Magic OP?

[Goliath978]

I use magic sparingly...but in Skyrim find myself forced to use magic because it's so dang OP! Dragon? Problem? Nope: just pull out a healing spell and you're good to go. Strap on a firespell with any sword combo and your fire does 75% of the work. Or go total easymode/one man army: fire+healing=unstoppable

Now I could just not use them...but the enemies who use magic are 1000X harder. I can kill dragons ith little struggle, but have to reload save 11 times and work for 1 HR to kill 3 forsworn for the markarth quest. Why?

 

They were going easymode: magic.

[Reddimus]

Not necessarily. I've been hit with a normal swing followed by an instant kill immediately afterward.

 

Dragons are balanced a bit differently.

[elvinkun]

You are either doing something very wrong, or you are lvl 15 (or less) on Easy.

Also, by firespell, you don't mean Flames, right?

Edited November 22, 2011 by elvinkun

[Aegrus]

I'm a mage, and no, I don't think that spells are OP. They certainly work well in some situations, though. For example, spells work amazingly well for dragons, because you can take cover when you fight them, and summoning atronachs draw their attacks away from you. I would imagine this would also work for archers, but I haven't tried it. Obviously, this benefit is lessened if you fight multiple enemies.

 

However, on Adept difficulty, I've been two-hitted by even non-boss melee fighters. Not the basic kinds, but named ones or unnamed, more powerful variants such as Forsworn Foragers. If my stamina is low, they can also one-hit execute me very easily. Most wildlife (bears, sabre-tooth tigers, trolls, frost wolves, some larger spiders) can also two-hit me, and unless I'm sprinting, they can outrun me. And when enemy mages cast wards, your spells do nothing for several casts until you can break the ward. Some mages in the game can kill me singlehandedly, to say nothing of what they can do in groups.

 

It's balanced though, because I don't get hit often. I can run away or heal or step back to let an ally take over for a few moments until I'm ready to fight. With good spells, I can also deal damage as massive as my enemies do. I can use summoned creatures to tank for me and heal/shield at will. Runes are especially good for keeping enemies away from me in narrow halls.

 

One thing to consider also is, as a mage, I have to watch three meters instead of two. (HP, Stamina, and Mana), and if any of them go down, I may easily die. (Hp=obvious. Mana=No more spells of any kind. Stamina=I can't escape the melee characters and their executions.)

 

I've tried using swords, and I find them to be worse against dragons and bosses, but easier when it comes to most general combat simply because I can stagger or execute people.

 

P.S- I haven't upgraded my health at all, so that may be the reason I die so easily.

 

If you want it easier, try getting a good npc follower. Many of them deal good damage, but they also tank damage and distract enemies. This is invaluable in boss fights. J'Zhargo and Brelyna are both good mages, located in the College of Winterhold. Just get in by summoning a flame atronach and do their simple, easy follower quests. Also, you could become a thane and get a housecarl. Illia the witch is another powerful mage. I've heard Sven glitches often, but he's also pretty good.

Edited November 22, 2011 by Aegrus

[Valamyr]

Offensive Magic is severely underpowered at high levels because it doesnt scale then, but at lower levels the spells currently in the game are fine.

 

The problem isn't so much what we can do than what we cant do. Im longing for a "Supreme-Magicka" type mod to add many spells that we've lost and that I miss sorely since Oblivion and Morrowind.

 

But that aside, Id say magic is balanced early on, and quite weak (even laughably weak as a primary offense) by the time you hit high levels.