Mage Spells

[Derakon]

The advantages mages have over priests:

* Haste Self
* Temporary resistance to acid/elec/poison
* Door Creation
* Higher-damaging attack magic (but also more expensive)
* Several utility spells (blink, teleport, identify) show up earlier
* Better device skill

The advantages priests have over mages:

* Big healing spells
* Orb of Draining (cheap, effective, and shows up early)
* Banish Evil
* Detection
* Clairvoyance (EDIT: and Sense Surroundings, much earlier)
* Slightly better melee
* No need to kill Kavlax
* +d2 hit die (~+50 HP at level 50)
* Less noodly arms (+2 relative STR)
* Much better constitution (+3 relative CON)

[Cold_Heart]

Way to convenienly forget about the best attack spell (magic missile), best recharging, identify from shop book at 11, banishment and mass banishment.

[Derakon]

Sorry, you're right -- banishment and mass banishment are big factors in the mage's favor. Magic Missile is no longer their best attack spell, though, as spell costs were re-regularized; now IIRC Meteor Storm and Rift are tied for best efficiency and of course Mana Storm has the best DPS. The various elemental bolt spells are also significantly more useful.

I covered Identify under the "earlier utility spells". Though personally, I only view that as helping to make up for the mage's pathetic Strength, since he can't afford to carry a big stack of ID scrolls or a staff of ID.

The mage's basic recharging spell is worse than using scrolls (as is the priest's only recharging spell), though if you're going to take advantage of the mage's better device skill I could believe you'd end up casting it frequently anyway, since the alternative would be carrying scrolls into the dungeon (c.f. noodly arms).

[Timo Pietilä]

The advantages mages have over priests:

* Haste Self
* Temporary resistance to acid/elec/poison
* Door Creation
* Higher-damaging attack magic (but also more expensive)
* Several utility spells (blink, teleport, identify) show up earlier
* Better device skill

Don't forget banishments. Mass and normal banish at will is great tool for survival and getting rid of annoying things that are in your way to your whatever goal you have at the moment.