Meteor shower is a waste of pracs IMO.

Meteor may be ok if you work ALONE wearing flimsy silky stuff, but otherwise this spell isn't very nice.

It hits yer OWN group (players and charms/undead alike) and if you wear any type of armour that may let you absorb the attack of a mob during combat, the spell will fail during combat as the casters magical energies are inhibited.

So, you can hide behind mobsplayers which you will hit w/ this spell (and if they survive they will attack you) or you can wear wimpy armour (which means you'll take big big mob dmg) and be able to cast this spell during combat. A mage toe to toe with mobs wearing light light (low AC) gear just to cast a spell.

I know a number of clerics have meteor and just plain regret wasting pracs on it.

Im a mage with awesome quality and tested meteor shower a couple of times vs a player less my level and it did around 220 hp damage, which for 75 mana compared vs soul strike its a waste of practs like u point out. Il try to test it again sinece maybe the player coulda saved vs it. It wil hit your charms or group. Since meteor is the final spell at prereqs i thought it would be better.

They are different spells...

soul strike: negative energy
meteor shower: fire & bludgeon