ToME: the Tales of Maj'Eyal

As a reward for completing the apprentice mages quest - i received the ring of Elemental Fury

Oh you lucky bastard!

I may just be missing something or not remembering things correctly, but only mages get a ring reward when completing the apprentice quest yes? Only archmages at that correct? Everyone else just gets access to the city?

Yup, those that have access get a rnig, others get access

Heh... my mages seem to always get a useless damage branding ring...

PowerWyrm wrote:Heh... my mages seem to always get a useless damage branding ring...

I'm pretty new to mages, just having unlocked the class. I have been going for the elemental damage rings. I'd to hear your thoughts on what is more useful in the way of jewelry for a mage. My last wore to rings that increased fire damage by 8% each. I also had a ring of mana regen, but it was only 0.2/turn. Also, do you think wearing Angmar's Fall if better or worse than wearing a staff of power? I kept going back and forth on that one.

vstat, I definitely prefer the rings of plus to stats over rings of plus to res, but the rings of plus to res are useful and appropriate in some places, I'd say. I'd say forget the rings of plus to mana regen, because now that you're an archmage, you will regen that on your own.
Re staves, I personally always go for the one with the highest spellpower rating. Staves of power can differ on that, so they are not always better or worse than the amon sul staff, but that's how I'd pick.

Angmar's Fall vs a staff of power is really dependent on what kind of mage you are playing. If you are playing a pyro or shock styled mage and the staff of power doesn't have a whole hell (about 10 or more) spellpower than Angmar's Fall then I'd stick with the shade's staff. If you are not focusing on those two damage types then the staff of power is probably better. Also the elemental type of the staves may come into play if you are smacking mobs semi regularly. If you have rings that increase certain elemental damage and either of the staves happen to be of that element the melee attack with them will be increased quite a lot. I've loved getting Angmar's Fall with the lightning flag with my air school focused mage. Having rings of shocking that are 10+% each usually means that if I've dumped points into weapon accuracy that I can very well melee my way out of a number of things if I start to run dry on mana. Heh, I've seen my mages smack for well into 300 damage ranges.

As for the jewlery, IF you are focusing on a single school for damage (like me in air) AND you are able to get GOOD (+0.20 or higher) category increase amulets and GOOD (greater than 10% each) damage increment rings of the same damage type then you can donate all three slots to that. The added damage will usually kill all mobs much much faster and actually make you rather safe.

HOWEVER, if you are not very heavily focusing on a certain damage type or a certain school with attack spells then things of resistance are extremely better. I tend to favor rings of con 4+ over most jewlery or regeneration rings of +0.40. Health keeps you alive unless you can 2 shot almost everything. Disregarding that I stick with the highest resistant rings I can find. They have to be +20% resistant or higher, and almost always be fire/cold/lightning/arcane resistant. Reason for those particular is because the highest damaging ranged attacks are always always those damage types in the first part of the game. The chance of them being useful is just far greater than one of nature resistance for instance.

I tend to not bother with the physical/mental/willpower resistant rings. Physical saves really shouldn't matter too much to a nuclear cannon (those being poison/stun/freeze/burning if I remember correctly), and mental saves will naturally rise high if you are putting points into willpower. Defense rings are really only useful if they are of 8 or greater, but even then they are a low pick (I tend to max out stone skin and blur and have them always on. I'm talking about fighter/sun paladin numbers with those two). Mana regeneration rings are nice, but only if they are of the 1.00 a turn variety. You SHOULD have a crap ton of mana at your disposal at all times even with all the sustained talents you'll probably be using and because of that mana regeneration rate during a fight isn't that important. Plus your most damaging spells are probably your cheapest so... ya.

Hope that helps

FM

Thanks for the advice you two. I tend to spread things out quite a bit. I maxed (4 ranks so effective level would be 5) most of the low end elemental spells. I didn't get to the 4th level in any because the mana costs seemed so high. The only thing I had continually activated was arcane power. My WIL has 10 higher than my CON, yet I had over 100 more life than mana. Is there something that would be dragging that mana # down? My char dump is below. I didn't use my level 10 category point this time. I couldn't decide on meta or temporal. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Tome 4.00 @ www.te4.org Character Dump]

Sex : Male STR: 14
Race : Nandor DEX: 20
Class : Archmage MAG: 46
Level : 19 WIL: 35
Exp : 81% CUN: 16
Gold : 140.35 CON: 25

Attack(Main Hand): 7 Life : -167/410 Encumbrance : 48.3/65
Damage(Main Hand): 33 Difficulty : Normal
APR (Main Hand): 0 Mana : 238/301
Crit (Main Hand): 3%
Crit (Main Hand): 3%
Crit (Main Hand): 3%
Speed (Main Hand): 1.00

Fatigue : 14% Spellpower : 69
Armor : 2 Spell Crit : 10.8%
Defense : 6.5 Spell Speed : 1
Ranged Defense : 6.5

Fire damage : 20%
Cold damage : 9%
Lightning damage : 4%
Acid damage : 4%
Blight damage : 4%

Physical Save : 9.75
Spell Save : 20.25
Mental Save : 12.75

Cold Resist: 31%
Nature Resist: 10%

Number of NPC killed: 1183
Most killed NPC: cold drake hatchling (70)

[Talents Chart]

- Spell / Arcane (mastery 1.30)
Arcane Power (class) 4/5
Manathrust (class) 4/5
Manaflow (class) 0/5
Disruption Shield (class) 0/5
- Spell / Fire (mastery 1.30)
Flame (class) 4/5
Flameshock (class) 1/5
Fireflash (class) 0/5
Inferno (class) 0/5
- Spell / Earth (mastery 1.30)
Stone Skin (class) 0/5
Dig (class) 0/5
Strike (class) 0/5
Stone Wall (class) 0/5
- Spell / Water (mastery 1.30)
Corrosive Vapour (class) 4/5
Freeze (class) 1/5
Tidal Wave (class) 2/5
Ice Storm (class) 0/5
- Spell / Air (mastery 1.30)
Lightning (class) 3/5
Chain Lightning (class) 4/5
Feather Wind (class) 0/5
Thunderstorm (class) 0/5
- Spell / Conveyance (mastery 1.30)
Phase Door (generic) 4/5
Teleport (generic) 2/5
Displacement Shield (generic) 0/5
Probability Travel (generic) 0/5
- Spell / Nature (mastery 1.30)
Regeneration (generic) 1/5
Heal (generic) 0/5
Restoration (generic) 0/5
Nature's Call (generic) 0/5
- Spell / Divination (mastery 1.30)
Sense (generic) 4/5
Identify (generic) 3/5
Vision (generic) 4/5
Telepathy (generic) 0/5
- Spell / Phantasm (mastery 1.30)
Illuminate (class) 0/5
Blur Sight (class) 0/5
Phantasmal Shield (class) 0/5
Invisibility (class) 0/5

[Current Effects]

- Arcane Power
+ Frozen
+ Stunned

[Completed Quests]

-- Escort: injured seer (level 4 of Tower of Amon S?»l)
You successfully escorted the injured seer to the recall portal on level 4 of Tower of Amon S?»l.
As a reward you improved Magic by +2.
-- The beast within
You met an half mad lumberjack fleeing a small village, rambling about untold horrors lurking there, slaughtering people.
2 lumberjacks have died.
-- An apprentice task
You met a novice mage who was tasked to collect many staves or jewelry.
He asked for your help should you collect some that you do not use.
* 15/15
-- Escort: lost warrior (level 1 of Tower of Amon S?»l)
You successfully escorted the lost warrior to the recall portal on level 1 of Tower of Amon S?»l.
As a reward you improved Strength by +2.
-- Into the darkness
It is time to explore some new places dark, forgotten and dangerous ones.
The Old Forest is just south-west of the town of Bree.
The Maze is west of Bree.
The Sandworm Lair is to the far west of Bree, near the sea.
Carn D?»m is to the north of Amon S?»l.
* You have explored the Old Forest and vanquished the Old Man Willow.
* You have explored the Maze and vanquished the Minotaur.
* You have explored the Sandworm Lair and vanquished their Queen.
* You have explored Carn D?»m and vanquished the Dragon.
-- Escort: repented thief (level 3 of Tower of Amon S?»l)
You successfully escorted the repented thief to the recall portal on level 3 of Tower of Amon S?»l.
As a reward you improved Dexterity by +2.
-- Escort: injured seer (level 7 of Carn D?»m)
You failed to protect the injured seer from death by Rantha the Worm.
-- Of trolls and damp caves
Explore the caves below the tower of Amon S?»l and the trollshaws in search of treasure and glory!

* You have explored Amon S?»l and vanquished the Shade of Angmar.
* You have explored the Trollshaws and vanquished the Bill the Stone Troll.
-- Trapped!
You heard a plea for help and decided to investigate...
Only to find yourself trapped inside an unknown tunnel complex.
-- Escort: lone alchemist (level 5 of Old Forest)
You successfully escorted the lone alchemist to the recall portal on level 5 of Old Forest.
As a reward you improved Magic by +2.
-- Escort: lost warrior (level 6 of Carn D?»m)
You failed to protect the lost warrior from death by snow giant.

[Active Quests]

-- The Island of Dread
You have heard that in the bay of Belfalas, far to the south of Bree, lies the ruined tower of Tol Falas.
There are disturbing rumors of greater undeads and nobody who reached it ever returned.
Perhaps you should explore it and find the truth, and the treasures, for yourself!

[Character Equipment]

In main hand
a) Angmar's Fall (10-12 power, 0 apr, acid damage)
Type: weapon / staff
10 Power [Range 1.20] (+110% Magic), 0 Attack, 0 Armor Penetration, Crit 1%
Damage type: acid

When wielded/worn:
Increases damage type: 4% fire,4% cold,4% lightning,4% acid,4% blight.
Spellpower 7, Spell Crit 8%
See invisible: 2
Dropped by The Shade of Angmar
In off hand
On fingers
b) gold ring of burning (+8%)
Type: jewelry / ring
When wielded/worn:
Increases damage type: 8% fire.
c) steel ring of burning (+8%)
Type: jewelry / ring
When wielded/worn:
Increases damage type: 8% fire.
Dropped by forest troll
Around neck
d) copper amulet of willpower (+2)
Type: jewelry / amulet
When wielded/worn:
Increases stats: 2 Willpower.
Light source
e) Phial of Galadriel
Type: lite / lite
When wielded/worn:
Light radius 4
It can be used to call light, costing 10 power out of 15/15.
Main armor
f) linen robe of cold resistance (0 def, 0 armor)
Type: armor / cloth
When wielded/worn:
Increases resistances: 11% cold.
Cloak
On head
g) cashmere wizard hat (2 def, 0 armor)
Type: armor / head
When wielded/worn:
Armor 0, Defense 2
On hands
On feet
h) Frost Treads (1 def, 2 armor)
Type: armor / feet
When wielded/worn:
Armor 2, Defense 1
Fatigue 14%
Increases stats: 4 Strength,4 Dexterity,4 Cunning.
Increases resistances: 20% cold,10% nature.
Increases damage type: 5% cold.
Light radius 1
Dropped by Rantha the Worm
Tool
Quiver

[Player Achievements]

'Curse Lifter' was achieved for Killed Ben Cruthdar the Cursed. At 2010-09-28 10:27:29
'Exterminator' was achieved for Killed 1000 creatures At 2010-09-28 01:12:31
'Level 10' was achieved for Got a character to level 10. At 2010-09-27 23:03:40
'Rescuer of the lost' was achieved for Rescued the merchant from the assassin lord. At 2010-09-27 23:52:21

[Character Inventory]

a) giant potion of free action
Type: potion / potion
It can be used to resist stuns, dazes and pinning.
b) potion of cure poison
Type: potion / potion
It can be used to cure poison.
c) potion of free action
Type: potion / potion
It can be used to resist stuns, dazes and pinning.
d) 11 potion of healing
Type: potion / potion
It can be used to heal a good part of your life.
e) 5 potion of lesser healing
Type: potion / potion
It can be used to heal some life.
Dropped by red ooze
f) 5 potion of lesser mana
Type: potion / potion
It can be used to restore some mana.
g) 7 potion of mana
Type: potion / potion
It can be used to restore a good part of your mana.
h) potion of see invisible
Type: potion / potion
It can be used to sense invisible for a while.
i) long scroll of enemies detection
Type: scroll / scroll
It can be used to detect enemies within a certain range.
Dropped by Minotaur of the Labyrinth
j) 2 long scroll of light
Type: scroll / scroll
It can be used to light up the surrounding area.
Dropped by Minotaur of the Labyrinth
k) 2 scroll of identify
Type: scroll / scroll
It can be used to identify one object (or all with high magic stat).
l) 4 scroll of light
Type: scroll / scroll
It can be used to light up the surrounding area.
m) 4 scroll of phase door
Type: scroll / scroll
It can be used to teleport you randomly over a short distance.
Dropped by stone troll
n) 2 scroll of teleportation
Type: scroll / scroll
It can be used to teleport you anywhere on the level, randomly.
o) gold ring of mana (+0.20/turn)
Type: jewelry / ring
When wielded/worn:
Regenerates 0.20 mana each turn.
p) steel battleaxe of massacre (19-28.5 power, 2 apr)
Type: weapon / battleaxe
19 Power [Range 1.50] (+120% Strength), 0 Attack, 2 Armor Penetration, Crit 5%
Damage type: physical

When wielded/worn:
Increases damage type: 11% physical.
Dropped by yellow ooze
q) steel dagger (11-14.3 power, 6 apr)
Type: weapon / dagger
11 Power [Range 1.30] (+45% Dexterity,+45% Strength), 0 Attack, 6 Armor Penetration, Crit 5%
Damage type: physical

r) ash staff (8-9.6 power, 3 apr, nature damage)
Type: weapon / staff
8 Power [Range 1.20] (+100% Magic), 0 Attack, 3 Armor Penetration, Crit 3%
Damage type: nature

When wielded/worn:
Spellpower 2, Spell Crit 2%
s) dwarven-steel plate armour (5 def, 11 armor)
Type: armor / massive
When wielded/worn:
Armor 11, Defense 5
Fatigue 24%
t) agate
Type: gem / black
When used to imbue an armour:
Increases stats: 1 Strength,1 Dexterity,1 Magic,1 Willpower,1 Cunning.
Dropped by Ben Cruthdar, the Cursed
u) onyx
Type: gem / black
When used to imbue an armour:
Increases stats: 3 Strength,3 Dexterity,3 Magic,3 Willpower,3 Cunning.
v) opal
Type: gem / blue
When used to imbue an armour:
Increases stats: 2 Strength,2 Dexterity,2 Magic,2 Willpower,2 Cunning.
Dropped by skeleton warrior
w) brass lantern
Type: lite / lite
When wielded/worn:
Light radius 2
x) garnets
Type: gem / red
When used to imbue an armour:
Increases damage type: 6% all.
Dropped by black ooze
y) amethyst
Type: gem / violet
When used to imbue an armour:
Increases damage type: 4% all.

[Last Messages]

Gandalf the Grey uses Grace of the Eldar.
Gandalf the Grey speeds up.
Gandalf the Grey casts Freeze.
Gandalf the Grey hits Greater Mummy Lord for 26.33 cold damage .
Greater Mummy Lord is frozen!
Gandalf the Grey casts Flame.
Gandalf the Grey hits Greater Mummy Lord for 188.22 fire damage .
Greater Mummy Lord is on fire!
Gandalf the Grey hits Greater Mummy Lord for 62.74 fire damage .
Gandalf the Grey casts Manathrust.
Gandalf the Grey hits Greater Mummy Lord for 158.57 arcane damage .
Gandalf the Grey hits Greater Mummy Lord for 62.74 fire damage .
Gandalf the Grey casts Phase Door.
Gandalf the Grey casts Phase Door.
Gandalf the Grey casts Phase Door.
Talent Flame is ready to use.
Talent Freeze is ready to use.
Talent Manathrust is ready to use.
Gandalf the Grey slows down.
Gandalf the Grey casts Sense.
Talent Phase Door is ready to use.
Talent Sense is ready to use.
Greater Mummy Lord casts Freeze.
Greater Mummy Lord hits Gandalf the Grey for 72.61 cold damage .
Gandalf the Grey is frozen!
Greater Mummy Lord uses Shield Pummel.
Greater Mummy Lord hits Gandalf the Grey for 67.86 physical damage .
Greater Mummy Lord hits Gandalf the Grey for 12.42 cold damage .
Gandalf the Grey is frozen!
Greater Mummy Lord hits Gandalf the Grey for 81.58 physical damage .
Greater Mummy Lord hits Gandalf the Grey for 12.42 cold damage .
Gandalf the Grey is frozen!
Gandalf the Grey is stunned!
Greater Mummy Lord uses Assault.
Greater Mummy Lord hits Gandalf the Grey for 56.88 physical damage .
Greater Mummy Lord hits Gandalf the Grey for 12.42 cold damage .
Greater Mummy Lord performs a critical stike!
Greater Mummy Lord hits Gandalf the Grey for 262.20 physical damage .
Greater Mummy Lord killed Gandalf the Grey!
Greater Mummy Lord performs a critical stike!

vstat wrote:Thanks for the advice you two. I tend to spread things out quite a bit. I maxed (4 ranks so effective level would be 5) most of the low end elemental spells. I didn't get to the 4th level in any because the mana costs seemed so high. The only thing I had continually activated was arcane power. My WIL has 10 higher than my CON, yet I had over 100 more life than mana. Is there something that would be dragging that mana # down? My char dump is below. I didn't use my level 10 category point this time. I couldn't decide on meta or temporal. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

You can still benefit from that 5th talent point with increased damage, etc. There is not limit to the effective talent level (with mastery taken into account), only the raw talent level. It probably wouldn't have saved you from that freeze/freeze/stun/crit/crit combo... that is just mean!

yufra wrote:

vstat wrote:Thanks for the advice you two. I tend to spread things out quite a bit. I maxed (4 ranks so effective level would be 5) most of the low end elemental spells. I didn't get to the 4th level in any because the mana costs seemed so high. The only thing I had continually activated was arcane power. My WIL has 10 higher than my CON, yet I had over 100 more life than mana. Is there something that would be dragging that mana # down? My char dump is below. I didn't use my level 10 category point this time. I couldn't decide on meta or temporal. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

You can still benefit from that 5th talent point with increased damage, etc. There is not limit to the effective talent level (with mastery taken into account), only the raw talent level. It probably wouldn't have saved you from that freeze/freeze/stun/crit/crit combo... that is just mean!

Yes it was very mean of him. I was waiting at for him to come around a corner, and was probably 7 or 8 squares away. I never saw him come, and next thing I know I was dead. I was able to spot him early, and came upon him with a freeze, followed by flame, manathrust and lightning. He was still somewhere close to 70% of his health I think. I phased away to rest the talents and that's when I was killed.

I will start dumping a 5th point in then for my damage talents. It still won't make a difference with something like phase door right? I can still pick my spot (a 5th level ability) at 4th level b/c of effective talent level.

vstat wrote: I will start dumping a 5th point in then for my damage talents. It still won't make a difference with something like phase door right? I can still pick my spot (a 5th level ability) at 4th level b/c of effective talent level.

Well I think that the 5th talent point in phase door reduces the radius of your target location to zero (so you pick exactly where you want to go), but I think it may be a bit buggy in beta11. I also took only the 4th point in phase door with my current archmage for that reason, and am loathe to test it since this is the furthest I have ever gotten (lvl 40+). I will give it a closer look in a few days once work slows down a bit and I have either beat the game or managed to kill my archmage spectacularly.

trev wrote:As a reward for completing the apprentice mages quest - i received the ring of Elemental Fury

Just picked up the Ring of Ulmo by the same means. I'm really warming up to this apprentice guy.

You really are supposed to be 1 square back from sitting on the corner to prevent being rushed around to. Also, always always sense after you teleport. That way you can see which route the master is taking to reach you and you can time where he is at. Also, USE THE FREE ACTION POTIONS! When do you use them? Easy, when he(it) is roughly 3 turns away. That way he cannot rush you and kill you during that turn, it will be live before he is able to shield pummel or freeze you in the next turn as well. Also, when you see him(it), slam your most two/three most damaging spells FIRST, then teleport again. Notice I am saying teleport and not phase. He will find you. Let him come to you. It doesn't matter how far away you go, he will just walk to you. Let it happen. Set yourself up with all your wonderful little defenses. Use scrolls of shielding right after the free action potion. Then use speed potions. The reason why in that order is you need to live first (thus prevent the stun death), then prevent the first round or two of damage (so that you can take advantage of your now evened speed), then blast him. Free action potions (for me at about that magic) tended to last six to eight rounds.

So:

Round 0: Free Action
Round 1: Shield Scroll
Round 2: Speed Potion
Round 3: Blast 1 or AOE
Round 4: Blast 2/Blast 1
Round 5: Teleport (or if you haven't cleared out a good portion of the level, targeted phase door)
Round 6: Stuff starts to wear off because you are resting

Repeat as many times as needed. You'll probably need about 10 or so of each item during the fight, so I'd say maybe 15 for the whole treck with a few extras. Always bring extras of everything. Extras are good in case of emergencies. Emergencies always happen. Thus, always bring extras.

IF you do invest in the stun/freeze spells/talents, then you could at round 3 attempt to use one of those instead and work your way down. DO NOT RELY ON THEM EVER. If you cannot control him (or any mob for that matter) or maintain proper spacing using either movement or rapid fire boom booms without stuns/freezes, you ARE NOT PREPARED. Stuns/freezes are not guaranteed, good tactics and habits are much better to rely on.

I do notice that you have no points in stone skin, feather wind, illuminate, blur and only a single point in regeneration. Trust me, those spells will make you live in situations that you would otherwise be in the negative hundreds of life.

For further reading and plenty of good tips and tactics advice specifically for archmages, I suggest reading Wizard Tactics http://forums.te4.org/viewtopic.php?f=41&t=22469 and also once you are there Help with the Master and Beyond http://forums.te4.org/viewtopic.php?f=4 ... 0&start=45 .

vstat wrote:

PowerWyrm wrote:Heh... my mages seem to always get a useless damage branding ring...

I'm pretty new to mages, just having unlocked the class. I have been going for the elemental damage rings. I'd to hear your thoughts on what is more useful in the way of jewelry for a mage. My last wore to rings that increased fire damage by 8% each. I also had a ring of mana regen, but it was only 0.2/turn. Also, do you think wearing Angmar's Fall if better or worse than wearing a staff of power? I kept going back and forth on that one.

As a mage, you don't care about damage rings since they will only increase the physical damage you would do with your staff... but you won't ever hit anything with it! In beta11, I simply wait to get plain metal rings and jewels and imbue resistance or stat rings. About Angmar's Fall, the bonuses (+7 spellpower and +8 crits) are really too low to be very useful, and by the time I finish the first few dungeons I almost always find a good ego staff with at least +15 spellpower... so that artifact staff always serves for the Novice Mage quest.