How to effectively play as a mage

[KratosAurion777]

Usually I'm the magic class, and my other thread detailed what I found to be dissapointing about magic in this game. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the changes were for the better, and I appreciate them asthey are more challenging. However, not being able to effectively level your conjuration/alteration/illusion without the pressence of enemies is annoying at the very least. I guess it's kind of cheap to level your skills in town like in oblivion, sure... but why punish those people who want to get all that crap out of the way quickly so they can enjoy questing after they are done with that?

 

that's not the major point here, the point i'm trying to get across, is that, in oblivion, it was far easier to be a mage, now in skyrim, especially with that rediculous drop to 33 pct magicka regen during combat, it's so hard to fight as a mage during battle without carrying in tons of magicka regen potions, magicka restore potions, and magicka fortify potoins, or casting one spell per day...

 

What's the use of dual casting my destruction spells, if I get depleted in three spells, then i'm screwed because i'm too poor to get alchemy up by training, and to get ingredients to make said potions? I thought... why not get a follower? And why not conjure more? Okay, great ideas, the pressure is off of me, and i'm able to not spam as much and be more tactical, I try to use my environment to my advantage, and sneak whenver possible...

 

the follower doesn't do crap for me, conjuring right when battle starts leaves me with next to no magicka available for spells, and i'm whipped out early on by one power attack from a draugr relentless...

 

I have a four to one Magicka:health ration when leveling up, so i'm not dumb in that respect, I get that i'm going to need a ton of magicka... and yes, I do get the mastery reductions for perks whenever possible for every magic aspect, except illusion, since it's pretty much worthless now except for quiet casting.

 

Ih ave apprentice destruction, but I have to use the crappy novice spells, because it's the only way I can hope to have my magicka last a fight, and my alteration level is low, because again, if you aren't being attacked, your shield casting does not raise your alteration skill, or it is VERY minimal... same thing with conjuration, which used to be the two FASTEST skills to level in oblivion.

 

I understand they want us to be tactical, but for god's sake... this is rediculous... so what now? ih ave to cheat and use the "player.additem f 5000" every time I want to make some magicka potions because my lvl 9 character can't make enough money to support himself? I know it gets easier with enchanting to reduce the magicka cost for spells, but AGAIN, enchanting is SO expensive for a new character... I have to scrape together money to ge the next level of robes for my mage, I wear no armor to avoid hindering the ffectiveness of my spells, I use whatever enchanted armor I can for mages to reduce destruction down... what the heck... i'm still getting pounded into the dirt.

 

FOR ALL YOU PRO MAGES OUT THERE..... WHAT DO YOU DO TO SURVIVE? HOW DID YOU GET BY EARLY ON AND WHAT ARE SOME TIPS AND TRICKS FOR SKYRIM MAGE STUDENT?

 

What are the who's where's when's and hows? Where do I go first, what to max out with perks first, what to use early on, when to use what... what spells on what, where to go, where to level up first, what quests to do.... leave no stone unturned, help a brother out, PLEASE!

 

 

 

Thank you in advance, and no, i'm not ranting, AS I SAID BEFORE I LOVE THIS GAME, AND I ALSO LOVE MAGIC, BUT WHAT WORKED ON OBLIVION DOES NOT WORK HERE AND I NEED SOME ASSISSTANCE... so please don't just say 'LOL NOOB STOP RANTING"... because i'm not, I just need some aid to learn how to mage in this game.

 

Sorry for my bad english

 

Actually magic don't work at all in this game .

I play in master and i made a custom set -100 % mana cost on Destruction//Restoration with enchanting and some other set for illusion and conjuration and alteration

 

For destruction : Well ... i am at 100 in destruction now and with max dommage possible in storm with lightning storm and it don't kill ... it's just usefull on dragon because it stop the Shout .

For restoration : IT was damn usefull at lvl 17-18 now it's useless , actually it's a waste of perk , potion work better.

For Alteration : Shield Thing is useless because the armor is capped at 550 or something like that can be usefull if you don't want to use some perk in your armor , paralysis is cool but don't work on everything .

For illusion : Well ... the only usefull spell is invisibility and if you upgrade a lot with a lot of perk , it can be strong for flee and when you are a thief//assassin , that's damn usefull.

For conjuration : Usefull , sometimes hard to uses in small room , the IA is bad , Double void atronach definitively rox .

For enchanting : Well it's not really a magic , it's the most broken ability of the game for sure , with smithing and alchemy it's a great combo but lot of perks are needed .

 

So if you want to play a mages i have some advice :

 

- First make enchant that add magicka on ARMOR ( IT's better to use armor than alterations armor )

- Put some perks on Conjuration for the Flame atronach half cost

- Destruction is the only true way to do dommages so use it a lot .

- Use alchemy for make some mana potion .

- For start , forget Alteration .

- Instead of resting 1 hour after each fight use restoration .

- Use the Stone of the apprentice or the atronach .

 

If you want to play a mage on master :

 

-Use the 100 smithing//enchanting method .

- Custom Stuff for -100% percent Destruction + Conjuration/alteration/Illusion

- Put everything in life because you will not need mana .

- Atronach stone for Abs magicka

- On the Custom Boots fortify 2 resist elements .

- On the custom Shield if you use one ;fortify resist magicka and the last resist element you didn't fortify with the boots ( you will have to switch a lot )

- use some perks in Destruction ( in illusion to if you use it the other school don't need )

- It's almost impossible to use The last Frost//fire spell and lightning bolt is just good on Dragon .

Edited December 4, 2011 by KratosAurion777

[Caracolito]

I personally enjoy how magicka regen is slowed during combat. Makes it so you have to be smart with your magic and be more precise with your hits. No more spamming.

 

I made a combo warrior/conjurer character and unintentionally brought his conjuration up to 90+ by level ~30, mostly with bound weapons and the occasional zombie/atranoch. Alteration on the same character was up to 80. I'm not sure what the complaint is about not being able to level magic.

[El`derina]

I personally enjoy how magicka regen is slowed during combat. Makes it so you have to be smart with your magic and be more precise with your hits. No more spamming.

 

I made a combo warrior/conjurer character and unintentionally brought his conjuration up to 90+ by level ~30, mostly with bound weapons and the occasional zombie/atranoch. Alteration on the same character was up to 80. I'm not sure what the complaint is about not being able to level magic.

 

i was able to lvl up every school just fine except for restoration and alteration...

 

restoration i used/trained and it just happened to reach master level by the time i was looking to do that stuff,.. but I can't purposely try to spam lvl it, cause it doesnt work.

for alteration,... nothing but transmute works, until i got telekinesis and started throwing the same book in the air over and over.(combat spellcasting for it wasnt leveling it any.)

[justwannaddl]

Conjuration and alteration are both relatively easy to level. Destruction and restoration are a bit of a pain though. Since I have no upgrades to health, I don't bother with restoration. I think much of the complaints come from pure mages trying to solo dungeons. Right now, mages are "squishier" than past games and far more mana hungry. Hybrid fighter mages simply draw a weapon and suck it up but orthodox mages need a meatshield, fast legs and fos ro dah. Some people like thier minions doing all the work fpr them but other like the explody mage model. Without exploits or a ton of magika potions though, the latter really isn't very practical.

[dereko]

Nice topic, best thing to do is use one of the mods that are out there that level magic.

 

But even with these mods it can be difficult. If you want to get your destruction up quickly you can go to "labrinthian" run past the 3 frost trolls to the last archway going out and jump off the platform to the left. The frost trolls will stand there and you can zap them with destruction spells and wait for them to regenerate then repeat. They will not follow you as they can't seem to get to you. If they walk away, walk to the edge of the platform and they will keep returning. I've gotten to Destruction 75 fairly quickly this way. But what I am learning is what others are saying even with nicely decked out Destruction perks and spells you still need a backup such as heavy enchantments and armor or conjuration to survive.

Edited December 26, 2011 by dereko

[Xouthpaw]

I got a level 30 mage with like 600 mana but only 100 hp. I die 1 hit to everything, but my 2 Dremora Lords seem pretty OP :/