Magery v. Priest-ery
| Author | Topic: Magery v. Priest-ery |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, March 29 2005 08:23
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Drakefyre in another topic commented that he never buys mage spells. Though I don't play regularly, I've noticed that I seem to get a lot more combat use out of my priest character than my mage - repel spirit, for example, sees heavy use, and the priest seems to run out of spell points much more slowly than my mage character. Priest spells, I believe, also aren't affected by armor. Given this, is there really a reason to use mage spells outside of haste, open locks, and light? How do y'all feel about the two different schools o' magic? [ Tuesday, March 29, 2005 08:24: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
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The Establishment
Member # 6
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written Tuesday, March 29 2005 09:03
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Arcane summon and Simulacrum can by VERY useful in tough situations. -------------------- Your flower power is no match for my glower power! Posts: 3726 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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By Committee
Member # 4233
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written Tuesday, March 29 2005 09:17
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I suppose that's true... the demon-things I summoned (I'm pretty sure they were demons) in my third battle with Vakhos(sp?) made the fight pretty simple. EDIT: Is there a character building F.A.Q. anywhere? I find I get a little confused when trying to decide what to put points into. Normally, I just stick with boosting main stats - it seems you get the most benefit for that - though I have boosted priest spells and mage spells for each of those characters up to level 20. Was that too far? [ Tuesday, March 29, 2005 09:20: Message edited by: andrew miller ] Posts: 2242 | Registered: Saturday, April 10 2004 07:00 |
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BANNED
Member # 4
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written Tuesday, March 29 2005 09:48
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It primarily depends upon the scenario. Unfortunately, there's an extreme surplus of undead/demon scenarios, so that means that priests at this point are far more valuable. In Canopy, however, they become considerably less so. -------------------- * Posts: 6936 | Registered: Tuesday, September 18 2001 07:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 4153
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written Tuesday, March 29 2005 10:08
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Let's see... I don't think there's anything more satisfying than using Fireblast to roast 8 targets for 200 damage. Also, Simulacrum is definitely a good last-resort tactic. Oddly enough, I'm getting a lot of use out of Create Illusions (level 10) now ever since I got it in somebody's scenario (probably Canopy). Still, I think my priest runs out of SP much faster, if only because she's so busy casting multiple radiant shields per turn, and my mage has higher Magical Efficiency. In the end I think that both are necessary, because forgoing either is expensive and heavy. -------------------- Gamble with Gaea, and she eats your dice. I hate undead. I really, really, really, really hate undead. With a passion. Posts: 4130 | Registered: Friday, March 26 2004 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Tuesday, March 29 2005 10:54
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You can start with a character that can use both effectively. Hedge Wizard does this as a choice of character. Buying natural mage on a hedge wizard eliminates the armor problem-- and gives your starting character with both mage and priest spells. Dispel Barrier, Open Locks, Light, Far sight are all good spells. Arcane Shield at high levels gives you invulnerability. Fire Blast and Arcane Blow allow you to target multiple enemies. Slow is useful against tough monsters. Acid resistance is the least common resistance so Spray Acid has its uses. I haven't used simulacrum at all. Priest spells which are useful are War Blessing Level 4-- possibly the best spell in the game, Move Mountains, Radiant Shield, Dispel Spirit, and others. War blessing Lvl 4 and Radiant Shield Lvl 3 in combination make parties very tough. To effectively finish most high level dungeons-- it is often necessary to use Move Mountains, Open Locks, and Dispel Barrier to move through the dungeons. It is good to have both priest and mage spells available. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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...b10010b...
Member # 869
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written Tuesday, March 29 2005 15:54
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May as well use this as another excuse to plug my preferred party design. As I've mentioned before, my party consists of one fighter, two archer-priests (using slings, so I don't have to worry about ammunition), and a mage-priest. My fighter's job is to not die; sure, he dishes out a couple of hits every round, but what really justifies his existence is his ability to take a beating every round and survive. My archer-priests' job is to heal the fighter when he needs it and shoot at stuff when he doesn't. My mage-priest is used for healing, hasting, and occasional situations where having a mage is useful (e.g. against melee-immune monsters). When I'm up against monsters my fighter can't sanely take on in melee, my mage-priest uses Create Illusions to take some of the heat off. -------------------- The Empire Always Loses: This Time For Sure! Posts: 9973 | Registered: Saturday, March 30 2002 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 5632
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written Tuesday, March 29 2005 15:56
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In my most successful party, I had two almost pure magic users, both of which started with 6 mage, 5 priest, with one getting high level priest and the other getting high level mage. Since they both boost spell points, its not really a waste, even if you don't use most of the spells. But you will use some all the time. Practically all the tough fights I was in, they both hasted themselves first. Next turn, they would almost certainly go first, and so that's four spells I can cast a turn, starting probably with hasting, blessing, and radiant shielding my fighter and archer. And, you know, not everything is undead or demonic (even if it might seem that way sometimes), and its good to have attack spells that actually work. Posts: 14 | Registered: Saturday, March 26 2005 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 5212
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written Tuesday, March 29 2005 17:46
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I find that Mages may seem weak at the beginnig, but later on, while the most damaging Priest spell is two Cloud of Blades, while both of my mages are pumping off 8 Fireblasts. I find Priests valuable for their healing/Curing And my Mages valuable for their damage spells. I never summon/charm, and only just before big fights (Vahkos, Nolagh-Kar, etc.) do I use hasting/Blessing/Shielding. -------------------- The whole purpose of your life Might just be to serve as a warning to others. Build a man a Fire and he will be warm for a day, set a man on Fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life. [b]Meow! Subvert the dominant Paradigm! Meow! Meow![b] Wizard's Cat in A2 Posts: 94 | Registered: Thursday, November 18 2004 08:00 |
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Triad Mage
Member # 7
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written Wednesday, March 30 2005 01:41
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See, I tend to use War Blessing a lot and charge at the enemies, occasionally casting Divine Fire or Cloud of Blades. I play with a singleton warrior-priest. -------------------- "At times discretion should be thrown aside, and with the foolish we should play the fool." - Menander ==== Drakefyre's Demesne - Happy Happy Joy Joy Encyclopedia Ermariana - Trapped in the Closet ==== You can take my Mac when you pry my cold, dead fingers off the mouse! Posts: 9436 | Registered: Wednesday, September 19 2001 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 3811
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written Thursday, March 31 2005 06:42
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That's the most survivable combo for a singleton, and makes a strong party leader, too. I do that if I'm going to start solo and pick up chars on the way. In my most effective parties, everyone trains at least 3 in mage and priest. Everyone can bless, haste, heal and cure themselves early on. Four chars casting repel spirit each round can melt through undead and demons with ease. If I do develop any specialist spellcasters, this takes a lot of pressure off them, since the mana and AP costs are spread around. Posts: 25 | Registered: Sunday, December 21 2003 08:00 |
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Agent
Member # 2210
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written Thursday, March 31 2005 08:17
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It is very easy to completely imbalance the game with an all spellcaster party. For example a party with four characters with cloud of blades pretty much autokills anything out there. The same effect happens versus undead -- 4 casters with dispel spirit at high level wipes out undead. Even 3 casters can do this. I try not to overdo it with spellcasters. Just to make things interesting... I keep one of my melee fighter at intelligence level 2 and give him no spells. Also large groups of monsters with spell immunities can tear up an all spellcaster party. -------------------- Wasting your time and mine looking for a good laugh. Star Bright, Star Light, Oh I Wish I May, I Wish Might, Wish For One Star Tonight. Posts: 1084 | Registered: Thursday, November 7 2002 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 5212
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written Thursday, March 31 2005 17:13
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I Like Pure fighters who keep to their own abilities: A warrior/theif A Mage A Mage A Priest/Alchemist This setup is really bad for weak partys, But later on, The mages mow the enemys down, the warrior is just a meat shield, and the priest heals, and occasionally blesses. -------------------- The whole purpose of your life Might just be to serve as a warning to others. Build a man a Fire and he will be warm for a day, set a man on Fire and he will be warm for the rest of his life. [b]Meow! Subvert the dominant Paradigm! Meow! Meow![b] Wizard's Cat in A2 Posts: 94 | Registered: Thursday, November 18 2004 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 6785
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written Tuesday, January 15 2008 23:09
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*bump* To preserve material Posts: 4643 | Registered: Friday, February 10 2006 08:00 |