1. Starting out
1.1 Choosing a race
1.2 Rolling a character
2.0 Spells
2.1 Spell List
2.2 Spellbooks
2.3 Spell Feedback
3.0 EXP-ing
4.0 Zoning
5.0 Hints and Tips
6.0 Acknowledgements</B>
1. Starting Out
This newbie guide has a lot of information for starting players.
1.1 Choosing A Race
The good races that can access the invoker class are Humans, Gnomes, Grey Elves, and Halflings. Drows and Yuan-ti owns the class for the evil races.
Humans
Humans have generally longer memtimes than their other good race counterparts (with the exception of Halflings) but they make up for it by having higher hitpoints. However, they don't have any racial innate abilities.
Grey Elves
Grey Elves have the best memtimes (comparable to Drows) and very high agility. However, they are very frail and this results in lower hitpoints than their other good race counterparts. Grey Elves have innate infravision and outdoor sneak.
Gnomes
Gnomes have shorter memtimes than humans, and better constitution than elves. This race is the middle ground between the extremities of Grey Elves (high intelligence) and Humans (high constitution) and is a popular race among all good race mages. Gnomes also have the added advantage of being unbashable against certain mobs. Gnomes have innate infravision.
Halflings
As a good race invoker once told me, "Only freaks roll halfling invokers!". Halflings have longer memtimes compared to even Humans, and their other attributes does not complement the invoker class very well (with the exception of agility). I'd recommend Halfling Invokers for RP reasons only.
Drows
The best race for any mage class. Drows have very short memtimes and high agility, good constitution as well as innate ultravision, faerie fire, levitate, globes of darkness and underdark sneak. As all races with ultravision, they are blinded in the daylight.
Yuan-ti
The Yuan-ti have longer memtimes compared to drow, as well as lower agility. They also lose the benefit of having equipment slots for their ears, legs, and feet due to the reason of not having any. However, they have a slew of innate abilities such as infravision, scaleskin, befriend reptile, vipermind, snakebite and tailsweep.
I'd recommend Gnomes and Grey Elves for good race invokers, and Drows for evil invokers.
1.2 Rolling A Character
The major attribute for an invoker is intelligence, whereas strength, wisdom, agility and constitution are the minor attributes.
A higher intelligence results in shorter memtimes and a faster rate of learning skills.
A higher wisdom results in a faster rate of learning skills.
A higher agility results in a better chance to dodge blows directed at you, as well as being able to withstand earthquakes without toppling over. This allows you finish casting your spells without being worried of aborting them.
A higher constitution gives you higher hitpoint gains as you level.
A higher strength allows you to wear certain equipment that reduces strength without being worried about being immobilized. Also helps when enchanters cast reduce on you.
I'd recommend the following rolls for an invoker:
STR: average AGI: good DEX: mundane CON: good
POW: mundane INT: heroic WIS: good CHA: mundane
2. Spells
2.1 Spell Listing
First Circle
Detect Invisibility - Used to see invisible items, mobs and players.
Detect Magic - Used to see whether enchantments on you are about to fade, as well as to see certain enchantments that are on you.
Magic Missile - Primary damage for the first 10 levels. Number of missiles go up as you gain in levels to a maximum of five.
Mage Flame - Light-source spell that is casted on a player.
Burning Hands - Fire based damage spell. Used primarily during the first 10 levels. Heals fire-based mobs.
Chill Touch - Cold based damage spell. Temporarily weakens a mob so it won't hit as hard. Very helpful for the first 20 levels.
Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem equal amounts of detect invisibility and detect magic, and save one slot for mage flame.
Second Circle
Shocking Grasp - Decent electric based damage spell for the low levels.
Acid Blast - Decent acid based damage spell for the low leves.
Minor Creation - Makes helpful items such as rations, torches, and rafts.
Faerie Fire - Makes a mob easier to hit in melees.
Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem all minor creation.
Third Circle
Minute Meteor - The first taste of invoker power. The primary damage spell until the low 30's. Number of meteors increases as you gain in levels to a maximum of five. Fizzles when casted underwater.
Locate Object - Helpful spell to locate certain objects. Can also be used to see the movement of ships in the realm.
Invisibility - Used to turn self invisibile. Helpful to walk around undetected, but beware of mobs that can detect invisibility.
Lightning Bolt - Decent electric based damage spell.
Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem one locate object and two invisibility, and the rest can be used for minute meteors.
Fourth Circle
Teleport - Helpful spell to cast when you need to get out of a tight spot quickly. Can be used to cross certain rivers in the realms.
Fireball - Decent fire based damage spell. Heals fire-based mobs.
Minor Paralysis - Paralyses a mob until it is attacked or until the spell effect wears out.
Ray of Enfeeblement - Helpful spell that weakens a mob so it won't hit as hard.
Levitate - Allows you to hover and move up and down in no ground areas.
Dispel Magic - Removes all spell effects currently on a player or a mob. Also used to rescue a player under the charms of a succubus.
Mordenkainen's Sword - Decent damage spell.
Farsee - Helpful spell to see thru doors.
Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem one farsee, one levitate, two teleport and the rest can be used for dispel magic.
Fifth Circle
Cone of Cold - Decent cold based damage spell. Deals additional damage on fire-based mobs.
Ice Storm - First area spell for invokers. Deals cold based damage on all mobs in the room. Deals additional damage on fire-based mobs.
Fireshield - Creates a shield of fire around you. Extremely short duration.
Coldshield - Creates a shield of frost around you. Extremely short duration.
Slowness - Slows a mob so it attacks less in a number of rounds. Hard to land.
Dimension Door - Transports you to a player of the same racial alignment (i.e evils cannot dim to a goodie) in the same zone.
Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem one coldshield, two dimension door and the rest can be used for ice storm.
Sixth Circle
Clairvoyance - Helpful spell to satisfy your voyeuristic needs. Spy on other players, or used to check whether a relocatable target is safe.
Blazing Beam - Decent damage spell that has the chance to blind a mob. Potent against the undead.
Chain Lightning - Second area spell for invokers. Deals electric based damage on all mobs in the room. High casting time.
Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem two clairvoyance, and the rest can be used for blazing beams.
Seventh Circle
Bigbys Clenched Fist - Good damage based spell.
Incendiary Cloud - Third area spell for invokers. Deals moderately high fire based damage. Extremely potent when casted by mobs, and torches troll warriors. Heals fire-based mobs. Very high casting time. Fizzles underwater.
Power Word Stun - Spell that has the chance to stun a mob. Better damage it instead.
Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem all bigbys clenched fist, or all clouds if you're the second invoker in group and do not have meteorswarm or inferno. Watch out for feedback.
Eight Circle
Disintegrate - Good damage based spell. Damage dealt is better than a single force missile, so this is the spell to mem when you don't have any higher spell circle. Has the chance to disintegrate the equipment worn by a mob.
Force Missile - THE targeted damage spell. The number of missiles go up as you gain in levels to a maximum of three.
Thunderblast - Fourth area spell for invokers. Deals moderate damage, and has the chance to stun mobs. Very good spell to use when fighting groups of casters, and it is almost insta-cast (**). Pity it is in the same circle as force missiles.
Major Paralysis - Paralyses a mob until the spell effect wears out. High casting time, plus it is in the same circle as force missiles.
Power Word Kill - Has the chance to instantly kills a mob. Helpful to cast against necromancer pets (zombies, skeletons). No use at all, since it is in the same circle as force missiles.
Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem all force missiles. May need to provide backup stun support with thunderblasts if there are not enough stunners in group, so check with your group leader.
Ninth Circle
Gate - Used to open portals to other planes. Can access Fire, Air, Astral, Ethereal and Smoke Plane.
Relocate - Transports you to a player of the same racial alignment anywhere in the realms or in the planes, save a no-teleport room.
Meteorswarm - Fifth area spell for invokers. Low casting times and deals moderate damage to mobs in the room. Helpful area spell against fire-based mobs.
Fell Frost - Very good cold based damage spell. Deals moderate damage, and has the chance to either slow or paralyse a mob. Works extra well against caster mobs, as well as fire-based mobs.
Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem one gate and the rest is for meteorswarm. Fell frost can be more useful in certain areas in the realms.
Tenth Circle
Inferno - THE area damage spell. Deals extremely high fire based damage to all mobs in the room. It also 'burns' the mob for a period of time after the spell is cast. Fizzles underwater, and heals fire-based mobs immensely. Useful to destroy coldshields on mobs.
Sandblast - A very good targeted damage spell. It deals more consistent damage than force missiles, and on average it is a bit higher. Has a chance to silence or blind a mob.
Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem all inferno.
2.2 Spellbooks
Invokers need around 230 pages for their spells, so you will need to lug around 3 80-page spellbooks if you don't have access to high level 250-page spellbooks. However, you can prioritise the spells you need and at the same time create backups in emergency situations.
Create one spellbook with all the spells you absolutely need to zone, and one spellbook for spells that aren't used very often. For example, I have the following spells in my books:
Zone Book - ice storm, bigbys clenched fist, dimension door, clairvoyance, teleport, minor creation, detect invisibility, invisibility, dispel magic, levitate, sandblast, incendiary cloud, minute meteors, force missiles, fell frost, detect magic and has no free pages.
Utility Book - magic missile, chill touch, burning hands, lightning bolt, fireball, chain lightning, farsee, locate object, major paralysis, coldshield, fireshield, blazing beam, cone of cold, power word kill, thunderblast, faerie fire, mage flame and has 12 free pages.
I've left out Power Word Stun, Disintegrate, Slowness, Ray of Enfeeblement, Minor Paralysis, Mordenkainen's Sword, Shocking Grasp, Acid Blast.
Make 3-4 copies of the Zone Book, and only 1-2 for the Utility Spells. Of course, have a pristine copy of all spells stored safe somewhere. Experiment with the spell mix, your needs may vary.
REMEMBER: A naked invoker with all his books is equal in power with a fully-equipped invoker, just with less hitpoints.
2.3 Spell Feedback
Feedback is caused when the massive energies needed by two or more invokers in a group to cast their area spells interfere with one another and cause damage to the spellcaster instead. This damage can be very high when all invokers are casting the same high end spell (i.e inferno/meteorswarm). Be very, very careful when they are other invokers in the group and coordinate your efforts through tells (or among drow invokers, by using sign language
).3.0 EXP-ing
Invokers primarily role in an exp group is to deal as much damage as possible and take down a mob as quickly as possible. An invoker has no tanking ability whatsoever, and solo exping is only possible due to utility spells such as ray of enfeeblement , slowness, coldshield and the ability to deal a lot of damage in a short period of time. Always, always try to hitch a ride with a helpful warrior/cleric/shaman to maximise your role in a small exp group.
4.0 Zoning
An Invoker's primary role in zone groups is AREA DAMAGE.
A group with an invoker or two will find that fighting a high number of mobs in a room generally easier, and it will end much much faster. A group with three invokers will find that the third invoker will have no time to cast their high end area spells due to the speed mobs are being obliterated (and because of spell feedback, but that's a minor reason).
Do not for one instance believe that your primary reason is to deal targeted damage. Most often, targeted damage spells such as force missiles and bigbys clenched fist are finisher spells. Melee-based classes such as rogue, rangers and even dire raiders can deal a greater amount of targeted damage over a longer period of time, where as an invoker will need to stop and re-mem spells after casting. However, huge battles tends to end much sooner with an invoker in tow, and therefore minimising the possibility of a mob turning the tide of a battle (by the use of spells or ability).
Invokers have a good mix of damage spell, plus a lot of their spells have side effects which are very helpful in zones or in exp groups. However, the bane of all invokers is magic resistance. Against a magic resistant mob, an invoker is helpless due to the fact that their damage and usefulness as a class comes from their spells. The only way to counter a magic resistant mob is with the help of an illusionist using their Shadow Flux spell, or repeated use of spells such as force missiles and minute meteors. Magic resistance is calculated against individual spell effects, so multiple meteors or missiles have a chance of getting through.
5.0 Hints and Tips
Help your fellow enchanter out in group during spellups, cast detect magic and detect invis on those classes that need them.
In turn, ask your fellow enchanter for a pre-scale or pre-stone before fights. A greater chance of survival for you means a lesser chance for the mobs.
Coordinate your efforts with other invokers in group to maximise your efficiency.
Always ask when you are not sure whether area spells are appropriate. Also, please pay attention to the words 'NO AREAS!'.
Make sure to not cast fire-based spell on fire-based mobs.
Use fell frost against fire-based mobs, it has a very good chance of paralysing the mob.
6.0 Acknowledgements
Thanks to Lirathal and Runecopple for some insights on the other end of the alignment spectrum.
If you have any suggestions, post them on this thread or if you have any questions, look for me on the mud or email me at kakibesar@yahoo.com.
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Azenilsee - Faern Dalharil - Orbdrin D'Oloth
[This message has been edited by Azenilsee (edited 08-19-2002).]