Make potions via Alchemy, which will always be unidentified. Then, cast Identify on them instead of right-clicking them.

Also, I believe there are items that require *really* high Artifacts skill to identify, so your Mage isn't going to identify them. (Some might require over 100 IIRC, which means only a Bishop can identify them without a spell.) In those cases, using the spell is your only option, and if your skill isn't good enough, it will get good enough by the time the spell succeeds.

Divine Trap can be cast again on the same trap if you leave the trap screen and re-enter it.

Also, it's not as if the spells need to be a high level:
* Charm: I never found a good use for this spell in Wizardry 8.
* Identify: This spell is only used outside of combat, so you can easily try again if it fails. The spell can't backfire, so you don't need to worry about that.
* Divine Trap: You can save before examining the chest and reload if the spell does backfire, and with enough Locks & Traps, you don't need this spell at a high power level. Also, Knock can also open trapped chests, and may avoid triggering the trap.
* Sane Mind: Restoration at PL1 cures almost all status ailments reliably, so once you reach level 18, you can learn Restoration and not worry about Sane Mind. Also, if you have a Psionic, they'll never be insane or turncoated (they're immune), and therefore will usually be able to cast the spell.

Thank you. That's what I thought. I'm going to mix potions, not only to help max out my Alchemist's Alchemy skill, but to help my Priest with his limited Mental magic realm.
The Mage seems balanced with her 6 realms being pretty much even.
The Alchemist is just about balanced with Fire, Water, Air, Earth, and Divine realms being almost even (no Mental).
The Psionic is lopsided in favor of the Mental realm, and Fire and Air realms following behind. His Water, Earth, and Divine realms are lagging, and I'm having to train them slowly with weaker spells on weaker enemies.
The Priest is lopsided in favor of the Divine realm, with Water, Air, and Earth realms following behind. His Fire realm is mediocre (Light/Lightning), and I'm training that on weaker enemies. As said before, his Mental realm is the worst. I will do as suggested.

The Bard and Gadgeteer have "maxed out" at level 18. They can now use any instruments or gadgets in the game. I wouldn't bet on the level 18 instruments/gadgets though. I believe they need to be level 18(+6)=24 to cast them effectively at power level 7 with no chance of fumbles or backfires, not to mention Music and Engineering have to be at skill level 100, which they certainly are not.
The casters are at level 17, one level to go to get their best spells(about 1 million exp needed to level now). I saved a spell pick for each one, so at level 18, they will each have 2 picks. Granted, they will only be able to cast at power level 1 in the green.
The other night, I fought a group of level 22 Savant Minions(they're pretty tough, but give good exp). Staying in Arnika is still profitable. I'm a grinder. I think pretty soon the Banish spellbook will be available from Braffit for my Mage and Priest.

Actually, I believe 100 skill isn't actually enough; you need more than that. (There's a hat (IIRC) that can increase Music, but with Engineering it's impossible.)

In any case, as I mentioned later, getting those last points of Music can go very quickly; just have the Bard use the Renaissance Lute on themself and keep pressing the "use last item" hotkey.

At PL1, in my experience the most useful level 7 spell is Restoration, which will reliably cure most status ailments (including unconsciousness, which otherwise can only be cured with one of the non-learnable spells (Smelling Salts)), followed by Asphixiate and Death Wish, which even at PL1 work well against low level enemies with high HP. Death Cloud might also work, but it won't last long.

Level 18 is, I believe, when you can buy all the spellbooks. In addition to Banish from Lord Braffit, you can buy all the 5th level spells from Ferro, not just some of them. (This means Psionic Blast, one of my favorate spells, is buyable at this point, though I like the spell so much I like to pick it before that point.)

I believe that it's Puck's Cap, which does increase Music, but it isn't specifically Bard equipment. In addition, it's cursed, and has a penalty of -10 to Piety, which would decrease the Bard's Stamina, which is bad. If I can't increase Music and Engineering past 100, I guess that I just have to gain a lot of levels, into the high 20s, to reliably use instruments and gadgets(we don't need the Gadgeteer fumbling and casting Asphixiate on the entire party!) I generally dislike grinding skills repetitively, preferring to use them in battle.
As mentioned, I have to carry Smelling Salts for everybody, because KO cannot be cured except with those, or Restoration, or the Renaissance Lute. It looks like to increase the Priest's Mental realm, I will be mixing potions and casting ID Item on them.

I did some heavy potion mixing, first at He'Li's, because she always gives good prices. My Alchemist is mixing the potions, going up the chain. First Light+Mod Heal into Heavy Heal, then Heavy Heal+CureLightCond into Cure Disease, then Cure Disease+Heavy Heal into Renewal Potions. My Priest has been casting ID Item one at a time, building up his Mental realm. It has taken a long time because of all the resting, meanwhile monsters spawn in Arnika, and sometimes I get the drive to fight for exp and skills. Sometimes they just get in the way, so I try to fight them alone, so I don't get unwanted "help" from Higardi Patrols, Lay Brothers, etc.

I do like using Psionic Blast, as you said. At this point, it can be cast at power level 7 in the green. I managed to get my Priest's Mental magic all the way to 93, using ID item. I ran out of viable ways to mix potions though, between Burz, He'Li, and Braffit. I think I will have to rely on Charm to carry me the rest of the way, to 100.

Do you *really* need to raise Mental Magic all the way to 100 on a Priest? There are no higher level spells that need those last few skill points, and at this point you're not likely to run into SP issues with that realm.

It's the perfectionist in me. I should be able to get the Priest's Mental Magic realm all the way up to 100 by using Charm repeatedly on Vi Domina. She's not a trader, so who cares if she's mad? I don't think they will go hostile unless you fail at Charm, which I shouldn't, at 93 Mental skill. Normally, I consider that cheating, which is why no other realms will be raised like that, but I feel that it's my only way to max Mental.

From a role-playing perspective, I just rescued Vi Domina from a Savant Trooper fight, so she "owes" me. I wouldn't think that she would mind that, since I brought her to her friend's bar, He'Li's, that she would mind that I use a harmless spell "Charm" on her. And she didn't. She never got angry once. My Priest now has 100 skill in Mental Magic.

Actually, in character I'd argue she would mind that, if she found out. If you talk to her about the Dark Savant and related topics, she basically describes 7 years of abuse.

(Note that she needs to not be in your party to talk to her, of course.)

I'm impressed! Even though I've played through Wiz8 more times than I care to remember over the last 15 years, I'm pretty sure I've never had a Priest who reached 100 in the Mental realm!

At least in the case of Lord Braffit, the patrol routes of monsters never go into the place where he is found. The only times I've ever been attacked there is because I've aggro'd one of the mobs and it followed me into the temple.

(Yes, I did use some terminology that comes from MMOs; while there are many terms from there that I dislike (like "grind"), some of the other terms I don't mind (though I don't use "mob" to refer to a single enemy).)

Believe it or not, I have actually been attacked while hanging out with Lord Braffit. Maybe I hit the 1% chance or whatever, but enemies CAN go down to Lord Braffit, and lower (where the Wheel Key is). I usually go by a "closed door" save, because I've played the game on and off since 2001. I do like to have a "safe save".
I fought a group of Level 22 Savant Minions, where it was crucial that I have physical damage potential. I noticed that my magic damage did very little to them (I am at level 18/17 Specialists and Casters, respectively).