Being a Pastamancer

So I made another account for the fun of trying another class, and thought I was doing good with the pastamancer until I had to go to the Cellar in the Typical Tavern. Those rats all one shot me, and I have no idea what I did wrong to lose so horribly to them (besides having low health).

Now I am grinding away in the Spooky Forest trying to get stronger. Any tips on how to be a Pastamancer or better places to grind for gear/levels?

Although I did just unlock the Hidden Temple.

Solution 1:

The thing about Pastamancers is that, like most archetypal mages, they are squishy glass cannons. If you can get the jump on your enemies, you have a higher chance than the other classes of taking them out in one round. However, you are also more susceptible to being one-shot by monsters than the other classes, as Muscle classes can just tank hits while Moxie classes dodge them.

So, the important thing to do is have good Combat Initiative. If you're level 6, you can use the Springy Fusilli skill to gain +40% Combat Initiative, which is usually more than good enough. The Pastamancer's Epic weapon also gives bonus Combat Initiative, so try to grab that if you don't want to be so skill/buff reliant.

If you don't think you can one-shot your enemies, especially if you're taking on boss monsters, then you need to find the Pastamancer's best friend: Entangling Noodles. This skill easily gives the best bang for your buck. Learnable at level 2 and costing only 250 meat, Entangling Noodles is definitely one of your best spells. While it doesn't do any damage, it roots and prevents your enemies from attacking for several turns (the base is 3 for Pastamancers, I believe).

Solution 2:

For caster classes, I usually attempt the following:

Equip +moxie equipment wherever possible, mp regen helps as well, but can also come from items, etc. between fights.

Use spells for damage, don't rely on basic attacks. You should be able to 1-2 shot most creatures.

Boost combat initiative where possible. Hitting first is very important for fragile caster-types.

Familiars can provide a variety of useful abilities, including damage, deleveling opponents, initiative boosts, health and mana regen, and preventing enemies from acting.

Don't be afraid to use items to grant yourself useful buffs, especially when adventuring in dangerous zones for your current abilities.