My first Dragon Mage....

[Rathmaker 0]

Good day everyone. I downloaded Sacred Gold yesterday so I am getting my first taste of the Dragon Mage. So far he seems like a fun character (not sure if I am going to like him as much as my High Elf yet or not but I'll see). After playing around with him for a good part of the last 24 hours or so I think I have an idea on how I want to approach him. I would greatly appreciate any thoughts or advice on this build! I am playing this guy as a Single Player softcore character.

 

The Skills:

 

(2) Bargaining

(3) Concentration

(5) Elemental Magic Lore

(8) Armor Lore

(12) Elemental Magic Focus

(18) Mentalism Focus

(25) Mentalism Lore

(35) Constitution

(50) Dragon Magic Focus

(65) Ancient Magic

 

For attributes, I am looking to go with Stamina until level 50, and then split between stamina and Intelligence (or vitality?).

 

As for the basic idea behind gameplay I plan to use the Elemental combat arts (Destroyer being the big one) for damage as well as Energy Blaze (for a Magic Damage option). The other Mentalism combat arts will be modified for protection, and debuffing the mobs. I have Dragon Magic Focus in to get modification points for my Familiar buff, and to have a little bit of fun with the dragon arts every once in awhile. I plan on using all three buffs when I get Concentration Mastery.

 

The skill choices are pretty self explanatory. The Combat Art skills are all there since my Dragon mage is a caster. Constitution and Armor Lore will help keep me alive, and Bargaining is here since I do not have my old characters from when I played Sacred 2 before the expansion.

 

I would love to get Combat Discipline in the skill set-up, but do not think there is anything I can take out to get it. Shield Lore would be nice as well, but I think I can live without having it.

 

Here is my thoughts on Modifications to my combat arts:

 

Destroyer

B – Explosive

S – Swarm

G – Swarm

 

Gust of Wind

B – Poison Mist

S – Squall

G – Poison Mist

 

Tornado

B – Storm Zone

S – Tempest

G – Critical

 

Magic Barrier

B – Vengeance

S – Solid

G – Runes

 

Protector

B – Regeneration

S – Protection

G – Not sure on which one here

 

Energy Blaze

B – Confusion

S – Impact

G – Afterglow

 

Runes of Protection

B – Awe

S – Stone Skin

G – Runes

 

Maelstrom

B – Grind

S – Extension

G – Demoralize

 

Mind Strike

B – Sustainability

S – Impact

G – Drill

 

Combat Trance

B - Light Footed

S – Hardened

G – Hardened

 

Familiar

B – Insight

S – Protection from fire

G – Life Force

 

 

 

If anyone has any thoughts or advice on what I am planning I would greatly appreciate it! Many of you probrably have much more experience with the Dragon Mage than I do so far. I am eager to hear some thoughts!

 

Thanks!

 

~Rathmaker~

Edited October 14, 2010 by Rathmaker

[rnarchlord 0]

if you plan to use one handed staffs exclusively then I would switch shield lore for bargaining. If you plan to stay with 2-handed staffs then tactics lore or combat discipline would be a good choice. With armor and jewelry that has "find valuable" modifiers my two single player DMs get plenty of unique weapons and armor so I don't use bargaining. Vitality affects hitpoints which are upped along with willpower and intelligence when using the familiar buff so I would later split between dexterity for increased defense and stamina for lower regen.

[Rathmaker 0]

For weapons, I was planning on pretty much just using whatever dropped that had the best stats/sockets since this guy will be almost exclusively a caster. I will more than likely end up using a one handed weapon and shield as it will give better protection than a 2 handed item.

 

If I had a shopper character available I would switch out Bargaining for Combat Discipline/Shield Lore, but I want to get a shopper going again for the jewelry and armor hole filling.

 

Will increasing Dexterity make that much of a difference in my defense to warrant putting my attribute points into it compared to the benefits from Stamina/Intelligence/Vitality?

Edited October 14, 2010 by Rathmaker

[rnarchlord 0]

For weapons, I was planning on pretty much just using whatever dropped that had the best stats/sockets since this guy will be almost exclusively a caster. I will more than likely end up using a one handed weapon and shield as it will give better protection than a 2 handed item.

 

If I had a shopper character available I would switch out Bargaining for Combat Discipline/Shield Lore, but I want to get a shopper going again for the jewelry and armor hole filling.

 

Will increasing Dexterity make that much of a difference in my defense to warrant putting my attribute points into it compared to the benefits from Stamina/Intelligence/Vitality?

 

Dexterity increases the defense value significantly. When fighting the opponent's attack value is compared to your defense value to determine how often and how hard you get hit and vice versa. For a caster without great armor or shields this is an important stat in melee situations. Raising the level of the familiar through runes will significantly increase hitpoints, intelligence and willpower when that buff is active. BTW, I don't have a shopper for my DMs but got the chance valuables% stuff through drops and quests. Lucky, I guess.

[chattius 2,527]

If you just want mentalism for protection and debuffing: replace mentalism lore by combat discipline. Runes of protection are just physical armour and the lore would just boost the armour values.

Combinations are bugged at the dragon mage -you can't change combinations once you did the combat arts in- but you get a lot of damage for all 3 aspects if you take combat discipline. Even a dragon strike might become useful.

 

Dexterity or base defense value. The later can be got from items. 1 point in dexterity is one base defense. In niob 2-3 rings with +allSkills and base defense will reach same value as you get from more dexterity. Hitpoints are just on amulets so taking vitality will perhaps be more useful, allowing more flexible socketing.

 

If you look at the hitchance formula (ToDo: find the link again) you see that base defense is one factor in the equatation and evade is another. The chance that an opponent can hit you is his attack versus your defense and then this chance is modified by evasion. You want both factors low.

 

Do you want to go for the 100% chance to halve regeneration times route?

Edited October 15, 2010 by chattius

[Rathmaker 0]

If you just want mentalism for protection and debuffing: replace mentalism lore by combat discipline. Runes of protection are just physical armour and the lore would just boost the armour values.

Combinations are bugged at the dragon mage -you can't change combinations once you did the combat arts in- but you get a lot of damage for all 3 aspects if you take combat discipline. Even a dragon strike might become useful.

 

Dexterity or base defense value. The later can be got from items. 1 point in dexterity is one base defense. In niob 2-3 rings with +allSkills and base defense will reach same value as you get from more dexterity. Hitpoints are just on amulets so taking vitality will perhaps be more useful, allowing more flexible socketing.

 

If you look at the hitchance formula (ToDo: find the link again) you see that base defense is one factor in the equatation and evade is another. The chance that an opponent can hit you is his attack versus your defense and then this chance is modified by evasion. You want both factors low.

 

Do you want to go for the 100% chance to halve regeneration times route?

 

That is a good thought to go with Combat Discipline over Mentalism Lore. It will still boost the damage of Energy Blaze (for the non-physical damage attack), and at the same time increase the damage of all my Elemental spells. I was pondering that as well. The main uses I am seeing in Mentalism in my game play is to get a secondary damage type, and for Maelstrom and Runes of Protection. With 75 points in the Focus (Mastery) I will be able to modify those three skills.

 

As for the 100% chance to halve regens, I have no really given any thought on what I am looking to do in the late late game. I was more interested in just getting a build together that is a blast to play yet still effective.

 

After playing around with him some more, and doing some more thinking (Ow it hurts my head to think!) a build like this is coming to mind:

 

(2) Bargaining

(3) Concentration

(5) Elemental Magic Lore

(8) Armor Lore

(12) Elemental Magic Focus

(18) Mentalism Focus

(25) Combat Discipline

(35) Ancient Magic

(50) Constitution

(65) Dragon Magic Focus

 

Also, I want to make sure I understand you correctly here as well: Are saying that Combos for the Dragon Mage cannot be changed out once you make the combo? EEK! I hate to say it, but that just may break the class for me. If that is the case I may just stick with Mentalism Lore, and keep things out of Combo's (and not take the expert touch option at creation).

 

Thanks so much for the replies!

 

~Rathmaker~

Edited October 16, 2010 by Rathmaker

[rnarchlord 0]

Also, I want to make sure I understand you correctly here as well: Are saying that Combos for the Dragon Mage cannot be changed out once you make the combo? EEK! I hate to say it, but that just may break the class for me. If that is the case I may just stick with Mentalism Lore, and keep things out of Combo's (and not take the expert touch option at creation).

 

Thanks so much for the replies!

 

~Rathmaker~

 

I don't know about how this gets affected by combat discipline as my two DMs don't have it. I use two CAs in combos with both of them and can change them anytime without problems. Maybe the glitch shows up when using three or more in combo?

[Furian67 15]

What happens is that with combat discipline unmastered you get three slots to fill with a CA. Toons other than the DM can put in three CA or take one out. With the DM once you put three in that's it. It will stay at three, you can switch them but you cannot reduce them.

 

As for melée weapons I enjoyed using a throwing star with LL% and socket RpH to allow me to recast my CA faster and have a higher level spell.

[Rathmaker 0]

Ok, so after playing a number of different Dragon Mages to test out build thoughts and such there is one thing I do not like about the character: I cannot decide whether I like Elemental or Mentalism better!

 

This character truely is a fun one to use as a "hybrid". Blow 'em up, Blast 'em with Energy, Rip their minds out....it all works! Destroyer and Energy Blaze make an awesome combo to rip anything apart!

 

And, after over 20 test characters, and alot of thinking I believe I finally have the hybrid build I am going with....which, of course, is the first idea that popped into my head (go figure...see post one for the build...its working very well so far!).

 

Good hunting to all of you!

 

~Rathmaker~

Edited October 19, 2010 by Rathmaker