Mage

精靈師 · Elementalist — A mage who battles alongside nature's elemental spirits

The elementalist forms contracts with elemental spirits or directly wields elements themselves. Unlike summoners, they form equal partnerships with spirits, borrowing their power for extreme elemental magic (fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, light, dark). Usually specializing in one or a few elements, they maintain intimate relationships with multiple spirits of that element (from lesser to elemental kings). Featured in Final Fantasy, Warcraft, Korean fantasy novels, and other Eastern and Western works, especially popular in Korean fantasy where the 'female elementalist' character archetype is established. Paracelsus's four-element theory provides the scholarly foundation.

盧恩術師 · Runemaster — A mage who inscribes the laws of the world into ancient script

The runemaster inscribes magical energy onto weapons, armor, or environments using runic letters, creating permanent effects. Slower than traditional spellcasting but uniquely persistent — once carved, runes remain forever even after the caster's death. Norse Odin is the first runemaster, having hung from Yggdrasil (the world tree) for nine days to discover the secret of runes. Rune magic was historically practiced by Vikings and Germanic societies, with many runic inscriptions found on tombstones, swords, and amulets. Warcraft's Death Knight rune system and Diablo 2's Runeword system are prominent gaming implementations.

召喚士 · Summoner — A commander-type mage who calls forth beings to battle

The summoner calls beings from other dimensions or realms to fight alongside them — a commander-type mage. Rather than fighting directly, they're strategists who direct spirits, demons, angels, magical beasts, and summoned creatures into battle. Social skills, contract negotiation, and leadership matter more than for regular mages, with some dedicating their entire lives to bonding with powerful summons. Final Fantasy summoners (especially FF10's Yuna) are the most popular archetype, with variants in D&D's Conjurer, Diablo's Necromancer, and WoW's Warlock pet system. Even mythology features such figures, as Indra of Indian myth commands the Marut host.

術士 · Warlock — A cursed mage who has made a pact with a transcendent being

The warlock derives magical power through pacts with transcendent beings — demons, ancient gods, fey spirits. The key difference from regular mages is they receive abilities from a Patron rather than learning theory. They grow powerful quickly but pay a price: pieces of soul, lifespan, free will, or memories must be given to the Patron, with deviation from purpose causing loss of power or terrible fates. Officially introduced as a class in D&D 5th Edition, gaining popularity through faster growth and dark appeal compared to mages. Shakespeare's Macbeth witches, Marvel's Doctor Strange, and various English folk traditions exemplify warlock variants.