When does magic get good?

[zaku_zelo]

I've got 38 magic, charged ring, a +3 rowan crosier, and not a single one of my spells is outperforming my +2 black widow. Every fight I struggle with fireballs and lightning bolts, plinking away for pitiful damage and slowly lowering stamina, then say "♥♥♥♥ it" and just wreck whatever's in my way with this greatsword. I did the dome and zigguraut first to get early brands, and not once have my spells pulled their weight.

All I hear about magic is that it's so crazy strong and melts bosses in seconds. When the hell does that start happening?

[Rhudda]

I notice you missed the storm ring. It makes magic so much more powerful than the piddly - what was it? - +3 magic the charged ring gets you. At least that's what it felt like to me. It also depends on your spells. If you're using flashfire, no wonder you feel it's weak. Fireball and lightning bolt are probably the two most efficient spells.

Magic is incredibly strong and it has the advantage of range. The tree of men never gave me any trouble because it died so quickly. I guess the Kraekan Wyvern was probably the first boss I noticed I was having an easier time than most people (who likely weren't using magic), though the Alchemist before her went down very easily too.

[minicats]

Dark spells are very powerful. Dark reach hits like a truck, dark arrows can keep a boss permastunned. Also there is sense to for for 100k salt staff.
I also love class 2 lightning bolt, it kills enemies withinh 1-2 shots and pierces through them.

[Rhudda]

Originally posted by minicats:

Dark spells are very powerful. Dark reach hits like a truck, dark arrows can keep a boss permastunned. Also there is sense to for for 100k salt staff.
I also love class 2 lightning bolt, it kills enemies withinh 1-2 shots and pierces through them.

All I need for that staff is a certain ear, but I'm not rushing through the game to get it.

It should be noted that staves are way better for spellcasting, by the way, so if you, zaku, are using a wand, that's another reason for why spells seem weak to you. I also forgot to mention that certain enemies resist magic pretty well (among them the creature that appears when you die from anything but an enemy) and that shields are pretty good at stopping it too.

[Cleftin Twain]

I've yet to play a magic user currently so I'm curious.. If staves make magic better because of the channel, what are wands supposed to be used for?

[Rhudda]

Originally posted by Rabbit:

I've yet to play a magic user currently so I'm curious.. If staves make magic better because of the channel, what are wands supposed to be used for?

Staves are stronger and can have two spells equipped that are cast with the two attack buttons. Wands go in the off-hand slot like a shield, crossbow or pistol and can carry one spell which is cast with the block/fire button. They disable the charm slot for that weapon set too. I suppose they are useful for hybrid characters so you can fight and cast at the same time - maybe there are combos, too. I prefer specialising, though.

[XeidiDent]

Never. Maybe when you finish the game.

Magic is garbage on this game. You have to collect tons of items to make it viable while a simple sword smashes everything right off the bat.

[Zelxios]

can you use magic without staves and wands i made a second char to tryout the magic and im trying to make a battlemage type build

[Rhudda]

Originally posted by Zelxios:

can you use magic without staves and wands i made a second char to tryout the magic and im trying to make a battlemage type build

Certain magic spells, incantations, I believe, go in the lowest row of slots on the equipment screen. You don't need anything to cast there, they're used like items. They are more expensive and somewhat situational, though, but I think a battlemage using those and weapons could work well.

[minicats]

Cane from the Castle of Storms, lightning bolt and lightning arc can bring one easily through most of the game until one can get those end-game spells and staff I mentioned.
Incantations are another question, I personally dont find them useful. Familiars last too short and have low damage to aid at a boss. Aoes around caster arent too good either. Maybe melees can find weapon buffs ok, but a mage barely needs them.
I only use reveal invisible in the Dome.

[Urfarah]

Weapons: An upgraded Rowan Crosier (Hager's Cavern or Dome of the Forgotten) is everything you need to be very effective until you get Saira's Staff (after Siam Lake);

Spells: Flame Barrage (Ziggurat of Dust) is the game changer imo. Until then Lightning Barrage (Castle of Storms) is solid and so is Fireball (Red Hall of Cages). After the "Flame Barrage mark", my favorite ones are Dark Reach (bought at the Order of the Betrayer Stone Mage) and Dragonfire (bought at Order of the Betrayer, House of Splendor or Keepers of Fire and Sky Stone Mage at Devotion 7);

Incantations: Dark Swarm, Dark Swarm and, when in doubt, Dark Swarm. Dark Swarm is love, Dark Swarm is life (for you, for your enemies it is a very bloody stream of interruptions and death). You can buy it at the Order of the Betrayer Stone Mage. Other incantations, like Wildfire, Static Geist and Flame Guardian have their uses but Dark Swarm is good for everything (it does require smart placement, especially on cramped spaces but its uses are multiple. You can even summon those cute dark spirits to keep you company on those lonely, saltless nights).

Thing is, more than spells and equipment, magic is a way to play, a way to think and a way to face the game. Keep yourself very mobile, be patient (greed for damage is a very common source of death), learn to read the enemies and have spatial awareness (and remember you can cast mid air to dodge ground attacks, this is useful against a number of tail sweeps and the like). Learn this and you should be fine through all NG+ and beyond.

[Broso]

50+ Magic + Saira's Staff VII (transmute from Witch of the Lake boss item) + Storm Ring + both elemental barrage spells + Flask of Defilement (Order of the Betrayer creed item) = GG every boss even on NG+7

And that without the debuff from the dark spells.

[gungadin22000]

Just beat the game with a wizard using Betrayer spells - was actually fairly boring, considering how grotesquely overpowered I became halfway through the game, melting both enemies and bosses with ease. Think I shot the final boss like 5 times with Dark Reach + defiling flask and he went down in about 20 seconds, but it was a lot less involved than having to fight him with a shield-dude.

Dark Reach makes all other spells look puny by comparison, particularly Dragon's Breath which has apparently been nerfed to hell and back.

[Broso]

Dark Reach may be powerful, but the debuff will turn you into a paper doll. And try it again on NG+7.

[Kartoffelsuppe]

Are we playin the same game? I steamrolled everything from the moment on when I got lightning. You need certain rings, invest into some stamina and get focus potions, then you are good to go for magic only.

There is no way you gonna be better of with that magic greatsword since it's close range only and you also need to invest into armor/shield nodes.

[Sculelos]

I find magic powerful especially lightning and fire barrage spells and remember the storm ring adds 20% dmg and I think the game only gets harder up until ng+7 I think enemies have around 4 times as much health in NG+ and get about 10% stronger per new game after that so even though you don't get as much per level you can stack up to 4 storm rings for 80% more dmg and also get the spell from the fire and sky covenant to increase spell damage by 50% more so even a character with only 25 magic points can melt bosses with the right gear. Although I'm playing mostly as a whip and guns person I find it useful to be able to use a tower shield (Iron Rampart Shield FTW) and magic just for those annoying enemies that have heavy resistance to poison.