Mage

Healing is part of the role

Mage combines supportive and offensive spellcasting. Anodyne creates an area where allies can recover health. Its positional nature matters: putting recovery somewhere safe and reachable is different from assuming a companion has already benefited from it. Do not equate an available healing action with unlimited recovery from every health-related condition.

Faster casting has a tradeoff

Quickspell speeds incantation by consuming additional stamina. Levitate is a separate movement skill that allows temporary suspension after jumping. Neither is a reason to treat a Mage as immune to pressure while casting.

A practical way to learn the kit is to choose a safe position first, then decide whether faster casting is worth the stamina. When an encounter repeatedly interrupts you, look at positioning and ally roles before concluding that your spell choice is the only problem.

A support checklist for the next fight

This is a suggested decision process rather than a tested optimal rotation. First, check whether anyone needs recovery. Next, consider which action would remove the immediate obstacle: helping a threatened ally, preparing support or contributing offense. Reassess after that action rather than queuing the same spell automatically.

Keep sight of the frontline. A healing area behind an obstacle is less useful to an ally who cannot safely reach it. Conversely, walking directly into every melee to stay close defeats the purpose of having room to cast. The Pawn party guide helps distribute these responsibilities when the Mage is a companion rather than the player character.

Choose the correct staff family

Mage uses staves; Sorcerer uses archistaves. The current named-equipment table includes Unfettered Claw. This is a source-linked equipment example, not a recommendation to replace every existing staff with it.

Read base attributes as equipment reference data. They do not describe a complete build, enhancements or a measured healing outcome. For a practical support-first starting point, continue to the Mage loadout guide.

Mage is not merely an unfinished Sorcerer

Choose between these roles by the job you want to perform, not by assuming that unlocking another vocation makes this one obsolete. The Sorcerer page explains its casting and stamina tools separately. Retaining a support role in a party can be an intentional choice even when offensive alternatives are available.