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In <7pjga11fpobesdrlcemb2110goje96ss69@4ax.com> Lehi <right@behin.edu> writes:
> How do I play a level 30 mage?
> I guess I need to learn. My buddy and I have an agreement on
> Frostmane that neither will get more than 2 levels ahead of the other.
> Well he is about to go through a move out of state, which will cut
> down on his play time for a bit. I'm already level 32 and have been
> treading water for a while, just logging on and getting lower level
> herbs around lower level mobs so I don't get xp (but I now have about
> 34g of hard earned cash). Now it appears his level 30 mage will
> stagnate a little longer because of the move. So yesterday he says
> that I am just going to have to play the mage to get him caught up.
> W00t! I just hope I don't learn to like mages better than rogues.
> Any strats or suggestions? I know you learn the basics by playing up
> the level tree, but I'm not going to roll a mage and spend months
> learning just so I know how to play his character.
The basics are pretty simple.
Find a mob to pull. Pull with Frostbolt, from maximum range if possible,
to slow the mob and give yourself time to cast before the mob starts
hitting you. While the mob is slowly running towards you, cast Fireball.
If the mob is still a good distance away after the first Fireball, cast
another Fireball, or a Scorch if it's closer.
Once the mob is in melee range, you have a choice. If your friend chose
to put five talent points in Improved Arcane Missiles, your choice is
easy. Just keep casting Arcane Missiles until the mob is dead, or at very
low health finish with instant-cast Fire Blast. Note that Arcane Missiles
is a "channeled" spell, meaning you must stay absolutely still while you're
casting. You can't even turn in place. (The spell itself will turn you
to face your target if it moves.)
If the mage does not have five talent points in Improved Arcane Missiles,
it is a little trickier. You can freeze the mob in place with Frost Nova
and then back up and cast another Fireball, and then just keep casting
Fireball until it's dead. Note that while the mob is beating on you, your
Fireball spell will suffer setbacks in its casting.
If you get an unexpected add, you can use the Polymorph spell if it's a
Beast or Humanoid. This turns the mob into a harmless sheep for a little
while, allowing you to finish off the original mob in peace. Any damage
will cancel the Polymorph, so watch your area-of-effect spells.
If you find yourself dangerously low on health but still have a good amount
of mana left, use the Mana Shield spell. This creates a magical shield
around you that absorbs a set amount of physical damage, but drains mana.
If you find yourself dangerously low on mana, and your friend chose the
Evocantion talent for his mage, freeze the monster in place with Frost
Nova, back up a bit, and use the Evocation spell. This will regenerate
all or most of your mana, and is uable once every ten minutes. This is
another "channeled" spell, so don't move, turn, or take damage while is
is casting.
Other random bits of advice:
Be sure to summon plenty of food and water when you start playing.
Remember that you have teleport spells. At L30, you can port yourself to
all three capital cities. If the mage does not have all of these spells
yet, learning them should be your first priority. The Portal Trainer at
each capital city teaches the spell for that city. They consume a Rune
of Teleportation, so make sure you have plenty on hand.
Intellect is your primary stat. It determines how much mana you have,
and also determines your crit chance, so don't skip on Intellect.
If you level up and learn a higher rank of a spell, it will NOT
automatically replace a lower rank spell that is in your hotbar. You'll
have to open your spellbook and drag the new spell onto the hotbar.
--
John Gordon "It's certainly uncontaminated by cheese."
gordon@panix.com