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Spells

(This page is under construction.)

Part One: Starting Out

As a mage, you start with nothing--no spells or skills. Basically, at experience
0 you are an adventurer. Nothing special about you at all. The first thing you're
going to want to do is pick up a staff and start whacking bats in the manor or running
CX and getting Flame Dart. At low levels, your priorities should be:

Raising stats, especially intelligence and then dexterity;
Raising skills, in particular staff or knife, and
Learning spells.

After Flame Dart, spells you're going to find especially useful are Light (as what self-
respecting mage carries a torch, after all) and perhaps Magic Missile (though some choose
to skip this completely in favor of Acid Arrow or their school's favored attack spell).
Scry really isn't useful until later, if you choose to join SK or hunt bounties, as you
can't scry NPCs. You'll want Rope Trick later for getting components, and Knock is also
handy in a pinch, as is Identify (particularly if you favor treasure hunting), but at low
levels, you may choose to wait on these spells until later.

================== Magic

   Light                          - 1
   Cantrip                        - 3
   Identify                       - 5
   Mark                           - 10
   Flame Dart                     - 20
   Know Alignment                 - 35
   Blur                           - 50
   Knock                          - 80
   Rope Trick                     - 100
   Charm                          - 150
   Comprehend Languages           - 200
   Scry                           - 300
   Magic Missile                  - 400
   Locate Object                  - 500
   Protection from Elements       - 700

Part Two: Joining A School

Choosing a school is perhaps the largest decision of a mage's career. What you choose will
affect everything you do, so it is in your best interest to choose wisely.

There is no one "best" school, and all schools have their disadvantages and advantages. Here
are some facts I believe you should consider for each school.

Conjuration: The most popular choice. As a conjurer, you will be a good offensive
machine. Acid Arrow is perhaps the most touted and cherished mage spell. In addition, you have
several other popular choices available in your in-school arsenal. Hero's Feast is a popular
choice for Conjurers. Tiny Hut is popular for killing 'intelligent' or moving monsters, such
as Alton or Achrya. However, there are disadvantages: you're like nearly every other mage in the game,
and therefore aren't too unique, and you'll depend on Alterationists or (in the case elves and such)
intelligence uniques to have things permed.
Alteration:Admittedly the school with which I have the least experience. Permanency is
the crowning glory of this school, perhaps the most saught-after mage power by all players. The
addition of Stoneskin, Deeppockets, and Strength to the group can create a very powerful solo mage,
as all three spells, when permed, are very formidable. Your primary disadvantage is a lack of a
truly powerful offensive spell.
Invokation::Consistently toted at the player-killing mage school, Invokation offers
perhaps the most impressive mage spell, Lightning. Invokation offers another offensive spell,
Fireball, the Invoker's version of Acid Arrow (uses less SPs, and less powerful), as well as
Cloudkill. Anti-Magic Shield and Lightning are excellent for player-killing, but the school
is hardly limited to such. Primary disadvantages here are the high cost of Acid Arrow out of
school, if you don't choose to use Fireball, and again, the inconvienience of having things permed.
I'm an Invoker and I love it. There's simply nothing like the smell of singed flesh.

Part Three: Mastering the Art

Invokation:

================== Invocation

   Continual Light                - 900
   Alarm                          - 1000
   Gust of Wind                   - 1200
   Fireball                       - 1600
   Solid Fog                      - 2100
   Anti-Magic Shield              - 2500
   Magic Mouth                    - 2800
   Cloudkill                      - 3000
   Globe of Invulnerability       - 3300
   Power Word: Heal               - 3500
   Lightning                      - 4000
   Mystic Sword                   - 7000
   Dimension Door                 - 10000

Welcome to the most flexible mage school. You can kill monsters and men with equal
ease. You make money easily, with the help of Cloudkill, but you can also make money
easily with Fireball and Lightning at the Frost Giant Steading, or with other kills.
Of course, spell choice is best determined by each individual, but here's what I would
recommend.

If you're planning for general play--not specifically SK or PK--it's best to start out
with a rounded in/out-of-school arsenal of spells. Fireball, Cloudkill, Stoneskin,
Deeppockets, and Lightning are good early choices. Once you have your basic killing
spells, you'll want Power Word: Heal (it's a damn handy thing in a bind!), and spells
like Dimension Door are also useful. Spells that are a waste of time and should therefore
wait until you've got hours to spare are Alarm, Gust of Wind, Solid Fog, Magic Mouth, and
the like. You may choose Mystic Sword for some good instant skill.

If you want an SK mage, you're going to want Anti-Magic Shield, Lightning, and Teleport
right away. Anti-Magic Shield is a must for fighting other mages, and is handy when
bountied for avoiding scry.

With Power Word: Heal on your side, and perhaps a Stoneskin and Strength, the Invoker is
a formidable player by any standard. Cloudkill or Fireball your opponents for great equipment,
then burn your way through Ancient Anguish!

Alteration:

================== Alteration
   Uglify                         - 900
   StoneSkin                      - 1100
   Burning Hands                  - 1300
   Lock Portal                    - 1600
   Tongues                        - 1900
   Enhance Magic                  - 2200
   Strength                       - 2500
   Dispel Magic                   - 3000
   Power Word: Harm               - 3500
   DeepPockets                    - 4500
   Teleport                       - 5000
   Haste                          - 6300
   Permanency                     - 9000

Welcome to the aptly nicknamed 'perm school'. Best for elves and the like, as they
can cast Permanency without intelligence boosting uniques, the focus of this school
is using Permanency on other mage spells (Stoneskin, Strength, Deeppockets, Anti-Magic
Shield, or even Uglify). This has its drawbacks, including a constant need for the rare
component nightshade, but a successful living can be made simply using this spell for
the benefit of other mages and the general public.

This is, granted, the school with which I have the least experience, so please let me know
if you have any further advice here!

Conjuration:

================== Conjuration

   Armour                         - 1800
   Hero's Feast                   - 2200
   Tiny Hut                       - 3600
   Flame Arrow                    - 4000
   Wizard Eye                     - 4600
   Choke                          - 5600
   Secret Chest                   - 6000
   Acid Arrow                     - 7000
   Secure Shelter                 - 8000
   Instant Summons                - 10000
   Gate                           - 14000
   Find Familiar                  - 18000

Welcome to the most popular mage school. This is for good reason, as it has the
most powerful offensive spell, Acid Arrow, as well as the highly popular Hero's
Feast. Personally, I think Hero's Feast is overused; you'll probably be best off
using it when you run out of regular heals instead of an exclusive means of healing.
You'll want to get Acid Arrow first here, and as soon as possible--some even get
Acid Arrow using only Fire Dart and other low-level spells. In any case, if you're
a conjurer, expect to be about like every other mage on the game.

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