Race played = Undead

Level obtained = 20

Armor = cloth only

Weapon of choice = Staff until lvl 10, then Dagger/Offhand, Wand (at levels 15-20 you will find
items that you may hold in your off hand that have stat adds like "branches" and "orbs" and
other items. So it may be advisable to go dagger at level 10 to get that weapon skill raised.
Wands, I believe are broke as of the Open Beta, but I still equipped one for the stat adds :)

Leveling Difficulty = Easy

NOTE: the cost to buy each skill is listed next to its name.

The Mage Leveling 1-15

O.K. So you are already to play the Mage class. The first thing you want to do is open your
inventory and right click on the scroll, or other object that will open the quest window on the left
side of the screen and give you your first quest, accept the quest and if you look on your
minimap you should see a little yellow dot this dot represents the NPC that you talk too to
complete your first quest.(You may have to walk a little ways, but just starting off the quest
NPC is usually very close to your starting location) For future reference anytime you see a little
yellow dot on your minimap this is the location of an NPC that you have completed a quest for.
When you get to level 5 you may take a trade skill, which may also show you little yellow dots
on the minimap, these will either represent a "mine node" (if you have the skill "mining")that
can be mined or a "herb plant"(if you have the skill "herbalism") that can be harvested.

Leveling 1-4

This will go by extremely quickly and in most cases will take roughly 30 to 45 minutes. Get any
and all quests from any NPC that has a yellow explanation point above its head. The spells you
will have at lvl 1-4 are:

Frost Armor Level 1(free)

Cost = 60 Mana ----- Casting time = instant

Increases armor by 20. If hit while active enemy may have their movement slowed to 50% and
attacks slowed by 20%.

Spell lasts 30 minutes.

Fireball Level 1(free)

Cost = 30 Mana ----- Casting time = 1.5 secs ----- Range = 30 yards

Creates a Fireball, causes 14 to 22 fire damage and an additional 2 damage over 4 seconds.

Arcane Intellect Level 1(10 copper)

Cost = 60 Mana ----- Casting time = Instant ----- Range = 30 yards

Raises the target's INT by 3

Spell lasts for 30 minutes.

Frost Armor should always be "on" as this raises your armor class, Arcane Intellect should also
always be "on" as this raises your INT, thereby increasing your spell damage. Fireball is the
spell that you will "pull" with.

Approach a "mob" and as you approach you will see that the numbered box that your fireball
spell is in will turn from red to white, this means that the mob is in range for your spell. If the
spell "Fireball" is not on your hotbar you will have to open your "abilities" page and left click to
drag the icon to a place on your hotbar so that you may use it. O.K. so the mob is in range,
what I do is right click the mob, this puts you into "combat mode" if the mob is in range you will
swing at the mob with whatever weapon you have equipped, but hopefully the mob is still a
little distance away so that you may cast fireball to damage it.

Once you do this the mob will come to you to do battle.(At the lower levels you will only
experience the "melee" type mob's later on you will face mobs that once you cast a spell on
them they will start casting spells on you!) Once you cast fireball you will see the "timing bar"
start to fill when the bar is fully filled the spell will be casted, IMMEDIATELY click the spell again
so that you may start another fireball spell. In most cases you will be able to get off 2-3 spells
before the mob actually gets close enough to hit you. If the mob is in melee with you and you
try to cast a spell the mob may hit you, if that happens your bar will "jump back" and the spell
will attempt to continue casting.

At the lower levels after the mob gets within melee range just whack him with your weapon a
few times and he should die. A little trick on casting spells... some spells when you get higher
level have a "cooldown" time so you cannot keep casting over and over again, however at the
lower levels wait until you see the green bar hit the end of the line and click again, do not wait
for the bar to fill and disappear, click it as soon as the bar is filled this gives you about a .1 - .2
seconds of advantage over other players that simply wait until the bar disappears. By now you
should be getting to level 4.

Leveling 4-6

At level 4 you can buy the following skills:

Conjure water Level 1(50 copper)

Cost = 60 Mana ----- Casting time = 3 secs

Makes 2 bottles of water, This will be put in the caster's inventory. Conjured items disappear if
logged out for more than 15 minutes. This Item can be traded but not sold. Also at higher levels
this same spell will create more then just 2 drinks.

Frostbolt Level 1(50 copper)

Cost = 25 Mana ----- Casting time = 1.5 secs ----- Range = 30 yards

Creates a bolt of Frost, causing 18 to 20 frost damage and slows movement speed for 5
seconds.
O.K. things change now, the conjure water spell allows you to create your own water. As a Mage
you should NEVER buy a "drink" or "food" from a vendor as you can create your own free of
charge.(You get "create food" at lvl 6) Now do not pull with your fireball spell anymore. Now
place your "Frostbolt" icon where your fireball icon used to be and move your fireball icon 1
space to the right.

Now approach a mob, when you see the number on the hotbar change from red to white for
your Frostbolt spell cast Frostbolt at the mob, as soon as the bar is filled, cast fireball, and keep
casting fireball until the mob is within melee range, then whack him with your weapon. Continue
on to level 6, at level 6 you will most likely leave the "noob" town and make your way to
another town to get new quests and higher level mobs. Up to now when you see a mob it was
most likely yellow which means that these will not attack you if you get too close, however if
see a mob that is red then this mob will attack you if you get to close, this is commonly called
"agro".

Leveling 6-8

At level 6 you may buy the following skills:

Conjure Food Level 1(1 silver)

Cost = 60 Mana ----- Casting time = 3 secs

Makes 2 muffins. This will be put in the casters inventory. Conjured items disappear if logged
out for more than 15 minutes. This item can be traded but not sold.

Fireblast Level 1(1 silver)

Cost = 40 Mana ----- Casting time = instant ----- Cooldown = 8 secs ---- Range = 20 yards

Burns target with fire for 25 to 33 fire damage.

Fireball Level 2(1 silver)

Cost = 45 Mana ----- Casting time = 2 secs ----- Range = 35 yards

Creates a Fireball, causes 31 to 45 fire damage and an additional 3 damage over 6 seconds.

Again things change a little, replace the spell "Fireball Level 1" on your hotbar with "Fireball
Level 2" and add the spell "Fireblast Level 1" to the hotbar space right of your spell "Fireball
Level 2". Now when you approach a mob, cast your Frostbolt, then 1 or 2 Fireballs and when the
mob is in melee range, click on Fireblast. Fireblast is an "instant cast" spell, there is no "spell
bar" to fill up, when you click it, it is cast instantly.

By now you should be pretty familiar with the quest system as well as knowing what level mobs
you can handle. It has been my playing experience that you should only kill mobs your level or
1-2 levels higher as anything else is going to cause a "mana dump" and a possible death, and
you will find that the exp is not worth it at all, after you figure in the risk and the downtime
needed to recover from the mana dumping. Also if you are going to take any trade skills get
them now, even if you have to take some time to walk to your nearest capitol,(which is pretty
close to you now, regardless which race you have chosen) You can get your 2 main tradeskills
at lvl 5.

Leveling 8-10

At Level 8 you may buy the following skills:

Arcane Missiles Level 1(2 silver)

Cost = 85 Mana ----- Casting time = Instant ----- Range = 30 yards.

Slings Arcane Missiles, causing 24 damage per second for 3 seconds.(Must channel this spell)

Polymorph Level 1(2 silver)

Cost = 60 Mana ----- Casting time = 1.5 secs - Range = 30 yards.

Mutates target into a sheep, making it walk around aimlessly for up to 20 seconds. While
walking, the sheep cannot attack or cast spells, but will regain health very quickly. Any damage
will cancel the mutation and turn the target back into its original form. Only one target can be
mutated at a time. Can only be casted on Beasts, Dragons, Giants, Humanoids, and Critters.

Frostbolt Level 2(2 silver)

Cost = 35 Mana ----- Casting time = 1.8 secs - Range = 30 yards.

Creates a Bolt of Frost, causing 31 to 35 frost damage and slows movement speed for 6
seconds.

O.K. At level 8 you want to replace your Frostbolt Level 1 with Frostbolt Level 2, I would also
put "Arcane Missiles" on my hotbar to the right of Fireblast, and put "Polymorph" on my hotbar
all the way to the right as this is your "emergency" spell. If at any time(and this will happen)
you find yourself in a losing battle or you got more then 1 mob when you pulled, you can cast
Polymorph on a Beast, Dragon, Giant, Humanoid, or a Critter.

This will turn the mob into a sheep, do not cast a spell or whack on the sheep as this will cancel
the spell, while the mob is in sheep form they will regenerate health at a very high rate so when
it comes out of sheep form, count on it having a full health bar. This spell DOES work in PvP and
is very funny... Arcane missiles is a little misleading, as although this is an "instant" cast spell it
is a "channeling" spell so you must stand there while the green bar fills and the spell does
damage if you want the full effect. By now you should have visited your capitol or have a quest
that leads you to your capitol for your race.

As a side note you cannot sell conjured food or water, yes I already tried... At level 10-11 you
will most likely leave the level 5-10 "area" and be sent on a quest to visit a new location, this is
also the level at which you may be introduced to your first "elite" quest. Elite quests are not
meant to be done solo and no you cannot solo an "elite" mob that is your same level in most
cases. I believe Bliz did this to encourage "grouping" after level 10 if you so desire. You can
easily tell an "elite" mob from a normal mob by the word "elite" in the mobs name or the wreath
around the mobs pic when you left click it. You can safely left click a mob to get info however if
you right click it then you enter combat mode with that mob.
Leveling 10-12

At level 10 you may buy the following skills:

Frost Armor Level 2(4 silver)

Cost = 125 Mana ----- Casting time = Instant

Increases armor by 40. If hit while active enemy may have their movement slowed to 50% and
attacks slowed by 20%.

Spell lasts 30 minutes.

Frost Nova Level 1(4 silver)

Cost = 55 Mana --- Casting time = Instant - Cooldown = 15 secs.

Hits enemies close to the caster for 19 to 21 cold damage and freezes them in place for up to 10
seconds.

Conjure Water Level 2(4 silver)

Cost = 105 Mana ----- Casting time = 3 secs.

Makes 2 bottles of fresh water, This will be put in the caster's inventory. Conjured items
disappear if logged out for more than 15 minutes. This Item can be traded but not sold. Also at
higher levels this same spell will create more then just 2 drinks.

At level 10 you want to replace Frost Armor 1 with Frost Armor 2 and replace Conjure Water 1
with Conjure water 2. You also get a new spell Frost Nova, this spell is another "emergency"
spell as it is an instant cast spell and basically freezes or roots a mob in its location, you may
continue to cast damage dealing spells at the mob, but this also increase the chances that the
mob will break free early.

By now you should understand the basics of playing a Mage, and at the capitol city you should
also find your "bank" as this has numerous "slots" to store your items, before storing items see
if you can "stack" them by dragging one item over the top of another items of the same type.
Stackable items include: potions, food, water, crafting materials, and crafting supplies. Also
depending on which type of server you are playing on PvP or PvE you may start to see enemies
from the other "realm." From level 10-20 the basics of the game and the mobs start to take you
out of the "noobness" and into the full game, expect to fight "caster" mobs, "bow and arrow"
mobs and mobs that will give you poison, stuns, or other negative status effects. You may also
want to open your "social" window and flag yourself as "looking for a group" if that is a style of
play that you desire.(You also may choose to pick a talent here, see the bottom of this post for
a link to a list of the talents available.)

Leveling 12-14

At level 12 you may buy the following skills:

Dampen Magic Level 1(6 silver)

Cost = 80 Mana ----- Casting time = Instant = Range = 30 yards.

Reduces magic damage against the targeted party member by 10 and reduces the healing of
healing spells by 20.

Spell last 3 minutes.

Conjure Food Level 2(6 silver)

Cost = 105 Mana ----- Casting time = 3 secs.

Makes 2 loaves of bread. This will be put in the casters inventory. Conjured items disappear if
logged out for more than 15 minutes. This item can be traded but not sold.

Fireball Level 3(6 silver)

Cost = 65 Mana ----- Casting time = 2.5 secs - Range = 40 yards.

Creates a Fireball, causes 53 to 73 fire damage and an additional 6 damage over 6 seconds.

At level 12, replace Conjure food 1 with Conjured food 2 and Fireball 2 with Fireball 3. You
receive the new spell "Dampen Magic", this spell is very powerful if used correctly, and if used
incorrectly will get you or(if you are in a group) one of you group members killed. This lowers
the amount of magic damage that you take from an enemy, it DOES NOT lower the amount of
melee damage that you take. It also lowers healing spells that are used on you, so if a healing
spell was supposed to heal you for 60, it would only heal you for 40 if you have this buff on. If
you are not fighting caster type mobs then this is a total waste of mana.

Ahhh so you are here now, if you are on the horde side and you are a Tauren, Orc or troll you
should be at the crossroads(that's a town), if you are Undead then you should be at the
sepulcher. Here you will start to find that you are not in the lobie noob zones anymore. The
majority of the mobs are aggressive(red con) and if you pull them and they have buddies
nearby they will come also. You will also find mobs that "call" other mobs if they get hurt and
are close to death, so if there are other mobs close by that are of the same type do not be
surprised if they agro you when you have the mob you are working on almost dead. The best
way to see this is to mouse over your chat window, go to the tab that says "combat" left click
and hold and drag it to the right side of your screen to separate it from the chat window, now
you can review all the damage and other combat related actions taken by you and the mob you
were in combat with, as well as seeing any new chat messages in the chat window.

At this level you really need to be paying full attention to your surroundings. If you are Undead
and hanging around the sepulcher. Doing quests you may run into a unique mob named "son of
aragul" this mob will agro you from far away, and will kill you in one to 2 hits, if you see him
run, do not investigate unless you need a free trip to the graveyard... If you are Orc, troll or
Tauren stay away from the "dinosaur looking" lizards south of the crossroads as they are melee
and casters, and will zap you with lightning damage. Needless to say, now is a good time to get
in a group.

Also at the crossroads I am 99.9% sure you will experience your first PvP encounter... If you
are Undead and want to go to the crossroads simply go to the "airport" a little north of the
Undercity, look up and you might see one of the airships flying in to dock. Climb the stairs to
the tower and take the "west" airship this will take you right outside of Orgrimar the Orc main
city, after you get off the city id to the west about a 1 minute run. The trip in Open Beta was
free, as you just walk onto the airship. Do not take the "east" airship as this takes you down
close to Booty Bay and trust me you are not ready for that yet...

Leveling 14-15

At level 14 you may buy the following skills:

Arcane Explosion Level 1(9 silver)

Cost = 75 Mana ----- Casting time = 1.5 secs

Creates an explosion around the caster, causing 32 to 36 damage to all targets within 10 yards.

Arcane Intellect Level 2(9 silver)

Cost = 185 Mana ----- Casting time = Instant ----- Range = 30 yards.

Raises the targets INT 8.

Spell lasts for 30 minutes.

FireBlast Level 2(9 silver)

Cost = 80 Mana ----- Casting time = Instant ----- Cooldown = 8 secs ----- Range = 20 yards.

Burns the target with fire for 64 to 80 fire damage.

FrostBolt Level 3(9 silver)

Cost = 50 Mana ----- Casting time = 2.2 secs ----- Range = 30 yards.

Creates Bolt of Frost, causing 51 to 57 frost damage and slows movement speed for 6 seconds.

At level 14 you should already know to replace your weaker versions of spells with the newer
and stronger ones you just bought. The new spell "Arcane Explosion" is a PBAOE(Point Blank
Area OF Effect) spell, basically meaning that when you cast this(its an instant cast) every
enemy within 10 yards of you will be hit by it instantly.

This is kind of an emergency spell as the "mana to damage" rate is really not that great, this is
really mostly used in groups at this low level and only then when you can afford to mana dump.
Pretty soon you will be heading to your second set of "elite quests", so hopefully by now you
have met quite a few players and already have some friends you can do the quests with. As you
do your quests remember that the top most quest in your quest list under an area is the easiest
one to complete, so in most cases you should do these quests first. Your general combat at this
level should go something like this: Frostbolt, fireball, fireball, Fireblast, whack whack, Fireblast
and its dead. Whack is a term I use for "melee attack". If you followed that series of actions and
the mob is not dead then hit that "frost Nova" button and back away from the mob and use a
Frostbolt or fireball and Fireblast it again, if you are not out of mana by then...