Hey all I hope this helps out newer Mages in getting started as I frequently see the same sort of Questions being asked. I know there is another Guide here but that one seems a bit more for slightly more Advanced players. Please note that these builds are for mainly PvM (Player vs Monster) as Mages really don't get into WoE (War of Empirium) or PvP (Player vs Player) before they get to their Transcendant classes (High Wizard/ Scholar) or Third classes (Warlock/Sorcerer).
THE BEGINNING
Character Creation & Stat Progression:
As you level up you should stick to increasing your Intelligence to around 70 or so before adding either Dex or Vit. At level 93 you could have as Base stats 90 Int, 60 Dex & Vit, 30 Luk and hit 99 Int at lvl 98.
This goes for both Wizards and Sages. There are some more advanced builds but those require very special equipment or other things. This advice if for basic caster type characters.
Earning Zenny
Pick up all monster drops you can and then look them up on Ragial.com (select your server if your not on iro's chaos) to find what a good price is to vend or sell them for, remember you can put them in storage as it has no problem holding tons of stuff. Very few drops will you ever want to sell to NPC stores as they will give very poor prices.
For example the very first monster I list is Mandragora which drop Stem. Stems can be easily sold to other players for 700-1k zenny each!!!. You will just cry when you realize some ppl sell these to NPCs for only 23 zenny Also Mukas drop Cactus Needles which players buy for 500-1z easy as well.
A good idea is to make a Merchant type character on an Alternate account to Vend your drops, along with buying things like Fly Wings, White Potions and other things at a 24% discount. At only Job Level 20 a merchant can get Max Discount and 1 Vend (lvl 1 vend lets you set up to sell 3 items at ounce, for example Stem, Cactus Needle and Empty Bottles. Sadly weapons and armor take up their own slots even if you have multiples of the same).
Skills & Skill Progression:
In this guide I will be using 3 main skills for leveling purposes and they are as follows: Fire Bolt, Cold Bolt and Fire Wall. Fire Wall is a Skill that you will ALWAYS want to use on Maximum level which is 10. This is because higher levels cast faster and last longer. When using Fire & Cold Bolt to kill monsters do not be afraid to use higher or lower levels to kill things. The More Magic Attack you have, from weapons, Intelligence or gear, the lower number of bolts it will take to kill something.
This Skill Simulator will help you plan for what you want your Mage to learn.
All Mages, whether going Wizard or Sage, should get the following skills:
Fire Bolt Level 10
Cold Bolt Level 10
Fire Wall Level 10
Fire Ball Level 5 (needed for FW)
Sight level 1 (needed for FW)
Stone Curse 1 (needed for Heavens Drive)
Order of Skills - Usually I put 2 in Fire Bolt then 2 in Cold Bolt. After that bring Fire Bolt to Level 5 and Cold Bolt to Level 5. Next Fire Ball upto Level 5, 1 into Sight and 10 into Fire Wall. Then Finish off Fire Bolt then Cold Bolt to 10. Alter at need when leveling, remember you DON'T have to spend skill points right away if you don't need them, you will before you change to Wizard or Sage though. I usually have a couple sitting around just in case something changes.
Those going the WIZARDS path should add the following as Mages after getting above skills:
Lightning Bolt Level 4 (DO NOT MAX, Wizard skill Jupitel Thunder better)
Lightning Storm Level 1 (DO NOT MAX, Wizard skill Lord of Vermillion better)
Frost Diver Level 1-6 (1 at least needed for Storm Gust)
Napalm Beat Level 1 (Needed for Jupitel Thunder and LoV)
Frost Diver is the place to put the extra points as even though Frost Nova is better you will have better things to spend Wiz Skill pts on until the end. Storm Gust 1 is better to immobilize mobs then Frost Diver but takes ~4.8 seconds to cast compared to Divers 1 sec.
Those going the SAGES path should add the following as Mages after getting above skills:
Frost Diver 10
Lightning Bolt 10
Earth Spike 1 (Needed for HD)
Heavens Drive 5
This will actually require using 8 Sage Job Points in Mage skills but this is ok as Sage skills are not that great sadly.
WARNING - After TRANSCENDING aka Rebirthing High Mage, High Wizards and Scholar skill distributions will be a bit different as they will need think ahead to WarLock and Sorcerer more. Be sure to use THIS Skill Builder to see where you may need to put a few points so you can be sure to unlock those 3rd class skills.
http://irowiki.org/~himeyasha/skill4/
You will pretty much use the same places to level that you did before so you will be able to see where you may want to cut a few points.
PS Wizards/HWizs will level up a lot easier due to being able to use Storm Gust and Lord of Vermillion, Gramps Turn in parties will love them. Sadly Sages will not, although Scholars will get some love thanks to Soul Exhale (lets you refill party members sp), however with Double Bolt and Fiber Lock they may not even need parties. For more info on skills check out irowiki.org as it's a great resource to have bookmarked.
OOPS I Made a Mistake!!! HELP!!!
Don't worry to much if you made a mistake with your skills early on because there is a way to fix this as long as you are NOT over level 99. (This has been extended to level 99 apparently, good news for use all.)
Step 1: First get to Prontera
Step 2: Put all the gear that weigh anything, all but Kafra Tickets, Novice Pots/Wings and Eden Gear/mark, into storage. Your weight must be at 0 you can check by using Alt + V to open your character window.
Step 3: Speak with Hypnotist. She is located near the Fountain in Prontera just a bit North of it and to the right of the item shop just off the road. She will give you the choice to reset skills.
Step 4: Get the skills you want and get back your gear and go rock!
Picture below of Hypnotist.
There is also Currently, (not sure when it will be gone), a free 1 time Stat & Skill reset available ounce per character. This is given by Mesmerist inside the Eden Group just in front of the Sign Board. *** She has now been moved to behind the counter.
Equipment:
Really the only important part of a Mages equipment you should worry about at all early on is the Wand you use. I will list 4 wands you can get easily, the starting Rod you get for free, 2 of the Eden Group weapons and one Store Bought:
Novice Rod 38 MAtk, 15 Atk (not upgradeable, free, no lvl req)
Eden Staff 1 125 MAtk, +2 Int, 60 Atk, Level 26 Req (Quest needed, not upgradeable)
Eden Staff 2 150 MAtk, +3 Int, 60 Atk, Level 40 Req (Quest needed, not upgradeable)
Survivors (Int) 120 MAtk, +2 Int, +300 HP, 50 Atk, Level 24 Req (Bought in Lightzalen, upgradedable)
Now while the Eden wands have Higher Magic attack they lack the HP and low lvl requirement of the Survivors and they CANNOT be upgraded. Upgrading the Survivors Rod to +5, which can be done SAFELY with level 3 weapons, gives it an additional 25 Magic/Normal attack bringing the total to 145 Magic Atk, 75 Atk.
Cards
Certain cards can be of great assistance when placed in your equipment. Here are a few of them, some avg prices atm for them and what equipment they need to be placed on.
Vitata Card ~4m - Accessory = Heal lvl 1 Acolyte skill. (of Healing)
Pupa Card 2m - Armor = +700 HP (Hard)
Creamy Card 1.5m - Accessory = Teleport Lvl 1 Acolyte skill (of Teleport)
*Phen Card 10m - Accessory = Prevents skill casting from being interrupted. +25% Variable Casting Time (Under a Cast)
Siroma Card 5m - Accessory = Increases Damage and Reduces Cast Time of Cold Bolt by 25% (of Yana)
Imp Card 7.5m - Accessory = Increases Damage and Reduces Cast Time of Fire Bolt by 25% (of Ignis)
Most people put the accessory cards in Clips and Nile Roses as these are easy to get, only cost 200 - 500k, and have no level or class restrictions although there are other possibilities.
Check out Ragial.com for current prices and if anyone has them up for sale. You may see them already in the Clip/Nile Rose.
*After you have rebirthed you can choose instead to use Orleans Gown [1] as it also prevents skills from being interrupted and only increases cast time by 15%. Also has that slot to put a card in, perhaps Pupa.
LOL when I first made this Guide Imp and Siroma cards were a LOT more expensive, I mean by like 10x as much .
LEVELING SPOTS -
You can level up to job level 10 just outside Izlude easy enough. Change job in the Izlude academy or head to Geffen.
Talk to the "New Mage Trainer" right outside the door of the Geffen Magic Academy ounce you have changed to get 3 free Job Levels put 2 into Fire Bolt then head out the North gate.
Level 1-12 - Mandragora (FireBolt)
Mandragora - these guys are just to the North of Geffen town. Keep your distance from them as there tentacles reach a ways, they only have 156 HP so Level 2 Fire Bolt should be enough to kill them. Pick up all drops and keep the Stems to sell to other players for some good $$$.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1020/
Level 12 - Do the first Eden Quest. If you get the Desert quest Level 2 Cold Bolt is enough to kill all 3 of the guys. This will get you some other gear that boosts your HP/SP max and recovery which is ok.
Level 12 - Muka (FireBolt) and PecoPeco (ColdBolt)
At this point if you can hunt some good monsters for experience and get an extra bonus from the Eden Group as well. Muka & Peco Peco's. From Prontera Exit by the Soth Gate then head 1 map South into the desert, also you could head 1 more map South/East. More Peco's on the first, more Muka on second. You could hunt these all the way to Level 26 easy.
Muka are passive, Earth monsters. They have 468 HP so a Level 5 Fire Bolt is best to kill them. Pick up and save Cactus Needles, Empty Bottles, Iron Ores and Green Lives/Herbs, NPC the rest.
Peco Peco are passive, assist, Fire monsters. They have 446 HP so use a Level 5 Cold Bolt on them. Pick up and save Oranges, Herbs and Sandals [1], NPC the rest.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1055/
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1019/
Bounty quests for these are not available until 21 at which point your already on to better monsters.
Level 18 - Ants (FireBolt)
If your tired of the above you can start killing Ant's, Andre, Pierre and Deniro. Best map to hunt these guys on I believe is Comodo Field 08 which is from Morroc exit South then West talk to NPC to get to map. You could also head into "Ant Hell" which is located at the top (level 1) and bottom (level 2) right of this map. There are agressive monsters in there though and it's botted pretty heavily. (On Valkyrie at least). Stay here until your 30-35. Do the Eden Group quest at Level 26 (upgrades to 2nd version Armor, Mantle, Boots and get 1st weapon).
Andre, Pierre and Deniro are all passive, assist, looting, Earth monsters. They have lets say 725 HP (Andre has the most at 724 Deniro the least at 671). Level 6 Fire Bolt should kill them easy. Save Worm Peelings, Iron Ores, Rough Eluniums, Red Bloods, Wind of Verdures, Star Dust and Green Lives, NPC the rest.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1095/
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1160/
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1105/
Level 33 - Wolfs (FireBolt)
Wolfs are passive, assist, Earth type monsters. They have 1219 HP. The only danger on this map are from Argos, spider like guys that are agressive. Just FWall then Bolt these guys dead and get back to Wolfs. From Payon exit South then 1 map West.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1013/
Save the Strawberries, Mantle [1], Emveretarcon and NPC the rest. Argos drop Cobweb, save these as they are worth a bit to Scholars.
Sadly you can't get the Bounty quest for these guys until 41 at which point your done with them lol.
Level 40 - Grove (FireBolt)
Ok now ounce you have hit 40-45 you can start hunting Grove monsters (Flora not till 44). Best map is Comodo Field 01. Warp from Prontera to Comodo, then go through the East cave to get here. Groves are Earth2 element so take 175% Damage from Fire. Easy map as the only aggressive guy can't move. Grove have 2,090 HP so use Fire Bolt of the appropriate level. Test a level 10 Fire Bolt on one to see how much damage it does so you can adjust, will probably take a level 6-8 if only though. Nice easy leveling till level 55ish with Bounty.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1687/
There is also now Bounty quests for both Grove and Flora so you can level even quicker.
http://irowiki.org/w...d_Quests#Comodo
Level 40 - Metaller (ColdBolt)
Metaller - You can start on these guys from lvl 40. These guys are an alternative to Groves, they are Passive Fire guys so will take 150% damage from Cold Bolt. They have only 1,687 HP so a 6-7 Cold Bolt should do. They can be found on Comodo Field 09 which is actually just 1 map south of the Ant map above. There are ants on this map as well but still no aggressive monsters to really interfere and endanger you.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1058/
No Bounty Hunting for these.
Level 40 - Greatest Generals (ColdBolt)
These guys are Immobile so are easy targets for a Cold Bolt. They have 1575 HP. Great loots from these guys as they drop Trunk, Brigan and Authoritative Badges which are all good things to sell to other players.
If your Magic Attack is strong enough you can also kill Beetle King (2061 HP) on this map, use FBolt but make sure it's strong enough to kill them in 1 shot as they can assist each other if you don't.
Do NOT go after Savages as they can "sense" your magic attack and instantly attack you. If you really want to though wait till level 44 and put down a Fire Wall to block them THEN cast FBolt on them.
Found on Payon Field 10 which is from Payon, South 1 map then 2 East. This is the safe way with no aggressive monsters along the way normally.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1277/
Level 50 - Hodes & Sandman (FireBolt)
Hodes - At around 50 you can start here if you are getting bored you can start killing Hodes. Best map for this is Sograt Desert 17 which is from Morroc 1 map south 1 map east and 1 south again. Be WARNED, Sandman and Frilldoa roam this map as well and they are aggressive. Fire Wall and FBolt can be used on Sandman but Cold Bolt or Frost Diver should be used on Frilldoa, frills and Sandmen can use Cloak to hide their approach while still moving so be careful. While Sandman have better loots they are harder to kill somewhat. If they aren't much of a danger to you and you want to try to get more loot head one more map East to field 17 (listed below). Less Frill's here but LOTS of Sandmen.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1127/
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1165/
No Bounty available for these guys for some reason.
Level 60 - Grand Peco (ColdBolt), Level 65 - Goat (ColdBolt)
Grad Peco are great to hunt. They have 3150 HP and assist so make sure to take them out with 1 cast of Cold Bolt. Good for looting as they have the highest drop rate for Wind of Verdure's in the game at 10%. Pretty much save anything they drop for resale to players other than the PecoPeco Feathers which you can sell to NPC.
To get to the best map for them start at Aldebran and then go two maps north and one west. Bring Fly wings to get there as otherwise it's more dangerous.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1369/
Goats are another monster that you use Cold Bolt (200%) on. They have 3980 HP and can assist so make sure to 1 shot them as well. You can sell the Horn & Skin to NPC's for good zenny. Save the Empty Bottles and all the Herbs for other players.Go from AlDeBran North 1 then West 2 maps.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1372/
Boath Grand Peco and Goats have Bounty quests available to pick up in Juno. Can easily do these guys till 80 as the next guy does not have a bounty and has poorer drops.
http://irowiki.org/w...ard_Quests#Juno
Level 70 - Porcellio* (FireBolt)
Porcellio have a high HP of 5,544 HP and are weak to Fire Bolt (200%). They do NOT assist and are Looters. It is always best to 1 shot guys if you can or stay at Goats a bit longer. Only good drops here are the Main Gauche [4] and his card.
* = if you are concerned about making some zenny it's best to stay at Goats longer and skip this monster until level 75-80.
Easy and safe to get to. From Einbroch just head south then east 1 map each. The North-West exit on this map is the town of Einbech which is a good save place for quiet a while. No Bounty avail.
db.irowiki.org/db/monster-info/1619/
Level 80 - Stapo*** (FireBolt)
Stapo are like the previous monster in that they are looters and weak to Fire (175%). They have 8805 HP so are quite a bit tough and almost impossible to 1 shot without help. You will need to FireBolt then lay down a FWall and FBolt again to kill them. They do not have great drops either. Only really good thing about them is there are quite a few of them. Stay away from the plants on the map. You won't really get exp from Drosera until level 86, and Muscipular until level 90.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1784/
*** - These monsters would really benefit from having a Priest with the Spell Lex Aerterna to cast on them before your Bolt hits. This way it should only take one Level 10 Bolt to kill safely.
Level 80 - Roweens (Earth Spike/Heavens Drive)
Roweens are a tough AGGRESSIVE monster to level on but can be done using either FireWall + Earth Spike or FBolt to kill individually OR by using FWall + Heavens Drive to hit multiple at the same time. I usually recommend these guys only for Trans class characters like High Wiz or Scholar as they give a good chunk of JOB exp and also have a 91-99 Eden Board quest that gives a nice 300k Job exp just for killing 30 of them but has a 3 hour cool down. This really helps trans classes as they usually reach BASE level 99 long before Job level 70. For Wiz/Sage other choices listed are usually better. They actually give better exp than Stapo (~110xp) at same level but are much more dangerous. Sadly drops pretty much suck.
Located just outside Rachel means easy access.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1782/
Level 83 - Siroma*** (Lightning Bolt/Jupitel Thunder)
Siroma are quite good to level on and give 1827 Base Exp, compared to Stapo's 1574. Like Stapo, Siroma are passive looters weak to Wind (200%). They have 11,910 HP so you will need to JT/LB then lay down a FWall and JT/LB again to kill them, perhaps followed by another low lvl bolt to finish them off. ALL of their drops are quite decent and will want to be saved to sell to other players, make sure to check ragial.com for good prices to sell them at. Be sure to Fly Wing away if you spot a Gazzi as they are extremely dangerous.
Siroma are located in the Ice Dungeon, which is located from Rachel, 1 Map East, then North 3 maps. However these maps are quite difficult/dangerous maps to get through and the only good way to get here is to either have someone higher lvl take you, or get a warp to the entrance of the Ice Dungeon from a friendly Acolyte/Priest.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1776/
Level 88 - 103 - Desert Wolfs
These guys can be solo'd VERY carefully or really good with Tank/Puller or Healer. They require some careful thought ahead of time to deal with. They have 9447 HP and take 150% damage from Cold Spells, however they are best dealt with by Freezing them then hitting them with Lightning attacks that will then hit for 150% since they can mob. Get to them from Rachel by going out the East door then head North 3 maps.
Wizards - If Solo the spells you will want are Storm Gust 1 and/or 10, Jupitel Thunder 10, FireWall 10 (For the Roweens on the map). If duo then Storm Gust 10 to kill them all and mop up with JT.
Sage - Unfortunately Sages will usually have to solo these guys so Frost Diver 10, Lightning Bolt 10, FWall 10 + FBolt 10 (For Roweens). Even if you do have a partner it's not a good idea to mob them as Sages really don't have AoE kill spells. OFC ounce they hit Scholar thats a whole other story
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1106/
Level 95 - Magmaring***
This is THE monster for most classes ounce they hit level 95 until hitting 99 and beyond so this area is really hunted quite a bit. These guys are weak to Water (200%) but have 13,079 HP so will take more than one cast.
Alternate kill method without Priest support would be to use Frost Diver (Storm Gust if Wiz) to Freeze them in place quickly then follow it up with a Lightning Bolt 10 (Jupitel Thunder or LoV if Wiz).
*** - These monsters would really benefit from having a Priest with the Spell Lex Aerterna to cast on them before your Bolt hits. This way it should only take one Level 10 Bolt to kill safely.
http://db.irowiki.or...ster-info/1836/
JUNO SPOTLIGHT LEVELING
Edited by EvilLoynis, 13 June 2016 - 12:41 AM.