Here's a build that's been workin really well for me. I'm an ice/shadow mage, pumped most my points into int, and the rest into end. I'll alternate 4 int, 1 end or 3 int, 2 end per level. My gear is all +int/+end/+ice/+shadow/+resistances (but low defense for higher values on other stuff).

Get the fighter passive of +50%hp per end, -25% mana per int at some point. Don't worry, you have +100%mana skill, so you still end up with +75% mana, and just beefed up your hp by 25%. You could also get couch potato just to top off your mana (with just another -5% health per end). If you have a good amount of endurance, you'll have plenty of health to handle anything now. This will help as you should concentrate on finding equipment with massive int or int/end bonuses with element and resistance bonuses.

My largest spell bonus is to ice, with shadow in second. Ice bolt is my bread and butter, you can easily kill off at least a couple mobs with it before the group reaches you to take out with shadow lightning and other AoEs.

Blast everything with ice bolt, and you'll slow down their attacks as well as their speed, making it much easier to finish them off with AoE (area of effect) spells taking minimal damage yourself. For those ranged attackers (that shoot magic or other element based attacks), you should try to balance out your resistances for all the elements. You do this with the gear you wear (most usually have 2 or 3 different resistances per item).

You can get several spells that damage multiple enemies near you, so defense is not a concern as long as you slow down the big guys, and just unleash hell.(I use gaseous cloud, shadow lightning,and ring of fire - and sometimes on the big guys, ice shards when you can position yourself to hit em with all 3 bolts).

So there you have it, for a pure mage, beefing up your strengths, just using passives to boost your hp, will help you kill quicker, last longer, and move up in levels quickly. =)

Spawnlqx - Creative Apprentice Ice Wizard

Identical to me, except I use fire instead of ice. I still have ice bolt on my bar though, but just to slow down some hard hitting mobs/bosses (or backup when they are fire resistant).

I'd recommend putting all points in Int. Even at 32 with that I often run out of mana... (especially in HDoL - or when using Improved SL)

8000+ mana... it's sad.

*goes off to shoot fireballs at his turkey leg*

I pump 90% into int and 10% into endurance. With 70% of my gear being +int and the rest +endurance, I'm rockin out gym freak, bookworm and mental blahbidy blah for my passives, with 90% of my +dmg being shadow...

Left click = shadow bolt
Right click = shadow lightning.

Can't wait, next level I get the shadow lightning passive

yeah I like it I just started so I do agree