Whats the difference between a Wizard and a Sorceror?

[Sure Valla]

So i was just watching this serie yesterday, called Legend of the Seeker (great, you should check it out) and you got this Wizard of the first Order, talking about magic and sorcerors

But whats the difference between a Wizard and a Sorceror?

[Avonu]

Great?
From person responsible for Hercules and Xena? You must be kidding.
And yes I watched this series but only thanks to Bruce Spence. Story and acting were bad and... well, I don't know if was because of director or story based on the book(s).

Anyway - I can't tell you exactly what is difference between these two classes, bcause in Polish both of them has same meaning: Czarodziej.

But for me Sorceror is always inferior to Wizard. Sorceror is someone like Harry Porter - can cast some spells, do it often but he little know about "real" magic.

Wizard is like Gandalf - know much about magic, has knowledge about many other things and if he choose to fight - better run away.

[Kalah]

The words have the same meaning in regular language. In fantasy and the like, I believe it's a matter of a difference in classes/magic schools. Mostly, a wizard is just the male term for witch, i.e. a male (real) magician. The sorcerer is a more specific term, commonly associated with dark arts, I think, because it relates to the word ensorcel, meaning bewitched - as in someone having taken control of your mind - which is generally not a positive term.

[ThunderTitan]

Aka: "you can use them however you like in your own fantasy setting"!

[Kalah]

In your own setting, yes, probably ... but I'm sure that fantasy nuts will have very stringent rules for what sort of magician may or may not be called what.

[Pitsu]

I am no native english speaker either. My take is that wizard is more related to wisdom, while sorcerer is more directly "skilled in magic". In other words, being a wizard would require higher intellectual skills than being a sorcerer.

[arturchix]

I always thought that wizard is meant to me a good mage while sorceror and conjurer - bad. In M&M games it's different though.

[ThunderTitan]

Here, know yourelf out:

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=wizard

http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=sorcery

One is even french...

[Tress]

That depends on interpretation of author. For example in D&D wizard is one that deals in magic as science with book and pointy hat, while sorcerer is person who has innate ability to use spells.

[Qurqirish Dragon]

Great?
From person responsible for Hercules and Xena? You must be kidding.
And yes I watched this series but only thanks to Bruce Spence. Story and acting were bad and... well, I don't know if was because of director or story based on the book(s).

The Sword Of Truth books are (IMO) a very good series. The series Legend of the Seeker is a decent adaptation, but a lot of things from the books have been mangled &/or taken out of order. The first season loosely follows "Wizards First Rule" (the first book), but uses story elements from several of the later books, and also completely changes the roles of the Book of Counted Shadows and the Boxes of Orden, as well as how they are used.

The second season is, roughly, following the second book's story, but again is drawing things from other books, as well as leaving out several of the major events (and so rewriting the story about them). In particular the rituals of the Mud People, and the collection of sorceror's sand on the way to the Palace of the Prophets.

If you have read the books, you already know what I am referring to. If not, I haven't given you any spoilers here.

In short, the TV series is OK, but nowhere near as good as the books (big surprise there, right? )

[ThunderTitan]

In your own setting, yes, probably ... but I'm sure that fantasy nuts will have very stringent rules for what sort of magician may or may not be called what.

Their fantasy setting bleeding over in real life make little difference when it comes to his question....

[GreatEmerald]

Yeap, in real life it means the same thing, in fantasy you can do as you want and in MM universe a Wizard is a promoted Sorcerer.

[[T]osHiro]

Wizard: wears long grampa robes..
Sorceress: wears sexy clothes..

End of discussion.

[Sure Valla]

Sorceress: wears sexy clothes..

Yeah. Sorceress, but Sorcerers dont.

[Ethric]

Yeah, if you want skimpy clothes men you'll want a barbarian.

[Sure Valla]

Yeah, if you want skimpy clothes men you'll want a barbarian.

But Sorcerers are mostly skinny
Barbarians aren't

[Macros the Black]

Imo Sorcerer is someone who casts elemental magic spells, Wizard is someone who casts arcane magic spells (non-elemental, pure magic, and time-related magic). Dunno why really, that's just my interpretation.

[Avonu]

So wizard can't cast lightning or fireball (elemental spells)?

[Tress]

Imo Sorcerer is someone who casts elemental magic spells, Wizard...

Well most famous fictional wizard(or at leas on of the most() - Gandalf could dish out lightning like no tomorrow.

[Macros the Black]

I know my definition isn't completely true (not even by a long shot), it's just what comes up in my mind when I hear the words "sorcerer" or "wizard".

I also somehow associate sorcerers with evil, and wizards with good, or at least order - not nescesarily, just they would gravitate more towards those extremes. I know a wizard is by definition part of a society of wizards, otherwise he would be called a hedge-wizard (except for Diablo 3's wizard who actually is a hedge-wizard). So maybe you could also say that a Sorcerer is someone who trained himself, while a wizard is accepted into a guild of magic users, or something like that, and a hedge-wizard is actually banished from the guild of magic users or refuses to learn there.

Which would make the titles dependant on status rather than actual powers, and in that case Gandalf is definately a Wizard (I think this is how Tolkien used the word).
Look at his specific powers, however, and you would call him an Archmage.

So wizard can't cast lightning or fireball (elemental spells)?

Any mage worth it's while can throw a fireball, just sorcerers specifically train in that kind of thing.

Anyway, what I'm trying to say is these words are used differently by different sources, they don't always mean the same thing, but when I hear the word "wizard" I think "arcane magic", and when I hear "Sorcerer" I think "elemental magic".