|
Azmodon
|
 |
« on: April 16, 2006, 04:42:40 AM » |
|
Table of Contents:
I - Magic Basics
A. Spell Types
B. Heal Training
C. Last Hit Training
II - Spell list and explanations
A. Holy
B. Shadow
C. Fire
D. Water
E. Lightning
F. Earth
III - The Builds
A. First hit Mage
1. Explanation
2. Stat allocation
3. Suggested Spell training
4. Training
B. Dex Mage
1. Explanation
2. Stat allocation
3. Suggested Spell training
4. Training
C. Shield Mage
1. Explanation
2. Stat allocation
3. Suggested Spell training
4. Training
D. HP Mage
1. Explanation
2. Stat allocation
3. Suggested Spell training
4. Training
E. Hybrid
1. Explanation
2. Stat allocation
3. Suggested Spell training
4. Training
IV - Equipment
V - Hotkeys
VI - Sprites
VII - Character Stats
VIII - Skill basics
I - Magic Basics
Spells are earned by gaining levels in the magic skill of that spell. If you gain experience in shadow skill, you will earn shadow spells. To earn experience in a skill, you must cast a spell of that skill in battle. Also, aside from casting experience, you gain experience in a skill when you use a spell of that skill to kill a monster. The higher level the monster, the more the experience.
Spells have a certain chance to fizzle, or fail, if you have just learned them. This causes no loss in MP, but does waste a turn, in which the monster can attack you. This can be avoided by raising your skill beyond the level you earned the spell. For example - You earn the Earth spell Swallowing Earth at level 65. It will fizzle until your earth skill is around 100. How high your skill must be to use a spell varies from spell to spell, while more powerful spells tend to fizzle for longer. Not having enough MP also causes a spell to fizzle.
The builds listed in this guide are simplifications of certain allocations of stats/skills/etc. They are not the definitive way to do anything, but they are the best known and usually, usually the most effective. I greatly encourage experimentation once you get the hang of things, as creating a unique character is far more enjoyable than simply following a guide so you can kill stuff faster.
A - Spell Types.
There are several kinds of spells, Straight damage, healing, shield, double turn, blinding, and escape.
Some spells have more than one effect, these will be listed in the spells section.
Damage -
These spells are the bulk of every spell list. They do damage based on INT, and that's about it. The higher the spell skill level, the more damage it does, usually. The formula for most spells is similar to:
[basedam*(INT/level)] + (INT*intmod)
Where basedam is a number that varies from spell to spell, int is your intelligence, level is your character level, and intmod is a number that modifies how much damage each point of int adds, which varies from spell to spell. For most spells it is one.
There's some form of decay in there, but I'm too lazy to figure out the exact formula, and Apocolypse is nothing like this, from what I hear.
Healing -
These spells heal a certain number of HP for a certain number of MP. INT is not a factor. All healing spells, except for the very first, heal a set number of HP for another set value of MP. The first healing spells, gained at level 2 for all skiills except shadow, which is earned at level six, heal 1 HP for every 1 MP spent. For these spells, every casting heals as much as possible, either to full HP or empty MP.
Shield -
These spells cause recurring damage, that is, every turn the monster takes, it takes a set amount of damage, based on what spell you cast. These spells are not affected by INT in any way, they do a set damage per turn. These spells do stack, so multiple castings of them will result in more damage per turn.
Double Turn -
These spells cause low damage while taking very little time to cast. Even with low dex, you can usually get more than one attack in per turn with these spells. Damage is affected by INT. Spells that show the description of blinding, from my testing, really seem to just be double turn spells.
Escape -
These spells immediately remove you from battle without a dex check. There are only two in the game. Shadow level 2 - Panic, and Holy level 46 - Godly Force. Most mages keep panic hotkeyed just incase a battle goes awry or they cast the wrong spell and get into a bad situation.
B - Heal Training
Sometimes you just don't want to level a spell skill normally, or it's just inconvenient because all of your spells kill fizzling. There's heal training for those who wish to avoid that. Since I believe the final spell exp for the battle is affected by the level of the monster you fight, find a decently beefy monster for your level, work it down until it only does one damage to you, and then start spamming (Continuously casting) the lowest healing spell for the skill you want to raise, the spell that heals 1HP for 1MP. Your spell skill will raise slowly, but you won't have to worry about any silly fizzles. Make sure you have enough MP to finish the monster off with a spell of the skill you are training, to get the kill experience as well.
C - Last hit training
When using damage spells, the spell skill that gets the experience is the spell that kills the monster. The trick here is to use one of your better spell skills to nearly knock out the monster, and get the piddly casting experience of maybe 20-30, then kill the monster with the spell skill you are training, and earn upwards of several thousand in kill experience for that skill.
II - Spell List
Most damage spells go by a formula distantly similar to this:
[basedam*(INT/level)] + (INT*intmod)
Basedam = The base damage of the spell. This varies from spell to spell.
INT = Your intelligence value.
Level = Your level.
Intmod = The value that your INT score is multiplied by when adding damage. This varies from spell to spell.
If a spell has a high intmod, then it's damage will mostly be INT dependent, but if a spell has a low intmod, then it depends mostly on its base damage for damage. Spells with low intmods have little growth in damage over time, while spells with high intmods increase greatly in damage as you level.
Spell name - Effect - MP cost - Skill level acquired
A - Holy
Glowing Shot - Offensive - 2MP - Level 1
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Healing - Healing - 1MP/1HP - Level 2
Straight healing. Costs 1MP for every 1HP healed. Always heals the most it can.
Protection of Light - Shield - 5MP - Level 2
Shield damage 10/round.
Light Blade - Offensive - 12MP - Level 5
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Sparkling Shards - Offensive - 30MP - Level 7
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Slight double turn.
Wall of Shards - Shield - 30MP - Level 9
Shield damage 50/round.
White Blast - Offensive - 44MP - Level 11
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Blessing - Shield/healing - 45MP - Level 14
Heals 150HP. Shield damage 10/round.
White Wall - Shield - 60MP - Level 17
Shield damage 90/round.
Blindind Light - Shield/double turn - 110MP - Level 20
Shield damage 20/round. Double turn.
Holy Shot - Offensive - 100MP - Level 23
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Holy Blast - Offensive - 250MP - Level 27
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT.
Light Beam - Offensive - 150MP - Level 31
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Godly Blessing - Shield/Heal - 250MP - Level 34
Heals 750HP. Shield damage 75/round.
Swords of God - Offensive - 210MP - Level 38
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Holy Fire Blast - Offensive - 210MP - Level 42
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT.
Godly Force - Heal/Escape - 125MP - Level 46
Heals 900HP. Escapes from battle when cast.
Godly Fist - Offensive - 320MP - Level 50
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Puration - Shield/Heal - 300MP - Level 55
Heals 120HP. Shield damage 210/round.
Vengeance - Offensive - 330MP - Level 60
Straight damage, with an intmod of about seven. Damage mostly comes from INT.
Holy - Offensive - 450MP - Level 65
Straight damage, with an intmod of about seven. Damage mostly comes from INT.
B - Shadow
Encumbering Darkness - Offensive - 2MP - Level 1
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Panic - Escape - 5MP - Level 2
Escapes from battle when cast.
Protection from Shadow - Shield - 5MP - Level 2
Shield damage 10/round.
Demon Claws - Offensive - 12MP - Level 4
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Empower Self - Heal - 1MP/1HP - Level 6
Straight healing. Costs 1MP for every 1HP healed. Always heals the most it can.
Shield of Darkness - Shield - 30MP - Level 8
Shield damage 50/round.
Blast of Darkness - Offensive - 44MP - Level 11
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Sacrifice - Offensive - 45MP - Level 14
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Supposedly damages caster at random, but this has never been observed.
Vampiric Bite - Offensive/Heal - 65MP - Level 17
Heals 65HP. Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Blinding - Offensive/Double Turn - 90MP - Level 20
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Double turn.
Demon Skin - Shield - 105MP - Level 23
Shield damage 95/round. This is not an offensive spell, despite what MR's page says.
Ku-Toan - Offensive - 130MP - Level 27
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 5 and 1/3. Damage mostly comes from INT.
Revenge - Offensive - 150MP - Level 30
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Reverse Death - Offensive/Shield/Heal - 100MP - Level 34
Heals 200HP. Straight damage, with an intmod of about 1 and 2/3. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Shield damage 20/round.
Swords of the Damned - Offensive - 210MP - Level 38
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Flames of Hell - Offensive - 210MP - Level 42
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT.
Damnation - Offensive - 240MP - Level 46
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Has a high base damage.
Swarm of Satan - Offensive - 320MP - Level 50
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Curse - Offensive/Shield/Heal - 300MP - Level 55
Heals 120HP. Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Shield damage 210/round.
Dark Incarnation - Offensive - 330MP - Level 60
Straight damage, with an intmod of about seven. Damage mostly comes from INT.
Tariq - Offensive - 450MP - Level 65
Straight damage, with an intmod of about seven. Damage mostly comes from INT.
C - Fire
Heat Wave - Offensive - 2MP - Level 1
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Healing Flame - Heal - 1MP/1HP - Level 2
Straight healing. Costs 1MP for every 1HP healed. Always heals the most it can.
Protection of the Flame - Shield - 5MP - Level 2
Shield damage 10/round.
Flame Enchant - Offensive - 12MP - Level 4
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Sparks - Offensive - 30MP - Level 6
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Slight double turn.
Wall of Flame - Shield - 30MP - Level 8
Shield damage 50/round.
Fire Shot - Offensive - 44MP - Level 11
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Lava Blast - Offensive - 55MP - Level 14
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Flame Jet - Shield - 65MP - Level 17
Shield damage 90/round.
Blinding Flame - Shield/Double Turn - 90MP - Level 20
Shield damage 20/round. Double turn.
Flame Shot - Offensive - 100MP - Level 23
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Holy Flame - Offensive/Double Turn - 230MP - Level 27
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT. Double turn, but not as much as Sand Storm.
Pyrotechnics - Offensive - 150MP - Level 30
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Blessing of the Flame - Offensive/Shield/Heal - 100MP - Level 34
Heals 200HP. Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Shield damage 20/round.
Kindle - Offensive - 210MP - Level 38
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Fire Blast - Offensive - 210MP - Level 42
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT.
Flaming Fist - Offensive - 260MP - Level 46
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Engulfing Flames - Offensive - 320MP - Level 50
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Firehaven - Shield - 300P - Level 55
Shield damage 210/round.
Firebolt - Offensive - 330MP - Level 60
Straight damage, with an intmod of about seven. Damage mostly comes from INT.
Eternal Flame - Offensive - 450MP - Level 65
Straight damage, with an intmod of about seven. Damage mostly comes from INT.
D - Water
Water Splash - Offensive - 2MP - Level 1
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Mist - Heal - 1MP/1HP - Level 2
Straight healing. Costs 1MP for every 1HP healed. Always heals the most it can.
Protection of Water - Shield - 5MP - Level 2
Shield damage 10/round.
Spray - Offensive - 12MP - Level 4
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Bubbles - Offensive - 30MP - Level 6
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Slightly double turn.
Wall of Water - Shield - 30MP - Level 8
Shield damage 50/round.
Rain - Offensive - 44MP - Level 11
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Healing Spirit - Heal - 30MP - Level 14
Heals 150HP.
Hydro Burst - Offensive - 2MP - Level 17
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Hydro Jet - Offensive/Double Turn - 90MP - Level 20
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Double turn, but not as much as Sand Storm.
Whirlpool - Offensive - 100MP - Level 23
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Flood - Offensive/Double Turn - 325MP - Level 27
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT. Double turn, but not as much as Sand Storm.
Ice Blast - Offensive - 150MP - Level 30
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Essence Rain - Offensive/Shield/Heal - 100MP - Level 34
Heals 200HP. Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT. Shield damage 20/round.
Snowflake - Offensive - 210MP - Level 38
Straight damage, with an intmod around one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Hail - Offensive - 210MP - Level 42
Straight damage, with an intmod around 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT.
Icy Pour - Offensive - 360MP - Level 46
Straight damage, with an intmod around one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Massive Rain - Offensive - 320MP - Level 50
Straight damage, with an intmod around one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Pump - Shield/Heal - 300MP - Level 55
Heals 120HP. Shield damage 210/round. This is not an offensive spell, despite what MR's site says.
Encasar - Offensive - 330MP - Level 60
Straight damage, with an intmod around seven. Damage mostly comes from INT.
Hydro - Offensive - 450MP - Level 65
Straight damage, with an intmod around seven. Damage mostly comes from INT.
E - Lightning
Shock - Offensive - 2MP - Level 1
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Heart Starter - Heal - 1MP/1HP - Level 2
Straight healing. Costs 1MP for every 1HP healed. Always heals the most it can.
Protection from Lightning - Shield - 5MP - Level 2
Shield damage 10/round.
Electric Shock - Offensive - 12MP - Level 4
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Electric Sparks - Offensive - 25MP - Level 6
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Slightly double turn.
Wall of Electricity - Offensive - 44MP - Level 11
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Electrify - Offensive - 55MP - Level 14
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Electrical Surge - Shield - 60MP - Level 17
Shield damage 90/round.
Blinding Sparks - Shield/Double Turn - 130MP - Level 20
Shield damage 20/round. Double Turn.
Rolling Thunder - Offensive - 100MP - Level 23
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Bolt - Offensive/Double Turn - 230MP - Level 27
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 1 and 2/3. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Double turn, but not as much as Sand Storm.
Static Charge - Offensive - 150 - Level 30
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Thunder Clap - Offensive/Shield - 190MP - Level 34
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from base damage and INT. Shield damage 30/round.
Thunder Wave - Offensive - 210MP - Level 38
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Thunder Shock - Offensive - 250MP - Level 42
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from base damage and INT.
Sudden Blast - Offensive - 260MP - Level 46
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Static Beast - Offensive - 310MP - Level 50
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Night Light - Offensive/Shield/Heal - 300MP - Level 55
Heals 100HP. Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Shield damage 210/round.
Thunder - Offensive - 330MP - Level 60
Straight damage, with an intmod of about seven. Damage mostly comes from INT.
Lightning Bolt - Offensive - 450MP - Level 65
Straight damage, with an intmod of about seven. Damage mostly comes from INT.
Chain Lightning - Offensive - 600MP - Level 80
Straight damage, heavy intmod. Damage mostly comes from high INT. Roughly 9 damage per point of INT.
F - Earth
Crumble - Offensive - 2MP - Level 1
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Earthly Blessing - Heal - 1MP/1HP - Level 2
Straight healing. Costs 1MP for every 1HP healed. Always heals the most it can.
Protection of Earth - Shield - 5MP - Level 2
Shield damage 10/round.
Shatter - Offensive - 12MP - Level 4
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Splitting Earth - Offensive - 20MP - Level 6
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Slightly double turn.
Wall of Rock - Shield - 30MP - Level 8
Shield damage 50/round.
Upheaval - Offensive - 44MP - Level 11
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Mudslide - Offensive - 55MP - Level 14
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Rock - Shield - 60MP - Level 17
Shield damage 90/round.
Pitfall - Offensive - 50MP - Level 20
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Slightly double turn.
Rockmonster - Offensive - 100MP - Level 23
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Tremble - Offensive - 170MP - Level 27
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT. Slightly double turn.
Aftershock - Offensive - 150MP - Level 30
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Stone Rain - Offensive/Shield - 180MP - Level 34
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT. Shield damage 25/round.
Fissure - Offensive - 210MP - Level 42
Straight damage, with an intmod of about 2 and 2/3. Damage comes from both base damage and INT.
Rock Slide - Offensive - 260MP - Level 46
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage.
Sand Storm - Offensive/Double Turn - Level 50
Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Double turn.
Tremor - Offensive/Shield/Heal - 310MP - Level 55
Heals 10HP. Straight damage, with an intmod of about one. Damage mostly comes from base damage. Shield damage 210/round.
Stone Crusher - Offensive - 330MP - Level 60
Straight damage, with an intmod of about seven. Damage comes mostly from INT.
Swallowing Earth - Offensive - 450MP - Level 65
Straight damage, with an intmod of about seven. Damage comes mostly from INT.
Apocolypse - Offensive - 600MP - Level 75
Straight damage, heavy intmod. Damage mostly comes from high INT. Roughly 9 damage per point of INT.
III - The Builds
The builds are the First hit mage, the Dex mage, the Shield mage, the HP mage, and the Hybrid.
New players are recommended to start with either a First hit mage or an HP mage, as Dex mages and Shield mages can come with stringent equipment requirements to reach their full potential.
A - First Hit Mage.
1 - Explanation.
The first hit mage is a mage who depends on the fact that he gets the first hit and that he has high INT to kill the monster with very little mess. Usually his high damage spells allow him to kill the monster before it even hits him. Eventually, at later levels, once he has had a chance to add HP, he can last a few rounds with a monster, but still not very many.
2 - Stat Allocation.
From the very first level, and every single level thereafter, for this build you must add three intelligence.
For your first levels, get your DEX to 72. This is very important, as it will allow you to get the first hit and level properly.
After that, begin raising DEF until your total DEF is 95. To figure out exactly how much DEF you need to add, remember that for every three points in defense, you get one point in total defense, and the number armor adds is in total defense, not defense.
For example - Platemail adds 62 total defense. This means you must add 99 (99/3 = 33) points in DEF to get 95 total defense. (62 + 33 = 95)
Another example - For those who wish to wear the Rare Archmagi's Robe. It adds 5 total defense. This means you must add 270 (270/3 = 90) points in DEF to get 95 total defense. (5 + 90 = 95)
After this, add two points into HP until you are level 100. Then add two points into DEX until 136, then continue with HP until 200, etc.
Your levels will look something like this:
1 to ~36 (depending on base DEX)
3INT 2DEX
~37 to ~86 (depending on armor)
3INT 2DEF
~87 to 100
3INT 2HP
101 to 136
3INT 2DEX
137 to 200
3INT 2HP
201 to 236
3INT 2DEX
237 to 300
3INT 2HP
Beyond that...you get the point. The DEX/HP cycle repeats itself over and over again.
3 - Suggested Spell Training.
Ok. These are suggestions. Only suggestions. Most of these are for convenience, and some necessity. You do not have to follow these, but most are recommended. Also, by the time you reach level 500, most of these suggestions are superfluous, because you're likely to have gotten bored and leveled all of your skills to around 100, but oh well.
For starters, unless you start as a Wiban, build Shadow to level 2, for panic. (Wibans start with Shadow at 2.)
Then, get Water to 14, for Healing Spirit. You won't be using it in battle, so don't worry about it beyond that.
Finally, actual spell training begins.
You can start with any spell skill, but Shadow is the most recommended, as it has the best low-level spells for leveling.
-Shadow- Level 1 to 100+
This is the easiest of the skills, and the most common, as far as I know. It's great for starters as it has the big low-level damage spells.
Build Shadow for a *very* long time. You pretty much want it to get to around 100.
Use the basic attack spells until you get Vampiric Bite(17), which is quite useful, as it heals and attacks. Eventually you will get Ku-Toan(27), which will have the best damage/MP ratio for a long time, once it stops fizzling, use it. The comes Damnation(46), which as a very high base damage, so even at low levels it should do like 4k damage. Use that until you have enough INT to make Tariq(65) useful, and actually have the MP to cast it. Tariq stops fizzling around 100 Shadow skill.
-Water- Level ~150+
This is from my observations of the level 34 Water spell, Essence Rain, which does damage, heal, and does recurring damage. With high enough INT, it will do decent damage, and nearly always heal more than the monster hits for, so dying is fairly impossible, unless the spell fizzles of course. Also, it has a very nice MP cost, 100 MP to heal 200 HP, attack, and do recurring damage. Not bad. This spell actually kills Noslin monsters for less MP than the level 65 damage spells, with less risk of dying or fizzles. There are two other spells similar to this. Fire 34, Blessing of the Flame, and Shadow 34, Reverse Death. The water spell does more than the fire and shadow spells, around double.
-Earth- Level 500+
This is for one spell and one spell only. Preferably, you'll have your earth at decent levels before you get this high. By this time you will have at least 1500 INT. That's enough to make Apocolypse effective, more effective than the level 65 spells. Get your earth to 120+ and use Apocolypse to ravage just about anything that gets in your way.
-Holy- Level 750+
Eventually you're going to get so much HP that Healing Spirit just doesn't cut it anymore. For convenience, level Holy up to 46 for Godly Force. Again, you won't be using it in combat, so don't worry beyond that.
4 - Training.
This is relatively simple.
Level 1 to ~100-150
Find out how much your biggest spell does. Now go find a mob with just a little bit less health than that. Blow it up. Wash, rinse, repeat. If you have enough HP and DEF to take a hit, cast your big spell twice on a bigger monster. If you cast more than one spell a battle, you probably are going to get hit, use Healing Spirit to heal after battle.
Level 151 to 500
You now probably have enough HP and DEF to take a hit from a weakened Rothar. (Weakened by your first spell.) You have two choices, you can either blast two or even three of your biggest spell and pretty much double/triple the monster HP you can kill, and therefore earn more EXP and gold per fight, or you can spam cast the level 34 water spell, Essence Rain. As you gain more levels, the latter tactic becomes better, but it still comes in handy early on because of the healing the spell does every turn. If you aren't spamming Essence Rain, heal after every battle using Healing Spirit.
Also, sometimes, your best spell isn't your best spell. Eventually, the second tier (60 skill) spells start catching up in damage, and cost a lot less MP. So using those to kill slightly weaker monsters with more fights per meditation can be better than just spamming the level 65 spells.
Level 500 Onward
Ok, you've finally got enough INT to make the big spell useful. Blow Noslin mobs to bits with Apoc. Healing Spirit/Godly Force after battle.
B - Dex Mage.
1 - Explanation.
A Dex Mage is a mage who has high DEX and uses double turn spells to ultimately, get enough hits in that the monster dies either before it hits the mage, or at least before it hits the mage a lot. There are two spells that double turn. Dex Mages depend on Blinding (Shadow 20) and Sand Storm (Earth 50).
This build is much easier to pull off with a Protector of Noslin, due to the huge HP mod and automatic maxed DEF, and a Wand of Noslin, due to the high MP mod, and HP mod.
2 - Stat Allocation.
This build is very simple. There are really three ways to go about leveling. You can either add 3INT 2DEX per level, for more damage, 3DEX 2INT, for more turns, or alternate between the two, for about 2.5INT 2.5DEX per level, to find a happy medium.
The build description includes the fact that you are trying to avoid getting hit at all, so HP and DEF are not a factor.
Also, Sand Storm's damage is not INT heavy, so 3DEX 2INT is a better choice, usually.
3 - Suggested Spell Training.
Really, the only way to go with this build is to raise earth. The Shadow spell Blinding(20) does less damage and takes forever (~100, according to DrPepper's tests) to stop fizzling. Sand Storm(50) stops fizzling around 55 (Again, according to the good Doc's testing.) and does about twice as much damage.
So...
-Earth-
You can either heal train this or level it much like a First hit mage would, as you'll definitely have enough DEX for the first hit. Find out how much damage your highest spell does, and then find a monster with less HP than that and blast away. Using the latter way will also increase your level, along with spell skill, and get your DEX and INT higher, so that you'll be ready to use your double turn spell when you get it.
Once you start using your double turn skill and have about 100 earth skill, on your very last turn before the monster attacks, blast it with Swallowing Earth(65). Eventually, when your INT breaks ~1200, Apocolypse(75) will start doing more damage, and you should then start using that instead.
4 - Training.
This is pretty much explained in the previous section on how to level your earth skill.
C - Shield Mage.
This entire section is a quote directly from Aeric. He put it so well, aside from topical changes to make it fit in with the rest of the guide, and notes on spell levels, I felt no need to change anything.
1 - Explanation.
The shield mage relies on an abundance of HP and MP, and long, safe battles to cut through monsters slowly. This build requires absolutely no INT, but does require one to be willing to try something a bit unorthodox. With a little patience, shield mages can compete with the best of them.
2 - Stat Allocation.
This is not a typical mage build. With that knowledge in mind, do not add to INT at all. Though INT does determine the damage/effectiveness of most spells, there are some spells (a.k.a. Shield Spells) that do a set amount of damage per turn, an effect that stacks as you cast it more, which do not require even 1 point in INT to be effective. However, these spells can rip through your MP, so therefore while it is unwise normally to add to MP at all, it is imperative that you do so when taking on this strange mage build.
For the first few levels, it is necessary that you look for the best armor possible, because you are going to need to take as little damage as possible. In accordance, you will need to add to HP to withstand long, grueling battles. Therefore, for your first few levels, add 2 HP and 3 DEF, until you have a total defense of 95 to minimize the damage you take.
For the levels thereafter, add 2MP and 3DEX until you get first hit. When you do not need to add to DEX, add 2MP and 3HP. (When you do need DEX add 2MP and 3DEX) It is highly recommended that you don’t have to add much to DEF to make your total DEF 95. That is a bit of points wasted which you will undoubtedly need for MP.
3 - Suggested Spell Training.
Basically, you need to train both Holy and Fire to obtain the ideal Shield Spells, which are Puration(Holy 55), Godly Blessing(Holy 34), and Firehaven(Fire 55). But as always, you should train your water to at least 14 first, so you can learn Healing Spirit, which will be absolutely necessary at low levels. You only need holy, water, and fire to have a basic shield mage build, but for a thorough build I recommend keeping all of your spell skills at equal levels. This way, you can experiment with different spell combinations to fit your taste. Keep in mind that since you are adding no INT whatsoever, that your sprite selection is very limited. Therefore, while it is to your best advantage to choose a Galin for your primary race, you may want to choose one that fits your liking. Puration is the best shield spell. Not only does it stack up significant damage, but it heals you as well. But the cost of MP is very high, and therefore it may be more efficient to use these two spells in conjunction at higher levels: Start off with a Firehaven, then use Godly Blessing, then switch back to Firehaven and use it a couple rounds, then use Godly Blessing again, then add another Firehaven in, totaling 3 before the next Godly Blessing. This is how you will keep your shielder from dying while facing higher level monsters, such as those in Noslin.
4 - Training.
Shield mage with a bit of MP = quick leveling at lower levels. Once you learn a couple of decent shield spells such as Wall of Flame(Fire 8), or Flame Jet(Fire 17), or Wall of Water(Water 8), make sure that you have Healing Spirit. (Water Level 14) Then, just find the highest monsters that you can kill with a shield without bringing your hp too low and having to heal in battle. Heal with healing spirit outside of battle, then keep using shield spells to cut through adversaries. The advantage to shield spells is that not only does their set damage stack quickly, but you get a ton of spell exp for them. By sticking to this trend, (and switching to shield spells that heal later on,) your shield mage can attain high levels quickly. Your leveling speed solely depends on your amount of MP, so make sure you equip the best possible items to increase it.
D - HP Mage.
1 - Explanation.
This build is somewhat similar to the First hit mage, except that it depends on having high health in favor of dex to be able to take that first hit and still dish out damage. It is still mostly a damage build, except that it is somewhat tougher and more viable for PvP/PK with the proper weaponry.
2 - Stat Allocation.
This is an idea of what I think it should be. From what I hear, Freeedr has a very high level HP mage, and I'd like to hear his insights on the build, but I as of yet have not been able to get a hold of him. Since it is still a damage build, 3INT per level is still a necessity, but this build starts out a little differently. Begin with adding 3INT and 2DEF until your Total defense is 95. To figure out exactly how much DEF you need to add, remember that for every three points in defense, you get one point in total defense, and the number armor adds is in total defense, not defense.
For example - Platemail adds 62 total defense. This means you must add 99 (99/3 = 33) points in DEF to get 95 total defense. (62 + 33 = 95)
Another example - For those who wish to wear the Rare Archmagi's Robe. It adds 5 total defense. This means you must add 270 (270/3 = 90) points in DEF to get 95 total defense. (5 + 90 = 95)
After your Total defense is 95, the build becomes fairly simple. 3INT 2HP per level, forever.
Your levels will look something like this:
Level 1 to ~50 (Depending on your armor)
3INT 2DEF
Level ~51+
3INT 2HP
3 - Suggested Spell Training.
Since it is still a damage mage, the HP mage trains magic much in the same way as the first hit mage. Spells that heal and attack become more important, as the HP mage can usually lose a good chunk of life in the first hit. Vampiric Bite(Shadow 17) and Essence Rain(Water 34) are two helpful spells to this build. See the First hit mage for a training guide by level. Also, you'll need the high level Holy healing spell Godly Force(46) a bit sooner than the First hit mage, around level 500, so get your holy up then.
4 - Training.
Unlike the First hit mage, where you find the biggest monster you can take out in one hit, you don't have the luxury of that first hit. Find the biggest monster you can take a full hit from, and blow it to bits with your highest spell. Once you get shadow to a decent level where Vampiric Bite(Shadow 17) no longer fizzles, you can start taking on stronger monsters as your spell both heals you and attacks. You will probably stick with this spell for longer than most mages because it will allow you to take on the stronger mobs without the risk of the first hit hurting you too much. Eventually, the monsters will start doing more than 65 damage, and at that point, you'll want to switch to Essence Rain(Water 34) and continue leveling with that.
At higher levels it will be a toss-up between using your highest damage spells or using Essence Rain(Water 34) to defeat monsters. Using the higher damage spells can make battles go faster, but using Essence Rain sometimes costs less MP, meaning you will have to meditate less. It's a matter of personal preference from there.
E - Hybrid
1 - Explanation.
A fighter/mage. Someone who can cast spells and fight to equal effectiveness. This build is meant to be a jack of all trades, having skill in all areas, but a master of none of them. He cannot focus entirely on his spells, else his combat prowess will be left lacking, and the same applies vice versa. But really, the main purpose of this build is to get an obscene amount, if not all, of the sprites, so you can look pretty at any formal occasion.
2 - Stat Allocation.
Your final stat goals are as follows:
451 INT
751 STR
751 DEX
All other stats are just there to keep you alive.
This build has an equipment set up in mind. If you do not have a super rare armor, then you will need to add defense in place of STR, HP, INT, or DEX at some point. You can do this at your discretion.
Your best bet is to start leveling as a bit of a mix between an HP mage and a Dex mage. Raise HP, Dex, and Int in any pattern that seems to keep you alive best. 2HP, 2INT, 1DEX, or any similar combination will work. If you find yourself lacking in a stat, take from another you seem to have plenty of. Make sure you keep DEX above 72% of your level though. Do this until you have a respectable amount of HP to survive with. 200 or so should do.
After this, add 3INT 2 STR or 2STR 3INT, whichever you seem to need more, until your DEX drops near 72-75% of your level. Once you reach this point, add INT and DEX until your INT is 451. First goal achieved.
From there, it's straight STR/DEX until you have 751 of both.
Any building after that is up to where you want to take the character.
3 - Suggested Spell Training.
(Of course, as per the build description, you will eventually have every spell skill at 57.2, these are just suggestions to help with leveling.)
As per the norm, get Shadow to level 2 for Panic, then Water to 14 for Healing Spirit.
Your INT will always be lacking compared to most mages, so high base damage spells will be your friend. Go with shadow, and stick with it. Damnation is likely to be your best bet for damage spells. Another thing to consider, since you will obviously not be smashing enemies in a single hit with your spells, shield spells can usually get some pretty decent damage in in the course of a fight. If you wish to add shield spells to your repertoire, you have two choices. Shadow has Curse at level 55 and Lightning has Night Light at 55 as well. Curse heals for 20 more HP than Night Light, but does a little less damage with the initial offensive attack. Both do the same 210/round shield damage though. If you find yourself in need of more healing, stick with Curse, but, if you find yourself in need of a slight offensive boost (And trust me, at your INT levels, it won't be all that much.), then switch to Lightning's Night Light. Night Light will of course require some training in lightning, so that may be reason enough to stick with Curse.
I haven't tested this, but I doubt at your low INT levels if any other spells will surpass Damnation in effectiveness. If I'm wrong, do tell me and I'll change this.
Since after you get the sprites you will probably begin adding heftily to HP, you will want to train holy if you haven't already for the sprite.
4 - Training.
Depending on what equipment you start with, this could vary.
If you start with a super weapon or something of the like, use it. Hack and smash until your stats will support using magic enough to level your spell skills, otherwise, using normal store bought weapons/rares, it might be better to shoot out a shield spell or two and start swinging. I haven't done any testing with this build and as such do not know how you would level it normally. Find what works best and stick with it, I'd be interested in hearing some strategies on this.
But remember, you will need at least 57.2 in all spell skills, 66.2 in all weapon skills but slash, and 75.2 in slash. Also, you will need an armor with a DEF number of at least 80, so get working on the skills early if you can, so you won't spend hours fighting with misses and fizzles.
(Weapon skills must be 25% of your level to be useable without "Problems controlling your weapon.")
Also, I greatly suggest that you save bowshot and throwing for last. Ranged attack does not suffer the failure to control weapon miss chance, and therefore, can be trained from any level with relative ease.
IV - Equipment.
For the First hit build and the Dex Mage, the first thing you want to get is a Staff of God. This will boost your MP and HP, and increase your spell capacity, which is more important than being able to take a hit at first. Then get Platemail.
For other builds, it is recommended to go for Platemail first, and then the Staff of God.
Hybrid builds, since they are meant solely for the acquiring of sprites, are not exactly meant to be a first character. An 80+ DEF armor is absolutely required to achieve the main goal of a hybrid, and a decent weapon will make leveling much much less of a pain.
All mage equipment stats will be listed at the end of the section.
Good low level rare wands/staves to shoot for are the Rare Deathwand, which shouldn't cost more than 500k-1million gold. Also, the Rare Soul Spire and Rare Ice Pillar have nice mods on them for perhaps 2-3million, depending on who you talk to.
Eventually, you'll move on to the Rare Enchanted Wand or the Rare Archmagi's Wand. Either one has a very nice MP mod. You should be able to haggle the Enchanted Wand for around 10million, and the Archmagi's Wand for as little as 15million, but more likely around 25million. Also, a Rare Archmagi's Staff is alright if you aren't completely MP dependent, and can be found for as little as 5million.
At very very high levels, you should look into a Super rare wand. These can either be found very rarely at a rate of 1/110000 or so, or the very weakest seem to have a going rate of 350-500million if you can find someone who's interested.
Good low level rare armors are the Rare Cloak of Magi, Rare Elven Cape, or Rare Cursed Robe. Any of those could go for 500k or less, and have a halfway decent MP mod. Mid-level rares include the Rare Forest Guardian, Rare Spirit's Guard, or Rare Alexander's Mantle. The first goes for probably less than 2million and the Spirit's Guard I approximate at 5-7million, the Alexander's Mantle should go for a little less than the Spirit's Guard, if not the same amount. If anyone has actual prices on these items, it would be appreciated. Nobody's answering in-game.
High level rare armors include the Rare Soul Protector for about 25mil, or the Rare Archmagi's Robe for the same price.
A note about the Archmagi's Robe. If you plan to use it, plan early. It requires an investment of around 270 into DEF, because it has only 5 as it's defense. But, if you are playing a Dex mage, you never get hit anyway, so the Archmagi's Robe can be a wonderful choice.
Very very high level armors are of course the Super rare armors. These are found at the same rates and I assume, if anyone will sell them, for the same prices.
Hybrids are another story entirely. They are not as MP dependent, so the rare Bows, Daggers, Throwing weapons, or Swords that come with halfway decent MP mods and still do damage should be looked into. I'll look into specific items and such the next time I update the guide, but for now some suggestions that come to me are the Elven Bow, Paladin's Blade, Knives of Fury, Fireballs, or Artemis bow. Since you'll be training many weapon skills, you can pick and choose as you please. At lower levels, anything with a halfway decent MP mod, if one at all, that still does decent damage for your level is a keeper.
As for armor, if you can't immediately outfit yourself with a super armor or at least an 80+ DEF armor, then find whatever has the absolutely highest DEF rating you can find. Since you'll be needing a lot of stat points elsewhere, save what you can by not having to put into DEF.
Items -
All item information comes from MysticRat's Quest Page.
If any of the mods are decent at doing tables I'd love a little help with these.
Usable Wands/Staves:
Staff of God #10 Weapon / Crush 0DEF 15HP 75MP 0STR
Rare Deathwand #1 Weapon / Crush 6DEF 3HP 200MP 4STR
Rare Soul Spire #250 Weapon / Crush 6DEF 5HP 300MP 1STR
Rare Ice Pillar #50 Weapon / Crush 30DEF 50HP 650MP 100STR
Rare Enchanted Wand #1 Weapon / Crush 0DEF 15HP 1500MP 10STR
Rare Archmagis Wand #1 Weapon / Crush 0DEF 10HP 1900MP 10STR
Rare Archmagis Staff #100 Weapon / Crush 60DEF 50HP 800MP 200STR
Rare Wand of Llirrem #200 Weapon / Crush 0DEF 100HP 3000MP 0STR
Rare Wand of Rothar #200 Weapon / Crush 0DEF 100HP 4250MP 0STR
Rare Wand of Velgrad #200 Weapon / Crush 0DEF 100HP 5500MP 0STR
Rare Wand of Noslin #200 Weapon / Crush 0DEF 110HP 6000MP 0STR
Usable Armors:
Platemail #62 Armor / Heavy 0DEF 0HP 0MP 0STR
Rare Cloak of Magi #50 Armor / Light 45DEF 2HP 40MP 0STR
Rare Elven Cape #65 Armor / Light 6DEF 0HP 60MP 0STR
Rare Cursed Robe #72 Armor / Light 0DEF 0HP 80MP -15STR
Rare Forest Guardian #77 Armor / Light 3DEF 10HP 100MP 0STR
Rare Alexanders Mantle #85 Armor / Medium 0DEF 10HP 150MP 5STR
Rare Spirits Guard #70 Armor / Light 6DEF 75HP 100MP 0STR
Rare Archimagis Robe #5 Armor / Light 0DEF 50HP 2000MP 5STR
Rare Soul Protector #74 Armor / Light 0DEF 90HP 200MP 0STR
Rare Protector of Llirrem #90 Armor / Heavy 0DEF 100HP 500MP 100STR
Rare Protector of Rothar #92 Armor / Heavy 0DEF 150HP 750MP 150STR
Rare Protector of Velgrad #95 Armor / Heavy 0DEF 210HP 1000MP 210STR
Rare Protector of Noslin #95 Armor / Heavy 0DEF 225HP 1150MP 225STR
V - Hotkeys.
Eventually you'll get tired of scrolling down the bar for your spell and clicking the button every battle, therefore you shall learn to use hotkeys.
First, hit F2 while playing Quest. Then scroll down to the hotkeys section.
There are five hotkeys for spells. Spell 1 is tied to the spell 1 hotkey, spell 2, spell 2 hotkey, etc.
To change a spell hotkey, click on the Spell_x_key and type in the key you want it to be. You cannot use 1 or 0 for a hotkey.
To change a spell, click on the Spell_x and type in the name of the spell exactly as it appears in the spell list.
VI - Sprites.
Magic sprites are gained based on INT and magic skill. To get the first sprite of a magic skill you need 201 INT and 33.2 in that magic skill. To get the second sprite of a magic skill you need 451 INT and 57.2 in that magic skill.
For hybrids, to get the first weapon sprite you need 66.2 in that skill and 251 STR.
Slash is the only skill with a second sprite, which is at 75.2 and still 251 STR.
DEX Sprites are at 301 and 751.
The final STR Sprite is at 751 STR, and comes with a requirement of having an armor with a DEF rating of 80 or more.
VII - Character Stats.
The stats that affect your character and explanations of what they do are as follows:
Strength (STR) - Directly affects melee damage at a 1:1 ratio. Fairly useless if you don't have a weapon equipped, as you will always miss in combat with monsters. The 100% unequipped miss chance is not present versus players, though. You can gain STR either by adding points when you level or by using a weapon/armor with a STR modifier on it.
Dexterity (DEX) - Affects your chance to run and your chance to get first hit. Also affects how fast your Dodge and Parry skills level up. The closer your DEX is to 72% of your level, the more likely you are to get the first hit in combat. If your DEX is equal to at least 72% of your level, then you will always get the first hit. The run chance works much the same way, but the target number is your level + one. You can gain DEX only by adding to it when you level.
Hit Points (HP) - Affects just how many hits you can take before you die. Also, the CurrentHP:MaxHP ratio affects melee damage in all forms of combat currently possible in Quest. If you are at 75% health, you will do 75% damage. 50% HP --> 50% damage. etc. You can gain HP by adding to it when you level or by using a weapon/armor with a HP modifier on it.
Magic/Mana Points (MP) - Affects how much spiritual/magical energy you have in your reserve. The more you have, the more spells you can cast. Some spells cost more than others, see the Spell List for more information. You can gain MP by adding to it when you level, or by using a weapon/armor with a MP modifier on it. Also, races gain MP at different rates naturally. Whatever the race's INT was at first level, it will gain that many MP per level. For example, Galins have 5 INT at level 1. Every level they will gain 5 MP.
Defense (DEF) - Defense is how physically tough you are, and how well you take hits. Higher DEF will reduce damage from hits significantly. Defense adds to your Total DEF at a 3:1 ratio. So three points in DEF equates to 1% of damage reduction as long as you aren't already at the maximum. You can gain DEF by adding to it when you level or by using a weapon/armor with a DEF modifier on it.
Intelligence (INT) - Intelligence is how well you cast spells. INT affects your spell damage in two ways. First, your INT/level ratio. This maxes out at a little over three, and means you'll do three times the spell's original base damage. (See the Spell List or Magic Basics for more information.) If your INT/level ratio is lower, you'll do lower damage. The other way is through straight INT damage, multiplied by the spell's INT modifier. Most spells have an INT modifier of one, so usually 1 INT = 1 Damage, roughly, and not taking in consideration any changes to the INT/level ratio.
Total STR - Total STR is your STR + Weapon strength + any STR modifiers from equipment.
Total DEF - Total DEF is your DEF/3 + Armor strength + and DEF modifiers/3. This stat has a built-in cap at 95. It will show higher with stronger armors and more DEF, but it will not have any added affect after 95.
VIII - Skill Basics.
Yeah. About that. I'll put this in later.
Someone should totally make a fighter guide, so that new players actually know how to build their characters.
That's all. I believe it's mostly finished. I just need to finish the hybrid equipment section and get some testing in.
...Pfahaha...that's funny...me...test a hybrid for several hundred levels to see how it's done personally. Yeah. I'll get right on that guys.
Credits so far - Thanks to DrPepper and Lyreal for their information on Dex mages, to Aeric for his original idea, testing, and complete write-up of the Shield mage, to Reyz0rRey for his help with spell testing, to Zare for early morning water testing, and to everyone who helped with MysticRat's site for items and spells. Finally, after I got around to adding it in, thanks go out to Hoya for his description of just what he did with his hybrid. Also, thanks go out to all of the Quest Staff and the Great Brandisco Walters himself for the fact that this game is still here after so long.
|
