Sometimes I'd just quit in Voralian City or Akan (depending on my rank) and log in the next day to mages ranking. I'd wait until they're hurt (because thieves don't get a lot of their pk juice until 25) and then I'd just trip them to death.

I never had a problem with pincersvirf getting the first mage kill. Wrathpuppet is correct that people will be naturally defensive around you but you also have the added luxury of not being snuck up on by every rank sitting necro/invoker/wand using shifter when they find out you're a village wannabe that can't see invis.