I said DIRECT DAMAGE, and my reply was for the previous poster who wanted Staff of Magus to match up to backstabbing in terms of damage.

I didn't mention modifiers for spells and casting at all.

Having actually played Diablo 2 and Final Fantasy Tactics I know very well what equipment in those games do for a Mage.

If you are actually interested in what I'm posting, I do support adding modifiers that support casters to items, but you would need to read.