Noble Fates Mage Guide: Recruit, Train and Cast
Get a mage in Noble Fates: recruit a mage visitor or send a noble to train six years, unlock the Magic job and learn which spells win breaches.
There are two routes to a mage: recruit a mage visitor, or send a noble away to train for about six years. Mages get the Magic stat and job, can be controlled in third person, and deal 1.5x damage to demons. Keep one alive through every breach, because the replacement is not guaranteed to arrive in time.
Magic is the newest pillar of Noble Fates and the one that changes the shape of the game most. A mage is not a reskinned archer. They are a controllable hero unit with their own job, spells and equipment rules.
How you get a mage
Route 1: recruit a mage visitor
Mage visitors arrive like other visitors. They can be recruited.
- Check their opinion before inviting them.
- They arrive with magic already, which makes this the fast route.
- They are rare, so do not assume the next one will appear soon.
Route 2: send a noble to train
You can send one of your own nobles to train as a mage.
- Training takes about six years.
- The noble leaves your court during training.
- They return with the Magic stat and job.
Six years is a long time in a kingdom that might not survive six seasons. Recruiting is faster; training is more controllable, because you choose who becomes a mage.
What changes when you have a mage
Magic stat and job
Magic exists only on mages. It is a job and a stat, and it appears in the Jobs screen alongside other tags.
Third-person control
Only a recruited mage can be controlled in third person. That is the mode where you cast Magic Missiles directly and position yourself in a fight. It is the closest the game gets to an action RPG.
Equipment restrictions
- Mages cannot wield secondary items, so no dual-wielding a staff and a sword.
- Staffs come in quality tiers: Natural, Honed and Refined.
- Wizard hats exist as mage gear.
Plan mage equipment as a separate line of crafting. A mage with a poor staff is a mage with a weak Magic Missile.
The spell list
From the 1.0 notes, mages can learn:
| Spell | Practical use |
|---|---|
| Heal | Keep guards and nobles alive through a breach |
| Poison | Damage over time on tough enemies |
| Bonk | Cheap disruption |
| Slow | Control a charging group |
| Haste | Get workers or fighters where they need to be |
| Longevity | Extend lifespan, which is dynasty insurance |
| Conjure Water | Water where you have no pump |
| Summon Food | Emergency rations |
| Summon Drink | Emergency hydration |
| Summon Gear | Emergency equipment |
| Pop | Utility summoning |
| Assemble | Utility summoning |
| Tame | Turn a wild animal into a tame |
Two of these are quietly campaign-defining: Longevity extends a ruler's life, and Conjure Water solves irrigation in places a pump cannot reach.
Magic in combat
The damage maths matter:
- Magic does 1.5x damage to demons.
- Arrows do 0.5x damage to demons.
That makes a mage the best answer to a breach, and it makes archers a poor one. Against demons, bring magic and melee, not a volley.
Practical combat use:
- Position the mage behind a melee line, not in front.
- Use Magic Missiles on the biggest threat first.
- Keep the mage out of melee windup range, because the Flee popup applies to everyone.
- Use Slow or Haste to control the tempo of a wave.
The breach guide→ covers wave defence, and the combat guide→ covers raids.
Learning new spells
Spells are learned through play, tied to the mage's progression. Practically:
- Keep the mage active. A mage who sits in the courtyard does not learn.
- Send them on adventures and defence.
- Use the altar and worship systems to support their abilities. Favor can support abilities mortals use, and a mage benefits like anyone else.
Worship and magic are separate systems, but they compound. See the worship guide→.
Keeping your mage alive
A dead mage is a lost campaign advantage. Protections:
- Bodyguards. Assign guards to fight beside them.
- Positioning. High ground, behind walls, inside a gate house tower.
- Healing. Heal is the mage's own answer to damage; use it early, not at 10% health.
- Walls. A mage behind a portcullis can cast through the bars.
- Backup. Training a second mage is slow, so treat the first as irreplaceable.
If you lose a mage during a breach, the game dispatches an additional mage after a period. Do not design your defence around that. It is a mercy, not a plan.
Mage and succession
Longevity is a dynasty tool. A ruler who lives an extra decade can raise an heir to adulthood, establish relationships and avoid a contested succession.
That makes the mage a political asset, not just a weapon. A kingdom with a longevity-capable mage has a fundamentally different succession rhythm. The succession guide→ explains why timing matters.
Common mage mistakes
- Sending a noble to train without a plan for six years. You lose a worker for a long time.
- No staff upgrade path. Natural staffs are weak; research toward better ones.
- Using archers against demons. 0.5x damage is a waste of arrows.
- Putting the mage in melee. They are not a fighter.
- Ignoring Longevity. It is one of the strongest spells in the game for dynasty play.
- Assuming a replacement mage will save you. It arrives after a period, not instantly.
Sources
Official source: Noble Fates on Steam ↗
- 1.0 patch notes ↗ for mage recruitment, six-year training, spells, staffs and damage multipliers.
- Steam store page ↗ for the third-person mage feature.
- Steam Workshop ↗ for magic-adjacent mods such as Alchemy.
FAQ
How long does it take to train a mage?
About six years of in-game time for a noble sent to train. Recruiting a mage visitor is much faster if one appears.
Can I control any mage in third person?
Only a recruited mage can be controlled in third person. That includes a noble who returns from training and joins your court as a mage.
Do mages use weapons?
Mages can use staffs but cannot wield secondary items. Staff quality tiers are Natural, Honed and Refined.
Why do my archers do nothing to demons?
Arrows do 0.5x damage to demons while magic does 1.5x. Against a breach, bring a mage.