================================================ Dungeon Siege 2 Combat Mage Guide v.1.2 ================================================ By Aaron Hendrix (amhendrix@falconbroadband.net) ================================================ Note: This document is best viewed with a monospace font (e.g. Courier). Your standard web browser will do, but just in case your browser's settings are weird, here's a line of 70 numbers followed by a line of 70 hyphens. 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- If they're not aligned, then you better change some settings. Now. 0.0)Table of contents: 1.0) Introduction 2.0) Races 2.1) Humans 2.2) Half-Giants 2.3) Elves 2.4) Dryads 3.0) Skills 3.1) 1st Level Skills 3.2) 5th Level Skills 3.3) 12th Level Skills 3.4) 24th Level Skills 3.5) 36th Level Skills 4.0) Combat Mage Types 4.1) The Fire Mage 4.2) The Lightning Mage 4.3) The Death Mage 5.0) Powers 5.1) Energy Orb 5.2) Flame Nexus 5.3) Detonation 5.4) Harvest Soul 5.5) Corrosive Eruption 5.6) Chain Lightning 5.7) Gathered Bolt 6.0) Credits 6.1) Copyright Information 6.2) Special Thanks 6.3) Guide Locations 6.4) Revision History 6.5) Planned Additions ================================================ 1.0 - Introduction ================================================ Hello and welcome to the world of Dungeon Siege 2! This is my first character guide that I've written and as such you can be pretty sure there are some errors. Just email me and I'll fix them for the next revision. First off, you may wonder, why play a combat mage? Aren't they some puny weakling that can't stand any punishment at all, running in fear from whatever gets too close to them? Many people may think so. However, this isn't true. It is true that they aren't the meat shield that fighters are, the support character that nature mages are, or the long range specialists that rangers are. But what they do have is a lot of adaptability and the ability to not only exploit weaknesses, but also to create them. I'll list some of the pros and cons here. Pros: - You are the most powerful character in the entire game. - You have the most diverse set of attack spells (therefore not getting hung up on resistances). - You can curse enemies to give them weaknesses. - You can reduce the damage done to you by that pesky melee character to nil by cursing him (then who's the weakling?). - You may not be able to use healing magic, but with leech life and vampirism, you can easily restore your own health VERY quickly. - You can have summoned creatures (I like to think of them as mini-meat shields). - You can use some of the best, and coolest looking items in the game (in my opinion). - Your powers look the coolest by far (in my opinion). Cons: - With only the occasional increase in strength, you won't have much health. - You don't have REAL healing magic. - Your summons don't get nearly as powerful as a nature mage's. - You won't get nearly as much elemental resistance as a ranger. - You don't really get any skill or power (like freezing), to stun the enemy and avoid their attack. So, do you have what it takes to be a combat mage? ================================================ 2.0 - Races ================================================ There are four available races in Dungeon Siege 2, namely humans, half-giants, elves, and dryads. However, keep in mind that at level 100 all attributes and skills will tend to pan out (e.g. 1 level of Brilliance to start with isn't much when you have, by level 100, about 115 skill points that you've spent). With this in mind you should mainly decide what race you use on (a) their racial special ability (10% chance to find magic, 5% mana regen. etc.), and (b) what race you like the best and want to roleplay as. Here are their statistics: ------------------------------------------------ 2.1 - Humans ------------------------------------------------ Stats: +2 Strength +1 Dexterity +1 Intelligence +10% Chance to Find Magic Items +2 Unspent skill points The most common race in Aranna, humans are, according to the manual, sort of blood thirsty and like to get close to their opponents. However, they make great magic users near the beginning of the game due to their unspent skill points (to do whatever you want with at the beginning), though their attributes are more oriented towards fighter than mage (but still balanced). The +10% chance to find magical items would probably be the main attraction for this race (and it's nothing to laugh at, it's good). ------------------------------------------------ 2.2 - Half-Giants ------------------------------------------------ Stats: +6 Strength -2 Dexterity +5% Health Regeneration +2 Fortitude Gigantic towers of quivering muscle is what these guys are (and by guys it's only guys, no females for this race), usually smashing though opponents with a gigantic weapon. The +6 Strength and +2 Fortitude give them extra health at the beginning (= better survival), the +5% health regeneration helps until you can use Leech Life and Vampirism, and the -2 dexterity doesn't hurt you much. However, I would rather have Intelligence than strength (even at the beginning) and Brilliance instead of Fortitude. On top of that, health potions are plentiful and Lesser Leech Life becomes available quite early. Overall I would say not to use them (except for roleplaying, though why anyone would roleplay a ten-foot tall magic user is beyond me), just because there are better races. ------------------------------------------------ 2.3 - Elves ------------------------------------------------ Stats: +1 Dexterity +3 Intelligence +5% Mana Regeneration +1 Brilliance +1 Critical Strike Beautiful, graceful and outrageously long-lived (Arinth is, as far as I can tell, over 2000 years old), this is a race that excels in combat magic like no other. A bonus in Dexterity never hurt, every bonus to Intelligence gives you extra mana and extra damage on almost every spell, 5% more mana regen will help you through the entire game, and starting with 1 Brilliance gives you 7% more mana and the ability to use Energy Orb from the start. The only downside is the level in Critical Strike, which could've been better spent in Devastation. Overall, arguably the absolute best race for a combat mage. ------------------------------------------------ 2.4 - Dryads ------------------------------------------------ Stats: -2 Strength +4 Dexterity +2 Intelligence +10% Death Magic Resistance +1 Dodge +1 Natural Bond Born from the cataclysm on the Plain of Tears, this is a somewhat odd race (no males, though actually that would make it more odd) more oriented towards nature magic, but an interesting choice. The -2 Strength will, unfortunately, make you start with less hit points than other races. However, the +4 Dexterity gives you an increased armor (= less damage done to you), and they do have a +2 to Intelligence (= more mana and magic damage). Plus the 10% death resistance is VERY helpful againt the Vai'Kesh's death magic if you haven't prepared for it. Their skills are slightly odd, including +1 Dodge (mainly for rangers), and +1 Natural Bond (interesting skill, gets down spell cost and lets you harvest mana potions). Not a bad race at all, especially if you decide to take a few levels in nature magic. ================================================ 3.0 - Skills ================================================ This is where you'll get all you're special abilities (aside from items), so it's very important that you choose what you want to specialize in very carefully. There are three main types of combat mages, fire, lightning, and death mages. The skill tree for combat mages looks like this... Legend: Top to bottom, left to right. Brill - Brilliance Dev - Devastation Deb - Debilitation S F - Searing Flames A L - Amplified Lightning S A - Summon Alacrity G N - Grim Necromancy Q C - Quickened Casting Vamp - Vampirism Ign - Ignite A F - Arcane Fury Arc - Arcing Available At: =========================================================== = Lv. 1 = Lv.5 = Lv.12 = L.24 = Lv.36 = =========================================================== = = = = = = = = [Deb] = [S A] = = = = = = = = = = [Brill]----------------------------[Q C]-------[A F] = = = = = = = = = /-----------[G N]------[Vamp] = = = = / = = = = = =/ = = = = = [Dev]--|--[S F]-------------------[Ign] = = = =\ = = = = = = \ = = = = = = \[A L]-----------------------------[Arc] = = = = = = = =========================================================== Next is a list of what the skills do, along with a rating and the recommended mage type. After the game description, I'll put any thoughts about the skill. Rating Key: 3: This is a must have skill. You should take it. 2: Very nice to have. Strongly encouraged. 1: Good for specialized characters or concepts, but not for everyone. ------------------------------------------------ 3.1 - Level 1 Skills ------------------------------------------------ Brilliance: Through intense introspection, adventurers may extend their mind beyond physical constraints, vastly multiplying their capacity for magical energies. Rating: 3 Recommended type: All (Particularly Fire Mages) Notes: You really can't go wrong with more mana. It increases how much you regenerate per couple seconds and means you need less mana potions later on. Lv.01 - Maximum Mana: +7% Lv.02 - Maximum Mana: +14% Lv.03 - Maximum Mana: +21% Lv.04 - Maximum Mana: +28% Lv.05 - Maximum Mana: +36% Lv.06 - Maximum Mana: +44% Lv.07 - Maximum Mana: +52% Lv.08 - Maximum Mana: +60% Lv.09 - Maximum Mana: +68% Lv.10 - Maximum Mana: +76% Lv.11 - Maximum Mana: +83% Lv.12 - Maximum Mana: +90% Lv.13 - Maximum Mana: +97% Lv.14 - Maximum Mana: +105% Lv.15 - Maximum Mana: +113% Lv.16 - Maximum Mana: +121% Lv.17 - Maximum Mana: +129% Lv.18 - Maximum Mana: +136% Lv.19 - Maximum Mana: +143% Lv.20 - Maximum Mana: +150% Devastation: Combat magic is an exercise in precision, the more accurate a mage's motions and the more practiced his incantations, the more energy and destruction he can channel into his attacks. Rating: 3 Recommended type: All Notes: Two words, MUST HAVE! This skill gets the damage with ALL of your magic types up. 'Nuff said. Lv.01 - Combat Magic Damage: +10.0% Lv.02 - Combat Magic Damage: +17.0% Lv.03 - Combat Magic Damage: +22.0% Lv.04 - Combat Magic Damage: +27.0% Lv.05 - Combat Magic Damage: +31.0% Lv.06 - Combat Magic Damage: +35.0% Lv.07 - Combat Magic Damage: +38.0% Lv.08 - Combat Magic Damage: +41.0% Lv.09 - Combat Magic Damage: +44.0% Lv.10 - Combat Magic Damage: +46.5% Lv.11 - Combat Magic Damage: +49.0% Lv.12 - Combat Magic Damage: +51.0% Lv.13 - Combat Magic Damage: +53.0% Lv.14 - Combat Magic Damage: +55.0% Lv.15 - Combat Magic Damage: +56.0% Lv.16 - Combat Magic Damage: +57.0% Lv.17 - Combat Magic Damage: +58.0% Lv.18 - Combat Magic Damage: +59.0% Lv.19 - Combat Magic Damage: +59.5% Lv.20 - Combat Magic Damage: +60.0% ------------------------------------------------ 3.2 - Level 5 Skills ------------------------------------------------ Debilitation: There is power in disease and decay. Mages who study it risk their health and sanity, but learn to inflict crippling curses on their foes. Rating: 3 Recommended type: All Notes: Very nice, I recommend it if you are playing multi- or single- player without a pet or party member that uses curses. If you have a pet or party member that does, keep in mind that enemies are limited to one debuff, and you should probably not take this skill. Lv.01 - Curse Spell Power: +24% Curse Spell Duration: +32% Lv.02 - Curse Spell Power: +42% Curse Spell Duration: +56% Lv.03 - Curse Spell Power: +54% Curse Spell Duration: +72% Lv.04 - Curse Spell Power: +66% Curse Spell Duration: +88% Lv.05 - Curse Spell Power: +77% Curse Spell Duration: +102% Lv.06 - Curse Spell Power: +86% Curse Spell Duration: +114% Lv.07 - Curse Spell Power: +94% Curse Spell Duration: +124% Lv.08 - Curse Spell Power: +102% Curse Spell Duration: +134% Lv.09 - Curse Spell Power: +109% Curse Spell Duration: +144% Lv.10 - Curse Spell Power: +115% Curse Spell Duration: +152% Lv.11 - Curse Spell Power: +121% Curse Spell Duration: +160% Lv.12 - Curse Spell Power: +126% Curse Spell Duration: +166% Lv.13 - Curse Spell Power: +131% Curse Spell Duration: +172% Lv.14 - Curse Spell Power: +135% Curse Spell Duration: +178% Lv.15 - Curse Spell Power: +139% Curse Spell Duration: +184% Lv.16 - Curse Spell Power: +142% Curse Spell Duration: +188% Lv.17 - Curse Spell Power: +145% Curse Spell Duration: +192% Lv.18 - Curse Spell Power: +147% Curse Spell Duration: +196% Lv.19 - Curse Spell Power: +149% Curse Spell Duration: +198% Lv.20 - Curse Spell Power: +150% Curse Spell Duration: +200% Searing Flames: Convectus the Red spent a lifetime communing with lava spirits and learning the secrets of the inner flame. His student are still famous for the intensity of their fire magic. Rating: 3 Recommended type: Fire Mages Notes: A must have for fire mages, for everyone else, ignore it. Lv.01 - Fire Magic Damage: +8% Fire Power Damage: +8% Lv.02 - Fire Magic Damage: +14% Fire Power Damage: +14% Lv.03 - Fire Magic Damage: +20% Fire Power Damage: +20% Lv.04 - Fire Magic Damage: +24% Fire Power Damage: +24% Lv.05 - Fire Magic Damage: +28% Fire Power Damage: +28% Lv.06 - Fire Magic Damage: +32% Fire Power Damage: +32% Lv.07 - Fire Magic Damage: +36% Fire Power Damage: +36% Lv.08 - Fire Magic Damage: +39% Fire Power Damage: +39% Lv.09 - Fire Magic Damage: +42% Fire Power Damage: +42% Lv.10 - Fire Magic Damage: +44% Fire Power Damage: +44% Lv.11 - Fire Magic Damage: +46% Fire Power Damage: +46% Lv.12 - Fire Magic Damage: +48% Fire Power Damage: +48% Lv.13 - Fire Magic Damage: +50% Fire Power Damage: +50% Lv.14 - Fire Magic Damage: +52% Fire Power Damage: +52% Lv.15 - Fire Magic Damage: +54% Fire Power Damage: +54% Lv.16 - Fire Magic Damage: +56% Fire Power Damage: +56% Lv.17 - Fire Magic Damage: +57% Fire Power Damage: +57% Lv.18 - Fire Magic Damage: +58% Fire Power Damage: +58% Lv.19 - Fire Magic Damage: +59% Fire Power Damage: +59% Lv.20 - Fire Magic Damage: +60% Fire Power Damage: +60% Amplified Lightning: Dwarven mages were known to revel in the power of conducting electrical energy. They had to develop tecniques to increase how much their bodies could withstand. Rating: 3 Recommended type: Lightning Mages Notes: A must have for lightning mages, for everyone else, ignore it. Lv.01 - Lightning Magic Damage: +8% Lightning Power Damage: +8% Lv.02 - Lightning Magic Damage: +14% Lightning Power Damage: +14% Lv.03 - Lightning Magic Damage: +20% Lightning Power Damage: +20% Lv.04 - Lightning Magic Damage: +24% Lightning Power Damage: +24% Lv.05 - Lightning Magic Damage: +28% Lightning Power Damage: +28% Lv.06 - Lightning Magic Damage: +32% Lightning Power Damage: +32% Lv.07 - Lightning Magic Damage: +36% Lightning Power Damage: +36% Lv.08 - Lightning Magic Damage: +39% Lightning Power Damage: +39% Lv.09 - Lightning Magic Damage: +42% Lightning Power Damage: +42% Lv.10 - Lightning Magic Damage: +44% Lightning Power Damage: +44% Lv.11 - Lightning Magic Damage: +46% Lightning Power Damage: +46% Lv.12 - Lightning Magic Damage: +48% Lightning Power Damage: +48% Lv.13 - Lightning Magic Damage: +50% Lightning Power Damage: +50% Lv.14 - Lightning Magic Damage: +52% Lightning Power Damage: +52% Lv.15 - Lightning Magic Damage: +54% Lightning Power Damage: +54% Lv.16 - Lightning Magic Damage: +56% Lightning Power Damage: +56% Lv.17 - Lightning Magic Damage: +57% Lightning Power Damage: +57% Lv.18 - Lightning Magic Damage: +58% Lightning Power Damage: +58% Lv.19 - Lightning Magic Damage: +59% Lightning Power Damage: +59% Lv.20 - Lightning Magic Damage: +60% Lightning Power Damage: +60% ------------------------------------------------ 3.3 - Level 12 Skills ------------------------------------------------ Summon Alacrity: Mages who study this skill can accelerate the metabolism of the creatures they summon and agitate them into a frenzy, drastically increasing their attack rate. Rating: 2 Recommended type: All Notes: Like your summon creatures? Then by all means max it. However, unless you take levels of nature magic your poor little summon will still be a weak meat shield. Lv.01 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +7.0% Lv.02 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +12.0% Lv.03 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +16.0% Lv.04 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +19.0% Lv.05 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +22.0% Lv.06 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +24.0% Lv.07 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +26.0% Lv.08 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +28.0% Lv.09 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +29.5% Lv.10 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +31.0% Lv.11 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +32.5% Lv.12 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +34.0% Lv.13 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +35.0% Lv.14 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +36.0% Lv.15 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +37.0% Lv.16 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +38.0% Lv.17 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +38.5% Lv.18 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +39.0% Lv.19 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +39.5% Lv.20 - Summoned Creature Attack Speed: +40.0% Grim Necromancy: Practitioners of this discipline commune with dark forces and master spells that tear the life out of their enemies. Many mages wonder if any end is worth such means. Rating: 3 Recommended type: Death Mages Notes: A must have for death mages, for everyone else, ignore it. Lv.01 - Death Magic Damage: +8% Death Power Damage: +8% Lv.02 - Death Magic Damage: +14% Death Power Damage: +14% Lv.03 - Death Magic Damage: +20% Death Power Damage: +20% Lv.04 - Death Magic Damage: +24% Death Power Damage: +24% Lv.05 - Death Magic Damage: +28% Death Power Damage: +28% Lv.06 - Death Magic Damage: +32% Death Power Damage: +32% Lv.07 - Death Magic Damage: +36% Death Power Damage: +36% Lv.08 - Death Magic Damage: +39% Death Power Damage: +39% Lv.09 - Death Magic Damage: +42% Death Power Damage: +42% Lv.10 - Death Magic Damage: +44% Death Power Damage: +44% Lv.11 - Death Magic Damage: +46% Death Power Damage: +46% Lv.12 - Death Magic Damage: +48% Death Power Damage: +48% Lv.13 - Death Magic Damage: +50% Death Power Damage: +50% Lv.14 - Death Magic Damage: +52% Death Power Damage: +52% Lv.15 - Death Magic Damage: +54% Death Power Damage: +54% Lv.16 - Death Magic Damage: +56% Death Power Damage: +56% Lv.17 - Death Magic Damage: +57% Death Power Damage: +57% Lv.18 - Death Magic Damage: +57% Death Power Damage: +58% Lv.19 - Death Magic Damage: +57% Death Power Damage: +59% Lv.20 - Death Magic Damage: +60% Death Power Damage: +60% ------------------------------------------------ 3.4 - Level 24 Skills ------------------------------------------------ Quickened Casting: When the legendary archer Alamus became too old to string his bow, he sought a new life in magic and learned that principles of battle meditation could drastically increase the rate of his casting. Rating: 1 Recommended type: Lightning Mages Notes: Now, you may be wondering, why would I give such a cool skill such a bad rating. But 25% more cast speed won't help as much as you think, and there are bigger and better skills out there (a good skill to have once you've maxed everything else you want though). Keep in mind that in order to get the power Gathered Bolt you must have levels in this. Lv.01 - Cast Speed: +4.0% Lv.02 - Cast Speed: +7.0% Lv.03 - Cast Speed: +10.0% Lv.04 - Cast Speed: +12.0% Lv.05 - Cast Speed: +14.0% Lv.06 - Cast Speed: +15.5% Lv.07 - Cast Speed: +17.0% Lv.08 - Cast Speed: +18.0% Lv.09 - Cast Speed: +19.0% Lv.10 - Cast Speed: +20.0% Lv.11 - Cast Speed: +21.0% Lv.12 - Cast Speed: +21.8% Lv.13 - Cast Speed: +22.5% Lv.14 - Cast Speed: +23.0% Lv.15 - Cast Speed: +23.5% Lv.16 - Cast Speed: +24.0% Lv.17 - Cast Speed: +24.3% Lv.18 - Cast Speed: +24.5% Lv.19 - Cast Speed: +24.8% Lv.20 - Cast Speed: +25.0% Vampirism: While most death mages are content with the ability to tear the life force from their victims, some have secretly learned to channel some of that stolen vitality into their own restoration. Rating: 3 Recommended type: Death Mages Notes: The only downside to this skill is that it's pretty much restricted to death mages. That aside, this is one of the best skills in the game. If you're a death mage, this is your holy grail of skills, when used with Greater Leech Life, you can restore (depending on your health) all your health in one attack! Say goodbye to health potions forever! Lv.01 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 3.0% Lv.02 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 6.0% Lv.03 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 8.0% Lv.04 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 10.0% Lv.05 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 12.0% Lv.06 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 14.0% Lv.07 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 16.0% Lv.08 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 17.5% Lv.09 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 19.0% Lv.10 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 20.5% Lv.11 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 22.0% Lv.12 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 23.0% Lv.13 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 24.0% Lv.14 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 25.0% Lv.15 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 26.0% Lv.16 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 26.0% Lv.17 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 27.0% Lv.18 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 28.0% Lv.19 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 29.0% Lv.20 - Amount of Death Magic Damage Added to Heath: 30.0% Ignite: No one can truly say they have bested a mage trained in these arts, as the lingering flames continue to burn deeply long after the battle is over, and the unmistakeable scars will always tell the tale. Rating: 2 Recommended type: Fire Mages Notes: A very useful skill, this lets you inflict damage even if you have to retreat temporarily. The one downside this has is that at higher levels, when you have both Searing Flames and Devastation maxed (+120% damage), 0.5 * intelligence won't do nearly as much damage as your regular spells. I would still recomend this skill for fire mages though. Note: The duration for all levels of Ignite is 3 seconds. Lv.01 - Chance to Ignite: 5.0% Damage Per Second: 0.1* Intelligence Lv.02 - Chance to Ignite: 8.0% Damage Per Second: 0.1* Intelligence Lv.03 - Chance to Ignite: 11.0% Damage Per Second: 0.2* Intelligence Lv.04 - Chance to Ignite: 13.0% Damage Per Second: 0.2* Intelligence Lv.05 - Chance to Ignite: 15.0% Damage Per Second: 0.3* Intelligence Lv.06 - Chance to Ignite: 17.0% Damage Per Second: 0.3* Intelligence Lv.07 - Chance to Ignite: 18.5% Damage Per Second: 0.3* Intelligence Lv.08 - Chance to Ignite: 20.0% Damage Per Second: 0.3* Intelligence Lv.09 - Chance to Ignite: 21.5% Damage Per Second: 0.3* Intelligence Lv.10 - Chance to Ignite: 22.5% Damage Per Second: 0.4* Intelligence Lv.11 - Chance to Ignite: 23.5% Damage Per Second: 0.4* Intelligence Lv.12 - Chance to Ignite: 24.5% Damage Per Second: 0.4* Intelligence Lv.13 - Chance to Ignite: 25.5% Damage Per Second: 0.4* Intelligence Lv.14 - Chance to Ignite: 26.5% Damage Per Second: 0.4* Intelligence Lv.15 - Chance to Ignite: 27.3% Damage Per Second: 0.4* Intelligence Lv.16 - Chance to Ignite: 28.0% Damage Per Second: 0.5* Intelligence Lv.17 - Chance to Ignite: 28.5% Damage Per Second: 0.5* Intelligence Lv.18 - Chance to Ignite: 29.0% Damage Per Second: 0.5* Intelligence Lv.19 - Chance to Ignite: 29.5% Damage Per Second: 0.5* Intelligence Lv.20 - Chance to Ignite: 30.0% Damage Per Second: 0.5* Intelligence ------------------------------------------------ 3.5 - Level 36 Skills ------------------------------------------------ Arcane Fury: Overexposure to elemental channeling often results in the mage becoming a conduit for the raw power of mana itself, which, though painful, can greatly increase the intensity of their attacks. Rating: 1 Recommended type: All Notes: Potentially devastating, this can kick some serious butt. As a fire mage, with both Searing Flames and this maxed at level 20 you have +90%(almost doubling) damage to your fire power of choice. The only draw back is how long your powers can take to recharge, but that could be countered by a Greater Chant of Mage Power (bwahahaha, infinite power uses for 75 full seconds). Lv.01 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +3.0% Lv.02 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +6.0% Lv.03 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +8.0% Lv.04 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +10.0% Lv.05 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +12.0% Lv.06 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +14.0% Lv.07 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +16.0% Lv.08 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +17.5% Lv.09 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +19.0% Lv.10 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +20.5% Lv.11 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +22.0% Lv.12 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +23.0% Lv.13 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +24.0% Lv.14 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +25.0% Lv.15 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +26.0% Lv.16 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +26.0% Lv.17 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +27.0% Lv.18 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +28.0% Lv.19 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +29.0% Lv.20 - Combat and Nature Magic Power Damage: +30.0% Arcing: It is said that the mage who created the Galeblade was capable of channeling so much energy into his lightning spells that arcs of it sometimes jumped from his primary target to nearby foes. Rating: 3 Recommended type: Lightning Mages Notes: Quite a good lightning skill, it doesn't suffer the major drawbacks that Ignite does (namely 0.5* Intelligence in damage for only three seconds), and it lets you hit multiple enemies in one fell blow. Lv.01 - Chance to Arc: 5.0% Arc Damage: 0.2 * Intelligence Lv.02 - Chance to Arc: 8.0% Arc Damage: 0.3 * Intelligence Lv.03 - Chance to Arc: 11.0% Arc Damage: 0.4 * Intelligence Lv.04 - Chance to Arc: 13.0% Arc Damage: 0.4 * Intelligence Lv.05 - Chance to Arc: 15.0% Arc Damage: 0.5 * Intelligence Lv.06 - Chance to Arc: 17.0% Arc Damage: 0.6 * Intelligence Lv.07 - Chance to Arc: 18.5% Arc Damage: 0.6 * Intelligence Lv.08 - Chance to Arc: 20.0% Arc Damage: 0.7 * Intelligence Lv.09 - Chance to Arc: 21.5% Arc Damage: 0.7 * Intelligence Lv.10 - Chance to Arc: 22.5% Arc Damage: 0.8 * Intelligence Lv.11 - Chance to Arc: 23.5% Arc Damage: 0.8 * Intelligence Lv.12 - Chance to Arc: 24.5% Arc Damage: 0.8 * Intelligence Lv.13 - Chance to Arc: 25.5% Arc Damage: 0.9 * Intelligence Lv.14 - Chance to Arc: 26.5% Arc Damage: 0.9 * Intelligence Lv.15 - Chance to Arc: 27.5% Arc Damage: 0.9 * Intelligence Lv.16 - Chance to Arc: 28.0% Arc Damage: 0.9 * Intelligence Lv.17 - Chance to Arc: 28.5% Arc Damage: 1.0 * Intelligence Lv.18 - Chance to Arc: 29.0% Arc Damage: 1.0 * Intelligence Lv.19 - Chance to Arc: 29.5% Arc Damage: 1.0 * Intelligence Lv.20 - Chance to Arc: 30.0% Arc Damage: 1.0 * Intelligence ================================================ 4.0 - Combat Mage Types ================================================ Here I'll cover the three main combat mage types. As you've probably already seen (unless you skipped everything up to this point, cheater) the three main types of combat magic are fire, lightning, and death. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, but there are also some universal skills that you should probably take as well. Here are the three suggested skill paths for the three main mage types. Remember that this is just RECOMMENDED, you do not have to follow all of my advice, and some of the most interesting characters can be flawed (not that my FAQ is perfect or anything...). Note: These skill suggestions are for people who use NO items that give skill bonuses. If you do use those items, you should probably have only 10-12 levels in the skill you're getting bonuses from. Tony Lacaille (genoscyth@hotmail.com) gave this advice: "I read the faq and I apreciate you did it one a unique character. Although there are some things wich seems wrong to my. First the skills: I didn't I don't thinks you need to max any of them. 10 and 12 can easily be the max, with the skills points adding equipement. The important is to max the powers you want to use. With the skills point you don't use you can invest in nature magic. Second, energy orb is good for boss fight but when there is a lot of enemies it blemishes in front a detonation. Maybe death powers but I don't use them. Althought it depends of the level you play with what: my chars passed elite and I didn't used it much mainly because of the lap dragon. There is another difference between detonation and gathered bolts and is why I don't use bolts much: is the delay before the explosion; hard to aim. In short that's it." Keep those things in mind when buying skills and using powers. ------------------------------------------------ 4.1 - The Fire Mage ------------------------------------------------ Hurling great balls of flame at enemies is something everyone dreams about right? No? Maybe that's just me. However, fire magic in DS2 is the second most damaging magic in the entire game (second only to death magic). Also, with Ignite at level 20, you can kick some major butt even after you stop hurling those fireballs. I'll list my recommended skills: Brilliance: Lv.20 - Preferably, fire magic is quite expensive. Devastation: Lv.20 - No arguing, fire mages go for pure power. Debilitation: Lv.20 - Imagine a maxed Dehydrate spell powered up by Debilitation, throw in a giant ball of fire, then laugh maniacally. Searing Flames: Lv.20 - See Devastation. Ignite: Lv.20 - With some area of effect spells you could watch MULTIPLE people run around burning and screaming! That's all the points you should get in the game up to level one hundred, except that you can get extra points from some main AND side quests. Feel free to spend these in any way you want. I recommend one level in the pre-requisite Quickened Casting and the rest into Arcane Fury. ------------------------------------------------ 4.2 - The Lightning Mage ------------------------------------------------ If you don't like throwing balls of flame then perhaps calling down lightning from the sky will suit your taste. As a lightning mage you get some awesome abilities. With skills like Arcing and powers like Chain Lightning, it tends to hit more enemies, but at a reduced damage output. The good news is lightning magic usually costs about half as much as a similar fire magic spell. Here are my recommended skills: Devastation: Lv.20 - You need all the damage you can get with lightning magic. Debilitation: Lv.20 - Drown is an excellent curse, with weaknesses to lightning, ice, and constant damage! With Debilitation to power it up, it becomes better (duh...). Great for you and that beautiful nature mage in your life! Amplified Lightning: Lv.20 - See Devastation. Arcing: Lv.20 - Lightning mages are best at hitting multiple enemies, this is what gives you that ability. Any questions? That technically gives you twenty points to play with plus extras from main and side quests. As before, feel free to put them into whatever you want. I recommend Brilliance only if you are having mana trouble, an alternative to this is to take twenty levels of natural bond (-60% mana cost, can harvest mana potions) to get mana costs down instead of getting your mana up, and be able to use some nature magic spells along the way (they won't be powerful compared to your lightning though). If you stick to combat magic however, the best choice would be Quickened Casting, which is required for Gathered Bolt. ------------------------------------------------ 4.3 - The Death Mage ------------------------------------------------ Ahh, the necromancer. So evil, black hearted, and soulless. To bad you can't be one. Yep, that's right, the death mage is not at all like that. You're a hero, remember? As much as you want to be the new dark wizard archmage, you can't. However, you're still controlling dark, primal, forces, ripping the life force from your enemies' shattered bodies, and what could be better than that? The good news is that death magic costs as much as lightning, with a higher maximum damage than fire magic! But that comes at a cost, namely, that your minimum damage is lower than any other kind of magic. So you can do 100 damage one hit, and 750 the next (at about Lv.46). Annoying as this is, I like this mage type the best out of any magic user. This is because they get the WONDERFUL skill called Vampirism, which is in my opinion, one of the best in the game. Here are some skills to get: Devastation: Lv.20 - You have low minimum damage, this fixes it (sort of). Debilitation: Lv. 20 - One word - infect. Grim Necromancy: Lv.20 - See Devastation. Vampirism: Lv.20 - Your holy grail of skills. That leaves you with 20 points (again) to do what you want with. Good ideas are Brilliance, Quickened Casting (some of the spells have a longer cast time than I like), or Arcane Fury. I gave myself 8 levels of Brilliance (to help with summon costs) and put the rest of the points into Quickened Casting. Again, however, it's up to you. ================================================ 5.0 - Powers ================================================ Now, lets be honest. EVERYONE loves that ability to do so much damage that the enemies just explode. And that's just what powers let you do. True, they can only be used every two or three minutes (depending on the power), but I've figured out a nice little way to get past that problem (more on that later). Here is a list of what the powers do, along with a rating and the recommended mage type. After the game description, I'll put any thoughts about the power. Rating Key: 3: This is a must have power. You should take it. 2: Very nice to have. Strongly encouraged. 1: Good for specialized characters or concepts, but not for everyone. Note: These are all at level 0. This is because at higher levels their damage is influenced by how high your Intelligence is AND your levels in Searing Flames, Amplified Lightning, Grim Necromancy, and Arcane Fury. Because of this, the damage varies to much for me to tell the actual damage at higher levels. Also, Tony Lacaille pointed out some good tips for powers (see his notes in section 4.0). ------------------------------------------------ 5.1 - Energy Orb ------------------------------------------------ The elven mage Arinth could summon a ball of energy that hovered above him and shot fire at his enemies. He later perfected it, learning to weave additional types of energy into the orb. Rating: 3 Recommended Type: All Notes: Arguably the best power for combat mages. Given time, this can do more damage to a single enemy than any other power in the game. If you were to max out Searing Flames, Amplified Lightning, Grim Necrmancy, and Arcane Fury, you would have a +210% damage (more than three times as powerful) per shot for twenty seconds on this! Automatically summons orb above self. Fast Recharge. Next - Level 1 Requires: Brilliance Lv.1 Damage: 16.4 - 24.6 Power Duration: 20 seconds ------------------------------------------------ 5.2 - Flame Nexus ------------------------------------------------ Convectus the Red communed with lava spirits, learning to summon and launch them as weapons in battle. The spirit gleefully reaches out with tendrils of fire to burn any nearby enemies Rating: 2 Recommended Type: Fire Mages Notes: A nice power to have, but more for weakening than obliterating. It shoots out multiple projectiles in a fan shape, damaging AND igniting (!) all enemies that it hits. Targets an enemy or terrain. Normal Recharge. Next - Level 1 Requires: Devastation Lv.2, Searing Flames Lv.1 Fire Damage: 32.8 ------------------------------------------------ 5.3 - Detonation ------------------------------------------------ The greatest power of the fire mage is a dangerous weapon. The mage recklessly gathers more energy than he can control, releasing it in a massive conflagration that burns his enemies. Rating: 3 Recommended Type: Fire Mages Notes: Bwahahaha, total annihilation of the enemy! This creates a gigantic explosion that does the most instant damage (over time it can't compare to Energy Orb) out of any power. And for those that survive, I hope you like being ignited! Area of effect targets enemy or terrain. Slow Recharge. Next - Level 1 Requires: Ignite Lv.1, Searing Flames Lv.8 Fire Damage: 135 Radius: 3 meters ------------------------------------------------ 5.4 - Harvest Soul ------------------------------------------------ A deadly attack invented by the vilest mage in history, this dark ritual creates a gigantic scythe that cuts away the life force of the mage's enemies, allowing his allies to absorb it and heal themselves. Rating: 3 Recommended Type: Death Mages Notes: A very fun power to use if the enemy is beating down your meat shield (melee party member), it hurts your enemy and heals your party! (Also the most awesome looking power in my opinion) Area of effect targets enemy or terrain. Normal Recharge. Next - Level 1 Requires: Devastation Lv.6, Grim Necromancy Lv.5 Death Damage: 60 Radius: 3 meters Percentage of death damage healed: 6% ------------------------------------------------ 5.5 - Corrosive Eruption ------------------------------------------------ Enemies caught within this noxious cloud are infected by gasses that rot them from the inside out. Corrosive fumes violently erupt from victims when they die, burning and poisoning other foes. Rating: 1 Recommended Type: All Notes: A very nice power if you kill enemies fast. The downside is the eruption radius is small. The upside is that this curses whoever is in range of the cloud when you use it; then when you kill the infected people, they not only explode, but also burn AND infect whoever is near them (except your friends). Rinse and repeat. Area of effect targets enemy or terrain. Normal Recharge. Next - Level 1 Requires: Debilitation Lv.1 Cloud Radius: 4 meters Curse Duration: 30 seconds Eruption Damage: 45% max monster health Eruption Radius: 2.5 meters ------------------------------------------------ 5.6 - Chain Lightning ------------------------------------------------ A favored attack of young combat mages, Chain Lightning hurls a bolt of lightning that shocks the nearest enemy and then jumps to other nearby foes. The bolt deals reduced damage with each jump. Rating: 2 Recommended Type: Lightning Mages Notes: Rather nice at higher levels when it hits lots more people. Does good damage to a lot of enemies in the space of 1.2 seconds. Automatically targets nearest enemy. Fast Recharge. Next - Level 1 Requires: Amplified Lightning Lv.1, Devastation Lv.2 Lightning Damage: 54.4 Number of jumps: 2 ------------------------------------------------ 5.7 - Gathered Bolt ------------------------------------------------ The mage gradually builds up a massive electrical charge on the ground, causing a tremendous bolt of lightning to crash down, devastating all enemies it hits. Rating: 3 Recommended Type: Lightning Mages Notes: Imagine Detonation with a bit less damage, a bit more range, and a bit faster recharge. Area of effect targets enemy or terrain. Long Recharge. Next - Level 1 Requires: Amplified Lightning Lv.8, Quickened Casting Lv.1 Damage: 129.5 Radius: 3.5 meters Now I promised that I had a nice little way to get past that annoying recharge, right? Well here it is. If you use Detonation (Slow Recharge) and don't feel like waiting forever for it to regenerate, just equip Energy Orb as your power (Fast Recharge) and when it finishes regenerating, all your powers will be recharged. Re-equip Detonation and have fun. Note: Powers will only recharge as you attack. If you just sit there, no matter how long, it will NEVER go up. So use all the spells in your arsenal to recharge those powers. Well, that's the end. Now I'm off to go play the game. Have fun storming the castle! ================================================ 6.0 - Credits ================================================ Ahh, the grand finale of this epitome of combat mage guides for Dungeon Siege 2! Wait...this is the ONLY combat mage guide for Dungeon Siege 2...oh well. ------------------------------------------------ 6.1 - Copyright Notice ------------------------------------------------ The Dungeon Siege 2 Combat Mage Guide is Copyright 2006 Aaron Hendrix (amhendrix@falconbroadband.net). This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. If you see any errors then just email me, tell me the problem, and tell me your name to put in the credits section. DO NOT add or change anything. Additional information is also accepted (even wanted), tell me what I didn't put in here. Note: When you email me, make sure to put the subject along the lines of "Dungeon Siege 2" or "Concerning your Combat Mage FAQ" otherwise I'll probably end up deleting it. ------------------------------------------------ 6.2 - Special Thanks ------------------------------------------------ All the people who helped with this guide, whether they know it or not. Microsoft and Gas Powered Games, for making DS2! Ross Glen, Douglas Crews, Lord Yorien Dragonard, and Cironir for their awesome guides for Neverwinter Nights (the rogue, shifter, wizard, and ranger guides respectively) which set the tone and basic layout for this guide. TheNuke, Gulnaga, Robo-Mike, and especially Devistater, who inspired me to write this guide with their own excellent guides (I highly recommend all of them). Robo-Mike (again), for his 70 characters/dashes bit at the beginning of this guide. Bane, for checking my spelling errors, making suggestions, and helping get the information on all of the skills. Tony Lacaille, for his excellent advice on skills and powers. ------------------------------------------------- 6.3 - Dungeon Siege 2 Combat Mage Guide Locations ------------------------------------------------- When I update this guide, I'll send it to the following locations: www.gamefaqs.com www.neoseeker.com www.absolutcheats.com If you're reading this somewhere else or would like to post it on your website, email me at amhendrix@falconbroadband.net, thanks. ------------------------------------------------ 6.3 - Revision History ------------------------------------------------ This is v.1.1. After realizing some minor errors, I corrected them. Also, Neoseeker asked permission to use this guide and I granted it to them. v.1.0, 08 December 2005 - Initial Release v.1.1, 11 December 2005 - Fixed the centering on the powers (5.1-5.7) - Added www.neoseeker.com to the approved website list v.1.2, 21 December 2005 - Added Tony Lacaille's excellent advice (thanks Tony!) - Added www.absolutcheats.com to the approved website list ------------------------------------------------ 6.4 - Planned Additions ------------------------------------------------ I hope to soon have a list and related notes on party members, spells, the pre-reqs for the last two levels of every power, other classes skills that you might want to get, and when to get your skills. If you have any ideas on these areas, please share your information (and a name to put in the credits)with me! Note: If you email me the information on the last levels of the powers, include the full, EXACT game description. Thanks. ================================================ FIN ================================================