Your world will change with the mistlands cloak, then you don't need to worry about jumping off high stuff, and even count on it, or help you get from place to place. After that, either the arbalest or mistlands aetgir ( flashy! ) is the biggest change pre mage gear. Put down a chest and just swap as needed between the two new crafting tables. I just had a bit of a struggle to find dungeons for the cores and the skulls for the flesh, to get started, then they were just everywhere.

By the way, if you sail/walk into a new mist biome, either bring a couple of iron plates, or else mats for smelter or portal, knock part of a sword down for scrap iron and then throw down a stone cutter to help you with black marble collection. Trust me.