LE Mages Guild Quest Overhaul

[LEGENDSOFMAGNUS7]

As anyone would pobably agree the mages quest line is a mess. You go around not really learning anything about magic, acting as the delivery boy for the other NPC's as they do the important research and it all ends with you becoming archmage despite never working for the position and having no qualifications besides being the player. But I guess that's what mods are for, so if someone, anyone, would be willing to fix it I'm very sure thousands of modders out there would download it in a heartbeat.

 

 

The best way I could see this working is if the "First Lessons" quest was split into two parts, after learning wards in class tolfdir(instead of taking a group of unprepared students into a dungeon they know nothing about) simply dismisses class and the quest objective becomes Learn the basics of magic.

 

 

From then on you can visit the arcanaeum and find or buy research notes of different teachers that start small quests like "test the effects of fire magic on 3 draugr" and at the end you get a small permanent perk like "fire and turn spells are 10% more effective on undead". After completing a set number of those quests and gaining at least a 40 in three schools of magic, oyu complete "First Lessons" and "immediately start "Advanced Lessons" where the quest objective is speak to tolfdir. He starts the "Sarthaal" quest, then after getting to the point where you inform him about "Night of Tears" he dismisses you with a reward so he can continue researching the Orb.

 

 

You the go back to the arcanaeum where Urag, having a better opinion of you after helping him recover the stolen books, tells you about the hidden writings of shalidor and the lost books quests, but instead of paying you a random some of gold he trades you research notes from retired mages and archmages. These notes start small quests like "find quest incredient X, Y, and Z and combine them in a cooking pot after using one of shalidors scrolls to make a potion that gives you a permanent 15% damage increase to destrustion spells"(said potion can only be made once and while you have the quest), and like before after achieving a set amount of these quests and having at least a 60 in three schools the "Advanced Lessons quest is completed.

 

 

"Hard Lessons" starts up and you talk to tofldir again, and he discusses with you about the Eye of Magnus before the series of quests that lead you to learning the staff of magnus's location. After coming back with everything normal, you give this information to the archmage only for him to tell you that laberynthian is a place where he'd be reluctant to send a master let alone an adept like your character, but he does reward you for your work by naming you as a professor and giving you a room in the hall of countenance. You are now able to trade the research notes you've obtained from Urag with other teachers for knew quest such as "Find a way to harness power from the Eye" where after drinking a potion of amplify destruction and using a duel cast electrical spell on it you gain a permanent 50 extra Magicka.

 

 

After completing a set number of these quests and getting 80 in ALL the schools of magic "Hard Lessons" completes and "Final Lessons" begins telling you to speak to the archmage, only to find ancarno messing with the Eye and the normal mages quests proceed to the end with you becoming archmage. Then after gaining 100 skill in all schools and completing all the master ritual quests "Final Lessons" completes, with you coming into your title as the legendary Archmage of winterhold.

[Recruit7]

Cool idea bro, but you should really tone it down a notch. Most people aren't going to want to read a research paper. I like your ideas though. : )

[cdcooley]

My "Not So Fast - Mage Guild" mod will give you those delays in the original quests. I love the ideas you've got for filling things out, but I don't have the time to implement the rest. The idea of research notes and projects is a good framework and maybe someone will take up this request.

 

I basically do the role-play version of that myself. With my mod delaying the original quest line I spend time in the Arcanaeum and do various misc. quests in the game trying to improve my skills.

 

If no one else takes an interest, consider doing it yourself. Even if you just add a series of notes lying around on various tables about things that need to be done (without any actual quests) it would still be very useful as a way for players to feel like they're really doing something at the college.

[LEGENDSOFMAGNUS7]

Yeah, If I can't find anyone to make the "filler" quests I'll try my hand at it. I wouldn't expect anything professional though.

[pyrotx]

I like the ideas except for delays to the quest line that are unavoidable, because basically that would be just like ESO and their mandatory level ups to unlock the main quests. Also making the delays skill based is not the best idea, but understandable. You could instead make the extra quests a replacement for the repeatable anomaly quest that would have you gather special items such as rare clues or ingredients that can allow you to get through puzzles or into hidden map areas. As for the permanent buffs, that is a great idea and adds incentive. The only other possibility might be adding new quests to the college that are unrelated to the main arc. You can try my mod Runescar for this, but keep in mind the mod is very unfinished. Even still it adds a couple changes to the college.

[LEGENDSOFMAGNUS7]

^pyrotx, the skill level requirement is there because otherwise the it'll have the same problem as vanilla, where most players simply warrior their way through the main quest as there's no reason not to. Why should you be able to become archmage if you know little to no magic? Simply clearing two dungeons or killing one mage shouldn't automatically make you leader of the guild on it's own. In the thieves guild you have to rebuild the guild from nothing before you're made leader, in the dark brotherhood you are named listener, but you don't lead the guild until after the previous leader is dead and you've proven yourself to be the greatest assassin in the guild. In the dawnguard you're never made leader in the first place as Esran is more than capable. The only other guilds that do this are the vampires (you killed their leader yourself and are the only other vampire lord(serana and valerica don't seem to want the position) and the companions(thankfully fixed with enhanced factions)

[biarki]

I generally play warriors, so it never made sense to me that i'm made archmage. I found and use a mod where you can simply appoint tolfdir as archmage https://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/10746 . If this mod was simply expanded on... for example Tofdir automatically gets the position if you're magic skills are lacking. Once they reach a respectable level you can be named honorary professor, then perhaps a few more ranks, and finally you can be offered archmage position. You can refuse any advancement to stay at any position. To expand on this, each position might have duties (quests) to fulfill.

Personally I just use the mod as-is.