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 The first thing to keep in mind when considering which spells to memorize and which to pass over is that there are more than 100 mage spells and more than 80 priest spells. You can't use all the spells at any given time, so you must make the best use of your limited memorization slots that you can. Under no circumstances should you choose your favorite spells and just go with those for the duration of the game. You should actively maintain your memorized spell list, adapting it to best suit the needs of your party's current situation. The game manual provides an excellent description of each spell and its effects, so I won't reprint all that information here. However, we will give advice on how best to use each spell. Mage Spells Mage spells are generally more offense-oriented than their priest spell counterparts and, as such, are capable of powerful feats when used appropriately. In this section, you'll find tips on how to take advantage of their strengths while avoiding their weaknesses. Level 1 Spells These are the weakest spells that a mage has at his disposal. However, many get stronger as the caster gains levels, making them good spells to memorize. Magic missile, for example, will be a spell you'll use throughout the game. Armor (Conjuration) Avoid use of this spell in battle; use shield instead. However, if you're running around through traps, this can lower your mages' armor classes to 6 for nine hours. Burning Hands (Alteration) Burning hands is only useful if you're willing to put your mage right in the thick of battle, a foolish idea. Skip this spell and choose magic missile instead for your early offensive needs. Once you've gained several levels and can get up close and friendly with the enemy, this becomes quite useful. The spell gains two points of damage per experience level, so a level 10 mage who is mirror imaged can easily get this spell off and deal 21 to 23 points of damage to a clustered group of enemies. Mmmm, burning orc flesh. A saving throw results in half damage. Charm Person (Enchantment/Charm) This is another powerful early spell. With it, you can effectively turn any humanoid (man-sized) enemies to your side until you can clean up on their friends. Don't underestimate the power of this spell; turning a mage to your side can turn the tide of a battle. Chill Touch (Necromancy) With chill touch, your mage gains the ability to either penalize the opponent's THAC0 for an hour (for live creatures) or make the enemy panic (undead). The damage done is negligible, and early mages won't have a high chance of scoring a successful melee attack, so I'd recommend skipping this one. Even a successful melee hit still allows a saving throw to completely avoid any of the spell's effects. Chromatic Orb (Evocation) This spell goes from useful to awesome as your mage increases in power. It automagically hits, and while early on only does 1 to 4 damage and + 1 round blindness if a saving throw fails, by the time your caster has attained level 10, its effects are terrible if the throw fails and is still useful if the throw succeeds. It's definitely a useful spell. Color Spray (Alteration) Like burning hands, the usefulness of color spray depends on your willingness to stick your mage out in the thick of things. This can be an amazingly cool early spell, knocking out several of your opponents so they can be bludgeoned by your fighters while unconscious. Again, it puts your weak mage in the line of fire of your enemies, and if he makes his saving throws versus the spell, he can find himself being surrounded by enemies quite quickly.
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