A mage is always at a disadvantage at the beginning of the game. While a paladin and a mercenary develop combat skills, both melee and ranged, using physical weapons, the mage needs to increase their mana and accumulate enough mana to create runes.
A dragon skeleton doesn't kill. Neither one nor twenty, I've tried.
But, after transforming into an Ouster, dragons are easily killed.
Added after 4 minutes
By the way, a demon is what kills a dragon. Even used it as a paladin (had a scroll).