TorilMUD Invoker Guide

1 - Starting Out

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The Newbie Guide has a lot of information for starting players.

1.1 - Choosing a Race

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The good races that can access the invoker class are Humans, Gnomes, Grey Elves, and Halflings. Drow and Yuan-ti are available 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. They have no racial innate abilities, but they do start out in the center of the good race world - Waterdeep.

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, a very useful ability. They live in Leuthilspar.

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 due to their small body size. Gnomes have innate infravision.

Halflings

As a good race invoker once said, "Only freaks roll halfling invokers!". Halflings have longer memtimes then Humans, and other attributes that do not complement the invoker class very well (with the exception of agility). Halfling invokers are typically done soley for RP purposes. They live in Beluir.

Drow

Stat-wise, the difference as a caster between Drow and Yuan-ti is minimal, with the only noticable difference being Drow have a slightly faster mem time. Their innates are ultravision, faerie fire, levitate, globes of darkness and underdark sneak. Ultravision is a double-edged sword, you can't see during daylight without aid from other classes abilities and skills but at night you can see everything. They live in Dobluth Kyor.

Yuan-ti

Stat-wise, the difference as a caster between Drow and Yuan-ti is minimal, with the only noticable difference being Yuan-ti have a slightly slower mem time. Since Yuan-ti have no ears or legs, they lose the ear, legs, and feet equipment slot. Their are some Yuan-ti only equipment that slightly make up for this lose, as well as a tail slot that only Yuan-ti have access to. For innates, they possess infravision, scaleskin, befriend reptile, vipermind, snakebite and tailsweep. Scaleskin lowers your AC and vipermind raises hitroll and damroll. Both of these skill improve as your character gains in levels.

For a good race invoker Gnomes and Grey Elves are the popular choice. The evil race choice comes down to a matter of personal preference; either you wish to play a character with ultravision (Drow) or you don't (Yuan-ti).

1.2 - Rolling an Invoker

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The major attribute for an invoker is intelligence, whereas agility, constitution, and strength are considered the minor attributes.

A higher intelligence results in shorter memtimes and 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 about aborting them.

A higher constitution gives you higher hitpoint gains as you level as well as helping determine whether the resurrection spell fails or not on you.

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.

The basic stats any invoker should shoot for are:

• STR: average AGI: good DEX: mundane CON: good
• POW: mundane INT: heroic WIS: mundane CHA: mundane

2 - Spells

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2.1 - Spell List

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1st Circle

• Detect Invisibility - Used to see invisible items, mobs and players.
• Detect Magic - Used to see whether spells 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 cast 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.

2nd Circle

• Shocking Grasp - Decent electricity-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 melee.

Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem all minor creation.

3rd 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 cast 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 people and things invisibile. Helpful to walk around undetected, but beware of mobs that can detect invisibility.
• Lightning Bolt - Decent electricity-based damage spell.

Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem one locate object and two or three invisibilities, the rest can be used for minute meteors.

4th 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. Get consent before casting this on another player.
• Mordenkainen's Sword - Decent damage spell.
• Farsee - Helpful spell to see through doors.

Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem one farsee, one levitate, two teleport and the rest can be used for dispel magic.

5th 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 or cone of cold.

6th Circle

• Clairvoyance - Helpful spell to satisfy your voyeuristic needs. Spy on other players, or use it 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 electricity-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.

7th Circle

• Bigbys Clenched Fist - Good damage spell.
• Incendiary Cloud - Third area spell for invokers. Deals moderately high fire-based damage. Extremely potent when cast by mobs, and torches troll warriors. Heals fire-based mobs. Very high casting time. Fizzles underwater.
• Power Word Stun - Spell that has a chance to stun a mob. Better to use damage on 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.

8th Circle

• Disintegrate - Good damage 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 - Paralyzes 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 kill 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.

9th 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, except no-teleport rooms. Fails often, which randomly teleports you in zone, so be sure to only cast it in a safe area.
• Meteorswarm - Fifth area spell for invokers. Low casting time 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 paralyze a mob. Works extra well against caster mobs, as well as fire-based mobs.

Memming Hints for Zoner: Mem one gate (if you're in a zone where you feel you might need to quickly leave the zone) and the rest is for meteorswarm. Fell frost can be more useful in certain areas in the realms.

10th 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. Some situations require sandblasts, so keep yourself informed on what your role is next.

2.2 - Spellbooks

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Invokers need around 230 pages to contain all of their spells, but a good invoker can get by with using less then 120 pages and no one noticing a difference in their performance.

These are the necessary spells that no invoker should go into a zone without:

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 magic missile, farsee, locate object, major paralysis, fireshield, blazing beam, cone of cold, thunderblast, faerie fire, mage flame.

Always make sure you have at least 3 sets of backup books that you can get if you lose your books or die somewhere and need to get your corpse.

REMEMBER: A naked invoker with all his books is equal in power to a fully-equipped invoker. They just have less hitpoints and saves.

2.3 - Spell Feedback

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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 - Exping

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An Invoker's primarily role in an exp group is to deal as much damage 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 maximize your role in a small exp group.

4 - Zoning

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An Invoker's primary role in zone groups is damage. Mainly 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 instant 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, whereas 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 abilities).

Invokers have a good mix of damage spells, plus a lot of their spells have side effects which are very helpful in zones or in exp groups. 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 - Tips & Tricks

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Help your fellow enchanter out in group during spellups. They should never have to cast detect magic, detect invis, or levitate 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 maximize your efficiency.

Always ask when you are not sure whether area spells are appropriate. Also, please pay attention to the words 'NO AREAS!'.

Do not cast fire-based spells on fire-based mobs.

Use fell frost against fire-based mobs, since they do extra damage and have a decent chance of paralyzing the mob.

6 - Acknowledgements

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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 Azenilsee (kakibesar@yahoo.com) or Gyrx/Korris/Xassis (toril.20.broken@spamgourmet.com) on the mud.

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Last Updated: October 5, 2003 Art ©Luis Royo, Page ©2003 by Todrael