A dark magic user navigates between the themes of evil sorcerer, shadowy mystic, insane cultist, tenebrous witch, grim necromancer, and demon follower. No matter the form of magic that is wielded by such a character, it came with a great price, may it be a moral, spiritual, or material one.

The scholarly aspects of high magic and the intricacies of its practice is closely related to the typical profile of its practitioners. This form of esoterism was mostly present in wealthy and aristocratic circles, among noble and wealthy intellectuals of the time.