AoE Mage
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AoE Mage
The AoE (area of effect) Mage is ideal for killing large groups of mobs and, therefore, gaining lots of experience quickly. In fact, with good gear and good elemental bonus, killing only one group of mobs at a time is a waste of effort with this build. Since Ring of Fire (RoF) is, in my opinion, the most reliable AoE mage skill, I will concentrate on the Fire AoE mage.
Before I begin, it should be noted that the skill Blue Screen of Life (BSoL) gives higher level AoE mages an advantage over lower level AoE mages in that it allows the player to concentrate on the intellect attribute (Int.), which increases the damage done by all elemental skills and other spells. Lower level mages will need more endurance (End.) to stay alive, so their damage output will have to be somewhat compromised.
Gear
Ghostly Armor gives all or most of its primary stat bonus to int. It also boosts one type of elemental damage. So for the benefit of this guide, look for pieces that add + x damage per second to fire attacks. There are various mage weapons to choose from for this build, one-handed and two-handed. The important thing to look for is weapons that add int or int/end and + x fire damage/+ x % to all fire damage. If your endurance needs a boost, jewelry is a good place to get it. There are many rings and amulets that give + end and + fire damage, but any + end jewelry will be sufficient.
Skills
Up to this point I haven't mentioned the AoE mage's "bread and butter" skill. It may surprise you to learn that it is not a fire skill. Gaseous Blast (GB), obtainable from the ranger trainer, is a powerful poison AoE skill that, with a mage's high int, does massive damage over time. It is often enough to hit weaker enemies, especially ranged mobs, with a blast of GB and let them run off. Before long, a halo of ranged enemies will fall simultaneously to the ground around you while you busy yourself with the up-close melee mobs.
Skill List
Passives
Mental Prowess boosts all magic damage. Having this skill equipped is a no-brainer "hyuk-hyuk."
Bookworm gives you more mana per point of int.
Buffs
Blue Screen of life more than makes up for a mage's low hp and enables him/her to withstand damage nearly as well as a fully-equipped tank.
Pyromania boosts your fire bonus for a short time (long enough to roast your enemies).
Toxic Talent boosts the damage you will do with Gaseous Blast. This skill isn't essential, but if you can make room for it, it's definitely a plus.
Offensive
Crispy Critters is a fast cone attack dealing quick fire damage. (This power uses a lot of mana!)
OR
Fire Bolt will clear out the stragglers when the bulk of the mobs are lying flat on the ground. Experiment with both and determine which one you find more suitable. (Ice Bolt is also a good damage dealer).
Ring of Fire blasts fire bolts all around you and is your main damage dealer in tandom with Gaseous Blast.
Gaseous Blast should be your opening attack once you've got the mobs packed in close.
Options
The primary skills will leave you with two open skill slots. You can fill these as you choose, but I have a couple of suggestions that might help:
Thickheadedness is a big help in dungeons where there are a lot of stunners.
Unnerving Shout will slow down those mobs and make it easier to get the full effect of your AoE attacks.
Righteous Stomp is handy if you need a moment to chug a pot or two.
Luckily Banner of Foolish Bravery is only needed in a few dungeons where Banshees will have you running around like an idiot.
and of course Bling Gnome always makes a shiny addition to your skill tray.
Strategy
The idea is simply to gather as many mobs together as you can. If you can find a tight corner to lure them into, that's even better. It's best to start your attack with Gaseous Blast, as its range is shorter, followed immediately by Ring of Fire. Use Fire Bolt or Crispy Critters to weaken the mobs while GB and RoF recharge. After 2 or, at most, 3 rounds of this, all you should have left to do is finish off the fringe mobs that might have avoided the AoE attacks. If you have a few half-dead enemies spread out too far, you can run away from them for a moment then run back into them firing off GB or maybe just RoF to finish them off.
At lower levels you might want to stick to 3 or 4 groups to start. As I near level 100 with my AoE mage, though, I have no problem taking on 6 or 7 groups at a time. The only limiting factor is the distance you can pull the mobs before they vanish and retreat. Because of the amount of contact you will be making with enemies, you should be prepared to drink a lot of health and mana potions. Still, you should be making a profit after each run, and the experience gain makes up for the amount of gold spent.