Beginner's Guide to Playing a Mage

In Progress

Related topics: New Player Guide, Beginner's Guide to Playing a Warrior, Beginner's Guide to Playing a Warrior, Advanced Guide to Playing a Mage, Character Templates

Why Play a Mage

Note: There are no true classes in Asheron's Call. However, characters generally stick to one form of attack: close-combat (Warrior/Melee), archery (Archer/Missile), or offensive magic (mage).

Mages are usually considered the hardest or most challenging class to play. Combat is more complex than melee or missile combat, with a variety of spells available with numerous effects. Mages must be adept at managing their secondary attributes - Health, Stamina, and in particular Mana, which can be handled with various life spells that restore an attribute, transfer points between two, or steal from opponent. Mages also have to manage their components - if they run out, they are unable to cast their spells. However mages have many advantages. They have access to all 7 damage types, along with the no-type life spells that deal damage directly to health, without being reduced by protections. Mages have a variety of ranged attacks - some built for speed, others for damage, and others to arc over obstacles. Mages are also the only characters able to deal damage to multiple enemies with a single attack with their Area of Effect (AoE) ring spells, or their multiple projectile walls, blasts, and volleys. Magic attacks also completely ignore the protection values of shields and armor.

Disadvantages

• Magic skills come at a high credit cost. This means that mages may not complete their templates until much higher levels than their melee or missile counterparts. They also have less free credits to take secondary skills such as lockpicking.
• Due to the more complex combat and the need to properly manage components and secondary attributes, mages may be more difficult to play than a melee or missile character, especially for a new player.

The Magic Skills

There are four magic casting skills and one other skill directly related to casting. Here is a brief summary of each skill.

War Magic

Life Magic

Creature Enchantment

Item Enchantment

Mana Conversion

Attribute Importance

Strength is

Endurance is

Coordination is

Quickness is

Focus is

Self is