Is it possible to be a pure caster????

[Russelcoight]

Im wondering if its possible to be a pure caster in this game. I say this because atm im having massive mana problems.

 

I have necro robes atm which give 75% more regen.

I have put almost all my level points into magicka.

I have enchanted some of my off bits with more regen.

I have a helm that gives plus magicka.

I have picked up the 1/2 mana cost perks where relevant.

I even speced into Restoration to grab the 25%/50% extra regen perk.

After much much reluctance , i even grabbed the sign that gives double regen at cost of taking double magic damage

 

 

None of it seems to matter. Any fight that doesn't involve 3 shooting a single enemy i run oom. Then i am forced to either use my bow or sword (which works just as well anyway) or camp in a spot where the ai can't attack me and wait 3 hours for my mana to slowly regen. I just don't understand it. I picked up Alchemy just so i can make 2010012 mana pots that i need to chain chug just to do anything. Its getting to the point where i feel im better of just using a mace because its quicker and more reliable that way. I should note that ironically , using the most basic spells (i.e flames that you start with) will put out more damage per mana and is therefore more effective for me than using advanced spells like ice spike or lighting bolt.

 

 

IS anyone else having these problems? is their a strategy i can use to improve this abysmal system?

 

*Edit

 

Has been a lot of discussion , seems some players get around this by using summons to do the brunt of the work.

 

Others have mentioned the College quest lines give some fairly decent regen armor as rewards.

 

Are there any other known strategies?

Edited November 16, 2011 by Russelcoight

[Beestonian]

All of it goes into it, enchanting, alchemy, and perks. It's also about managing your magica output vs your input - you will almost always have to take a backward step from the battle and let an atronach take the beating for you while you recover, because using this method you will not be able to rely solely on destruction and restoration spells, and you definitely won't be able to always dive headlong into battle. Also use invisibility potions/spells to help you in your recovery period (I have found no other use for the school of illusion at all).

 

I wouldn't say it's abysmal just yet, your strategy just has a hole somewhere. Find it and plug it - develop a 'rhythm' of battle that allows you to do damage and take time out to regenerate as you need to. And yes, I perked my flame magic to be more powerful so I'm still favoring the original flame spell more than anything else at the moment.

[soot00]

I have two toons going.

 

-Pure Thief, Daggers Only, Light armor only, Archery and the usual thief perks, sneak, etc

 

-Pure Mage, Clothing Only, Enchanting etc etc.

 

 

Pure Mage definitely takes more micro managing. I suggest get your Astronach pet spell asap...but these astronach's are far from tanks, they more like glass cannons early going so you still need to becareful.

 

 

Level max is 50 in this game. Will be interesting how "balanced" my two classes feel upon reaching these levels....

Edited November 15, 2011 by soot00

[Ghogiel]

I've been doing it as a pure caster. I can tank a little though, I use heavy armor and bound weapons though. You need to be able to stay in the game if it goes to hand to hand. You either need to be using wards and alteration armor bonuses or armor. there is no way around close combat, you need to stay in there and duke it out some times. You can do it in a magical sort of way. You can't be 100% offensive in close range with no armor, 2 swings with a 2hander and a glass arrow in the face is going to hurt you badly.

 

Conjuration has been really good for me. I always have either the flame for long range, or the frost for close combat. The flame atronach is like cheat mode until level 10 or so, it's so cheap and effective. It's still handy for mobs at level 30.

 

Make use of staffs to unload powerful spells for no mackica cost, while using ward in the other hand. If it goes to close combat, bound weapons do good damage, it's not cheating then. :biggrin:

 

Make use of chain lightning and area effect spells when enemies are grouped up.

 

combat type skills I have focused on:

conjuration

destruction

heavy armor

1 handed

 

minor:

restoration (for wards and the regen perk )

 

I think I saw robes with over 100% magick regen with a skill boost on top. Necro robes are a bit crap really.

[nolgroth]

All good ideas Ghogiel. Thinking either Breton or High Elf to kick things off. Will try that tomorrow after work and a little nap.

[TwoToedSloth]

Enchant - Level it up quickly for essentially free spells

Double casting stun perk - really helps you stay alive by making sure powerful enemies can't attack you

Summoning - Let other creatures tank in those areas where you run into a few enemies at a time(companions can work as well)

Restoration Tree- has a couple of magicka perks if you really need them.

Do College quests first. These tend to provide quicker leveling/better items for mages.

 

Yeah, it's totally possible. I'm a level 30 and have competed the main storyline, college, thieve's guild, and many other random quest lines without having any trouble. I've never used any weapon other than conjuring and destruction. Fist fighted for bar bets though. :P

[Russelcoight]

Im wondering if its possible to be a pure caster in this game. I say this because atm im having massive mana problems.

 

I have necro robes atm which give 75% more regen.

I have put almost all my level points into magicka.

I have enchanted some of my off bits with more regen.

I have a helm that gives plus magicka.

I have picked up the 1/2 mana cost perks where relevant.

I even speced into Restoration to grab the 25%/50% extra regen perk.

After much much reluctance , i even grabbed the sign that gives double regen at cost of taking double magic damage

 

 

None of it seems to matter. Any fight that doesn't involve 3 shooting a single enemy i run oom. Then i am forced to either use my bow or sword (which works just as well anyway) or camp in a spot where the ai can't attack me and wait 3 hours for my mana to slowly regen. I just don't understand it. I picked up Alchemy just so i can make 2010012 mana pots that i need to chain chug just to do anything. Its getting to the point where i feel im better of just using a mace because its quicker and more reliable that way. I should note that ironically , using the most basic spells (i.e flames that you start with) will put out more damage per mana and is therefore more effective for me than using advanced spells like ice spike or lighting bolt.

 

 

IS anyone else having these problems? is their a strategy i can use to improve this abysmal system?

 

 

All of it goes into it, enchanting, alchemy, and perks. It's also about managing your magica output vs your input - you will almost always have to take a backward step from the battle and let an atronach take the beating for you while you recover, because using this method you will not be able to rely solely on destruction and restoration spells, and you definitely won't be able to always dive headlong into battle. Also use invisibility potions/spells to help you in your recovery period (I have found no other use for the school of illusion at all).

 

I wouldn't say it's abysmal just yet, your strategy just has a hole somewhere. Find it and plug it - develop a 'rhythm' of battle that allows you to do damage and take time out to regenerate as you need to. And yes, I perked my flame magic to be more powerful so I'm still favoring the original flame spell more than anything else at the moment.

 

 

I have two toons going.

 

-Pure Thief, Daggers Only, Light armor only, Archery and the usual thief perks, sneak, etc

 

-Pure Mage, Clothing Only, Enchanting etc etc.

 

 

Pure Mage definitely takes more micro managing. I suggest get your Astronach pet spell asap...but these astronach's are far from tanks, they more like glass cannons early going so you still need to becareful.

 

 

Level max is 50 in this game. Will be interesting how "balanced" my two classes feel upon reaching these levels....

 

 

 

Eh i played an Orc Warrior first and i have to say game was SO incredibly easy mode. But not just easy , probably more fun than caster even though it shouldn't be since melee has zero depth (i used to play oblivion with melee combat mods , made it waaay better , limb damage ect). But tbh my issue isn't with difficulty , i picked up restoration perks as well and im finding healing to be incredibly imba and effective use of mana (complete opposite to offensive magic), as i said , even with cloth armor and all points into magic i can still defeat most enemies with a sword plus a little bit of healing. Game is actually fairly easy. The problem i have is that even though ive dedicated so much towards to magic route , i still don't feel like a caster. I throw like 4 lightning bolts out and im oom. Regen is slower in combat so i sit there and wait for it to regen. I can run , i can hide , i can sit on a ledge that melee cant reach , i can dodge arrows for 3 mins. Regardless , im better off simply walking in with a sword as opposed to waiting out my mana in bordem. Which leds me to ask the grand question , WHY even bother with magic in this game? I signed up for a caster because it looked interesting. And when i first saw ice bolt projectiles dig into people , i got excited. But as it turns out im perm oom , my best spell is the first spell i started with , and overall im better off just using a bow and arrow or sword and a bit of restoration magic as far as effectiveness goes.

 

 

 

 

So yeah i guess the obvious solution is to just play like a paladin. Though im still very very very disappointed that i can't be a pure caster without drudging through boring game play (e.g waiting for mana to regen all time).

[saldu]

I only had mana problems until I got the mask with 100% regen, since then it flows smoothly, especially since I got certain robes and amulet.

I also found a spell that exchanges life for mana. I put that spell on one button, heal on the other button and hold both and see as it fills the bars.

 

Spoiler where to get:

 

 

Mask: While doing mage guild's questline, endboss was insanely hard at lvl 14.

Archmage's Robes: Get at end of mageguild questline, -15% cost of all spells, +50 max magicka, +100 manareg

Archmage's amulet: +50 magicka

life spell: I think it was also along the mage guild's questline.

 

 

Edited November 15, 2011 by saldu

[doddibot]

Magicka regen is so very slow in combat, and 25% faster than very slow is still very slow. I feel putting absolutely everything into total magicka (i.e. be a High Elf under the Atronach sign, magicka each and every level) gives enough to last through most fights. Potions and Highborn power to give the edge in bossfights when total magicka runs out.

[Zaldir]

Level max is 50 in this game. Will be interesting how "balanced" my two classes feel upon reaching these levels....

The max level is somewhere around 75, not 50. ;)