What skill should I go for next? (Opinions please, no flamewars)
 

Okay, so the skills I have thus far are:

rank 1 icebolt
rank 6 firebolt
rank 7 ranged attack
rank 7 combat mastery
rank 7 playing instrument
rank 8 magic mastery
rank 9 music theory
rank 9 composing
rank A production mastery
rank B handicraft

And a bunch of other lesser-ranked skills. What I have planned so far is to get combat mastery to rank 1, then rank up my other masteries, but after that... I've got nothing. Help?

No lightning bolt or Adv. magic? Are you uninterested in those?

Lightning Bolt... meh, I have rank B, but that's not very high. I mostly got it to help me with the Wise title, I don't really like it.

As for advanced magic, it's not that I'm uninterested, but I really don't like using wands. My fighting style has me switching between weapons alot, and since wands drain MP upon being switched out... Eh...

How about expanding into life skills? Notably weaving/refining/fishing. They may not help in combat, but it sucks when you need something done and have no choice but to wait for a stranger to come along.

How about firebolt r5 for the speed reduction in the cast time?

I know you're not fond of windmill, so I won't suggest that. :P How about Counter, to speed up magic counter when you use it?

And life skills are fun.. You could always get back into enchanting? Or cooking, or another life skill...

You could do life skills as Juno said since itll help your stats and you could try and get Blacksmith to make some armor *cough*Valencia*cough*

Or you could go for Thunder/Fireball as a fun skill that can clean up a room. You could use up most of the MP then just switch out to a bow or melee weapon to finish up the job

Leah, I think I'll do firebolt, but to rank 2. That way, it's the most efficient as it can be. Extra speed, and the MP cost is not too bad.

I'm ALWAYS doing enchanting, I just don't advertise like the majority of people interested in the enchant skill.

I'll do cooking again eventually, I'm just a bit mad because I'll have to open Gordon's shop again, and that's just inconvenient...

n00bE, blacksmith just takes too long. QQ

Not doing adv magics, too much effort for something I'm not even going to use.

That's true Zephy... I think I'll work that into my build. I can always use more MP pots lol.

Perhaps some MP potion usage could be worked into a combat style that involves switching between melee/ranged with advanced magic. Well, I'd try that if I had the AP for it...

I probably would say healing or firstaid with the herbalism and potion making just for healing and less
time buying around towns.

I've thought about leaving firebolt at rank 2, as well, but the jump in damage from rank 2 to rank 1 is pretty nice, although it does cost 5 more mp for a full cast (which adds up, I know.) Going from 95 max at rank 2 to 120 max at rank 1 is pretty nice. :D I'll take 5 mp for 25 more max damage. ;) You have icebolt, though..

For potion making/herbalism.. You need to make so many hp/mp potions at earlier ranks, that you'll be overflowing if you focus on just ranking potion making. Herbalism, alas, costs about as much as a bolt spell to rank all the way to r1, and doesn't give stats well for its ap cost. For me, at least, herbalism basically ranks itself passively; I'd be getting the herbs anyway for potion making. XD

Potion Making isn't exactly what I'd consider a 'fun' life skill, though. There's no fun mini-game, and the person isn't exactly involved; if there was already herbs in the character's inventory, a trained monkey could make potions just as well as a person could. It does get profitable, but it's harder to make 100 versions at earlier ranks.

You could always rank healing to at least rank B, for healer enchants, or to rank 9 to get some ap back from the quest. Or, you could rank it r9, then reset it back to rB.

Don't forget to invite me to your potions parties, if you do go into it! ;)