tip:
voodoo dolls.
seriously.
these things do more damage than any single weapon attack or spell, and they SCALE in damage as you level up automagically!
the components are common, so you can make probably half a dozen per level if you are lucky. at level 10, mine do 245-257 piercing damage.
sure, it's a one shot deal, but they make great finishers, or instant kills for those pesky low level mage-types.
frankly, I think they should halve the damage, and add the "curse on strike" ability to them, with a 50% chance of effect.
that would make them a tad less lethal, but more interesting to use.