An Archmage is a mage who has unrestricted access to two or more colleges of magic, not counting General spells.
The two most common ways to become an Archmage are to initially acquire a second college of magic through a Familiar (c.f., Ritual of Find Familiar), or to acquire access to a second college upon reaching the requisite Overall Level.
Archmage Through Familiar
The Find Familiar ritual has a College ability that allows a mage to learn spells from a second college of magic, but they are limited to General Knowledge Spells. Spell rank is also constrained by the mage's rank with the Ritual of Find Familiar.
The path to Archmage through a Familiar has three prerequisites:
- Must gain the College special ability.
- Must be rank 22 in Ritual of Find Familiar
- Must be Overall Level 12
Once these prerequisites are achieved, the mage can begin moving beyond the limits of the Find Familiar ritual, as indicated below:
 | GK Spells | GK Rituals | SK Spells | SK Rituals |
| Overall Level | Rank Limit | Number | Rank Limit | Number | Rank Limit | Number | Rank Limit |
12 | 12 | 0 | | | | | |
13 | 15 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 4 | | |
14 | 18 | 2 | 12 | 2 | 6 | | |
15 | None | All | 15 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 4 |
16 | | | 18 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 6 |
17 | | | None | 8 | 12 | All | 8 |
18 | | | | All | 14 | | 10 |
19 | | | | | 16 | | 14 |
20 | | | | | 18 | | 18 |
21 | | | | | 20 | | 20 |
22 | | | | | None | | None |
At Overall Level 15, the mage may choose to become an Option Two mage in the new college.
Archmage Through Overall Level
The other way to become an Archmage is through overall level with the following prerequisites:
- Overall Level 15
- 22 spells (including rituals and talents) at rank 22, of which
- At least 15 must be college spells/rituals/talents
- At least 5 of the college spells/rituals must be Special Knowledge
| GK Spells | GK Rituals | SK Spells | SK Rituals |
| Overall Level | Number | Rank Limit | Number | Rank Limit | Number | Rank Limit | Number | Rank Limit |
15 | All | 12 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 6 | | |
16 | | 15 | 2 | 12 | 3 | 8 | | |
17 | | 18 | All | 15 | 6 | 12 | | |
18 | | None | | 18 | 10 | 14 | 1 | 6 |
19 | | | | None | All | 16 | 2 | 10 |
20 | | | | | | 18 | All | 14 |
21 | | | | | | 20 | | 18 |
22 | | | | | | None | | None |
At Overall Level 16, the mage may choose to become an Option Two mage in the new college. |