> Now, I'm not to be problematic but I much prefer formulary as the
> top-level descriptor - they essentially describe formulas for the
> magic. Grimoires would then be the Western book-based sub-type.
Sorry; we don't even use the word 'formulary' in HoM, or in the HQ2 magic rules. It may, or may not, appear in later supplements - after all, troll wizardry isn't mentioned in HoM.
>
> Something else I have been wondering is whether there is a standard
> terminology for a user of Essence Magic?
"Adept", mostly. Assuming you mean a professional, as opposed to somebody who just uses the odd spell from what we used to call Common Magic.
> Is "sorcerer" a
> rules-artifact term as well?
I've used it to refer to those adepts who operate outside the bounds of the Church; I gather the preference now is to use it simply to mean "evil magician". I would imagine that this means it no longer has any rules meaning at all.
> Or are we still using "wizard" as the
> generic term for "person who employs vaguely hermetic methods to evoke
> magic originating in the Essence Planes"?
In HoM, "wizard" is mainly used to refer to the class/caste of magicians in Malkioni society. It implies that you work within the bounds of Malkioni/monotheist society, rather than being some dangerous weirdo.
> I get an impression that Peter may be wondering why "sorcerer" is used
> in its standard English usage ("evil magician") but "grimoire" is used
> in a specific mechanical-definition way ("respository for information
> about Essence Plane magic - regardless of physical form").
I didn't make the terminological decisions for these two things (although, if I had, I would have stuck with grimoire anyway, for the sake of its familiarity from past editions), so I can't answer that one.
-- Trotsky Gamer and Skeptic ------------------------------------------------------ Trotsky's RPG website: http://www.ttrotsky.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/ Not a Dead Communist: http://jrevell.blogspot.com/
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