How to divine and arcane casters relate in your setting? Is there

yo is that a path of exile comic?

Piety did nothing wrong

>>53301383
If I ever get off my ass and create one I would try to make them one and the same. I personally always found it strange that priests have to resolve their lives to the hustle and sacrifice of their gods for miracles and then Ezekiel of the 13th circle of Dorks can do the same things because he lived in a library or some shit.

So in a setting with Gods/Supreme Beings I would make it so that all magics must come solely from them.

>>53302225
Or, all magic could be learned/innate like wizards and sorcerers but the beliefs of a cleric shape their particular magic so the output is different.

>>53302225
Arcane magic is linux. In theory it can do anything, in practice only expert users get something good out of it.
Divine magic is apple: the gods give you a limited list of stuff that works really good, (because they designed it).

>>53302225
>>53302878

Basically this. There's no functional difference between Warlocks and Clerics in my settings, apart from which entity is powering their abilities.

>>53301383
>How to divine and arcane casters relate in your setting?

Far better than Divine and Divine, or Arcane and Arcane.

Arcane and Arcane, the mages must constantly be on guard against theft of secrets and crafts, which is wholly avoided when the other caster is a cleric.

Divine and Divine, the clerics must be on constant guard against heresy - both their own, which might be pounced on, but also in the other party who must be kept in line at all times to prevent a doctrinaire split.

But a mage and a cleric? The mage can just agree with the cleric on all issues of doctrine and they'll be free from bother - and their precious secrets will remain safe.

>>53301383
Arcane magic is a physical force of the universe. It's what the elementals use, it's what nature uses, it's what the gods use. To master the arcane is to become truly powerful.

Divine magic is, albeit only recently discovered to be so, a sort of arcane parasitism directed through an emotional act commonly attributed to worship. Gods never gave their power, they allowed their power to be taken. They are usually so great a kind of being that this was almost never a problem, gods are almost infinite beings with a limitless well of power, but then Atropus entered their star system and everyone started praying at once. The gods grew weak and could not hold off Atropus, and it took the intervention of an alien god whom none could properly worship or pray to in order to stop him. Since then, the gods have made avatars on the world and have begun instructing arcane schools, to help deter mass prayer in disasters. Additionally, most governments have set up a religion dedicated to praying to Atropus, who technically is the creator and all-father of the universe, that he may be forever weakened and never wake again.

>>53302878
kind of this but with a twist.
Arcane or elemental magic is, to some extend, a crime against nature, it is "playing god" as you alter reality to your liking. because of this it is percieved as evil by commoners and gods alike and could lead to a catastrophic backlash if you overuse it.
because of this only a mage powerful enough to deal with both human and divine consequences will be known as such, lesser mages act in secrecy and try to limit their use of magic.

At the same time the gods can not directly act in the mortal world and must instead bestow their powers on gifted servants as a divine tool.
this is were divine magic comes from.
It is not rare for a cleric of any god to spend their lives smiting wizards.

>>53301383
There is no real difference..

Gods are just tremendously old and powerful mages. Worship isn't a Source of power and the whole religion business essentially is tool to control a society (sacrifices on the other hand...). Essentially the gods are just a bunch of really old and powerful dickheads larping as gods and plunging the world into endless wars in the hopes that the last one standing will be able to pull of a true apotheosis (ofc it is little more completely than that, there is a pantheon of gods working together hoping to just secure the Status quo etc.)

Divine casters essentially are bureaucrats/priests. You don't have to learn magic, a bunch of standard spells is usable by prayer (similar to real clerics) and you are also provided with magical artifacts according to your rank in the hierarchy. These dudes are mostly tasked with upholding the law and serving as officers in the endless wars of the gods.

Arcane magics are the dudes who actually try mastering real magic. This is heavily forbbiden in the parts of the world controlled by gods (one region killed its god in a revolution and is now run by a mage guild, others are savage hinterlands populated by underdeveloped people). In theory they could reach the level of the gods but for that they would have to Master the magic to stop aging and avoid being killed by the gods or each other.

>>53302878
Is pretty spot on when comparing their abilities. An expert arcane caster is more powerful and flexible but Divine casting is MUCH easier and reliable.

>>53301383
There aren't Arcane and Divine caters in my setting.
Power comes from one of three sources.
1. Internal to the person using it.
2. Supplication to a more powerful entity
3. Manipulation of hidden laws of the Cosmos

There is no overarching affinity or antipathy amongst them.
Many people may be jealous of 1 or 3, but lack the discipline, luck, or cunning to pursue such paths. 2. Is very likely to be in conflict with other 2s, depending upon their patrons' relationships.
The common folk judge 2 by their apparent lieges, and see 1s as anything between super heroes and eccentric megalomaniacs. 3 is the path anyone with enough time, money, and skill can take. But due to the expense of attending either a school, hiring a tutor, or maintaining a private research facility, most will never attain it. So there's often the low grade intolerance that the poor and under privileged feel towards those who have succeeded when they have not... But it rarely comes to anything other than looks and comments in private.

>>53301383
Tribal mythic primitive verse here.

Both are basically the same in that they exploit the forces of nature and gods to do the caster's bidding. They just do it in different way depending on origin, belief and practice.
The ones with the most sympathy from the common folk would be the shamans, I suppose, because they're usually head of their clans (or part of the clan council) and such. Sorcerers are often believed to be descended from gods (in a setting where gods are expected to walk among mortals and pretending a tree is your mother in only slightly unusual).

>>53301383
Arcane magic is manipulating forces of the universes, divine is becoming a greater part of the universes, psionic is becoming a master of the self.

>Arcane casters practice a highly complex trade and learn specific tasks for specific purposes. Each spell is like a tool in their belt. Warlocks are like cyborgs who have built their tools into their bodies.

>Divine casters do not so much practice a trade as a state of being, they become one with a domain of the universe. While they may pray to a god the god itself is just a gateway to the domains it reflects. Divine spells are tiny bits of understanding, mantra or mediation that allows the cleric to tune into a greater force. Standard clerics reach out to the outer planes while Druids are reach into our own.

>Psions reach into themselves and there they create complex mental machinery that allows them to harness inner power.

Whether they like or dislike each other depends entirely upon their goals. A cleric of Asmodeus can relate very well to a warlock. A druid may find an Evoker's theory on weather patters very intriguing. A Psy-Warrior could have deep respect for a paladin's path of self discipline. In many ways they all follow the same path just in different ways.

The common folk usually can't tell the difference between spellcasters, they're all magicians.

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217KB, 1152x652px

>>53301383
No difference, every kind of magic is just a different approach and application of the same principles, there are also no patron gods or saints related to magic in my setting. Magic is science in this setting.

Everyone has access to the magic arts, basic stuff is part of mandatory education and advanced magic arts are accessible by anyone with talent and disposition to study them.

Divine magic is the holy words of god, that give power and form. Even with the gods dead, the words persist.

Arcane magic are forgeries of this power, and other stranger paths and methods. No method of magic is turned away because of it's necessity to space travel.

>>53303993
I feel like even a common person could tell when somebody is a Psionic class vs an Arcane/Divine class due to the lack of runes, verbal, and somatic components.

>>53307282
I don't remember runes ever being a necessity of Divine or Arcane magic, maybe in books and stuff (which commoners likely wouldn't see up close) or specific rune spells.

Most folk wouldn't have enough knowledge of magic to know what goes into it. Sometimes the wizguy say a magic word, sometimes he waves a wand around, sometimes he does both, sometimes shit just seems to happen (using a class ability or having a spell already cast and sustained)
The commoner probably hasn't met enough different spellcasters to get that the difference is meaningful in anyway.

The psion is probably some smart looking guy in a robe holding a spear or a waling stick, he says acts all odd and sometimes he gets this real focused look and then something magical happens. The what is more prominent than the how to the uninitiated.

>>53301383
I go the old Rolemaster route.

Arcane, or Essence magic is learning to manipulate the mana of your surroundings. This of course requires learning and other no pleb friendly shit. Therefore, not liked or respected.

Divine, or Channeling magic is the pulling of power from some other more powerful creature(s). As you must do as they say or they cut off the tap, you are rather predicitable and limited in what you can pull off. This is good in pleb minds, and relatable. Even the less liked religions, like death and taxes, are at least understood for the scrouge they are and avoided or placated as is possible.

Psionics/Ki, or Mentalism magic is the harnessing of one's own will to manipulate yourself and those around you. It even allows small amounts of nature manipulation, but far less then Essence. It has the least direct power, but is often the most variable. Plus it can be practically unseen. Guy pulls off super punch that shatters armor that doesn't seem very magical, especially when he says anyone can do it with enough training. Plebs no understand, but as the magic is not flashy and usually requires much work, they let it go until a pyrokinetic shows up and starts torching things. That person they drown.

There are mixtures and offshoots, but this works for most my worlds.