Playing any caster class really blows for the first 12 to 14 levels honestly, some even longer.
My advice, once you hit level 12, buy your most important level 16 spells and then make the trip to Kurns Tower. Stay there until 20 and don't loot anything except bone chips or solists wands if you get lucky. Once you are 20 head back to civilization, grab your spells, sell bone chips for it if you need money for spells but try to keep as many as possible for later on.
|