Sorceries and Incantations are the two main schools of magic in Elden Ring. Sorceries are what you might think of as classic high fantasy magic — think tomes, big hats, and wands — while incantations are faith-based spells — think paladins, prayers, and holy magic. At first, the two seem functionally the same, maybe a flavorful substitution, but the details differ.
Incantations
Incantations are nearly as varied as real-world religions. Everyone in Elden Ring seems to have a different interpretation of faith, and from that sprang dozens of spells with just as many avenues of utility. You’ll find damage-dealing incantations of flame, area of effect spells that deal no damage, but give you and your party breathing room, healing spells that grant protection to your full party when playing online, and beast incantations that grant you the power of the natural world, allowing your character to rip and tear through the opposition.
Incatiations create a broad arena for expression, a support character, a status build, and a tank can all come from faith-based spells. However, that does mean that it’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do it all, and often you will unlock new incantations that won’t fit into your playstyle, making growth early on feel a little frustrating.
Sorceries
Sorceries are almost entirely offensive. A player going down the route of the sorcerer is generally going to be building a character with pockets full of bombs. Your FP becomes indispensable, and you’ll become intimately familiar with distance and timing. Your beginning loadout will be like flinging small magical pebbles, but soon enough, your sorcerer will be conjuring crystal blades that cleave your enemies in two and great bows that pin even your largest obstacles to the ground.
Casting judgment
All of that is to say that better, in this case, is difficult to nail down. New players and folks interested in blowing their enemies to Kingdom Come will love sorceries. Players looking for utility or enjoy support roles in multi-player will find joy in incantations.
