During the God Design phase you can, and must, set magic skills for your Pretender God. Picking new paths and putting more points into current ones costs Design points, and the cost to pick new paths is announced when you select a physical form for your pretender. When adding level in a path, each additional skill level costs 8 design points *more* than the preceding, so it is very expensive to reach the 9 levels necessary for the special "bless effects". Generally you have to select a pretender with a starting level of 3 in the chosen path.
The amount, type and strength of magic you pick for your pretender also affects your Divine Titles and more importantly your bless effects.
There are eight Paths of Magic you can choose from, and you can place at max ten points of each skill at start for your Pretender. Levels of these paths also appear on the numerous mages of the world, but there are practically no mages who go over 5 picks in some magic skill without empowering or items. Pretender Gods can, and if the player wants to use a bless strategy will go beyond five picks. On the other side some players like to use low-magic gods.
All magic paths give you +5 to Magic Leadership per pick.
Air
The Path of Air deals with different manifestations of air such as wind, lightning or illusion. Air mages gain +1 Precision per level of Air magic.
Air magic offers powerful and precise Evocations, useful protection spells, and good summons. Gems collected from Air Magic are called Air Gems.
Astral
Astral is the first source of magic and draws its power from the celestial spheres. It is very versatile, offering some of the most powerful late-game spells and rituals. It can be used to alter the fate of the battle or used to empower or dispel other spells. Astral Mages gain +10 magic leadership per level.
Astral magic has a number of utility spells such as Teleport and Dispel, protection buffs like Body Ethereal, Twist Fate or Astral Shield and mind or world-altering combat spells such as Astral Tempest, Control, Horror Mark and Mind Burn.
Astral magic gems are called Astral Pearls. All other magic gems must be first alchemized into Astral Pearls if one wants to alchemize gems from one type to other.
Blood
Human Blood is the second source of magic and it is banned by most rulers. Blood spells are often powerful summons which call forth demons, fallen angels, crossbred abominations or Horrors. Blood magic also manifests as fatiguing combat spells that deal with burning, boiling, bleeding or draining blood from your enemies. Mages of the Blood Path can command five undead units per level in Blood magic.
The lore of the game notwithstanding, in fact any nation can take blood magic on their pretender or bootstrap into blood during the course of the game, even if their nation doesn't normally have blood mages available at start. Its sacrificial rites and techniques are unlike any other magic Path, as you MUST expend Blood Slaves to cast any spell. The Blood Hunt command is used with your Blood mages to gain Blood Slaves - sacrificial virgins used to fuel the Blood spells. These are the "gems" for Blood magic, but in battle Blood Slaves appear as units. In the strategic map they go into the commander's gem box like other gems.
Note that you can not alchemize Blood Slaves into or from other magic gems.
Death
The dark path of Death deals with necromancy, reanimation rituals and destruction of life. A strong knowledge in Path of Death is required to command great hordes of undead. A mage can lead 20 undead units per one level of Death magic. Each 5 levels of Death magic bestows a Fear Aura of +1 (ie. at Death 5 a commander gains a Fear (0) aura), whereas each individual level of Death increases the area effected by a Fear Aura by 1.
Death magic offers numerous summoning spells that call undead creatures ranging from lowly Soulless to terrifying Tartarian Titans. Death also provides good magic items for those who pursue Construction. Some powerful combat spells such as Disintegrate appear later on in the game.
Death magic gems are called Death Gems.
Earth
The Path of Earth deals with the control of the different manifestations of earth such as metal, stone and the very ground. Earth magic is useful in alchemy and in forging magical weapons. Earth mages receive one point of Protection per one level of skill in Earth magic.
Earth magic offer protection and enchanting spells such as Invulnerability and Weapons of Sharpness, good magic items, some potent battle spells like Blade Wind and summoning spells like Cave Drakes and Fall Bears.
Earth magic gems are called Earth Gems and can be alchemized into 10 gold each.
Fire
Fire is the most violent and destructive of all Paths of Magic. Fire mages carry an aura of righteous authority that helps them lead great number of troops, and the mages tend to be violent and aggressive. They receive a bonus to Attack skill for every level in Fire magic.
Fire magic spells mostly deal with shooting fire at enemies, encasing enemies in fire or setting enemies on fire and it has a great number of different spells in Evocation school.
Fire magic gems are called Fire Gems and they can be alchemized for 15 gold each.
Nature
The Path of Nature deals over the control of different manifestations of nature. It includes control over plants and animals as well as higher states of mind and body. A mage of this path can feed 10 troops per skill in Nature and any regenerative powers of the mage are boosted (~5% of max hp per nature level). Also, each extra level in the path of nature adds some years to the commanders maximum age, taking away any old age status if it surpasses current age. The amount of years added depends on the base max age the unit has (~+50% base max age per nature level).
Nature magic has spells that summon various creatures of Nature from wolves to mighty Tarrasques, spells that drive people to sleep or berserk fury or give them regenerative powers and spells that tangle people inside mass of vines or conjure forth clouds of poison or overpowering streams of life energy. Nature magic also has many useful magic items such as the Endless Cauldron of Broth which allows commander to feed 50 troops per turn with it alone.
Nature magic gems are called Nature Gems.
Water
The Path of Water deals with the control of different manifestations of water such as rain, seas and snow. Water mages have an increased Defence skills.
Water magic has a number of combat spells such as Cold Bolt, Sailor's Death and Niefel Flames and it has a variety of summoning spells such as Summon Naiads and Sea King's Court. Water magic has some strong magic items such as Boots of Quickness, Demon Bane and Sword of Swiftness and items that allow commanders to go under seas with their troops.
Water magic gems are called Water Gems.