Mage.

Before making a mage read this.

http://forums.d2jsp.org/index.php?showtopic=28388849&f=272



Once your int is in that ball park range, start looking for other nice stats such as +mana, + life, mana syphon, +%exp etc..etc..

Ok heres goes.

Arena mage
enough int to hit ball park range, once you hit it, look for Heal mastery or other nice mods
Go 5 vit 5 int at start
charm = attack EE
acc.charm = heal EE

Cata mage (healer)
As much int as HM for best possible heals.
Use your acc.charm to have EE to heal since charm slot can act as +iint, +hm charm
first 10 into int, no need vitality here

Well mage
first 10 into vit, all points into int here, since well monsters have higher stats you'll need higher int so it's best to just go all int.
As far as what levels to well at heres your options.

1-level 55 (when you have your best gear)
2-level 64 (lowest level when well monsters can give double 55 drop)
3-level 71+ (highest mana pool, no need to die to stay 64 so you don't lose proficiency)
4-Whenever your close to the level of the item (will GENERALLY be the safest way to well if your gear supports it)

hardcore mage
Same as above ones except ALWAYS go AT LEAST 50 hard stat points into vit and don't well unless your gear is sick and your full ready to die (3k+ hits exists).
As far as HC wells go heres what you do, attack 1-2 heal to full, attack 1-2 heal to full etc..

Ok I'm not sure if you want to go more into detail with well options but heres my view on it (I can justify them if you want but that gets less noob friendly)

1- Assuming most people spend the major part of their budget on MQ gear welling at level will yield the highest % chance of success with decent second drop possibilities. Average to mediocre gear should well at this level.

2- People say this is the best level but they are wrong, unless your well success ratio is close to 100% (98-99-100%) you shouldn't necessarily well at this level, especially when doing level 50-55 items. Good to very good gear should well at this level.

3- It's a known fact that wells get significantly stronger up to level 74 and maybe more. You will have your highest amount of mana pool but the well monsters will be significantly stronger. Good gear to very good gear should well at this level. Plus it's a nice option for those who don't want to reclimb/die/level up profs (although if your dying more your profs won't go up).

4- The safest way to well with the highest % of success if your gear permits it. However most people won't have a complete setup of gear they can well with unless they have an already good gear set at which point welling at level 64 might be better. (not sure if this is clear, lemme know).

Sorry for talking so much about wells but as far as the mage goes it's the most favored char for wells for people who don't have warlocks and I think it should be an important aspect of the guild.

Some key points.

You will hear these things a lot but they aren't true, so keep this in mind.

HM ratio -> 2int = 1 hm

big big no, and this should stop being spread about.

http://forums.d2jsp.org/index.php?showtopic=30489317&f=272

Level 64 is THE BEST level to well at

big big no, and this should stop being spread about.

You just need to calculate your %success rate with %chance of good (tier wise) sidedrop to quickly realize this isn't true.

Passing 90% wells > passing 70% wells with 1% chance of good (tier wise) side drop

The only stat you need on your mage is int

big big no and this should stop being spread about.

Theres such a thing as an *overkill* in int. A 40 int armor with 5% mana syphon will generally be better then a 50 int armor.

http://forums.d2jsp.org/index.php?showtopic=28388849&f=272

I'll add some more when I think of them, seems like people generally tend to oversimplify building a caster class while it does require some thought behind it if you want to get the most bang for your buck.

Oh and maybe make a note somewhere that going offensive casting in catacombs is, as of now, frowned upon.

Mk I forgot another thing, concerning charms and EE.

A big difference in casting with a caster is mana is your limiting factor.

Sometimes a lower tier charm with high EE will be better efficiently-wise. Heres what I mean.

I once saw this guy showing off his *godly* caster setup. However two of his succesive charms were something like this.

tier 35 110ee
tier 40 97ee

Yes the tier 40 does deal more damage, but it also requires more mana and thus it's taking you more mana per kill for a monster then it would normally take to kill it with the tier 35 charm. Anyways I understand this is probably some more unique situations and not really noob friendly but it's something to think about when buying EE charms.

Mk I realize I didn't address any of your points really but most of the other people covered them somewhat accurately.

Maybe just add that going melee on a mage (1-15(20)) will probably be faster since your mana pool can be pretty low. If you choose to melee the lower levels definitly choose EE daggers though since their usable on samurai if you pass after (which tends to fail as a caster). And euh yeah... Using glyphs at lower levels on a mage can be very very usefull and they are pretty cheap too if you have some extra fg to spend they can make casting lower levels a breeze.

This post was edited by arxyn on Aug 23 2009 08:09pm

Offensive Mage:
1. I personally do not add vitality, as you can look at it that mana = life because you can heal yourself, i add all of my points into intelligence
2. As far as a target goes for intelligence, i just make sure i have 200 or higher at level 64 just so i can finish my climb as easy as possible
3. Staffs vs daggers, i currently use daggers, but this is because i cannot find any staffs that currently beat my daggers, if i could get staffs i would, because usable on warlock.
4. If you start casting a mage at level 1, you will level very slowly, and find it demotivating, what i do is get a max life robe, a str charm and a good set of EE weapons to take me to 15 where i begin casting
5. Other mods that i have found useful on a mage is Max Mana and Mind Numb, everything else didn't really have a huge impact on my climbs
6. Weller mage considerations: Out of your first 10 points, put 5 into vita and 5 into intel, you need more life being a weller to sustain those high crits, when welling try to use a 110+ ee level 55 charm, a 100+ ee heal and 30+ intelligence on your weapon/robe

Do you add vitality?

None on Sc. All points into vita. That is what your heal charm is for.
Atleast 50 base on HC. Then rest into intel.

Do you have a target goal for maximum intelligence?

The more you have the better. Try to get as much intel as you can.

Do you prefer staffs or daggers?

For a mage it doesn't matter. But if you are trying to reset the ladder, then getting staffs would be the way to go.

Do you like to melee 1-xx before casting?

On HC I could imagine going melee 1-15 to be benificial. Since you want to get your life up a bit to help you stay alive.
For SC I would say no. Reason is even if you run out of mana, stopping at the shrine and dumping some items you picked up only takes a few seconds.
Plus you are gain proficiencies along the way.

What other modifier considerations do you like? (Max Mana, Mana Per Kill, Mana Per Attack, Mana Skin, Mana Syphon, Heal Mastery, Intelligence, Mind Numb, Mana Consumption, Experience gain, Magic Luck, Block, Physical/Magical damage reduce, Dexterity, Mana Regeneration...)

Max mana > MPK > Intel for low levels. Afterwards Intel is your best friend. HM is also a bonus but as long as it is a secondary mod. Mana regen also for high levels but only as a secondary mod as well, and only if the item comes with alot of MR.

Weller mage considerations?

Again, pure intel. You can easily well with 30 intel weapon/robe 120 EE charm, 100 EE heal.
Pay attention because you can get hit for a good amount of damage. Regen after each well if needed. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Magic luck is also a nice add. But only as a secondary mod. Items with intel and ml can be expensive so for the less fortunate players, stick with just intel. You do not need ml to well the most amazing items.

There are 2 ways to well:

A. Climb your mage and park it at 64-65, and die before you level (not hc obviously).
Pros:
You can always be able to well an item.

Cons:
You will not be able to gain proficiencies
You will not be able to MQ

B. Climb your mage and well once you hit a certain level or well along your climb. MQ and repeat the process.
Pros:
You can still gain proficiencies along the way
You can earn GPs (and sell them if necessary to better your char)

Cons:
You will have to wait til your mage is at a certain level to be able to well. (Meaning you will need a vault or lots of mules with EIS)

Whatever way you chose, I reccommend picking up and welling every, or most of the white item you find.
Reason for this is even if you well a tier I (obviously the outcome will not be worth anything), but you always have a chance for a secondary drop.

This post was edited by Moleman2468 on Aug 23 2009 09:38pm

yeah 25% or better. but think most people know this

There are two types of Magician: The Maze-healer and the Arena-killer Note the color-coding, as I will respond regarding my preferences for both.

Do you add vitality?

Typically not. Usually, you want to have the maximum mana possible for all heals. However, the healer can focus on heal mastery far more than the killer, and definitely should. 2 parts heal mastery and three parts int, with the rest a great big "I don't give a shit" would typically be the norm.

For hardcore, definitely. I've seen a lot of figures tossed out, but keep in mind that you truly do need mana, so 35 is, to me, a good safe figure. However, I don't play HC, so I will mention that the DC players have sworn by 50vita from day one. For Softcore, it depends on your MQ gear. If your MQ gear has even so much as 500 max life on it, I'd typically say no. If you have no life on your gear, go 10 just to be on the safe side. You're going to be fairly stable due to healing either way, but it's still worthwhile to sacrifice a bit of your mana, just in case you get hit by those swift back-to-back crits.

Do you have a target goal for maximum intelligence?

180+, with 120+ HM, if at all manageable. But since it's probably not, I'd say go for 150/90, and you should be set.

Sky's the limit. I run a solid 250ish on my mage at level 70, and it's rockin'.

Do you prefer staffs or daggers?

This depends. Staves can be used by Warlocks, so they're preferable if you're only going to cast Mage, warlock, and alch. If you plan to be an all-class (except for HH) caster, then daggers are better to start, as you can use them Mage, Sam, Monk, and Ninja.

This depends. Staves can be used by Warlocks, so they're preferable if you're only going to cast Mage, warlock, and alch. If you plan to be an all-class (except for HH) caster, then daggers are better to start, as you can use them Mage, Sam, Monk, and Ninja.

Do you like to melee 1-xx before casting?

No. 1-5, just cast and use fishies. 6-71, you're going to maze anyway.

No, cast all the way. Fish at low levels are god. Unbroken chains, one hit kills, and hotkeys for the fishies to replenish the mana. Keep in mind, your charm profs grow at low level too, at least until you get them high.

What other modifier considerations do you like? (Max Mana, Mana Per Kill, Mana Per Attack, Mana Skin, Mana Syphon, Heal Mastery, Intelligence, Mind Numb, Mana Consumption, Experience gain, Magic Luck, Block, Physical/Magical damage reduce, Dexterity, Mana Regeneration...)

Heal Mastery is an absolute must. If you wish to take full advantage of your heal charm, then HM will give you the "amp" that heal charms DON'T get, which kill charms do. Dex is also good, as anything that keeps the hits on you low is always good. Can't have our healer dying now, can we? Also, get your fishing prof up. Sometimes, all it takes to keep the maze going is an extra 1K mana, and being able to swiftly and easily stock up on a bunch of extra mana, WITHOUT spending the FG on the comfreyz, is quite nice.

Bit of everything is good. Int is the primary mod, but max mana, exp gain, MPK, MPA, LPK, Mana Skin, Mana Syphon, Max Life, dex... Pretty much anything that makes it so you can cast longer, the hits you take are lower, or you can take more hits is good.

Weller mage considerations?

Have a second gearset to re-equip yourself as a weller.

Lots and lots of int, a high ee heal charm (regular or focused, wild can be a bit irratic, when wells require a bit more consistancy), and a high ee damage charm. If you plan to well heavy weapons, go with 35 starting vita, it'll save your ass. Also, dex modifiers are excellent when welling, as wells tend to crit on a much higher than average basis.

solo-mage:

5-10 points into vita, rest int ofc
eq: ee charms (heal/dmg) + int eq. max mana + int (or instead of int) on low lvls
budget: stat vita up to 40 if u cant/want afford a heal charm

cata-mage:

all stats to int
eq: no dmg charm. healmastery and/or int for weap, armor and charm. nice add: max mana, mana syphon, mpa. healing charm in acc-slot ofc.

well-mage:

15-30 points into vita (depends on budget: nice heal charm -> less vita); rest into int
eq: as much int as possible. nice adds: max mana, max life, mana syphon, hm, mpa. 100+ ee charm dmg for main slot and a nice heal for acc slot.

hybrid-mage:

10-15 points into vita, rest str/dex
eq: nice heal charm for accslot - most inmportant. str/dex/int/hm on other eq + a nice ee weapon with maybe int/hm as adds to support ur heals.

bump

1-71 without well:
all inteligence. on catas more heals, on arena u kill more mobs.
dagger same as staff so nvm
yes meele to lvl ~ 5 or 10

weller 71+ lvl
all start point vitality. after lvl 2 all inteigence
On well mobs like critics ~2k so life is important. ( more chance to crit ~2k when u well heave wep )
When I well I use max 50% mana so I should put more vita ;d
I like max life bonus. on well life > mana

as far as vit and hc go... i do 45 vitality on my hardcore weller mage.

as long as you have a solid heal charm, this is going to work out better for you.

mana = life. i have welled multiple 200+ ee items on my 45 vit mages.

my only run was on a 55 staff that hit me for 2,000 damage exactly first hit, you gunna tell me you wouldnt run from that even with 50+ vit?

but 50 is great if you have a weak heal charm.

bump