Psychics: How to level (Without killing yourself!)

First things first, depending on what route you take as far as your stats, this could vary a little. It honestly all depends on where you allocate your points. Personally, I favor a high Vitality (in case you need to tank) and then high Magic as well (obviously). It doesn't hurt to get your dexterity up to at least 30, because sometimes those critical hits can come in handy.

Psychics are great damage dealers. With our AoEs and status buffs, we're a nasty team when paired up with other magic casting classes. If you decide to tank build, you're a great help to fellow tanks in that you can not only heal yourself, but your squad, AND you can change your physical defense and attack with the Voodoo spells. With the spark pair up, no matter what build you choose, expect NUKE damage, even if you're a low level.

Level 1-10

It's a good idea to start working on your quests and grinding in noobish areas when you first start out. It's best to finish EVERY SINGLE QUEST you can possibly find, because later on you'll find that finding quests is difficult because of slow leveling. Work on getting used to the long ranged damage, and make good use of the skills you have. Aqua Impact is ALWAYS a useful tool for slowing down your enemies to get in another couple of shots. Make good use of this skill, and level it up for later use. Also try to level up Spirit Blast.

AS SOON AS YOU LEARN THE VOODOO SKILLS AND SOUL OF VENGEANCE, use it as often as you can, and level it up frequently. These three are going to be your staples (along with Aqua Impact and Spirit Blast) for a while. ALWAYS remember to cast Soul of Vengeance on yourself, even when you're facing an opponent who uses magic. Sometimes, the damage won't get reflected, but when you pair the damage from Black Voodoo up with Soul of Vengeance and the Magic attack level you'll have (if you choose that build,) you'll easily rid yourself of any opposition.

Level 10-20

Landslide is your best friend. It makes sure that, paired up with the effect of Aqua Impact, your enemies take longer to get to you. HOWEVER, don't rely on this skill too much! It doesn't work in the world of PvP to come, so when you're getting creamed out on the field and wondering why the barb on your behind isn't being flung into the nearest wall, you know why.

Torrent is another useful ability in that you can easily stack damage on higher bosses (like Qingzi!). If you pair it up with other classes AoEs you're sure to make a good contribution to any team. I don't recommend leveling anything but the previously mentioned skills as well as Landslide. Torrent isn't a skill you'll use often.

I don't recommend trying to solo anything big. Continue to complete your quests as needed, and grind often.

HERE IS ALSO ABOUT THE TIME YOU SHOULD START DOING APOTHECARY.
Think about it: Free potions.
Yes, it's time consuming. Yes, the materials are scattered around (use the guide on the wiki!) and it's a pain to get them. BUT IT IS WORTH IT. As soon as you learn to make Jade Powders, your MP problems are pretty much over. Jade Powder causes you to gain 3000 MP over 30 seconds, which by this level is far more than you need. With the addition of the pots that mobs will drop, you're sure to do fine as supplies go. Try not to consume too often though... it's a good idea to save pots for grinding and bosses that you may or may not encounter on the way.

Level 20-30

Here is where your best skill comes in. Bubble of Life is absolutely vital to your repertoire. KEEP IT CONSTANTLY LEVELED! Not only can this save you from multiple attacks from mobs, but it heals anybody nearby you in the squad. You're pretty much a substitute Cleric if you can time it correctly. DO keep in mind though, this skill can take a crack at your Mana. Take care that in an emergency, you have enough magic to cast a spell like Landslide to get rid of a nearby enemy.

Aqua Cannon and Sand Trap, although learned later on during this period, are also useful skills. Sand Trap, like Torrent, should mostly be saved for bosses, since it deals constant earth damage.

HOWEVER, Aqua Cannon is a very useful ability, since it can deal damage to multiple enemies. This is great if you're doing Bounty Hunting, or trying to solo an FB (dungeon). They're usually swarming with enemies in those areas. It's also nice if you're planning on helping your faction out with Territory Wars.

BEWARE OF AGGRO (aka: activating the monsters to attack you, in which case you get swamped and die) when you use Aqua Cannon! It's great to pair up with a tank's AoE. It is NOT great if you're the one trying to tank and you're squishy (aka: you don't have a lot of health) unless you choose a tank build yourself, in which case I suggest leveling this one up a bit.

Please make a note of the "Hidden Orchid" quest (level 26). You won't be able to fly up there yet. If you're playing a female and you have a REALLY NICE GUY in your faction (by this time you SHOULD have one), they can carry you up there and you can continue.

Level 30-40

Welcome to the world of PvPing! Expect to be smacked around by players a LOT. Psychics are an easy target when they're caught off guard, because obviously, we're the guys with the low defense. Any other class (especially assassins) can just sneak right up and kill you while you're not looking... so get paranoid of other players around you. If you're into maiming your fellow man, I wouldn't suggest doing it at this level... a Chihuahua shouldn't pick on German Shepherds.

Be prepared to repair your items a lot because of the damage you'll take. 30-40 Monsters are NOT nice, and they will NOT let you walk all over them. Hidden Orchid, Orchid Temple, and even the edge of the Shattered Jade Shore (where it's closest to the Walled Stronghold) are your best bets for leveling for now. Hey, if you're using a tank build, you can even try to solo the dungeon in the Secret Passage! (I said try. I didn't say you'd make it.)

One of the goodies of hitting 30 is Soul of Stunning, which is great if you have high Soulforce. Other than that, you'll learn Diminished Vigor, which is a debuff which is really nice in PvP and Territory Wars. Another is Glacial Shards, which is a lot like Aqua Cannon.

• The only REAL difference of these two moves is that:
  • Aqua Cannon can slow targets
  • Glacial Shards can stun targets

If you really want to be more sure that a target is stunned and STAYS stunned, use Soul of Stunning and then cast Glacial Shards to help ensure the effect. I'm not saying it always works, don't get me wrong, but there's a big chance. Just be mindful that, like Aqua Cannon, it hits everything in range... so beware of aggro.

Sandburst Blast is also exactly like Aqua Cannon... except it lowers accuracy and deals earth damage. This is also a great tool if you're surrounded by enemies and also want to avoid a couple of hits.

Now, Soul of Silence is also another ability you learn, although later on (level 39). It's useful for those annoying enemies who cast magic, and even better... if you're facing PvPing Wizards, Clerics, or Venomancers. One hit from them, and they'll be pretty much helpless (unless the Venomancer sends out her tank, then you have to deal with IT, but thankfully, they won't be able to heal said tank).

Level 40-50

Now here's where the really nasty quests come in. Most of the time, if you're not prepared, you're going to get creamed. Just keep doing everything that got you here thus far (except, obviously, the dying,) like buffing yourself with Soul of Vengeance, any Voodoo spells, or other AoEs that suit your style. Remember that this is also the point in time where you can make LEVEL 3 APOTHECARY ITEMS. These items are great, since some of them can absorb damage, or even add elemental damage to your "already seriously nuke-like damage" rate. It's a good idea to buy (or make?) some items that will speed up your casting time. If you can get 4-5 hits on a monster, you should be able to survive through a lot of hell.

Your three skills for this group of levels are Empowered Vigor, Disturb Soul, and Soulburn.

• Empowered Vigor is the only real buff (because barbs and other tanks HATE Soul of Vengeance since it costs mana) that you will get. The rest of the spells and skills you have are, let's face it, debuffs and barriers that make fighting you a real pain. This actually INCREASES the potency of your potions, your healing spells, and Guardian Charm cooldowns are reduced. This is a GREAT thing to have if your faction is thinking about doing Territory Wars, since Guardian Charms are always handy there.

• Disturb Soul is another debuff which makes all of the other classes who use magic hate your guts. It will increase the casting time for your target, thus making them very ineffective in battle. This is another one of those Territory War debuffs which, if you do decide to do it, will make you a valuable ally.

• SOULBURN IS YOUR BEST FRIEND AT THIS POINT. Anything that even decides to touch you, gets a smack in the face equal to your soulforce. By the time you hit level 50, that number will be up to about 5000, so any lesser monsters (and players) who decide to make the mistake of attacking you will pretty much be committing suicide. Even Barbarians and other tanks will have a large chunk of their health knocked out if they decide to hit you, which is helpful in ANY case. (of course, PvPing isn't QUITE recommended yet, sorry.)

The best areas to grind are near the DRAGON WILDERNESS and THE VALLEY OF SEVEN DEATHS.

Level 50-60

KING'S FEAST and ROOK VALLEY are your best grinding spots for the moment. Be careful of other players, although by this time, you should be able to handle at least one person if you're caught off guard. (Something I can't say if the people attacking you are jerks and attack you while doing something like fighting a monster, or gathering materials, etc.)

Expect monsters to have at LEAST 11,000 health by now. Make sure you attune your favorite skills to the maximum amount possible, even if it means picking on some monsters that are bigger than you for "Spirit Point Farming". Bubble of Life should still be a staple at this point, as well as Soulburn and other abilities you should be upgrading when you can.

Make a note that this is pretty much where our Skill Tree ends. Will there be more additions? Maybe. But for now, this is really all we Psychics have in the arsenal.

At level 59, you will learn all of your skills which includes the following:

• Tide Spirit-- This decreases the time you spend channeling spells. Should they have installed this earlier? Of course not...that would be too easy!

• Red Tide-- Again, it's another Aqua Cannon spell, where you can cause bleeding effects if you're lucky. You have to wonder why they put so many AoEs on a mage character. It's almost like they're asking us to get killed!

• HERE IS A POINT WHERE YOU CAN CHOOSE---
  • Earth Vector-- which is essentially EXACTLY like Glacial Shards, except it deals earth damage.
  • OR
  • Psychic Will-- Which is another good buff which negates negative status effects and makes them immune to Physical damage for a while. This is VERY USEFUL, especially if you're thinking about Territory Wars, or helping out in squads with big projects, and I recommend you obtain this ability rather than another AoE that'll probably kill you. Of course, that's entirely up to you.

• Soul of Retaliation: This is your final ability (for now?) which reflects any negative status effect back to your enemies. This is a REALLY GREAT ABILITY for any kind of situation, especially when you're fighting Venomancers, or Wizards, or even Assassins who like to bleed people out.

Beyond

What else can you say? I mean, after you learn all your skills, there's not much left to do! (At least nothing I can think of.)

Once you hit level 70, you can easily PK anybody who stands in your way. With all of your AoEs and barriers, (and if you have a high Vitality build) you can get rid of a lot of baddies, really fast, and stacked along with your ability to gain more Mana through your Apothecary skill (which is optional, but I recommend it,) you're not going to be fun to mess with.

If you decide to do PvE or Territory Wars, if there's any class who can, it's us! Our debuffs, buffs, and barriers make us tough customers, and if you have high enough levels of Black and White Voodoo, you'll be more than okay fighting alongside a tank or any other class for that matter. Our AoE skills are able to take out many of the enemy at the same time with some added side affects, so if you think you can do it, I say go for it!

Gold Use

Since there aren't a lot of items for the Tideborn race, you're best off spending your hard-earned cash on something useful, like a good pair of wings. You can spend your moolah on something shiny if that's what you feel like it. It's just a better idea to wait for new installments that include our guys before going on shopping sprees.

By the time you hit 70 though, the "ugly armor" combinations that you usually would have no longer exist, really, so would it be worth covering them up with fashions? Maybe, maybe not!

In a nutshell, with some tips

Keep useful skills that you know you'll need up to date.
If possible, use Apothecary items instead of buying from an NPC, you'll save some cash that way.
Wait for quests to give you your items. Blacksmiths, tailors, and the like hardly have things for our race or class.
KEEP YOURSELF BUFFED AT ALL TIMES!
If you're near some water, and you need to mediate, don't be afraid to go up to your neck and get some of that MP/HP back! Land monsters can't really chase after you when you do this.
Beware of stealing aggro from your tanks! If you don't have a high Vitality build, it'll eat right off your EXP!
Being paranoid of other players is sometimes a good thing!
Love your quests while you can, and do as many as you can. When you're a higher level, there won't be quite so many for us.