XRPG - A hexen RPG mod

The Mage

You are a powerful mage in command of deadly magic. Your spells unleashing a torrent of elements on your foes, burning, freezing, and shocking them. None compare to your magical prowess, but your physical abilities are lacking. No matter, your thirst for dark powers more than makes up for what you lack in strength, speed, and armor.

This guide will review the new features in this mod as well as some strategies if you choose this class.

Stats

The Mage is last in the class list. He focuses on offensive spells.

Strength

The Mage is the weakest in strength of all the classes, but has little use for it.

His Maximum Health is tied to strength, and he will naturally regain health when very low, but he has no muscle powered weapons.

Armor

The Mage has no armor training and believes striking first is the best defense.

Heavy armor could interfere with his spell casting, so the Mage has limited armor choices, but prefers light armor.

Speed

The Mage is the slowest of the classes.

Magic

Arcane power is the Mage's domain. He excels beyond all others in it.

Mana limits are directly tied to magic and Mages can slowly regain some mana when they are very low.

The Mage's weapons and spell combos are powered by mana, making it an important resource for his conquest.

Mage Spells

As the Mage gains levels he will learn new Mage Spells. At 2nd level and 5th level he will learn a random 1st Circle spell. He will then learn a new spell every 5 levels at random from any of the 3 Circles. The Mage channels his spells through the magical focus he is holding.

Only one Mage spell can be active at a time. It's power will modify the weapon being wielded enabling Alt attack. Every weapon unleashes the spell's energy differently. There are 36 unique spell combinations.

Spells are cast by using their Hot Keys or by selecting them in the inventory and using them. The default hotkeys are on the keypad, but can be changed in the Customize Controls menu.

Spells unleash elements. Foes can be weaker to certain elements and some are resistant to others. The Mage will encounter elementally enhanced foes, and may need to use his wit to find their weaknesses

Flame

1st Circle Spell

The element of fire. Causes fire damage, focusing on bursts of heat.

Ice

1st Circle Spell

The element of Ice. Freezes foes with cold shards of ice.

Poison

1st Circle Spell

The element of Poison. Chokes enemies with clouds of poison gas.

Water

2nd Circle Spell

The element of Water. Hits enemies with torrents of water, knocking them around.

Sun

2nd Circle Spell

The element of Light. Shines brightly as it burns with fire. Slowly bursts in very wide areas.

Moon

2nd Circle Spell

The element of Gravity. Brings darkness as it grips and pulls.

Death

3rd Circle Spell

The element of Death. Drags enemies closer to the grave, and can even bring them back for vengeance.

Lightning

3rd Circle Spell

The element of Lightning. Causes electrical damage, focuses on lightning and speed.

Blood

3rd Circle Spell

The element of Life. Steals life essence from foes.

Weapons

All of the Mage's weapons are magical and can be used as magical Foci for his spells, channeling their energy in different ways. They blast at foes from a distance, and rarely work well up close.

Sapphire Wand

A trusty weapon that the Mage has permanently enchanted to shoot bolts of magic through foes.

When channeling a spell, this weapon consumes Blue mana.

Frost Shards

Once reading this spell scroll, the Mage can unleash a wide cone of frozen shards, focused through his magical rings. Firing close will cast a chill touch, which channels all of that cold into one point. Ice damage can freeze enemies.

When channeling a spell, this weapon consumes Green mana.

Arc of Death

This magical tome crackles with energy. Only a powerful mage can even hold it. Once learned, the Mage can unleash trails of lightning that seek out foes and devastate them with electricity. Electric damage can have extra effect on monsters holding metal shields.

When channeling a spell, this weapon consumes both Blue and Green mana.

Bloodscourge

This ultimate Mage weapon is a great artifact that was severed and hidden for fear of its power. Once the Mage retrieves all 3 pieces he can unleash its fiery barrage. Fire damage can burn away trees and immolate foes.

When channeling a spell, this weapon consumes a large amount of both Blue and Green mana.

Combat

The Mage can only focus on spells. He cannot wield muscle powered weapons and gains no benefit from Strength. He also cannot wield shields.

Armor

The use of protective armor has changed. It no longer degrades with damage, requiring replacement. Now armor must be equipped and comes with its own types and properties. Even magical armor exists to grant extra abilities.

The exact details of each armor is a mystery that must be discovered through their use, however most provide different armor class bonuses up to a total maximum of 19 AC.

Types of Armor

There are 4 categories of armor. Light, Normal, Heavy, and Plate.

The Mage can wear only Normal and Light armor, and cannot wear a shield.

Some Light armors have extra magical properties, and magical amulets have a stronger effect on the Mage.

Armor Slots

Equipping armor requires opening the Map Menu, selecting an armor by clicking on it, and then clicking on the correct slot. There are 4 armor slots and one accessory slot that may hold armor.

Helmets are armor that is worn on the head.

Body armor is a suit worn to protect the chest, shoulders, and legs.

Shields cannot be used by the Mage, but he may still hold torches in his off hand.

Amulets are magical wardings worn on the neck. They can provide armor or other effects, which can be enhanced by the Mage's magic.

Accessories are an additional piece of equipment that can be worn, sometimes increasing AC.