Mages!

Hey you mages out there.......

Do you just strickly go for spells to get your MA up high or when starting out do you have some techy stuff (like charged rings) 2 ranks electricity? and you have to stay techy for a while to keep the +2 gain.

Since I always spend 5 points in pickpocket and lockpicks, I need 18 in dexterity, I know you could use the dex spell a couple of times, but isn't those holding spell areas for more important stuff?

I'm trying to start a mage but I keep getting hung up with the techy stuff and when you get to lvl 20 you should already have at least one college complete.

I have a save game that is level 13 with 6 unused points and when ever I load it to try something different, I just can't get away without going techy to begin with.

Whats the maximum spells you can learn and from how many colleges? What is the determining factor for damage done with a spell, like strength is to melee.

I know you need a high combo of CN, WP and IN, should get to 20 in all? Looking at that you would need 24 CP's (without any bonuses) to attain. Lets say 2 colleges, 10 CP's, thats 34 right there, LVL 25 to attain. and If I want my pickpocketing,lockpicks and persuation, theres 15 more CPs.

That totals 49 so far or LVL 40 give/take. This would be the time around the wastes where you can gain a few more levels, I guess used for a few lvl 1 spells you got earlier SoE, AoF and so on.

So which is the best way to achieve these results, a little bit here, a little bit there phlosopy? worry about the dexterity later kind of thing. Nice feature of the game, you get to try any way you want to.

Parmanian

 

I wouldn't raise IN to more than 12, maybe 16, unless you want more dialogue options. That way you can maintain 3/4 spells. Of course this depends a little on your playing style/spells.

The same goes for CN. 20 seems high. How intensive is your fatigue use?

As far as I know there isn't a limiting factor for spells other than CPs. And your MA determines spell damage (and for a spell like SoP, AC and resistances) - that's why I wouldn't use any tech stuff if playing a mage. Not in the beginning either.

What is your background? And (again) which spells do you plan on getting? Your character sounds a bit like a mage/thief...?

 

Im still new to the game but i am trying to go through this time as a mage and wonder why waste points on the lockpick skill? Cant you just use the cantrip spell and save the dex points and the lockpick points for other spells? Just a thought i dont know if it will actually work like lockpick does. any answers would be great ill be keeping an eye on this discussion

 

I need to have my 2 ranks in electricity to make them charged rings for my followers. I don't want to wait till lvl 30 to get sebastion to do it for me. The background is a protege for the followers.

Thats the point of this thread..... what spells, how many, maintain 4 spells, more consttution = faster recovery right? Just the little nuances of playing a mage.

The point is can you get to 100 MA having 5 points in lockpicks and 2 ranks of elec. you would need 7 spells to counter act the TA just to get back to 0/0. Since a spell gets you 5-6 points on meter, your gonna need 17 more spells to get to 100%. I just don't think you are able to hold that many spells.

Parmanian

 

With a different background it wouldn't be that big a problem:
"Night mage" raises your MA by 20 at night which means that you can trade in the tech shops at day (and the magick shops, obviously), be able to make the charged rings without too much trouble - AND be a pontent mage at night.

Dark helm adds another 20 MA.

...that's +40 MA which counters the effect of having 5 in lockpick and two in elec...

And then there's the racial bonus to MA...

 

thanks, I forgot about the items to boost MA. So, I guess I'll start a game as an elf, then one as a half elf with that night mage option and see how it goes.

I do like big parties so I'm gonna have to have cps in charisma to at least 16 (14 +2 bonuses)

Parmanian

 

Since you plan on having followers, don't worry about constitution too much. Just have your followers keep potions handy.

Also, there are items that have mana that you can use instead of your own (that replenish over time).

 

Charged Rings 2 DX each, 2 CPs. AoF + 4 DX each, stackable, 1 CP. Your followers don't need the DX, & the netural ones only get + 1 DX / ring. A mage does not need Janya. A mage needs magical healers. Vergil, Raven, Smythe. An evil Mage gives Geffory a Healer's Staff as well as whatever he normaly carries.

MA / TA is a bit of a quandry. I have a lockpicking mage who only has a 50 something MA. She does fine on Harm. Her Quench Life is a tad underpowered, but her zombies fight just fine.

Lockpicking is quiet. I know of two Tarant Thieve's Underground tasks that cannot be done with UC. For almost anything else, there is little difference to the two.

Battlemages have the eaisest time with low MA. They mostly use spells on themselves. They are not spells that depend on MA. The pure Mage with Harm, Fireflash, Lightning Bolt ,& etc. needs high MA. Summoners also need high MA.

 

Jaynas just around to make potions for the party. Her and virgil keep dropping their swords. I can't keep anything in that slot, you hear that little yelp then see one of your followers picking up their weapon.

Parmanian

 

I have a battlemage that uses SoP, Haste and Tempus Fugit - and without a high MA SoP wouldn't be nearly as potent.

SoP is, imo, one of the best spells for a battlemage. But if you choose to boost your stats with SoE and AoF instead then a high MA is probably not required...

 

I have a few low MA sorts that use SoP, it still stops a lot of damage. My throwing battlemage never bothered with it, & my 1/2 Ogre battlemage rarely uses it. Then again, he only has a IN of 8, so he usualy runs SoE & Haste. when there is a real tough fight, he will use a potion on IN & have 4 slots. Then he adds AoF & SoP. But when you are that big, & can swing an Arcane Greatsword that fast, there are not a lot of fights that are that tough.