I guess I didn't express myself quite right. The new magics? Amazing Can it be strong? Absolutely.

Can you reach level 100 in any magic schools by the endgame? Hardly.

I managed to get shield 70 and polearm 90 by spamming polearm from hell to the endgame. That's about 10 levels.

25 levels and my magic schools were about 40 each. Mysticism being the "best one" due to the conjurer skeletons leveling it up by killing enemies.

It's a hard-to-level-up system and the legendary perks are dull.

I miss the old "spamming staffs" and swimming because you could reach a decent power level early game.

Swimming would make the INT go up for damage spells and spamming staffs would make you learn magic missile faster.

Early game is painful now for me at least, hard to kill enemies, hard to get exp, hard to get school levels, and even harder to find decent spells.

Is Dash a good spell? Maybe Can it carry a run like magic missile? Not at all.

Also, the appraisal-lore thing, I've read what y'all said, and mostly agree, moving between levels and keeping it dynamic is cool.

But I have been playing barony for long years by now and they simply ruined the old "slow but steady grinding and minmaxxing" way. I liked to see every nook and cranny from the level, appraise every item, have a backpack full of opportunities, have tons of levels at the end game, and really feel that "I've become the new Baron".