When casting remote attack spells...

[licker]

... what helps more, higher magic levels, or more penetration?

Mostly this is for the spells which target MR I suppose, but does penetration generally help even with things like Fires from afar?

Which is more beneficial to raise, penetration or levels?

Take Vengance of the dead for example, it is S3D1, are you better off going S4, or using a penetration item? Boosting death has no effect anyway right? Its always the 'primary' magic skill which matters?

[K]

The answer is "yes."

Most of the remote attack spells have a save that Penetration helps with. For every two levels above the min to cast a spell, you get +1 Penetration.

Several remote spells also have a larger effect when cast by a mage with higher paths. Beckoning, for example, affects more targets the higher the path, but it also is a Save spell that benefits from Penetration.

But, some spells don't have a save or special effect related to higher path.

[SlipperyJim]

Just adding to K's answer:
Penetration bonii only matter for spells that have a MR check.

Spells that do direct damage -- Fires from Afar, Flames from the Sky, and Murdering Winter -- derive no benefit from a penetration bonus.
Most remote-summoning spells -- Earth Attack, Infernal Disease, Manifestation, Winged Monkeys, and Send Tupilak -- derive no benefit from a penetration bonus.

On the other hand, I don't think that Mind Hunt gains any benefit from additional levels of Astral magic beyond S4. So it really depends on which spells you plan to cast....

[Xietor]

Good answers for the most part Slippery Jim, but wrong on Mind hunt.

The higher your s magic the better off you are, and penetration bonus items do help. Typically i use a rune smasher, eye of the void, and a spll focus(plus 5 pen bonus) when i mind hunt. If you have 5 or 6 of these guys hitting a sc with mr 18-22, most likely he is dead.

With just a s4 mage hitting mr 18-22, he likely will resist nearly every time.

[SlipperyJim]

Sorry, I wasn't clear. Mind Hunt definitely benefits from penetration bonii. I once whacked a Pretender with a Mind Hunt.

S2 mage + Rune Smasher (penetration) + Starshine Skullcap (+1S) + Ring of Sorcery (penetration and +1S) + Spell Focus (more penetration) = dead Lord of the Summer Plague

However, I'm not sure that Mind Hunt benefits from any additional levels in Astral magic beyond the S4 required to cast the spell. If I had to choose between Astral boosters and penetration items, I'd pick the penetration items.

[thejeff]

You get a penetration bonus for having extra levels in the path. +1/2 levels, IIRC.

So, yes, take the penetration items first, but more levels help too.

[chrispedersen]

S10: Crone with Forbidden Light, Ring of Wiz, Ring of Sorc, Eye of Void, Spell Cap, Rune Smasher, Crystal Shield.

Something like +11 penetration bonus - seemed to work ok for mind hunt / magic duel.

[Tifone]

except if she mind hunts a random S2 mage she almost automatically becomes feebleminded?

Not much better to teleport her around, master enslave and see ya around guys?

[Nikelaos]

Originally Posted by Tifone

except if she mind hunts a random S2 mage she almost automatically becomes feebleminded?

Not much better to teleport her around, master enslave and see ya around guys?

that might work

[vfb]

You'll end up scripted for Master Enslave when all the horrors arrive from wielding the forbidden light. Not sure how that's going to work out.

Also Crystal Shield will not help Mind Hunt.