Mage Lona is pretty much exclusively powerful at high level with high wisdom, pretty much at the Wisdom levels someone else mentioned (30+). At like 40+, that's when it dominates over every other 'class'. Essentially it is a rebirth class because a low level mage is garbage. Generally, use Lightning book and Lightning Rod to set up large AoE damage from afar and have the water book in an EXT slot (yes, you can do that) to use that wave spell whenever enemies start to get too close. The fire wall (or even lantern, which with the recent firewall nerf, has a faster 'cast' and yes it scales with WIS) is good against undead as the DoT burning effect with high WIS will do 50+ stamina damage per second to them, which will down even the helmeted skeletons quickly. Undead are also much easier to set alight than goblins because they're slower and seem a lot less aware.
I would say that Mage Lona is certainly not an easy class to get into due to it needing a much steeper investment than other classes, but it certainly is unmatched in raw power later on. Another reason is you're not given much reason to switch from the ol' sword and board which requires no investments in COM to be effective.
Well, mage Lona struggles with the easiest tasks and can't even beat the Goblins in Noer Arena. I restarted that save ten times before giving up. Albeit that mage Lona was *only* 25 WIS at the time. Doesn't matter if you're the greatest mage if you can't land a single firewall now, does it? Or the stun ball not stunning unless direct perfect hits, and they remain only stunned for 2 seconds in which time I haven't realigned Lona for main fireball attack. Oh, and the others bashing your head in while you try just that.
So I concur with your statement, low level mage Lona is indeed garbage. Pure and simple. I can't do a rebirth Lona since I don't care for being pregnant and I guess that's on me perhaps. And frankly I didn't know you could rebirth until a day ago and someone above said true deep Lona.. Wat?
And for the other stuff.. I want to *save* the hostages not explode them or electrocute them to smithers.. Firewall being nerfed as it is now just adds insult to injury. Yeah I am a great fire mage, better use my fucking lantern as it is faster and better. Great balance there. Makes total sense that a level 0 Lona has higher chance of burning an enemy than my level 26 mage Lona has.
I'd like to see a dominator Mage Lona fend of my level 90 shinobi Lona. Pretty sure who the winner would be there.
But I guess I'll try a bit more. I had fun playing my first run as shinobi Lona. Real fun. But this mage is just pure frustration at this point and no fun at all. If the game only had mage route I wouldn't reccomend the game at all to anyone ever.
Edit: And why the hell does the casting start AT Lona's position? I have firewalled/and stun balled myself more times than I have the enemies. By a factor of 2.
And WHY does speaking to hostages make Lona stop hiding? Like, uh oh, here there be goblins and orcs, I better STAND UP and SHOUT: "FOLLOW ME TO THY SAFTEY MY LADY!!"
