (unholy?) alliance between the usually-opposed churches of Heironeous, St. Cuthbert, Wee Jas and Vecna. When followers of the LawfulGood god of valor and chivalry are working with the NeutralEvil god of dark knowledge to come after you, you know you have a PR problem.

** And finally, there are a great many Prestige Classes built around defying this trope and blending various types of magic: [[RedMage Mystic Theurges]] who master scholarly wizardry and divine contemplation, Fochlucan Lyricists who combine the magic of bardic music and druidic secrets, Cerebremancers who cast arcane spells and manifest psionic powers, Anima Mages who supplement their arcane spellcasting with the power of a bound Vestige, etc. Interestingly, Anima Mages are hated even by other Binders because they mercilessly exploit vestiges to enhance their spellcasting, an act which makes them unable to be good aligned.

** In VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic IV this is why the AntiVillain [[VillainProtagonist Protagonist]] of the Death campaign refuses to expand his kingdom after fighting tooth and nail to get it. He's GenreSavvy enough to realize that ambitious Necromancers have a ZeroPercentApprovalRating and everyone else would be gunning for him if he seemed the least bit hostile. He's all too aware that his brand of magic doesn't have a very good reputation.

** Despite being a prodigy at plant magic, Willow's father's initially have her enrolled in the Abomination track (something which she has zero talent in) because they felt that it'd lead to her having better career opportunities when she graduates.

*** ''Literature/TheShepherdsCrown'', the last book in the series, brings things full circle with a boy who wants to become a witch. Although he does prove adept at the medical and "social services" angle, he never manages to do actual witch-style magic. He does develop a preternatural ability to calm potentially violent situations and encourage people to improve their own lives, which his trainer believes to be something completely new. The plotline is never really resolved, most likely thanks to the book being unfinished due to AuthorExistenceFailure.

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'': Depending on the setting and campaign, there cam be rivalries or antipathy between practitioners of all the various types of supernatural abilities, whether by their incompatible philosophies, lifestyles or values.

** By the time of ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'', pyromancy appears to have lost its "primitive" stigma and is now a respected school of magic alongside the others, but each significant kingdom in the game seems to look down on one particular school and those that practice it. Drangleic looks down on miracles, preferring scholarly pursuits such as sorcery (this might have had something to do with [[spoiler:the king's brother, himself a scholar, discovering that Gwyn was a {{Jerkass God|s}} extraordinaire whose fear of humanity's power over the Dark caused him to try and seal it with the Darksign, unintentionally creating the Curse of the Undead]]). The only prominent cleric in Drangleic was Velstadt, one of the king's two right-hand men. The extremely religious kingdom of Shulva focused on miracles and shunned sorcery, and is implied to be Velstadt's homeland. The Old Iron King's kingdom focused on pyromancy, but it isn't known what they thought about other schools of magic. Meanwhile, hexers seem to think their spells are superior to all other no matter what land they come from, and they have a point, since hexes are more difficult to use than other schools of magic, requiring investment in both Intelligence and Faith.

[[folder:Tabletop RPG]]
* In ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'', depending on the setting and campaign, there might be rivalries or antipathy between practitioners of all the various types of supernatural abilities, whether by their incompatible philosophies, lifestyles or values.
** Characters who use spells with the Evil descriptor are probably going to be viewed with suspicion at best by those on the upper third of the alignment spectrum. Necromancy can get a similar reaction due to assumptions of BadPowersBadPeople, which caused problems when 3rd Edition classified the ubiquitous ''cure ___ wounds'' spells as Necromancy - the spell family has since been classified as evocations.
*** [[https://i.redd.it/8j68feoo6rp01.png This]] story tells of a player playing a solo campaign as a [[BadPowersGoodPeople heroic necromancer]] who travelled to lands ruled by cruel tyrants and taught the people there necromancy so they could overthrow their oppressors, instill democracy, and once all that was over and done with, have the undead thralls do all of the menial labor so that the living had all the time in the world to pursue their true passions. On his deathbed, he used a scrying spell to check up on all of the places he had been to for nostalgia's sake, and to his horror found that a group of heroes had been going around "saving" these lands from the "evil necromancer" and reinstating their tyrannical rulers due to an assumption of "[[BadPowersBadPeople necromancer bad]]". [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking They also called him the "Arch-Lich", which offended him as he was not a lich and had no plans to become one]]. When they finally caught up to him, expecting a grand showdown with a cackling EvilOverlord, they instead found a heartbroken, dying old man who tearfully explained to them what he had done, why he had done it, and how they had ruined everything because of their ignorance and bigotry. Turns out the player was not playing a solo campaign at all, but was secretly being used as the BigBad of another campaign without either party's knowledge. The DM said he played his part beautifully.

** Wild Mages, when first introduced in ''Advanced D&D'', were generally looked upon with scorn, distrust or other negative feelings by other magic users. This is because Wild Mages use a unique form of EntropyAndChaosMagic, which makes their spells have a significant chance of failing and exploding in a "wild surge" instead of working as intended. Wild surges are always chaotic, with results that can be anything from funny, to annoying, to potentially deadly. Needless to say, other wizards look down on wild mages both for their inability to retain control and for the practical reason that nobody really likes someone who has a chance of randomly hurling around fireballs, {{Gender Bender}}s, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking clouds of rainbow bubbles]] whenever they try to use even the mildest form of magic.
*** Wild mages get it particularly bad in the ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'', where their magic was born after the brutal death of the local Goddess of Magic and so they are often hated as heretics, blasphemers or religious profaners by both more devout wizards and by the deity's clergy.

** And finally, there are a great many Prestige Classes built around defying this trope and blending various types of magic: [[RedMage Mystic Theurges]] who master scholarly wizardry and divine contemplation, Fochlucan Lyricists who combine the magic of bardic music and druidic secrets, Cerebremancers who cast arcane spells and manifest psionic powers, Anima Mages who supplement their arcane spellcasting with the power of a bound Vestige, etc.
*** Interestingly, Anima Mages are hated even by other Binders because they mercilessly exploit vestiges to enhance their spellcasting, an act which makes them unable to be good aligned.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Birthright}}'' has magical forces that can be fully understood only by [[OurElvesAreDifferent elves]], half-elves and [[InTheBlood blooded]] humans. They can use True Magic, much like wizards in other settings. All others can only become Magicians and outside Illusion and Divination schools use only minor spells. For the Realm magic even a bloodline isn't enough, it's available only to regent wizards with their own magical holdings.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Dragonlance}}'' has four types of main magic users: Wizards of High Sorcery, Clerics of the gods, Primal Sorcerers, and Mystics. The Wizards do not get along with the Sorcerers a lot of the time because the Wizards see the Sorcerers as infringing on their territory. The relationship between Mystics and Clerics of good deities is more friendly because of the Citadel of Light, which has both Mystics and Clerics working together to help people. Clerics of Neutral and Evil deities view of Mystics often depends on how their deity feels about Mysticism. And Wizards and Clerics sometimes do not get along because a Cleric, the last Kingpriest of Istar, was the one who tried to kill all Wizards on Ansalon prior to the Cataclysm. And since Wizards of High Sorcery are moon-dependent, there are three sorts of ''them'' -- one per Krynnish moon. There's also the "renegade" category, which is where wizards who refuse to acknowledge the authority of the orders of High Sorcery are classified. Mostly, it's a place to file wizardly characters or classes that get imported from other game-settings.

* ''TabletopGame/ForgottenRealms'': The Spellplague damaged magic, but also gave room for a "new" generation of spellcasters as many older casters lost their powers. Among the drow, the new class of wizards call themselves "spellspinners", and they have a rivalry with their more experienced but often weaker ancestors.
** When introduced in 2nd edition, subsetting ''TabletopGame/{{Maztica}}'' having inferior clerics and drastically weaker arcanists in the form of [[MagicAIsMagicA plumaweavers and hishnashapers]] was a plot point that helped justify why the [[EvilColonialist not!Conquistadors]] were able to run roughshod over the setting. [[ValuesDissonance It's not a plot point that's aged well]], and the 5th edition fan-led revival has taken pains to make Maztican spellcasters just as powerful as their rivals from the mainland.
* ''TabletopGame/{{Shadowrun}}''

* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer}}''
** Different races having to approach magic in different ways due to their different mindsets and how they open themselves up to MindRape by an EldritchAbomination. So short lived humans takes magic, split it up into specialities and study it in an academic and scholarly manner in colleges to make it safe; the hair brained Skaven ratmen use GreenRocks to power magical contraptions and their minor "wizards" are called engineers; Dark Elves and Chaos worshippers make pacts with daemons- if not the Chaos Gods themselves- while High Elves will elegantly weave the winds of magic around them like a tapestry. For the Slann, the most powerful wizards in the world who taught the elves their thing, magic comes as naturally as breathing.
** In addition to the species/racial differences, there also exists an arcane/divine dichotomy throughout, well, pretty much every civilised realm. In Bretonnia and parts of the Empire, for example, wielding arcane magic is grounds for a burning/hanging/impalement/decapitation/other execution method, but the miracles a priest performs aren't a problem (or aren't considered magical). Well, in the Empire using arcane magic without the training and sanction of the colleges is grounds for execution full stop, but certain peasants and [[KnightTemplar prea]][[ChurchMilitant chers]] haven't quite got that message. In Bretonnia, all arcane magic is banned, but the situation is a little complex- College trained mages visiting from the Empire usually get a pass thanks to politics, and the priestesses of the Lady[[note]]Patron goddess of Bretonnia, particularly Bretonnian nobility.[[/note]] technically use arcane magics, but are widely believed to use divine magic. [[TheFairFolk There are no priests of the Lady]].
** Dwarves use runes, which are less potent than using the Winds of Magic, but more reliable.
* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'': Psychic powers are universally bad news in humans. Those that are found are captured and put in the Inquisition's Black Ships and sent to Terra, where a thousand psykers are sacrificed daily so the Emperor's psychic beacon doesn't collapse (which would make FTLTravel impossible). Those that aren't suffer MindRape in order to control their powers, and undergo TrainingFromHell to develop them. Those that ''aren't'' caught by the Inquisition are ripe for [[FateWorseThanDeath possession by Chaos.]]
** During the Horus Heresy a more traditional form of this feuding occurred among the Librarius. The Thousand Sons were widely acknowledged as the most accomplished psykers, and looked on Librarians from other Legions with at best smug condescension. [[spoiler: Turned out they were using pure Chaos sorcery, just gussied up by Tzeentch to not appear obviously evil.]] In contrast the Space Wolves Rune Priests insisted their psychic abilities came from the pure elemental power of Fenris, and disdained everyone else for using "maleficarum". [[spoiler: To the absolute shock of everyone else, this obvious piece of nonsense turned out to be completely true.]]
*** Except it turned out that the White Scars' version of Librarians called Stormseers used their planets world soul. Fenris has no confirmed world soul and the Fang, headquarters of the Space Wolves, has the screaming souls of former inhabitants embedded in its surface. Also, the Thousand Sons practiced a stable form of sorcery, which anyone can do, and they used psykers. Chaos sorcery involves entreating with Chaos, which the Thousand Sons did not do (but Magnus did without realizing it). Besides that, a strictly ordered and regimented form of sorcery would not be dangerous. It's how the Eldar keep their power use clean of Chaos.
* The ''TabletopGame/OldWorldOfDarkness''

* ''TabletopGame/NewWorldOfDarkness''

* The galaxy of ''TabletopGame/{{Dragonstar}}'' is ruled by dragons, and official doctrine is that sorcerers are distant descendants of dragons and therefore superior to other classes, especially wizards who have to learn their craft.

* In the ''Century Station'' subsetting of ''TabletopGame/HeroesUnlimited'', different [[SuperHeroOrigin Superhero Origins]] receive different reactions from the public at large. Aliens, and other "powered" heroes (Mutants and Experiments) to a lesser extent, are distrusted until they earn the "superhero" label for themselves; this is doubly the case for the obviously physically-mutated. By contrast, heroes who use PoweredArmor, [[{{Cyborg}} Bionics]], [[CharlesAtlasSuperpower Physical Training]] or other forms of tech or skill are more easily accepted, and Physical Training in particular has a strong blue-collar appeal among the average citizen. Magicians are also accepted, but magic itself is feared by the man on the street - best something left to mystic heroes to deal with.
* In ''TabletopGame/SpearsOfTheDawn'', there are two forms of magic. Firstly, ngangas are people born with the inherent ability to control ashe, the fundamental energy of the universe, through the use of talismans and ritual. Secondly, the marabouts are people who have been granted the blessing of the spirits and can work miracles by calling on their aid. Generally speaking, marabout magic is [[WeakButSkilled subtler and more elegant]] (it has to work within the natural order, but the details are handled by spirits who know exactly what they're doing), while nganga magic is [[UnskilledButStrong more powerful but cruder]] (it can theoretically do anything, but is limited by the nganga's ability to figure out how). The griots form a [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane possible]] third school, since they can empower, weaken or even strike down others with their songs, but that might be because the authority of griots is so well-respected in the Three Lands that YourMindMakesItReal.

* In the ''Literature/TortallUniverse'', magic is incorporated into academia, so there's a lot of catty infighting and biases over particular magics. The lightest example is the InsufferableGenius mages who insist that their personal discipline is the best/most important/strongest, but there are also common prejudices, such as the disdain for "tribal" magic often found in universities and the near universal view that magic practiced primarily by women is [[StayInTheKitchen frivolous and weak]]. The one that gets the worst is [[FriendToAllLivingThings wild magic]], which most mages deny even exists because it works with natural forces rather than focusing on the mage's own power.

* ''Literature/MagicByTheNumbers'': In the first book, the five crafts are treated differently. Thaumaturgy is a profession, alchemy is an industry, magic is controlled by TheOrder, sorcerers are feared but valued independent agents, and wizards are carnival tricksters... but old-school wizards were on a level with kings, if not above them.

%%* The Creator/LyndonHardy trilogy has several types of magic users, with some disparagement betwixt.

** Fire-witches: Innate magic users, immune to most spells, and to fire which they have a special affinity for, can instinctively control spells, even by other casters. Wizards must be careful not to absorb their magic, the results end badly for the wizard. All fire-witches share a few personality traits and most are unpredictable but reasonably hospitable/friendly, but there are a few who are down right nasty. Most people are at least a little scared of any fire-witches they meet.