Mage build questions

[JTWStephens]

Hi folks. 2001 UO player. Have some questions.

I want to make a pure mage character. ATM I'm looking at:

Magery 100
Meditation 100
Evaluate Intelligence 100
Resisting Spells 100
Wrestling 100
Anatomy 100

The question here is, should I grab Tactics, Healing, or a Weapon Skill? I'm leaning away from a Hally mage, as I'd like to focus on staying AWAY from my opponent and not super-exploiting a macro. I'm just not sure if Tactics/Anatomy/Wrestling will really give me any significant damage bonus, so I'm debating on just grabbing Healing to give me a mana-free alternative, since I'm getting Anatomy anyway.

Thanks!

[nightshark]

I don't think many players "exploit a macro" to use a hally mage. I play a hally mage reasonably well and have a total of zero razor PvP macros set up.

Magery 100
Meditation 100
Evaluate Intelligence 100
Resisting Spells 100
Wrestling 100
Anatomy 100

Anatomy is worthless on this template if you don't use healing. GM tact/wrestle/anatomy is even more worthless, you are not going to be dealing any decent damage with wrestling. If you are going to pick up a weapon skill, you need tactics, and vice versa.

Be forewarned that a pure mage (with healing) is more or less worthless in 1v1 PvP on this shard. To compete you really need a weapon skill, or a huge gank squad of pure mages. The fact is that you really need a weapon skill to compete on a "pure mage", otherwise you just can't deal enough damage in a short enough time to kill someone (while keeping them disturbed). You can magery/potion heal through pure mage damage without even trying - we have healing through poison here.

[Pirul]

If you are hell bent on staying away from being a hally mage, then by all means, get healing. However, if you wanted to get any weapon skill drop Anatomy and pick up Tactics.

[Errikos]

Be forewarned that a pure mage (with healing) is more or less worthless in 1v1 PvP on this shard. To compete you really need a weapon skill, or a huge gank squad of pure mages. The fact is that you really need a weapon skill to compete on a "pure mage", otherwise you just can't deal enough damage in a short enough time to kill someone (while keeping them disturbed). You can magery/potion heal through pure mage damage without even trying - we have healing through poison here.

Well, what about something on the other end of the spectrum, a meditation warrior? Swords, tactics, anatomy, healing, magic resist, magery, and meditation. 100 STR, 50 DEX, 75 INT. How would this fare in PVP?

[Pirul]

Be forewarned that a pure mage (with healing) is more or less worthless in 1v1 PvP on this shard. To compete you really need a weapon skill, or a huge gank squad of pure mages. The fact is that you really need a weapon skill to compete on a "pure mage", otherwise you just can't deal enough damage in a short enough time to kill someone (while keeping them disturbed). You can magery/potion heal through pure mage damage without even trying - we have healing through poison here.

Well, what about something on the other end of the spectrum, a meditation warrior? Swords, tactics, anatomy, healing, magic resist, magery, and meditation. 100 STR, 50 DEX, 75 INT. How would this fare in PVP?

It'd suck, IMHO!!

DEX too low for a dexxer, INT too low for a mage. Plus, are you going to be using armor? Yes? Forget about meditation, go full dexxer. No? Forget about being a dexxer, go hally mage.

If you're looking for the "ultimate" PvP template, you're going to end up with cookie cutter templates. My advice is, what do YOU want to do in UO? Want to OMGZ L33T PvP? Go cookie cutter. Want to have fun? Make a template you enjoy playing and forget about leetness, it's easy enough to run when in a pickle.

[JTWStephens]

I was under the impression that Anatomy + Wrestling increased my ability to evade attacks and thus have my spells interrupted less. Is that not the case? Do I JUST need Wrestling? Does Anatomy only increase damage and healing?

I'm fine with never being able to 1v1 pvp. I don't personally think that's what the game's about.

[BobDobbs]

http://wiki.uosecondage.com/?title=Anatomy

[Mikel123]

A pure mage would have the following:

Magery
Wrestling
Meditation
Eval Int
Resist

I'd say in that order of importance. Anatomy and Healing can make you very tough to kill. Hiding and Stealth are nice if you want to loot monsters and sneak away. Tracking and Detect Hidden is fun at IDOCs and wandering around the world. And Tactics and a Weapon skill are of course all-around useful.

[JTWStephens]

Thanks folks! You're all great. I'm going to go with Anatomy + Healing and play a sort of support/PVM role and hopefully at least be able to survive. Thanks a million. :>

[GoldMember]

pirul should stick to forums about PVM only... horrible advice

[Pirul]

Pls elaborate.

[archaicsubrosa77]

GM tact/wrestle/anatomy is even more worthless, you are not going to be dealing any decent damage with wrestling.
.

Have you ever teamed up with someone and used a Champion Wrestler Mage with a tad bit more dex and harm spams as an interrupter however? I mean 1D8 plus 90 % really isnt that bad for an interrupt and being your primary weapon doesnt need to be disarmed to cast you can be very surgical in group combat in trying to keep a mage from casting rather then having to pause for the disarm you can release at will. Combinations of faster low circle spells in very tight combat with a champion as I call them can be a headache. (with the proper dex allotment of course and you keep the precast for exactly the right times)

Another tactic would be to hold an explosion and there would not be any clue as to when you had released it if at all, and in this example you could see how it would be a very sneaky fighter. Explosion, and harm spam until the succession hits together while holding the last one for the attempt to heal as you stay on top of them. Yes there are always wands and potions the whole purpose is to stay on the offensive in order to keep them on the defensive.

Usually when people say a build is useless or weak its because they base it on whether or not it can stand alone, keep in mind diversity on the field adds more spice...you just need to ask in what way would this combination be useful and then what kind of builds would be of benefit to compliment it in which to build your teams.

Yes you wouldn't be doing the damage a hally tank would...you would be a nuisance primarily used to interrupt recalls or other mid to high level spells mostly to keep the target aggravated and on the defensive so they would not be as effective in combat offensively and with luck the target would not as easily slip away. So yes, it would function better as a member of a gank squad to tangle a poor caster up. You could use a melee weapon of course, but magery always hits and the time it takes to disarm/rearm is a window of opportunity that you can close a bit tighter. The very reason for the idea of wrestling no...to disable the means to attack? You might say its only a few extra points so you might as well choose a weapon skill, but a few points can make a difference in the interrupt and fast more precise interrupts in combination with low circle casting is the whole premise of this build.

It wouldn't be fun by itself however so if you are a lone wolf I would avoid it completely.

And when I say ample dex I am talking 95 strength/60 dex/70 intel duped up on pots that will be swinging pretty fast