Magician Leveling Guide: Level 10 to 30

This MapleStory Classic World magician guide walks a fresh mage from level 10 (the moment you advance in Ellinia) to level 30 (second job advancement to Fire/Poison Wizard, Ice/Lightning Wizard, or Cleric), with three full build paths, per-level skill orders, AP allocation rules, and complete weapon and armor tables. Every recommendation below is grounded in the actual item and skill data on this site, not generic copy-paste from old MapleStory guides.

The Magician at a glance

Advance to Magician at level 10 by talking to Grendel the Old in Ellinia. From 10 to 30 every mage uses the same skill tree, so your AP and SP decisions carry cleanly into whichever 2nd job you eventually pick.

AP allocation: pure INT or low-LUK?

Every level you get 5 AP. INT is your damage stat for all three mage branches, LUK is your secondary. Unlike thieves, mages have no LUK-scaling damage skill, so LUK only exists to buy gear stat requirements (and a little accuracy). The question is simply how much LUK you need to wear the gear you want.

The honest standard build (recommended)

• 4 INT / 1 LUK per level until your LUK matches the requirement of the gear you want to wear.
• By level 30, that means 20 base LUK (1 per level from 11 to 30) and 80 base INT (4 per level + your starting 4).
• Lv 30 Mithril Wand needs INT 60 / LUK 20. With base INT 80 and LUK 20 you equip it the moment you ding 30, no gear gymnastics required.
• Lv 30 Wizard Robe needs INT 50 / LUK 20. Same story.

The lukless question (mostly an early-game thing)

“Lukless” for mages means 5 INT every level and getting all of your LUK from scrolls and gear bonuses. The appeal is more damage. The catch is that almost every wand, staff, and robe past level 20 has a hard LUK requirement:

• Level 10 to 19: Genuinely lukless friendly. The Wooden Wand (INT 20 only) and Hardwood Wand (INT 30 only) work fine, and the lv 10 Brown Apprentice Hat and lv 15 Moon Conehat tier only check INT. You can be 100% lukless at this level range with no gear gymnastics.
• Level 20 to 24: The Metal Wand jumps to INT 40 / LUK 10, and the lv 20 Wizardry Hat tier wants the same LUK 10. Either start putting points into LUK at level 16, or scroll +LUK on every armor piece and grab a green LUK-bonus variant in every slot.
• Level 25 to 29: The Ice Wand wants INT 50 / LUK 15 and the Wizard Staff wants INT 50 / LUK 20. Lv 25 Blue Doros Robe wants LUK 15. By this point lukless is just “low-LUK with the rest from gear.”
• Level 30+: Every wand, staff, and robe from level 30 onward requires LUK 20. Every realistic build is converging on the standard 4 INT / 1 LUK schedule whether you started lukless or not.

Skill build: the SP math

From level 10 to 30 you have exactly 61 SP to spend on six 1st job skills. Maxing every skill costs 105 SP, so you have to specialize. The full skill list with stats and per-level effects lives on the Magician class page, and the table below summarises what each skill does at max level:

	Skill	Max	What it does at max	Prereq
	Improved MP Recovery	15	+20% MP recovery from items and skills, passive 1% MP regen every 10s	None
	Max MP Increase	15	Passive +25% Max MP	Improved MP Recovery lv 3
	Magic Guard	15	Toggle: 80% of incoming HP damage is taken from MP instead	None
	Magic Armor	20	Buff: +120 W.DEF, +120 M.DEF for 600s	Magic Guard lv 3
	Energy Bolt	20	Single-hit basic attack 65, mastery level 10	None
	Magic Claw	20	Two-hit attack at 30 each, mastery level 10	Energy Bolt lv 1

The locked 54 SP, in per-level order: first max Magic Claw (levels 10 to 17), then Magic Guard (17 to 22), then Improved MP Recovery to 3 and Max MP Increase to 15 (22 to 28). Everything after that is flex.

Weapons: wands or staves, and when to upgrade

Wands and staves both scale your MATK through the same formula, so the choice comes down to free shield slot (wand, 1-handed) vs small crit damage bonus (staff, 2-handed). Wands are the strict damage pick: they have higher MATK than the same-tier staff at every level from 10 to 30, stay faster after Magic Booster, and let you equip the Mystic Shield on top.

Wands (recommended)

	Lvl	Weapon	MATK	WATK	Speed	INT req	LUK req	Job
	10	Wooden Wand	27	18	6	20	0	Common
	10	Beginner's Wooden Wand	26	17	6	20	0	untradeable
	15	Hardwood Wand	34	23	6	30	0	Common
	20	Metal Wand	41	21	6	40	10	Common
	25	Ice Wand	48	24	6	50	15	Mage
	30	Mithril Wand	55	27	6	60	20	Mage

On the Common-job wands. Wooden Wand, Hardwood Wand, and Metal Wand have no class requirement, which means a low-INT warrior or thief could technically equip them, but in practice nobody else has the INT to make them work. The Ice Wand and Mithril Wand are Mage-locked. Mithril Wand at level 30 is the only level 30 mage weapon in the game, since the next staff doesn't unlock until level 35 (the Wizard Wand at lv 35 is also outside the scope of this guide).

Staves (Crit Damage flavor pick)

	Lvl	Weapon	MATK	WATK	Speed	Crit Dmg	INT req	LUK req
	10	Wooden Staff	24	20	7	+1	20	0
	15	Sapphire Staff	31	25	7	+1	30	10
	15	Emerald Staff	31	25	7	+1	30	10
	20	Old Wooden Staff	38	30	7	+2	40	15
	25	Wizard Staff	45	35	7	+2	50	20

Notice the level 30 gap: there is no level 30 staff in the lv 10-30 window. Stave users have to make Wizard Staff (lv 25) last from 25 all the way to level 35, where the Arc Staff line picks up. This is another argument for picking wands as a fresh mage, since the Mithril Wand fills the lv 30 slot cleanly. Staves also have stricter LUK requirements at every tier than wands of the same level (Sapphire Staff lv 15 wants LUK 10 vs Hardwood Wand lv 15's LUK 0), so a lukless build is harder on the staff path.

Armor: meet the requirements, scroll the rest

Hats

Most mage hat tiers ship in INT and LUK colour variants, plus HP/MP/acc colour variants that don't help your damage. A handful of common-class hats (White Bandana, Bamboo Hat, Starry Bandana, Pride lines) are also wearable by mages and are especially valuable in the lv 10 dead zone (where the mage Apprentice Hat tier doesn't have a clean LUK variant) and at lv 30 (where the Pride hats give more INT than the native Jester variant).

	Lvl	Item	INT	LUK	INT req	LUK req	WDEF	MDEF
	10	Apprentice Hat (Mage)	Brown +1	(none)	10	0	5	10
	10	White Bandana (any)	+1	-	0	0	9	0
	15	Moon Conehat (Mage)	Brown +1	Green +1	20	0	7	12
	20	Wizardry Hat (Mage)	Blue +1	Green +2	30	10	9	14
	25	Blue Bamboo Hat (any)	+2	-	10	0	18	0
	25	Sky Blue Starry Bandana (any)	+2	-	10	0	18	0
	25	Yellow Starry Bandana (any)	-	+2	0	10	18	0
	30	Jester (Mage)	Brown +3	Green +3	50	20	13	18
	30	Bronze Pride (any)	+2	-	40	0	13	18
	30	Steel Pride (any)	+3	-	40	0	14	19
	30	Golden Pride (any)	+4	-	40	0	15	20

Tops

	Lvl	Tier	INT	LUK	INT req	LUK req	WDEF	MDEF
	10	Armine / Training Shirt	Black Armine +1	Green Armine +1	10	0	9	18
	15	Arianne	Yellow +1	Green +1	20	0	12	21
	20	Split Piece	Blue +2	Black +2	30	10	15	24
	30	Fairy Top	Blue +3	Green +3	50	20	21	30

The level 25 gap. Mage tops have no native level 25 tier, the Split Piece line at 20 holds until Fairy Top opens up at 30. This is genuinely the only awkward stretch in the mage progression. The fix is to wear the matching level 25 Blue Doros Robe (Overall) instead during the lv 25-29 stretch (covered in the Overalls section), then swap back to Fairy Top + Fairy Skirt at level 30 if you want the extra scroll slots, or stick with the Wizard Robe Overall.

Bottoms

	Lvl	Tier	INT	LUK	INT req	LUK req	WDEF	MDEF
	10	Armine Skirt / Training Pants	Black Armine Skirt +1	Green Armine Skirt +1	10	0	6	12
	15	Arianne Skirt	Yellow +1	Green +1	20	0	8	14
	20	Split Skirt / Pants	White +2	Black +2	30	10	10	16
	30	Fairy Skirt	Blue +3	Purple +3	50	20	14	20

Same level 25 gap as the Tops table: there is no native level 25 mage bottom, and the same fix applies (wear the lv 25 Doros Robe Overall). Note that mage bottoms come in both Pants and Skirt sub-variants at every tier, with identical stats and requirements, so pick whichever fits your character.

Overalls (the mage advantage)

Mages are the only first-job class with a native Overall progression that starts at level 15. The Plain Robe at 15, Doros / Doroness Robe at 25, and Wizard Robe at 30 give you a one-piece alternative to wearing a top + bottom. The Sauna Robe (lv 30, no class or stat requirements, 10 slots) is a fourth option that any class can wear.

	Lvl	Item	INT	LUK	INT req	LUK req	WDEF	MDEF	Slots
	15	Plain Robe (Mage)	Blue +3	Green +3	20	0	22	38	10
	25	Doros / Doroness (Mage)	Blue Doros +5	Purple Doroness +5	40	15	33	49	10
	30	Wizard Robe (Mage)	Blue +6	Black +6	50	20	38	55	10
	30	Blue Sauna Robe (any)	+1	+1	0	0	57	0	10

Both Sauna Robe colours are level 30 Overalls with no class requirement, no stat requirement, and 10 scroll slots. You earn them as the reward from the Returned Secret Book quest, the final step of Mr. Wetbottom's Secret Book chain in Sleepywood. Blue and red versions are functionally identical (+1 to every base stat).

Shoes

Mage shoes don't follow the clean INT/LUK colour pattern that hats and tops use: almost every mage shoe variant gives LUK or no stat at all, never INT. This is one of the reasons LUK shows up on every mage build eventually. There are also two no-stat-req hidden gems: Squishy Shoes (any class, lv 28, +1 to every base stat) and Blue Snowshoes (Mage, lv 30, +1 INT, no requirements at all). Items marked (any) are wearable by any class. Full per-variant breakdown:

	Lvl	Variant	Bonus	INT req	LUK req	WDEF	MDEF	Avoid
	10	Brown Basic Boots (Mage)	+1 avoid	10	0	3	6	+1
	10	Blue Basic Boots (Mage)	+1 avoid	10	0	3	6	+1
	10	Yellow Basic Boots (Mage)	+1 LUK, +1 avoid	10	0	3	6	+1
	15	Beige Nitty (Mage)	+5 MP, +1 avoid	20	0	4	7	+1
	15	Black Nitty (Mage)	+5 MP, +1 avoid	20	0	4	7	+1
	20	Blue Jewelry Boots (Mage)	+2 LUK, +2 avoid	30	10	5	8	+2
	20	Purple Jewelry Boots (Mage)	+1 LUK, +2 avoid	30	10	5	8	+2
	20	Red Jewelry Boots (Mage)	+1 LUK, +2 avoid	30	10	5	8	+2
	25	Silver Windshoes (Mage)	+2 LUK, +5 MP, +2 avoid	40	15	6	9	+2
	25	Black Windshoes (Mage)	+1 LUK, +5 MP, +2 avoid	40	15	6	9	+2
	25	Yellow Windshoes (Mage)	+1 LUK, +5 HP, +2 avoid	40	15	6	9	+2
	28	Squishy Shoes (any)	+1 STR / +1 DEX / +1 INT / +1 LUK	0	0	7	7	0
	30	Blue Magicshoes (Mage)	+3 LUK, +3 avoid	50	20	7	10	+3
	30	White Magicshoes (Mage)	+1 LUK, +3 avoid	50	20	7	10	+3
	30	Red Magicshoes (Mage)	+1 LUK, +3 avoid	50	20	7	10	+3
	30	Black Magicshoes (Mage)	+1 INT, +2 LUK, +3 avoid	50	20	7	10	+3
	30	Blue Snowshoes (Mage)	+1 INT, +3 avoid	0	0	7	10	+3

Gloves

Mage gloves start at level 15 (no level 10 mage glove tier exists). Each tier from 20 onwards ships in INT and LUK colour variants, plus a hybrid INT/LUK variant that splits the difference. Lemona at lv 15 is the exception: there's only one variant (+1 INT). Pre-15 mages should wear common-class Work Gloves or go gloveless until Lemona unlocks.

	Lvl	Tier	INT	LUK	INT req	LUK req	WDEF	MDEF
	15	Lemona	Lemona +1	(none)	20	0	3	5
	20	Morrican	Blue +2 or Purple +1/+1	Green +2 or Purple +1/+1	30	10	4	6
	25	Mesana	Ocean +2 or Dark +1/+1	Blood +2 or Dark +1/+1	40	15	5	7
	30	Lutia	Blue +3 or Black +2/+1	Red +3 or Black +1/+2	50	20	6	8

The hybrid variants (Purple Morrican, Dark Mesana, Black Lutia) split their bonus between INT and LUK. They're useful for borderline characters who need a bit of both, but a pure-INT mage following the standard 4 INT / 1 LUK schedule should just take the single-stat INT colour at every tier. Mages have no STR variant on any glove tier, ever, unlike thieves and warriors.

Capes

Capes are sparse for mages in this level range. There's exactly one generic cape worth equipping in the level 10 to 30 range: the Old Raggedy Cape at level 25, no class or stat requirement, 10 WDEF. Slap it on and forget about it until you find something better.

Earrings

Earrings are shared across all classes (no Mage restriction) and exist primarily for the scroll slots. They give MDEF (good for mages) and small MP or Avoidability bonuses. Pick whichever bonus suits you and scroll Earring INT scrolls into them. The Greater Earring INT scrolls become realistically affordable around level 39+ as Forgotten Hollow quest rewards.

	Lvl	Earring	MDEF	Bonus
	15	Single Earring	19	(scroll target)
	20	Weighted Earrings	22	+1 avoid
	25	Leaf Earrings	24	+5 MP, +2 avoid
	30	Lightning Earrings	27	+2 avoid

Shields (wand-only perk)

Wands are 1-handed weapons, which means wand-mages can equip a shield. Staves are 2-handed and cannot. This is one of wand's quiet structural advantages: an entire extra equipment slot worth of WDEF, MDEF, and HP that staff users simply don't have access to.

	Lvl	Shield	WDEF	MDEF	Stat req	Bonus	Job
	10	Pan Lid	45	0	None	None	Common
	22	Mystic Shield	30	42	INT 34, LUK 12	+10 HP	Mage

Mystic Shield is the only Mage-locked shield in the level 10 to 30 range and it's the obvious upgrade the moment you can meet the requirements. The Pan Lid at lv 10 is a free common-class placeholder for the lv 10-21 stretch, since there is no other shield a mage can sensibly wear before the Mystic Shield unlocks at 22.

Scrolling: cheap and safe until level 50

Practical plan: hammer Lesser (100%) INT or LUK scrolls into every armor piece as soon as you craft or loot it, and try Intermediate (60%) Magic Attack scrolls on weapon slots 1 and 2.

Where to grind from 10 to 30

Quest XP is a real chunk of your leveling, especially in Classic Worlds where modern dailies don't exist. Open the Quest Tracker and filter by your level. Roughly:

• Level 10 to 15 → Henesys quests (Slimes, Pigs, Orange Mushrooms) and the early Magic Library quests in Ellinia.
• Level 15 to 20 → Pig Beach Wild Boars, Kerning City rooftop and street quests, Bubblings around Henesys sewers, and the lv 15-20 crafting starter quests.
• Level 20 to 25 → Ant Tunnel near Perion (Zombie Mushrooms, Horny Mushrooms), Kerning City line 1 subway monsters, and the Tree Dungeon mobs around Ellinia.
• Level 25 to 30 → Sleepywood Dungeon for Curse Eyes and Jr. Wraiths. The first 11 Sleepywood quests are level 25 to 32 and align almost perfectly with this stretch, including the Mr. Wetbottom Secret Book chain that rewards the Sauna Robe.

Level 30: pick your second job

At level 30, return to Grendel the Old in Ellinia for second job advancement. He'll send you on a short quest, and on completion you choose:

• Fire/Poison Wizard → single target burst with Fire Arrow, plus Poison Brace for sustained damage over time on tough mobs and bosses. MP Eater drains MP on hit, helping you sustain longer between potions. Also gets Magic Booster and Meditation (party MATK buff). The pick for soloists who like reactive, weakness-aware play.
• Ice/Lightning Wizard → Cold Beam to freeze single targets in place, Thunder Bolt as the main AoE spell for grinding crowds, plus the same Magic Booster, MP Eater, and Meditation. Strongest 1st-job-to-2nd-job clear curve thanks to Thunder Bolt's wide hitbox. Best pick for grinding party play.
• Cleric → Heal that doubles as a damage skill against undead mobs, Bless for party WDEF/MDEF/avoid/acc, Holy Arrow as a single-target spell with bonus damage to undead, and Invincible for damage reduction. The party support pick. Cleric is significantly weaker solo but the most valuable group member at every stage of the game per the tier list.

All three branches are INT-based at second job, so your 1st job AP decisions carry over cleanly. Pick the playstyle, not the meta.