Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

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Solar
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Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by Solar »

I've beaten Book1 and Book2 and still going with Book3. Anyway it seems that over the course of the series Divine magic has always been more useful than Elemental. It just seems to have a much more versatile collection of spells. For example, without divine magic you couldn't heal yourself, cure ailments or remove curses, enjoy the many combat buffs it grants, or even identify items yourself without having to spend a lot of skill points in Lore, a skill that seems to be made rather obsolete by its spell variant.

Really, in Book 3, the only things I'd really miss if I didn't have a single point in Elemental would be Spark for setting off barrels, (but once you learn the divine hammer spell that works just as well) and Draw Water.

Anyone else notice this?
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by okashii »

More versatile? Yes.
Elemental magic however is so powerful that you can easily finish Book III as a mage with just the elemental skill and two spells: Spark & Ice Lance.
Because you are killing things so easily with elemental magic, I simply found no need to heal, remove curses or ailments, nor did I need to use buffs.
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Calathon
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by Calathon »

That is right, Elemental magic is more "aggressive" and focused on destructive purposes (Draw water may be an exception). Spark for example is quite useful at level 6 and if it is raining, it is even more fun. :wink:
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Solar
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by Solar »

Huh, I remember that in Books 1 and 2 Fire Dart was roughly as powerful as Fleshboil. I suppose Shock is quite a bit more powerful than that then. Should've known it wasn't just a name & visual change.
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SpottedShroom
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by SpottedShroom »

It's not just you. Divine is substantially better in Book III, and Elemental is worse. Divine got Guiding Light, which together with Cat's Eyes is a full solution to seeing in the dark. Bless is also a lot more useful now that weapon skills don't scale at high levels. Elemental lost Element Armor and Portal, both of which are much less useful in Book III. Oh, and there's only an Elemental trainer, so investing in Divine yourself looks even better.

Here's my list of nominees for best spells in each category.

Elemental
  • Invisibility - Great combat spell and the easiest way to steal from NPCs without upsetting them
  • Draw Water - Never be thirsty again. Unlike Malachai's Gruel, though, it doesn't actually save you money since drinking at a well is free.
  • Dense Nimbus - Makes Mirkland and the Goblins way easier
  • Lock Melt - Completely eliminates the need for Pick Locks
Divine
  • Bless - +6 to hit and damage is great at all levels, especially now that high level weapon skills aren't as effective.
  • Malachai's Gruel - Effectively eliminates the hunger optional rule, and being able to camp indefinitely for free also largely eliminates the weapon wear optional rule.
  • Divine Heal - Replaces your HP regeneration rate with your MP regeneration rate. Probably my pick for best spell in the game.
  • Lore - Eliminates the need for the Lore skill, or to spend money identifying items.
  • Haste - The best combat spell ever. Never get hit in melee again.
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by Weird Heather »

I found a portal scroll in a shop, so it is definitely still available. Once I found it, I made full use of it.

In previous games, and in this one, I have always developed both forms of magic, at least to a point. In my first complete play-through of Book III, I played a mage character (starting with a point in elemental), but I started by putting skill points into divination (and reading the book) until it got to 11 points, making the simpler spells available at full power. Fleshboil and level 1 spark got me by nicely until I could get to the elemental trainer, and then I started putting points into elemental until it got to 31. This mix was extremely powerful.

At least the basic divination spells seem essential, and I would have a hard time playing any of these games without developing the skill.
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Solar
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by Solar »

I found one too, but I don't see how portal would even be worth buying in book 3... the geo markers seem very conveniently placed, using portals would probably only save a small bit of walking.
Last edited by Solar on February 21st, 2014, 4:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by Randomizer »

Elemental armor is still available.

Portal is less useful since magic dampers keep it from working in a useful place.
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by SpottedShroom »

Randomizer wrote:Elemental armor is still available.

Portal is less useful since magic dampers keep it from working in a useful place.
I know they're still available, but they went from being awesome to being barely worth it. There's (almost) no lava to wade through, and not many places you'd want to use Portal that aren't near a quick travel marker.
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by Randomizer »

Lancer spiders freezing attacks are also blocked by it.
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by Palog »

Fireball is rather devastating and doesn't use that much mana, even with a group of 2 it is cool but there's many opportunities to use it on bigger groups.

Dazzling Flare making flee an enemy is a simple but very efficient control spell as soon as you aren't managing too many enemies.

Dense Nimbus is still as OP against any Archer.

Lock Melt/Trapkill are just power tools easy to improve fast. Just because of those Divination can't do it without relatively high level Elemental.

And yeah Spark at first then Ice Lance are quite powerful.

I found Toxic Element totally pointless, Sonic Blast also because each time I tried it was in vain. The close range spells attacks are cool but their utility isn't obvious. I gave up learn and try Super Nova, I suppose it hasn't changed much ie it can be OP for a very focused mage.

But yeah, beside the missing Rogue spells, plus Predator Sight and Elemental Armor, looks like Divine magic get all the spells support. In my opinion it's with the idea of a warrior priest and do it without Rogue spells which is a little tedious but should work fine.
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Leezar
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by Leezar »

SpottedShroom wrote:
Randomizer wrote:Elemental armor is still available.

Portal is less useful since magic dampers keep it from working in a useful place.
I know they're still available, but they went from being awesome to being barely worth it. There's (almost) no lava to wade through, and not many places you'd want to use Portal that aren't near a quick travel marker.
But how do you do when you want to haul loot to the merchants that happens to have coins left this week, and then quickly travel to the trainers to spend the gold?
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Re: Divine magic much more useful than Elemental?

Post by SpottedShroom »

Leezar wrote: But how do you do when you want to haul loot to the merchants that happens to have coins left this week, and then quickly travel to the trainers to spend the gold?
Quick travel?
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