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Since it comes up from time to time, here's a walkthrough of how I start gnome mages and get them to about clev 12 in a short time and with very little danger of dying. Usually it takes a freakishly bad RNG streak to die with this approach.
+ max INT (18/50) at birth, the remainder into STR. 18/50 INT at start is really important, if not, it's not a "true mage" start IMO, but more a hybrid/challenge character. Human mage is sort of an exception since they gain levels a bit faster, but a gnome mage gains quite fast enough, and the extra SP makes it much easier to play, not to mention the freedom from entirely forgetting about free action for the whole game. Simply taking out uniques in the endgame gets gnome mage to clev 50 or close enough without exp grinding. Hanging out on dlev 98 also results in !Experience which makes the game move along nicely.
+ no selling birth option for more dungeon gold
+ first descent: shovel for gold to buy 2nd and 3rd spell books, 15 flasks of oil or so, and split the rest between phase doors and cure light wounds. Armor is a waste of money. A couple of food rations, too, and perhaps torch or two. I generally just wield the shovel and leave it there, all GnMage's fighting is with magic missile or throwing flasks of oil in emergencies.
+ I stay on dlev 1 for several clev. Usually exploring a full dlev 1 will result in clev about 3 or 4. You want to boomerang up gaining levels from casting newly learned spells. You get big gains at clev 7, you want to be able to learn all 3 7-th level spells, so save your study points to make sure you have 3 at 7, and 3-4 at clev 9, which allows you to just about boomerang all the way up to clev 11 and identify, at which point I start diving seriously towards stat gain.
+ Never try unidentified items until you get to clev 11: sell in the alchemist shop
Here's a log of me just starting and raising a gnome mage to clevel 12 in about an hour (took longer than usual due to stopping to type)
Gn mage (18/50 starting INT, all the rest into STR)
clev 1: 3 SP, gain 2 spells
Immediate learn and cast magic missile and detect monsters. This gets you to 7 xp remaining to clev 2
Buy 15ish flasks of oil, a shovel, and split the rest of your gold between phase door and cure light wounds (5-6 each).
Descend to dlev 1 and kill stuff to get to clev 2, always resting after each monster so that SP remains full. Always fight from a distance, and keep the path to the stairs clear.
clev 2: 5 SP, gain one spell (one study point remaining),
choose a spell and cast it, 18 xp remaining to clev 3
At clev 2 you get one spell. Choose either phase door or light area, light area is probably better because phase door will not be reliable until you gain more INT and levels, and you want all your SP for attack. Use scrolls of phase door, they're cheap. Gain the spell, cast it. This gets you to about 18 xp until clev 3.
Continue exploring and killing on dlev 1 until you reach clev 3.
Disarm all traps except dart traps and trap doors (unless you don't mind going down, but the fall could kill you, or drop you hurt next to a monster). The 5 xp you get for disarming each trap can really accelerate level gain. Detect monsters to make sure nothing is around you in case the trap puts you to sleep.
clev 3: 7 SP, gain 2 spells (2 study points remaining)
Learn and cast both level 3 spells: find traps/doors, and stinking cloud. This leaves about 16 xp left to clev 4.
You may want to head to dlev 2 now that you have detect traps/doors/stairs. Just be careful to watch SP and keep a clear path back to the stairs. You're looking to kill things, pick up items, and disarm all harmless traps.
Once you acquire 100 gold, return to town and buy the 2nd spell book, then return to dungeon. Or wait until clev 5, which should be soon.
clev 4: 9 SP, gain 1 spell (1 study)
Do not learn your remaining 1st spell book spell (which is level one). Save it for clev 5 in order to get 3 level 5 new spell gains. Descend to dlev 2 or 3, based on your preferences.
clev 5: 11 SP, gain 2 spells (3 total study now)
Return to town if you have not already bought spell book #2. Buy it and learn the level 5 spells lightning bolt, and 1-2 other level 5 spells of your choice, and cast them. I learn cure poison and usually trap door destruction (confuse monster is not successful enough to use at this point, leave your SP for magic missile.
Note: casting two level 5 spells should be enough to get you to clev 6, leaving one study point left. In my case, killing a few monsters and disarming a few traps on the way back to town, leaves me with 51 xp left to clev 7 after casting just two new 5th level spells. At this point I'm saving the study points for the 7th level spells.
gain and cast lightning bolt
gain and cast cure poison, 51 xp remaining to clev 7
clev 6: 13 SP, gain 1 spell (2 total study points now), 51 xp remaining to clev 7
No purchases except minor ones (food, torches), save money for the 3rd spell book (costs 400). Sell unidentified potions and scrolls.
clev 7: 15 SP, gain 2 spells (4 total study points now) 81 xp until clev 8
Gain and cast frost bolt: 39 xp until clev 8
Gain and cast spear of light: 4 xp until clev 8
2 study points left.
at this point I decided to gain clev 8 by killing things:
clev 8: 17 SP, gain 1 spell (3 total study points now), 119 XP to clev 9
gain and cast teleport self, 84 XP remaining to clev 9
found a short bow of extra might, woohoo
(Always wear and wield all armor and weapons found in the dungeon)
Drop all gloves that make your hands "feel unsuitable for spell casting"
gain and cast wonder: 19 XP remaining to clev 9 and one remaining study point
Cast frost bolt against jellies and salamanders, they take extra damage from it.
Kill a few things, and now
clev 9: 19 SP, gain 2 spells (3 total) about 150XP to clev 10
Decide to dive a bit before using scroll of recall to return to town for 3rd spell book
I dive down to dlev 8, kill things, gain
clev 10: 21 SP, gain 1 spell (4 total study points), 178 xp to clev 11
detect Mugash, decide to recall to town now and buy the 3rd spell book.
gain and cast fire bolt (level 10 spell), 108 xp remaining to clev 11, 3 study points
gain and cast Satisfy Hunger (level 9 spell), 36 xp remaining to clev 11, gain clev 11
clev 11: 23 SP, gain 2 spells (total 3 study points remaining), 196 xp left to clev 12
gain and cast identify on all my items: 130 xp remaining to clev 12
And once a mage is clev 11 and has identify, he can dive dive dive. At this point, since the next spells to learn are at level 15, just learn and cast all the remaining spells you have as you gain them.
gain and cast polymorph monster: polymorph and kill a few townspeople
gain and cast lesser recharging and blow up my wand of wonder. gain clev 12
clev 12: 25 SP, gain 1 spell, (1 study point remaining), 244 XP until clev 13
gain and cast sleep monster, 216 XP until clev 13
And GnMage is off to the races.
As you can see, a Gnome mage can start the game really fast. One clev 3 or so is reached, the early game monsters all fall easily to magic missile. Just remember always to rest after casting every spell so SP are always max!
It may take a good missile weapon to take out some early uniques like wormtongue. Otherwise, just skip the uniques until you gain some more levels and have more SP.
Enjoy your shiny new gnome mage!
Here's his history log:
+ max INT (18/50) at birth, the remainder into STR. 18/50 INT at start is really important, if not, it's not a "true mage" start IMO, but more a hybrid/challenge character. Human mage is sort of an exception since they gain levels a bit faster, but a gnome mage gains quite fast enough, and the extra SP makes it much easier to play, not to mention the freedom from entirely forgetting about free action for the whole game. Simply taking out uniques in the endgame gets gnome mage to clev 50 or close enough without exp grinding. Hanging out on dlev 98 also results in !Experience which makes the game move along nicely.
+ no selling birth option for more dungeon gold
+ first descent: shovel for gold to buy 2nd and 3rd spell books, 15 flasks of oil or so, and split the rest between phase doors and cure light wounds. Armor is a waste of money. A couple of food rations, too, and perhaps torch or two. I generally just wield the shovel and leave it there, all GnMage's fighting is with magic missile or throwing flasks of oil in emergencies.
+ I stay on dlev 1 for several clev. Usually exploring a full dlev 1 will result in clev about 3 or 4. You want to boomerang up gaining levels from casting newly learned spells. You get big gains at clev 7, you want to be able to learn all 3 7-th level spells, so save your study points to make sure you have 3 at 7, and 3-4 at clev 9, which allows you to just about boomerang all the way up to clev 11 and identify, at which point I start diving seriously towards stat gain.
+ Never try unidentified items until you get to clev 11: sell in the alchemist shop
Here's a log of me just starting and raising a gnome mage to clevel 12 in about an hour (took longer than usual due to stopping to type)
Gn mage (18/50 starting INT, all the rest into STR)
clev 1: 3 SP, gain 2 spells
Immediate learn and cast magic missile and detect monsters. This gets you to 7 xp remaining to clev 2
Buy 15ish flasks of oil, a shovel, and split the rest of your gold between phase door and cure light wounds (5-6 each).
Descend to dlev 1 and kill stuff to get to clev 2, always resting after each monster so that SP remains full. Always fight from a distance, and keep the path to the stairs clear.
clev 2: 5 SP, gain one spell (one study point remaining),
choose a spell and cast it, 18 xp remaining to clev 3
At clev 2 you get one spell. Choose either phase door or light area, light area is probably better because phase door will not be reliable until you gain more INT and levels, and you want all your SP for attack. Use scrolls of phase door, they're cheap. Gain the spell, cast it. This gets you to about 18 xp until clev 3.
Continue exploring and killing on dlev 1 until you reach clev 3.
Disarm all traps except dart traps and trap doors (unless you don't mind going down, but the fall could kill you, or drop you hurt next to a monster). The 5 xp you get for disarming each trap can really accelerate level gain. Detect monsters to make sure nothing is around you in case the trap puts you to sleep.
clev 3: 7 SP, gain 2 spells (2 study points remaining)
Learn and cast both level 3 spells: find traps/doors, and stinking cloud. This leaves about 16 xp left to clev 4.
You may want to head to dlev 2 now that you have detect traps/doors/stairs. Just be careful to watch SP and keep a clear path back to the stairs. You're looking to kill things, pick up items, and disarm all harmless traps.
Once you acquire 100 gold, return to town and buy the 2nd spell book, then return to dungeon. Or wait until clev 5, which should be soon.
clev 4: 9 SP, gain 1 spell (1 study)
Do not learn your remaining 1st spell book spell (which is level one). Save it for clev 5 in order to get 3 level 5 new spell gains. Descend to dlev 2 or 3, based on your preferences.
clev 5: 11 SP, gain 2 spells (3 total study now)
Return to town if you have not already bought spell book #2. Buy it and learn the level 5 spells lightning bolt, and 1-2 other level 5 spells of your choice, and cast them. I learn cure poison and usually trap door destruction (confuse monster is not successful enough to use at this point, leave your SP for magic missile.
Note: casting two level 5 spells should be enough to get you to clev 6, leaving one study point left. In my case, killing a few monsters and disarming a few traps on the way back to town, leaves me with 51 xp left to clev 7 after casting just two new 5th level spells. At this point I'm saving the study points for the 7th level spells.
gain and cast lightning bolt
gain and cast cure poison, 51 xp remaining to clev 7
clev 6: 13 SP, gain 1 spell (2 total study points now), 51 xp remaining to clev 7
No purchases except minor ones (food, torches), save money for the 3rd spell book (costs 400). Sell unidentified potions and scrolls.
clev 7: 15 SP, gain 2 spells (4 total study points now) 81 xp until clev 8
Gain and cast frost bolt: 39 xp until clev 8
Gain and cast spear of light: 4 xp until clev 8
2 study points left.
at this point I decided to gain clev 8 by killing things:
clev 8: 17 SP, gain 1 spell (3 total study points now), 119 XP to clev 9
gain and cast teleport self, 84 XP remaining to clev 9
found a short bow of extra might, woohoo
(Always wear and wield all armor and weapons found in the dungeon)
Drop all gloves that make your hands "feel unsuitable for spell casting"
gain and cast wonder: 19 XP remaining to clev 9 and one remaining study point
Cast frost bolt against jellies and salamanders, they take extra damage from it.
Kill a few things, and now
clev 9: 19 SP, gain 2 spells (3 total) about 150XP to clev 10
Decide to dive a bit before using scroll of recall to return to town for 3rd spell book
I dive down to dlev 8, kill things, gain
clev 10: 21 SP, gain 1 spell (4 total study points), 178 xp to clev 11
detect Mugash, decide to recall to town now and buy the 3rd spell book.
gain and cast fire bolt (level 10 spell), 108 xp remaining to clev 11, 3 study points
gain and cast Satisfy Hunger (level 9 spell), 36 xp remaining to clev 11, gain clev 11
clev 11: 23 SP, gain 2 spells (total 3 study points remaining), 196 xp left to clev 12
gain and cast identify on all my items: 130 xp remaining to clev 12
And once a mage is clev 11 and has identify, he can dive dive dive. At this point, since the next spells to learn are at level 15, just learn and cast all the remaining spells you have as you gain them.
gain and cast polymorph monster: polymorph and kill a few townspeople
gain and cast lesser recharging and blow up my wand of wonder. gain clev 12
clev 12: 25 SP, gain 1 spell, (1 study point remaining), 244 XP until clev 13
gain and cast sleep monster, 216 XP until clev 13
And GnMage is off to the races.
As you can see, a Gnome mage can start the game really fast. One clev 3 or so is reached, the early game monsters all fall easily to magic missile. Just remember always to rest after casting every spell so SP are always max!
It may take a good missile weapon to take out some early uniques like wormtongue. Otherwise, just skip the uniques until you gain some more levels and have more SP.
Enjoy your shiny new gnome mage!
Here's his history log:
. Should not have entered that room!
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