Spells: Mage Bolt Line

[Razdeline]

This needs to be tested:
http://web.archive.org/web/200107270...&f=28&t=000061

posted November 10, 2000 02:06 PM
I think its all in the spot you pick to hunt.
For instance, I have been hunting the solo Treant spawn in west karana for the past 3 levels, starting at 21, almost 24 now.

I create the highest level water pet I can get and send it in, of course after burnout and shielding it. I than burn it with my bolt spell as fast as I can. I usually stand on the hill away from it so that if it wants me it has to first get past my pet then ramble over to me. I can usually have it running away from me before it lays a finger on me. Sometimes though I have to run it back into the pet cause its rooted my pet.

I have killed red treants this way, occasionally I die maybe 1 or 2 times, on a bad night,in 4 hours if I get a lot of resists, im out of mana or get my gate interrupted on me. Best thing is, you can sit your butt down and med and be back to full mana by the time the next one has spawned if you time it right.

Multiple spawns, hmmm, I have not found a good way to handle multiples. Only time I have been successfull was when I killed a gorge hound and a lion patriarch when I was in my teens. But that was luck I think.

Test all hills and judge distance from Treant spawn,

[Razdeline]

http://web.archive.org/web/200106111...ell.asp?Id=222

WOW! WHAT RANGE! PULL!, By Chaki on xegony server (1/28/2001)

Being an lvl 8 Erudite magician, evenings in Norrath turn into down-time, runs to bank, etc. In the interim, I whack bats and amass stacks to sell to those levitating casters. Makes a little money on the side. Allows evocation skill practice and little risk. (I so hate hunting corpses.) All that aside, I'm amazed that I can sit in front of the West Freport West Gate and target bats, wolves, and pawns and zap 'em from so far away. Still can make finding the MOB corpse a problem. It's almost like RP skeet shooting. Pull! This spell has also bought me time in pulling pumas, snakes (yuck!) and such. I can get a lick or 2 in before my fav pet of the moment (water) engages the critter. As long as I can target it and get good line of sight (usually desert edge in E. Commonlands, np), it's not bad.

[Razdeline]

http://web.archive.org/web/200106280...p?Id=222&Page=

THIS SPELL WITH EARTH PET =), By Shadowgazer, 7th season, sol ro (1/28/2001)

I was thinking and havn't tried it but if you blast a mob with the spell with its long range and all then use a Earth pet to root the sucker, you can use /pet back off to make your pet get away and you can nuke it with out it giving you a beat down.
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This almost works, but the snake will break the root after a couple of seconds, you are better off leaving your pet to fight the snake (or whatever) and just using what wizards have coined as the "Root Bomb," and just standing back throwing DD spells until you or your pet kill it.
Tirranna Daystar

[Razdeline]

http://web.archive.org/web/200112230...ell.asp?Id=347

BOLTS ARE EASIER THAN YOU THINK..., By Sergiocqh (1/28/2001)

In my 56 levels playing as a mage I've missed maybe 5 bolts total. Just avoid altitude differential between you and your target, other players and NPCs, and trees(which are actually hard to hit, except the huge trees in the forest zones). If you're grouping, get close to the target so no one will step infront of your bolt. Learn to strafe.
Benefits of bolts are long ranges and tracking. Yes, bolts do track moving targets. Try casting this on a moving target in a flat area and you'll see. Oh, and then there is the time it takes for the bolt to reach the target. In that time you can fire off more bolts or run away. A spell you can actually pull with but not at these levels I'm afraid. The druid spell has a recast delay, this doesn't so we can chain cast these bolts.

This is something I typically did in this era.

[Razdeline]

http://web.archive.org/web/200106280...?Id=279&Page=2

WOW!, By Saedin 12th lvl (1/28/2001)

Im only a lvl 12, but I still think this spell is one if the best! The bolt spell I have has a long range and pretty good dmg, but this! WOW! I cant wait till lvl 49, Awsome spells, HUGE pets, MAGICIANS SHALL RULE EQ!

[Razdeline]

http://web.archive.org/web/200203050...ell.asp?Id=265
Mechanics:

USING BOLTS IN GROUPS, By Satori on bertoxxulous (1/28/2001)

Many mages that I know won't use bolts in groups because of the long cast time. By the time it is ready to go off, one of the meleers will invariably have slid into your LoS, and you end up wasting the mana. I find that if you get a slight bit of elevation on the rest of the group, this is not a problem at all. Just standing on a rock or box, or whatever is handy, generally does the trick for me. The bolt will fly over your team- mates and arc down for the mob. Cheers, Satori Apocrypha

[Razdeline]

http://web.archive.org/web/200106111...ell.asp?Id=243

USE IT FOR PULLING, By Pewee (1/28/2001)

the range is incredible, giving me a good heaad start to run to where I want to fight.
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Once I got malise(ment now) I always pull with that, range isn't great, but it's nice to have a pre gimped mob when you get back to your pet or group.
Tirranna Daystar
GREAT SPELL, By Eari silverlight - karana (1/28/2001)

Finally we get some good offensive spells. This spell is great but like the other person already said, be careful! I wacked a guard by accident too and didnt last very long. Try not to use this spell if you are soloing as your pet may get in the way of the LOS and block the blast. It's a mana expensive miss! But great spell when in a group and they leave a little path for this nice present for the baddies =) Eari Silverlight Karana Server Magicianne, Sisterhood Guild
BE *VERY* CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE, By Haxtonia firewater (mith marr) (1/28/2001)

I love this spell, but you must be very very careful when fighting in close quarters with it. I was in High Keep fighting goblins with a group and someone trained the guards down. Those stupid guards stay around for a while, so I was careful to be well out of the way of the meandering remaining guard - 4 to 5 game feet. I cast my bolt and wammo! -- the guard caught the spell and killed me before I could yell help. LOS (Line of Sight) is both buggy and plagued by server lag issues -- be sure you have a totally clear LOS before firing - at best you will lose 105 mana, at worst you will die a horrible death. If in doubt, revert to shock of flame - I always have both memmed.

[Razdeline]

http://web.archive.org/web/200104180...ell.asp?Id=541

BURNT TO THE GROUND, By Uzderyn of veeshan (1/28/2001)

I LOVE this spell!! At level 8, if cast at maximum range on a blue, the mob cant even get to you before it dies. Even better...it dies in a fiery explosion at your feet. Truly a beautiful thing. Plus it's a huge rush trying to get a spell off as the mob charges you through the bolts of fire. That's what this class is all about: Burning stuff to the ground and making it look easy. And not getting dirty, of course. I love my job. Who needs another hole or bloodstain on their robe anyway? If it's a white, pull with it, root, repeat or shoot some ice at it. Happy Burning!

[Razdeline]

http://web.archive.org/web/200104180...ell.asp?Id=552
Can use the link above to look at the spell's stats (cast time/recast etc.), and the quotes below. Math can be done to determine the range of bolts.

THE SAFEST WAY TO BURN - A GREAT SPELL, By Upyer of qellious (1/28/2001)

Use this as you opener at maximum distance and you might even have time to get two in before your root. The bolt spell has a longer range than most attack spells. If you open at maximum distance and retreat as soon as it goes off, then hit again (optional), then root - retreating to maximum range all the time as soon as your spell goes off and rerooting when necessary. Do a twist before any recast (left or right a small bit) to stop the movement and keep down interruptions. With SOW it works a treat. A big range and a top spell!
GREAT RANGE, By Kysos (1/28/2001)

This spell has increadable range, cast this as your draw spell far from the monster and you can easily get another spell off before the monster gets to you. This has a much farther range than the shock line of spells, and by hitting them with this and a shock spell they will be over half dead by the time they come to melee you.

I am starting to use some of the Wizard bolts for this reference. Bolt spells are also a problem for Wizards on P99. They both have the same mechanics.

[Razdeline]

http://web.archive.org/web/200104180...ell.asp?Id=552

SPELL EFFICIENCY, By Eerar (1/28/2001)

I compared the damage done by the major DD spells available to the Wizard up to level 16 (me). Frost, lightning bolt, fireball, etc ... they're all good for just about 1.35 DAM per unit of mana. They're all equally efficient. Firestorm is WAY more efficient than any of the DD spells (1.35 TIMES the number of mobs), but you might as well wear a thong bikini in Folsom Prison - you'll be at the top of EVERY mob's dance card.
The best way to deal with the problem of choosing the right spells for a hunting expedition is to keep a selection of low/med/high dam spells in the magazine. Drop the big bombs from a distance (you should be able to get 2 off before the mob is in melee range), use the middles between melee attacks (they're faster), and use the the little DD's to finish off (so you don't waste mana in an overkill). I use this strategy whenever I solo and it works well, as long as I'm not out of my league with the mobs I choose. That way you can have 3 DD, root, shadow, gate, inviz, and bind sight all loaded and be able to handle most any situation.

After a while you'll learn that certain mobs take a particular sequence of spells to drop, so you can drop them with 7 guaranteed no-fizzle, no-interrupt spells (if you don't mind taking a bit more melee damage), or you can hurry up and do 3 big bombs, if you don't mind risking a few fizzles/interrupts.