Know Creature is only really useful if you max it out, and is handy if you are a mage.
Even with higher resistances, elemental damage spells can be preceded with a couple casts of survivor's Curse (even level 1 is effective, since the effect stacks).
Check out the
Locus Inn's Skill System information on the damage done per mana spent, to see if it is worth maxing certain skills.
Mage spell books can be bought, check with Kistandalius or Blake in Ars Magicana and Corinna or Mpenzak in Verdistis.
Deadly Disks / Hell Spikes do physical damage, so can not be resisted. They are also area effect spells that do not need a target, so are effective even if you have been blinded (Josephine) or if you need some mob control.
The healers stay in the inn; Aleroth is abandoned.
