Board :Guide
Author :Orb
Subject :Mage
Date :9/15
The Mage

 Overview-

  If you check the User List while playing, you will typically see more than twice the number of mages online as any other class.  The mage, in the hands of a skilled player, can be a deadly character.  With unbelievably devastating ranged spells; the mage can kill hordes of advancing creatures before they ever get close enough to strike.  The mage also has the ability to affect monsters in more ways then any other character.  In the later levels, a mage receives the blind spell (stops a monster from moving), the "paralyze" spell (stops a monster from attacking), and the venom spell (slowly eats away at a monsters health).  This trio of spells coupled with powerful lightning attacks makes the mage a formidable foe and a necessary hunting partner.  A mage generally will hunt by alone for most levels, or will group with another mage.

 Advantages-

  (More spells than any other Path.  Almost all of the spells are useful.  They fall into four categories: damage spells, creature-affect spells (i.e. blind and paralyze), healing spells, and player-affect spells (i.e. sanctuary and harden armor).  No other Path can claim spells from all four of these categories.

  (Most damaging ranged spells in the game.  The mage can do more damage to a foe from long range than all three other Paths combined.  A mages mastery spell, Hellfire (level 99) is capable of destroying most foes in a single shot.

  (Mages have the ability to affect creatures more than any other class.  With spells like Blind, Paralyze, Venom, and Confuse (makes an enemy attack one of his own cousins), the mage can control the fighting conditions better than the other Paths.

  (Mages get more mana per level than any other Path.  The extra mana allows a mage to fight for longer periods of time without having to worry about the replenishment of mana.

 
Disadvantages-

  (Mages get the least hit points of any Path.  Although they excel at ranged combat, once an enemy closes the distance the mage can be in serious trouble.

  (Mages must consistently worry about their health and mana, whereas the other Paths generally must only monitor their health or mana, but not both.

  (Many of the best spells are only obtained in the last few levels before mastery, forcing a mage to play through many long difficult levels.  A mage also needs more experience per level than any other Path.

  (Although powerful, a mage's ranged attacks can never truly match the damage of a similar level warrior or rogue's weapon attacks.  

 
Recommendations-

 The mage is for the finesse player.  He is a simple character to begin with; as he gets his ranged attacks before any other class.  In midlevels it becomes difficult to level the mage because of the high experience requirements.  Adventuring becomes a bit easier when the creature affect spells can be learned (level 59 for the first).  A mage is not extremely powerful when he first reaches 99, but with hard work and dedication the mage is unmatched in his potential.  The mage is the second easiest character for a novice to play.

Author: Elana