Opinion on this setup for a pure-caster

Now I've been thinking for awhile here on what type of pure-mage I should make. Each of the colleges has a goodie here and there that would be useful, but this is what I am centering on most.

Conveyance 1-5
Force 1-5
Temporal 1-5
Mastery Force

Then do maybe 3 into dodge, 2 into melee while maxing WP, IN, and CN. Now thats for what I am thinking. Then maybe down the road 1 into Water (for the beauty) then pump up CH for followers and maybe 3 into persuasion. From there I'm not sure where to spend the points, with this setup I'm left with almost 15.

Anyways just some thinking. If anyone wants to share their idea of a good pure-caster post a reply, I'm interested to see what angles others take and why.

P.S. Thanks for all the help to those that posted on my questions thread

 

Gotta throw three into haggle(you already have the WP), then get expert status so you sell anything anywhere :smile:

 

I doubt you will need 20 int. I've never needed to maintain 5 spells at once with a caster, and I'm sure a mage that tried would faint after 2 or 3 rounds from the excessive fatigue drain. Of course that leaves you with even more CPs, although I've never had enough with my characters. When I can i like to invest in thief skills like pickpocket, to swipe those rare magical items npcs always seem to have.

 

I did very much the same with my first character, except I put a few points inot fire for firestrike, easily the best offensive spell in the game, just as a variant of fireball usually is. Disintrigate is fun, but I'm not sure it's worth it. No loot. And there is the Harm factor. I point in Black necro can never hurt. And 1-3 white for healing.

Don't get pickpocket for a pure caster. Out of character and it's useless, considering ou can use a few fate points if you ever REALLY need to pickpocket.

I'd push charisma to at least 15, if not 18. Basically, persuasion mastery is the way to go to open up interesting quest variants, which you seem to want to do with such a high int. I understand that building a pure caster doen't necessarily scream diplomat, but there's nothing worong with a silver tongued wizard.

Maybe being stronger so you can, quite pragmatically, carry more blue potions.

I'd push spells, no matter what they are, until you get to magick apt 100. It's very useful...

 

The basic spells that can benifit anyone, even a techie, are Disarm, Agility of Fire, Purity of Water, & Shield of Protection. I would pick up these 4 long before level 15.

I am more interested in your start. What race, sex, & background, & why did you pick them?

 

I've played a pure spellcaster. What you need is magic aptitude 100, Harm, Fireflash, Shield of Protection, Haste and Tempus Fugit. And 5-6 Arcane staves (or at least Mage's staves) in your inventory. Healing spells are NOT needed, except if you are evil and not planning on keeping Virgil around- every good magickal follower learns White Necromancy. Pick pocket is not necessery, but without it you will be short of cash most of the time (though mages are less money dependant that the tech players). Teleportation is also not necessery, but nice to have. Most good equipment is easy to get for fate points towards the end of the main plot.

 

I'm not positive on this, but I believe that the Divination Staff you have to get for the Underground is one of the best staves in the game, but I myself am leaning very heavily into the techie thief catagory, so I wouldn't know....

 

How do I get arcane staves? Or even the mage ones? I've tried going to the mage's shop in Tarant, but no go... Never seems to show up.

 

There are two mage's shops- an armory and a smaller shop with scrolls and potions. The small one is likely to sell Mage's staves once in a while, and so are magic shops in Ashbury, Black Root and Caladon. Wise women who identify stuff can also sell Arcane or Mage's staves. And finally, about half the Master mages in Tulla carry Arcane Staves. If you have high pick pocket, take a handful of swords, plant them in their inventory (so they would equip them instead of staves) and steal the staves.

 

Tulla?

edit:

And I'll try for a mage's stave at the mage shop (I was checking the scroll shop, just didn't see a mage's stave...)

 

Ron, it sounds like you're pretty early in the game if you don't know where Tulla is. Actually, from the way you're talking about the shops, it sounds like you've only seen a couple of towns so far. As such, I wouldn't worry about finding good staves. By the end of the game, you'll have found so many, you'll spend half your time selling them, not looking for where to buy them. You find some in dungeons and caves, some on enemies, some in shops, etc. Really, if you are early in the game, your mage should be using a mage's dagger, not an arcane staff. You haven't earned it yet. You don't want your fighter getting the big ol sword of absolute whoopassery at 10th level. same for your mage. Save something for later.

Sorry to be unhelpful, but I think you'll have more fun if you're patient about being a badass. Especially with mages in this game, considering how amazingly easy they are. Master mages don't even need followers, except maybe one healer/packmule.

 

Actually, I'm really wanting that staff because I am so bored with sitting aruond waiting for fatigue to restore... And really can't afford to gulp potions left and right.

And yeah - I've never gotten all that far in the game. I've had to much fun playing around with backgrounds and character creation (especially with modded, but balanced, backgrounds that consist of - to one ability and + to another - can't be unbalanced if those numbers are equal!)

Thinking of which... Do you know how I can get sogg to join me?

 

To get Sogg, you need a minimum charisma of 9. That's pretty much it, I think.

I kind of assumed that's why you wanted the staff, but while you're low level, there's no shame in using the mage's dagger. Keep two or three in your inventory and switch around. It'll definitely lessen your fatigue issues until you find the staff you want.

 

Just buy a few Mage's Staffs. They has 50 mana , not a rare item either. Don't worry about money! Go to Ritsteeze for money , or if you have The Baneful Gantlets get a stack of money from the Wise Woman. It's staff , not stave.

 

The easiest way of getting money is killing a Wise woman with dynamite (you find at least 3 dynamite sticks in the game, and you can get like 20 000 gold off each wise woman), and then resurrecting her so you could still use her services.

 

From http://www.dictionary.com:

 

Um... actually, I'm using a lot more mana potions now. FOr some reason, I was thinking of Baldur's Gate potion costs, where healing potiosn cost so much that its just not economical to use them at all. This game is a lot more reasonable...

And mage's staves are nice.

And if Sogg requires a charisma of 9 I'm not getting him anytime soon... (Single Child background...)

 

And to keep him, you have to maintain a neutral or better stance. If you start showing evil tendencies, Sogg will bolt.

 

That is not the Sog I know. Are you thinking of Chukka?

 

You could be right. It's been soooo long since I've played, which is why I've started frequenting this forum, now that I am actively running a new game. My apologies for the error.