Line #40 Main/NotThatKindOfMage


1	-> ''"I don't care if your son's roommate is a level three Lunar Adept. I'm a Fire Mage. We have literally nothing in common."''
2	-->--'''Alasdair Beckett-King''', ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MjO7smRPbYc 5 Things Wizards Are Sick Of Hearing]]''
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4	Basically, this is when one type or tradition of mage is mistaken for another, or someone mistakenly assumes that the mage would fit an incorrect pop culture version of a wizard.
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6	See also NotThatKindOfDoctor, OurMagesAreDifferent, MagicAIsMagicA. (This is a case of Magic A is not Magic B.)
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8	Often overlaps with MutuallyExclusiveMagic. UnEqualRites can be a result. See also MagiciansAreWizards.
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10	----
11	!!Examples:
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13	[[foldercontrol]]
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15	[[folder:Anime and Manga]]
16	* Early on in ''Manga/NegimaMagisterNegiMagi'', Negi has to inform Asuna that her pop-culture expectations of magic (stuff like trees that grow money, etc.) isn't how magic actually works. There's also a section of the series dealing with differences between western mages and [[UsefulNotes/{{Onmyodo}} eastern mages]].
17	* In ''Literature/ACertainMagicalIndex'', people occasionally confuse Espers and Magicians, resulting in a couple of attempts to develop esper powers by studying magic. However, actual magicians and residents of Academy City can usually tell the difference at a glance. More thorough confusion concerns the main character, who is neither.
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20	[[folder:Fan Works]]
21	* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}''[=/=]''Series/TheBigBangTheory'' crossover ''Fanfic/TheManyWorldsInterpretation'', wizard Ponder Stibbons arrives in Pasadena, California, where he makes friends with his Roundworld kindred spirit Leonard Hofstadter. Ponder realises the Caltech crew are steeped in what to them is fantasy fiction[[note]]But on this Roundworld, Creator/TerryPratchett is still a press officer for the nuclear power industry and hasn't written any books[[/note]]. He realises their perception of wizards only occasionally chimes with his reality. But using his knowledge of ''actual'' wizardry, he still manages to win every game of ''Mystic Warlords of Ka'a''. '''And''' he finds a winning use for "Enchanted Bunny''.
22	* In ''Fanfic/TheDragonAndTheButterfly'', when both Hiccup and Stoick's party experience Madrigal-magic for the first time, they immediately assume that they're a family of witches and warlocks. The Madrigals are quick to correct them on this, Isabela in particular finding it offensive.
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25	[[folder:Film]]
26	* ''Film/TalkToMe'' is about a disembodied hand that lets people get possessed by ghosts temporarily. One of the teens says the hand belonged to a psychic, another corrects him saying it belonged to a medium with a third guy saying he thought it belonged to a Satanist.
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29	[[folder:Literature]]
30	* ''Literature/TheDresdenFiles'' Harry Dresden gets this a lot, even though his ad in the Yellow Pages states specifically what he will or won't do. Some of these are actual magical limitations, while others he follows according to his personal code or the laws of the White Council. And he doesn't do parties.
31	* One Creator/MercedesLackey story (starring [[Literature/HeraldsOfValdemar Tarma and Kethry]]) features an unusual variant where the one suffering misconceptions ''is'' the Mage; the antagonist has a very weak mage Talent, which means she can only handle a limited amount of raw power and is innately incapable of working many powerful magics. She just isn't very ''good'' at magic either. Yet she is thoroughly deluded that power and skill are irrelevant, and all one actually needs to become a full Adept is ''knowledge''. She becomes obsessed with the idea that her teachers are keeping "the secret" of full Adepthood from her, and goes thoroughly crazy.
32	* In the Literature/{{Dragonlance}} setting there are four types of magic, Wizardry (sometimes called High Sorcery, and draws from the world's three moons), Clerical Magic (Magic granted by the gods), Primal/Wild Sorcery(which draws from the planet Krynn itself) and Mysticism (which comes from all living things). The former two are called "Focused" magic, while the latter two are called "Ambient" magic. The first two are called Focused because they are [[ShapedLikeItSelf focused]] through either the Moons or through a god, where as Ambient magic comes from Krynn itself and the living things on it. Mistaking a Wizard for a Sorcerer might annoy them a little bit. Mystics and Clerics tend to get along better.
33	* In ''Literature/TheBelgariad'', sorcerers have a powerful form of [[FunctionalMagic Inherent Gift]], while magicians summon and "control" demons. Calling a sorcerer a magician is seen as very insulting. (Ironically, [[EccentricMentor Belgarath]] is ''both'', though he normally relies on his sorcery and is smart enough to only summon a demon when a). he absolutely needs to and b). it's not very powerful. He still only does it ''once'' across ten books).
34	** He's also not above disguising himself as a magician and using sorcerous illusions to make it ''look'' like he's summoned a demon. Again, though, once in ten books.
35	** Beyond that, there are Witches (well, ''a'' witch). She even gets the differences confused at one point, asking Belgarath to perform a spell that she can't, then offering him the use of any spell components he needs (sorcery is a completely mental thing). There also exist wizards (only one of whom is ever named, but an entire city of them exists at Kell), but the reader never sees any wizardry, and thus has no idea what ''they'' do. One of the sorcerers remarks on people's inability to keep the various varieties of magic straight, noting that most people take everything they've ever heard about any of them, and lump it all together with the assumption that any person who is capable of any of that fantastic stuff is capable of doing ''all'' of it.
36	* This happens periodically in ''Literature/TheLegendsOfEthshar'' because magic is very complex indeed:
37	** Wizards tap the fundamental chaos of the universe for powerful, and astoundingly unpredictable, results. (One was trying to create a sword sharpening spell and ended up creating a pillar of eternal flame the size of a mountain.)
38	** Sorcery taps the fundamental order of the universe in order to make powerful magical devices. Sorcerers once went to war with Wizards so one assume they are fairly powerful, but they lost so they don't do all that much currently.
39	** Warlockry allows one to rearrange the matter with their own mind; by communing with an Eldrich Horror (probably) that eventually eats the magic user (most likely). At one point one villain discovers that there is ''another'' warlock power source that seems not to have any Eldrich Horror so a warlock who stays near this one and far from the original one gets safe and unlimited power. [[spoiler:Although there is no Eldritch Horror in this new source, getting too powerful from it eventually gets you detected by the horror from the original source, despite the distance.]]
40	** Witchcraft can do the same things as Warlockry on a much more limited basis. However, witches also have other 'ESP'-type abilities, including minor telepathy, clairvoyance, etc. The power for witchcraft comes from the user, which is why it's so much more limited in physical manipulation.
41	** Demonology is the summoning and control of demons. Really handy for killing people, not so much good for cleaning the house.
42	** Theurgy is summoning and attempting to talk gods into doing what you want them to do. Less handy then one might suppose as the gods tend to be difficult to work with at best.
43	* Telemain from the ''Literature/EnchantedForestChronicles'' frequently gets mistaken for a wizard (who only knows one type of magic) when he is infact a magician ([[SufficientlyAnalyzedMagic who studies many kinds of magic]]) albeit one who is particularly interested in finding out how wizard magic works and interacts with other types of magic. Also, nobody likes wizards in that series, and with good reason.
44	* In the ''Literature/CircleOfMagic'' series ambient magic can be very difficult to recognize, especially the rarer versions. Due to her lack of traditional mage traits (making things move, seeing images in the flame) most people assumed that Tris was possessed by a demon, until it was revealed that she was an ambient weather mage.
45	* ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'':
46	** In the novel ''Literature/WyrdSisters'', Nanny Ogg is captured and placed in a dungeon, much to the surprise of a ghost who doesn't realise witchcraft mostly affects natural phenomena and people's minds.
47	--->'''Verence:''' But surely to a witch, this is all just so much...\
48	'''Nanny:''' [[ColdIron Solid iron]]. You might be able to walk through it, but I can't.\
49	'''Verence:''' I didn't realise. I thought witches could do magic.\
50	'''Nanny:''' Young man, you will oblige me by shutting up.
51	** Ponder Stibbons represents a major break from accepted tradition at Unseen University. In the vanguard of a younger new wave of magic users, he spurns the old dribbly-candle, stuffed alligator and potions-made-from-miscellaneous-animal-glands school of thought for a more scientifically rigorous approach to the magical art. Indeed, science comes before magic in his priorities. He has never been seen to carry a staff, favours a drab olive-green robe with a hood, and, to the despair and bewilderment of his elders, is keener on ''co-operation'' with his peers rather than magical warfare. He also forgets to eat when something more interesting is going on, and remains pretty skinny and nerdy in a place full of three-hundred-pounder [[BigEater Big Eaters]].
52	* Glinda from ''Literature/{{Wicked}}'' was annoyed that the munchinkinlanders introduced her to Dorothy as a witch because she prefers to be called a sorceress.
53	* In ''[[Creator/SimonRGreen Drinking Midnight Wine]]'', Trash the necromancer is livid when Toby calls him a sorcerer.
54	* Privileged are the equivalent of traditional mages in ''Literature/ThePowderMageTrilogy.'' Privileged draw magic from the Else with their dominant hand, with fire, water, air, earth, and aether each mapped to a random finger. Which element lands where determines which magicks the Privileged is best and worst at. Those with the most power in aether as prized as healers, able to undo mortal wounds and even heal chronic injuries. They're also the rarest type of Privileged. Several times, a battered character will ask a freshly arrived Privileged if they're a healing Privileged. The response is invariably this trope.
55	** In one case, the "No," is immediately followed with, "which means this is going to hurt," when he brute forced his way through healing magic anyway.
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58	[[folder:Live-Action TV]]
59	* ''Series/{{Kaamelott}}'': Merlin often claims that the reason he's an IneptMage is that he's a ''druid'' -- stuff like having a roof over his head (for his laboratory) cuts his powers by half. However, it's also seen that he's not that great a druid either (he can't read druidic, for starters).
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62	[[folder:Tabletop Games]]
63	* The ''TabletopGame/UnknownArmies'' supplement "Post Modern Magick" notes that adepts have had problems with working in organised crime because the mobsters were uninformed about their powers and gave them orders like "make Vinnie's car invisible", when the adept talents ran more to, as an example, finding out secrets instead.
64	* In most ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' settings, most commoners are not expected to know the difference between a Wizard and a Sorcerer. This will probably get even more confusing to them when you include non-core full casters, like the Beguiler (a stealthy illusionist expert) or a Warmage (whose only spells that aren't straight up blasting are the "Light" cantrip, doing ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, and Elemental summoning spells, which call up destructive embodiments of the classical elements). And there are mage-like classes who do things that aren't strictly casting spells, like the Tome of Magic classes (with the Binder -- which lets himself be possessed by spirits for power in exchange for being influenced -- it is even pointed out that while wizards and priests knows the difference and generally dislikes them, to the average peasant it's just a matter of welcoming the ones with healing hands and chasing away the ones with horns) and the two invocation classes. There are also mages who specialize in different schools of magic. A sorcerer who specializes in divination magic probably knows nothing about transmutation.
65	* TabletopGame/{{Pathfinder}} takes it up a notch. It has the traditional D&D core casters, but then adds in the Witch (a debuff/mezzer with light damage and healing), the Alchemist, the Summoner (a medium-duty caster with a pet monster), the Inquisitor (a leader-type hybrid of rogue/cleric), the Magus (a hybrid wizard/fighter), and the Oracle (a sorcerer-like divine caster) to the Core classes. Most of the old 3.X line is also compatible. It can overwhelm new players but also allow old players very different takes on the generic "caster" variants. For bonus points there are specializations that seem intentionally designed to let you fake your way through pretending to be a different kind of caster. The most blatant example being the Sorcerer "arcane" bloodline, which grants the standard analysis spells favored by wizards, a wizard familiar, extra knowledge specialties, and the ability to use certain magic-related feats in a manner that looks like how a wizard uses them. Slap an oversized book of gibberish in your inventory and take advantage of bluff being a class skill and most '''wizards''' will think the character is a wizard.
66	* Mages in ''TabletopGame/MageTheAscension'' can do magic in any way that they believe can do magic. This occasionally leads to different subgroups who look superficially similar loudly [[InsistentTerminology insisting]] on their differences. For example, Technocrats will tell you at great length that the Sons of Ether are doing ridiculous pseudoscience, the Sons of Ether insist to the rest of the Traditions that their Inspired and Dynamic Science is fundamentally different from and better than the staid stuff the Technocracy does, and Hermetic Mages who have spent years studying alchemy, Kabbalah, and other aspects of traditional Western mysticism get really annoyed at Orphans doing mystic-looking stuff that they pulled out of a popular novel.
67	* The ''TabletopGame/ChroniclesOfDarkness'' features a wide array of wizards and sorcerers having very little in common with one another. Putting aside the fact most of the supernatural critters such as vampires and werewolves often practice their own rituals and FunctionalMagic ''in addition'' to the various innate superhuman abilities they all have, ''human'' Mages themselves cover Thaumaruges/Hedgewitches (regular mortal occultists who just happen to know and practice rites that have some power), Proximi (basically a {{Mutant}}s kind of mages whose abilities are InTheBlood and who can only cast a few spells) and [[TabletopGame/MageTheAwakening Awakened]] (humans who gained EnlightenmentSuperpowers and are insanely powerful, capable of knowing dozens of spell even at their lowest and even ''creating'' their own). Not helped by the presence of two whole splats who just may have Posing As Someone Else as their hat. [[TabletopGame/ChangelingTheLost Changelings]] are ProperlyParanoid thus disinclined to give themselves away, and have access not only to their fae-like very magic-type powers, but to [[BazaarOfTheBizarre Goblin Markets]] where literally anything can be bought and sold if the price is right, not just single spells or other flashy effects but, depending on your Storyteller, even the ability to become another kind of supernatural, temporary or permanently. And then there are [[TabletopGame/DemonTheDescent Demons]], who in their new iteration use "exploiting the rules of the universe as a computer system" - powers, which is magic by slightly other name (and works VERY similar to what a Paradox-conscious, subtle mage would do), and possess perfect innate protection against any attempt to discern the lies from truths from them, mundane and supernatural. Which obviously makes them a little less than trustworthy to anyone in the know; which in turn gives them so much more motivation to avoid giving themselves out. To top it off, they literally wear other persons as Cover, with the mechanics for that; using another supernatural splat as Cover is tricky but definitely not unheard of.
68	* ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'': Wizards of the Lore of Death firmly correct anyone who mistakes them for {{Necromancer}}s. Despite a shared [[SkeletonsInTheCoatCloset morbid aesthetic]], Death magic is a {{creepy\|Good}} but natural part of the world, whereas necromancy is the corruptive BlackMagic of undeath, and their practitioners are bitter enemies.
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71	[[folder:Video Games]]
72	* Uncommon but still present in ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft''. Mages, how many times have you been asked for a soulstone or summon? Warlocks, how many times have you been asked for a portal or food and water? Come on, we all know it's happened at least once. Due to some classes having to chose to specialize in only one of multiple potential roles this would happen to many non mage classes. A druid may be invited to a party to heal when he has allocated all his talents to becoming a giant bear and mauling people, or to do damage when he had specialized in being a slow moving healing tree that couldn't even cast offensive magic in his preferred form. The Wrath of the Lich King expansion lowered the occurrence of this by allowing classes to specify which roles they could perform when looking for a group. With the advent of Dual Specialization (being able to have two talent setups that the player can switch between at will), tanking and healing classes can still be hit with this. Generally the inactive talents are for one of those roles but some players use their inactive page for a PlayerVersusPlayer setup.
73	* ''VideoGame/YesYourGrace'': This can be invoked by the PlayerCharacter. The Court Witch seems to have quite versatile abilities. If the Court Witch is busy elsewhere when a specific petitioner shows up needing her for WeatherManipulation, the PlayerCharacter can claim that she's more of a healer.
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76	[[folder:Webcomics]]
77	* In [[http://oglaf.com/overbite/ this]] ''Webcomic/{{Oglaf}}'' comic a magician is called upon to use his magic to defend the town from a monster, and explains that he's a dentist wizard. Fortunately, it turns out that's ''exactly'' what the monster needs.
78	* In ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'', The Oracle of the Sunken Valley gets his prophecies from the Goddess Tiamat, so Haley assumes he's a cleric. The Oracle explains that he's not, and that this assumption happens a lot.
79	** Later on we meet Veldrina, who isn't a cleric, but rather a favored-soul of a minor Elven Goddess. She ''can'' cast cleric spells, but the learning process is different, and she lacks some that should be available at her level.
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82	[[folder:Web Original]]
83	* Comes up in ''WebVideo/{{Unskippable}}'' with a mock conversation complaining about the weather and that the mage can't change it, and pointing out that Steve could do it. The retort is that Steve's a weather mage, so of course he could.
84	* A running gag on the Giant Bombcast podcast is an ongoing debate on whether [[VideoGame/StreetFighterII Ryu's]] KiManipulation counts as "magic," and whether this makes him a wizard.
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87	[[folder:Western Animation]]
88	* ''WesternAnimation/TheVentureBros'': After [[spoiler:Henchman 24]]'s death, [[spoiler:Henchman 21]] asks Doctor Orpheus, a self-proclaimed {{Necromancer}}, to resurrect him, stating "That is the definition of necromancer!" Orpheus explains the "Necromancer" title really only exists because the other words for his craft all sound silly by modern standards. However, this [[SeriesContinuityError contradicts]] his efforts to resurrect the Venture brothers at the beginning of season two, where he specifically mentioned others he'd raised from the dead.
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Context Main / NotThatKindOfMage