Mid Game Mage

[Kakost]

Hello everybody, and thanks in advance for everyone here willing to help a fellow newbie.

I have recently started the game, and after very very short runs with a few classes on casual and even story mode (seriously, I never went beyond lvl 5), I decided that none of that was worthed, and that if I really wanted the true experience, I needed to go Iron Man.

So, I've read quite a bit of the wiki, many posts here on the forum, I even got the tip on going to the Magistrate's house early on at lvl 2 instead of much later - which is the best suggestion EVER.


And I'm currently playing on Iron Man with Mage, because Mage is always my favorite class in any kind of D&D'esque games, and oh boy, I love it. I'm currently a lvl 15 Mage, and for a first run newbie, I think Im doing pretty good - for example, I got the Amulet of Dark Whispers, and at lvl 14... Here I must say that I followed to wiki's suggestion that "this quest has very few fights, if you can defeat the yets", and lets say that this has been a bit... Misleading, to say the least. But I got the amazing amulet nevertheless, which it is listed as "recommended lvl 17", so Im pretty happy about myself (I didnt kill the Lich there thou, I just grabbed the heart and run like the wind)


From lvl 14 to 15 I decided to get Gate, to make my life easier, despite this being considered a sort of "newbies thing", but it's ok since I can discard it later on.

I wanted to become an Arcane Knight, or even preferably try a Death Knight (for roleplay purposes, despite the somewhat consensus that Death Knights sucks), and I see people saying that it can be done at lvl 13, but that seems absolutely impossible to me, I just simply dont have good items, getting Arcanist to get to use the good staffs seems like a distant dream, as does getting anything like Iron Golem. I cant even think about re-doing my skills right now, despite the fact that they are now less and less useful.


I mean, early game mage is super easy, it really is. I found it to be the easier class in the early game - no kidding, Mage is the easiest for a the very first run of anybody, and the most overpowered too, all you need to know is to learn to use Griss as a human shield and not try to go in a blaze of glory like any other 'lesser' RPG games made for toddlers were you can never die. And by now I already mastered the art of using Griss, and if things go south, I just zap the guys, burn them and run, and zap them again until they are all dead.

After lvl 10, things begone to get harder. I even started on Iron Man with a Rogue Archer, and found it to be a LOT harder than my Mage. But once again, Im proud of it too, because managed to get Jester's Bow for him at lvl 7 (killing the Earth Elemental at the door with poison, then invisibility and running like hell to get the bow, and teleporting back home, surviving with 5 hp). With the archer Im lvl 8 now, maxed Archer skill and have currently Rapid Fire 2, with Jester's Bow and the items I bought from the Golden Hand, the Archer is feelling stronger and stronger; I few that for the Archer it is reversed, it's a pretty bad early game, but mid to late gets pretty stronger.

But for mage it feels the opposite. Early game is super easy, you're always just one zap or fireball to clearing a room full of enemies, but now it all came to a halt.

Im basically playing a full Elementalist Mage, more out of necessity than desire, because those were the demands I was facing. I got Mage Armor at lvl 4 because of the damn traps everywhere, now I currently only have it at lvl 2 and dont really plan to improve it any time sooner, since Im super squishy (currently End 2 with +1 End from a ring, so End 2 (3), Str 0), and I really almost never get hit (when Griss dies, I run). Getting more would drain too much of my mana (but now it's starting to get more maneageble with 300+ mana). I have Lightning Lvl 3, Fireball 3, Blizzard 2 (this used to be pretty good, now I feel it less and less so), Mage Armor 2, Staff 4 and that one skill that increases mana at 2 (which I need to have at 3 to START to buy Arcanist). My Staff is the Staff of Mighty, since I dont have Arcanist - and yes, joining the Mage's Guild was a massive pain, since ALL staffs with fire have Arcane, so just imagine me trying to get past the trolls having to lure 1 by 1 and letting Griss deliver the killing blow with her flame sword, all that to complete "Outstanding Apprentice". And to complete "Removing Prejudice" with my lvl 12, another pain.


So, I finally get to Icemist and... I have no gold, and I have no skill points to invest in the things I'd like - for instance, Iron Golem requires lesser Conjuration 2 just to begin, which I have 0. And to make it somewhat useful, I also need the skill to increase the level of my Golem (Summoner). Disintegrate is a massive mana drain for my level. Getting lvl 4 with any of my elemental damage skills wouldnt make much of a difference, and they would actually become a massive liability to my mana.

So, Im now stuck at Lamch Maze, killing Minotaurs to farm gold, which I was desperately needing, and I got pretty happy to see the difference - first time I went there I was lvl 6, trying to get 3 horns (1 for the guy in Jabal, 2 for the loreseekers), and it was insanely hard (but I did it), and now it's a walk in the park, and I saved enough to buy the +2 int belt from Icemist, which is very important to me since I use staffs (thus it's a massive +4 damage improvement), but the sad part is that I retired the Tiara I got from Lady Xidar (only +1 int) and Im using the Tiara of the Mentalist, I missed the +1 gloves sold by the Golden Hand, because I delivered that damn medallion to Frydha, so now Im hunting for that second necromantic book to gain access (I already got the first after many many hard attempts on Irazur, the tomb for Hirge's quest; I even finally killed the Lich there for the cheap price of tons of potions). So, Im planning an expedition on the Mausoleum at Deadwoods to take the second book and finally get to the library on Freetown and do the "Lost in a Good Book" quest. I tried to get inside Bluerock but damn, that's a death hall over there, and I had to run.

So, for my stats: Str 0, End 2 (3), Agi 4, Int 5 (7), Awa 2 (4), Per 3.
Of items of note, I have the Endurance Ring (End +1) which I gained from Latimer? Im not sure, from a quest, and the Amulet of Dark Whispers (Im sure you all know this one). The rest is not very special (Sharkskin Boots from that froggyman from the Froggy Princess quest and so on). I have stocked as many different items for the many different kinds of needed resistances, but still my resistances suck, even when I try to prepare for what I'll face (trying to do "The Master's Laboratory" with those blizzards of death where a living nightmare, despite being recommended for lvl 10, and I did it at 12).
At the Maze lvl 2, I got a "Charm of the Seer" or something, that grants +1 Per, so I have it on my bag of holding when I decide to do the quests that require Per 4 for certain outcomes, but I rather buy the +1 Per ring from the Golden Hand (thus why I now need to go to the Mausoleum, despite the fact that Deadwoods makes me shit on my pants).

Now, I feel that my traits are pretty solid; I always get all secret doors (only a few times I did require a scroll), my Agility 4 gives me some nice defense and extra damage, as does my Awareness, and my Int 7 Per 3 gives me all the mana I need. Plus, my Int 7 with Agi 4 and Awa 4 (with items) give me a very very solid staff damage (which is my main sorce of damage).


Now, what Im not so sure is about my skills. Sure, they are still usefull, they still save me from thought spots, but are not as usefull anymore. If Griss dies, I need to use all 3 of my elemental skills some 2, 3, 4 and sometimes even more times. And for bosses, they are close to useless. The snow feels absolutely useless now, and fireball feels ALMOST useless. What should I do? Should I discard them and change it for like a summoner build? But none of the options seem good to me right now, either for the lack of damage or for the excessive amounts of mana.

Also, any suggestions on what to do next? Because Im not much of a fan of mindless farming, I'd like to do quests, but they are all insanely hard right now (for example, "Turning the Scales" which is suggested at lvl 11, insanely hard. I did it, and I even "stole" the black shard, but obviously didnt kill the big dragon, just looted and teleported away).

Is there any good item I could grab for my lvl (besides Amulet of Dark Whispers, which probably wasnt even for my lvl).

And remember, Im playing on Iron Man and this is my first try, so dont go too crazy on me ok hahaha

Thanks a lot guys, and sorry for the looooooong post, I just thought it important to share all the information and a bit of my story in the game too so that you could firmly know exactly where I stand

 

[VDX_360]

A bit of a long post, so let's try to break it down a bit.

1: I --STRONGLY-- encourage you to switch to Hard Mode. It's the same game as IronMan, just without perma-death. I think you'll find it a much more forgiving experience come late game baddies. Perma-death is a brutal penalty for a simple error, or unlucky step.

2: Rather than going all in on all summons, try investing one type. Maybe toss one skill point to Fire Mastery to deal with trolls and as a back-up. Investing in one type will serve you well, esp if you learn Summoner skill. Earth Mastery becomes Iron Golem, too, which is really nice.

3: Specialize. Mages due better specializing as what combat type. Spreading your skills over every skill tends to leave you underpowered. Depending on your build type, there might be a place or two you'll struggle, but in toehr areas you'll do well. Spread too thin and you'll struggle everywhere.

4: Mid-game limbo. It's not uncommon for new players to hit a limbo where early game stuff is too easy, but mid-game stuff seems too hard. An extra level, and some new equipment, and players tend to push through.

5: A solid, player friendly mage build is the Summoner + Staff build. You'll do massive damage, have a summons for defense, and a Companion just for fun. So if you want to reset your character, give that a try.

6: Have you completed your Companion's quests, yet? Griss' quest is a bit tricky if you try to fight everything (looking at you gas guard, and executioner).

7: It's okay to spam summon golems in a boss fight. Summons are not your pets. If a mage has to spam summons to make it through a boss fight, awesome. That's still a win. Mages aren't know to be sentimental.


It's not really clear where you are in the game given the word-salad of your post. So if I'm in error, pardon it.

 

[Kakost]

A few other considerations:

Who ever said that Hirge is a better companion?

Hirge sucks! Omg, I tried using her, and I had to run for my life. Her mana depletes so quickly with her endless heals, and she has no defense, no life, no damage. Griss is SOOOO superior in every aspect - Bash Stun, Whirlwind, Cleave, survivability.

And no, no tomes for Griss. I used all the tomes for myself, despite reading a heated discussion here in the forum about how "the right way to play" is to give them all to Griss. Maybe it is, quite possibly, but like I said, I have been improving on a matter of necessity, and as of now, I never felt the need to give Griss an extra wow!, just myself. Griss only needs to stay there, push and stun the enemies and stay right in front of me while my Mage is death incarnated distributing rightful wrath, so I always felt the need to improve myself, not Griss. But now Im on a halt, despite starting just now to get a few bits of better equip and finally having acess to advanced skills (which I cant use any due to a complete lack of points or the absurd mana consumption)

 

[VDX_360]

For comparison, here's my current mage.

Spoiler: Click here for character summary

Build Type: Summoner + Staff
Level: 17
Traits: STR 0, END 3, AGL 4, INT 7*, AWA 5*, PER 4 (* includes equipment bonuses).
3 Trait points in standby.

Skills:
Staff Mastery IV (max)
Lessor Summon II (max)
Mana Surge II
Mage Armor III

Advanced Skills:
Arcanist II
Fire Mastery I
Earth Mastery III (max)

Weapon: Nifty selection of staves. Includes Magma Greatstaff (fire), Staves of the Sea (ice), Staff of Dead Kings (death), with back-up staff Staff o f the Storms (no mana cost).

Notable Equipment: +2 INT Belt, Amulet of Dark Whispers.
Gold: 53,810
Quests: 65 / 97
~ 9 black shards found.

Spoiler: Griss summary

Griss is Level 14 using the Sonnet and Red Leather Shield
(Just finsihed raiding the fire mess in the mountains).
Might switch her to 2-H after her quest, but liking her as a shield user.

Traits: STR 5*, END 2, AGL 2*, INT 0, AWA 0, PER 1
(2 trait points in standby)

Skills:
Whirlwind 2, Fury 2, Shield Expert III (max), Bash I, Cleave II

Notable equipment: Explorer Gauntlet, Sonnet, Superior Belt of Might, Breastplate of the Forge.

 

[VDX_360]

A lot of new players find Hirge a better fit due to her healing ability. However, with a summoner mage, she'll spend all her time healing the summons. More experienced players tend to drift towards Griss.

As for your gold supply, have you started raiding the Mercian Crypt? That place has some nifty drops, and lots of gold and items behind Ruby Key doors.

The area hits hard with death damage and the ambush at the start can be brutal but it's a good place to get gold and ebtter equipment.

 

[VDX_360]

Last bit,

As a mage, keep that mage armor active. Esp on IronMan. That holds extremely true it trap prone areas like the maze.

One unlucky trap and --poof-- you're dead.

A labyrinth needs traps or it's just a series of articulated hallways, but

 

[Kakost]

1: I --STRONGLY-- encourage you to switch to Hard Mode. It's the same game as IronMan, just without perma-death. I think you'll find it a much more forgiving experience come late game baddies. Perma-death is a brutal penalty for a simple error, or unlucky step.

1- Hehe, I fully agree on with you there. I decided to go full Nightmare mode because I realized I was "saving up" too much on a few tough spots - all of that before reaching lvl 10. So I decided "you know what? No more saving". And I started again on full Iron Mode. And my stress levels have never been so high, and I also learned the importance of potions and teleports. And I dont regreat this decision, I feel that this has massively improved my learning curve, it truly forced me to *master* my "hide behind Griss" skills, and because of that I have truly learned how to position myself. After hours playing Iron Man and hitting that "Mid Game Limbo", I tried go on Story Mode, just to "feel the temperature" of the game ahead, but everything was so damn easy that it was super boring, and I went straight back to Iron Man. That's when I started to play Rogue Archer, which I gotta say, super fun to play too (the only class I actually found to be boring is Cleric).

So yes, I probably SHOULD go to Hard... But I will not, if I lose my char... I'll probably cry for a few days, but it's ok, I'll do it all over again haha.

2 - I never planned to get any summon other than Iron Golem. The reason is simple: yes, a Fire Elemental would be great against Frost Giants, for example... But terrible against Red Dragons.

So, my plan was to use just the Iron Golem. But for that, I need 4 skill points for lesser summoning, and all the skill points for Earth Mastery. And the Skill points for Summoner, to make it more decent. Or perhaps, I could be without Summoner for now, but the Golem even without it is still a massive investiment - and a big mana drain too.

3: Specialize. So, I guess I'll reset Fireball and Blizzard, and stick with Lightning alone. But I wont get to Lightning 4, since it's too much mana for not that much more damage - and honestly, the best part of Lightning is "+lvl ×2 damage", which I get at Zap lvl 3. Im still keeping Mage Armor lvl 2, because it offers good defense and resistances (not insanely good, but good), and is still very mana cheap (just 5 mana, while higher lvls begin to drain pretty heavily). That would allow me to up my Mana Fountain from 2 to 3, allowing me to buy Arcanist. And I see more and more the need of Arcanist for me to use better staffs, as well as elemental staffs too, when there are enemies with exploitable resistances.

Here lies the problem thou: I can probably either get Arcanist, which is what in my mind Im more in favor of, since most of what I do is using a staff, and also to play on the elemental resistances of my enemies, so it's a double pro, or I get a summon, but I cant get both. And in either case, I must do it on the expensive of losing a LOT of damage that has saved me on countless ocasions - I mean, Lightning is awesome, but Fireball is pretty good too, and them both combined are life saviors on many hard spots where you could end up surrounded. I am afraid of being with just my zap, and find it to be lacking.

4: Mid-game limbo. Yeah, I feel it pretty hard. It feels right now that Im going inches by inches, and every new area is a massive area - and thus I just find myself back again at the Maze, fighting for scraps of gold.

5: What do you think is better at the lvl 15 range, Iron Golem or Arcanist? Because I can only get 1 (and at the expense of my elemental damages).

6: I received Griss quest, I looked at the table here in the forum for "suggested lvls" of quests, gave it a look on Wiki, and after all the previous experiences I had (like almost dying to the Lich when grabbing the Amulet of Dark Whispers, where the wiki said it was "easy at lvl 15" - and ok, I did it at lvl 14, but still), I decided to not rush to do Griss quest, but instead wait a bit and ask for some guidance... Just for the sake of my health hehe

7:
It's not really clear where you are in the game given the word-salad of your post. So if I'm in error, pardon it.

Well, right now Im lvl 15, already done pretty much all of the "easy" quests, I did Xidar already, which was far easier than I thought, I even defeated the Decurion before doing it, but in that cave where you get the living ice, Griss died in seconds for the big dragon, so I run. Im in the stage of the game of searching for the Black Shards, and I already opened both doors at Tremadan's tower. Only recently I finally cleared Irazur's Tomb, the one for recruiting Hirge; initially I had only got her quest, and left the rest (I did it at lvl 8 if Im not mistake). But now I finally got everything there, and killed the Lich. I tried get to that city in the south (Friguld I think), but I gave up. I tried to get inside of Bluerock Castle but damn, that's a death sentence, and I only made it due to a speed potion. And south of New Anhur, where there is the Froggy princess quest, that dungeon with all the orcs and froggy man is another death trap. Still, I managed to do that quest - barely - and I also managed to get all the Chitin caparaces for the second part of the "Shield the Mind" quest, but it was all insanely hard and potion demanding. And it was impossible to push over the orcs.

Oh yes, my mage armor is always on, absolutely. Which is also why I dont get it above lvl 2, to keep the mana cost low.

I also found it the hardest thing to play other classes the lack of mage armor. And the lack of all the elemental area damage that so easily disposes of enemies. This has been a hard thing for me to adapt when playing Rogue. On the other hand thou, when I got back to the Mage, I sorely missed my traps and speed haha.

But yes, I found Mage to be the best class for my particular tastes. Super powerfull, particularly for early game, where unlike popular opinions, I found it to be the strongest class for.

But Mage Armor is making me a bit spoiled if I ever play other classes, Im just so used of not caring at all about traps hehe, I havent made pass lvl 5 warrior, because Im afraid I'll just simply die to a random trap.

 

[VDX_360]

Mod Note: @Kakost . The above post had some odd quote issues -- likely due to lag in the long post. Deleted some of the redundant long quotes and tried to tidy up the post without changing the voice of the original poster.

There seems to be a game mechanic confusion.

In Exiled Kingdoms, it's almost always better to use Golems of the matching elemental type when fighting Dragons.

For example, a Fire Golem will damage a fire dragon with it's physical attack and do no damage with the fire aspect. In response, the fire dragon will heal the fire golem with its fire attack. That makes the golem far more useful. It takes the beating while you attack from afar.

In comparison, an ice golem will get killed in the opening salvo. Ice Golems are physically tougher than Fire Golems but they melt like a snowball in hell when facing fire dragons.

This issue is touched upon in a build review here.

A Level 6 character beat the first named fire dragon because the Fire Golem was standing in a flame when fighting the dragon. Standing in the flame was pure luck, but it was impressive to watch. The flame and the dragon healed the golem. My newbie mage was able to whittle down the dragon's health without taking any damage.

 

[Kakost]

Sorry about the post, internet died. I got confused as well.

About the elemental relations... HA! That brought me a good laugh! I had no idea about any of this, this changes EVERYTHING haha, thanks for the tip.

With this new information, Im ready to get back to the drawing board, and to remake my mage from elementalist to a full on summoner... Damn, if I had know this, my life would've been so much easier, I could've done it without even needing all the hardship to get into Icemist for nothing haha thanks a lot

 

[VDX_360]

You play. You learn.