(Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay) How obvious is magic

[Ravian]

I've been searching around for some indication of this but I've been turning up nothing so far. So I'm just going to ask, how easy is it to tell someone is using magic?

From what I can tell Warhammer Fantasy magic is primarily derived from gestures and incantations, thus the requirement that most spellcasters be able to speak a magical language and not use armor. However it's less clear beyond that. If the spell produces a less than obvious effect, say a blessing rather than a fireball, could the spellcaster conceivably hide his involvement in it, whispering the incantation, trying to disguise the gestures, etc.? Or would there inevitably be some glowing hands and eyes to tip people off?

[Quertus]

Implicit answer: given that chaos magic has the mighty spell to make the target throw up in their mouth, for a -10% Fellowship... if the casting was obvious, it'd be completely suicidally stupid to use, instead of just kinda lame. So I suspect that casting is quite easy to hide (from those who cannot see the winds, at least).

[Guizonde]

it depends, honestly. the warhammer world is superstitious as hell to begin with, and being called a witch is grounds for police brutality at the minimum if you're innocent. someone casting (according to a few novels) is basically like psykers in 40k: cold wind, changing emotions, spontaneous nosebleeds, warp frost covering the walls... unless you've got a visual on the witch in question, you'll know someone is casting, just not who.

also, for what it's worth, whfrp 2e has a distinction between warp-fuelled magic and holy magic (given by your choice of holy deities either sigmar or the elven gods). holy magic makes the user shine upon casting and hits the undead like the proverbial sack of garlic. a fier and brimstone preacher of sigmar would be a lot less easy to hide in a crowd than a fireball thrower, but in both cases, news of a witch would get around and provoke a stampede.

[Ravian]

Sounds like a concealment check would be in order but otherwise plausible, so long as you avoid chaos manifestations that start to tip people off as well as other folks with magic sense.

Thanks all, was just kind of curious given that hiding one's magic should be a prime consideration in a setting where it can get you burnt at the stake.

[The Eye]

When magic sets your hair literally ablaze is kind of hard to go:

Spoiler

Show

"Hey guys I’m totally not a wizard."

[Guizonde]

dude, that's cheating! everyone knows the college of fire is full of pyromaniacs!

it's like saying the college of death or the cult of morr are full of necro... phil...iai get your point.