I created a forum account just to say this: A mage becomes overpowered at the start of Chapter 3, and even all the NotR nerfs to magic haven't damaged the Fire Mage's status as the strongest class in the game.
Do you guys realize how overpowered Storm is? 5 LP for a chapter 3 spell which does everything that fire rain does - just at roughly half the mana/damage efficiency when you take resistances into account, while actually being more effective against Fire monsters.
Storm - it's an armageddon spell which travels with you for around 10 seconds, and does stack. Chug a speed potion beforehand and you can clear entire valleys. 100 mana for 250 damage, range is similar to projectile spells but AOE instead, and here's the best part - each cast hits TWICE.
Mages in NotR absolutely MUST get it if they intend to kill enemies on the map before Ch 5 (Fire Rain). In fact, I would wait with killing anything non-quest related until you get Storm and your mana to 100 (required to cast it) for a highly enjoyable playthrough.
Usage: One cast for low HP enemies, up to Skeletons and Orc Warriors, two for Wargs, Orc Elites and up (300+ xp enemies mostly) and three if you absolutely want to 1-hit Seekers as opposed to smacking the last fragment of HP left. Again, use speed potions to get the most area coverage, especially if using scrolls and your supply is limited. The speed potion lasts 5 minutes, so you could clear half the map if you have the Storm rune and enough mana potions within that time.
Notes on building your own "Stormchild":
Firstly, you need only three runes until Ch 5: Storm, Lightning and Ice Block (great against Seekers, Shadowbeasts). Lightning (@ Jharkendar Ch 3) has the best mana/damage ratio of all the projectile spells in-game, on par with the weaker Ice Lance and Waterfist (the latter which interestingly can knock down friendly NPCs instead of killing them).
General leveling advice applies: Raise both Strength and your favorite melee skill to around 40 before applying permanent bonuses; replace Str with Dex if you really want to Pickpocket. There's mandatory combat in the first two chapters, which can be difficult without Storm or some sort of summon/transformation spell, though scrolls are sufficient for this until Ch 3-5 depending on your frugality.
Contrary to popular belief, not a single Orc needs to be fought in Ch 2. Getting to Ch 3 quickly and efficiently is mostly about running around, using scrolls on some quest mobs, evading the rest (killed enemies do NOT respawn nor prevent other enemies from spawning later) and making sure to earn enough cash to buy permanent potions, Innos donations and such. Remember to make the Innos donations (1000 gold if done 50 at a time) before becoming a novice, for a huge +85 HP and more permanent boosts.
Why you shouldn't pickpocket, unless you really want to: Lockpicking is more important and mind numbing enough. Adding Pickpocket makes the game even more tedious while giving needless XP useful only to a completionist, as the 5 LP required (?) take tens of thousands of XP near the end of the game, gold is plentiful and 5 LP is a lot early on. Lastly, Str is an important stat on its own, having a huge effect on melee damage and weapon selection. Crossbows also rock.
2-handers are vastly superior in my opinion, especially long ones like the mages' Ulthar's Staff (40 Str for 70 damage, max range @ Gorax Ch 1) and Typhoon (45 Str for 75 damage, max range @ Cronos Ch 2). I can fight anything without taking damage, whereas with a 1-hander I can only accomplish this through exploits. I'm sure someone here can do this without 2-handers, but it's so much easier with - and you'll need to hit often as a mage, since you're relatively weak.
P.S. Sorry for the revive, but this topic is the top Google result for a bunch of mage-related search phrases - I figured this would be the best place. Even the excellent GameFAQs guides fail to include this bit of information, and I presume their authors unreachable after all these years. And yes, people still play this - on a much larger scale than I initially realized.
Edit: Storm can easily clear the Valley of Mines of its Orc problem, as soon as you get it. People say NotR made mages weaker - I absolutely have to disagree. Mages can clear anything starting at Ch 3 thanks to Storm.
And another tip that's not in the guides: Save your Mana Essences (the weak mana potions). You can turn them into full mana potions later at a ratio of 3:1, which is exceptionally good if you have more than 200 mana. Also save your Knotweeds for this; you don't need them, especially not as Bosper's apprentice (which amusingly gives you access to more potions than Constantino does).
Post edited June 14, 2017 by Gessie00
