Mages, the Atronach Birthsign, and High Elf questions

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I have never played as a magic specialized character. I had one character
with Restoration as a minor skill, and one with Alchemy and Enchant as minor
skills. Other than that, I have avoided magic users because it seemed liked
using Destruction spells to kill enemies would deplete you of magicka in a
*very* short time, especially with many of the more powerful Daedra and
Sixth House enemies being resistant to various elements and magic. But I
feel I *should* play as a Mage, just to rise in the ranks and check out the
quests of the Mages Guild, House Telvanni, The Temple, and the Imperial
Cult.

So what is the best way to play as a Mage?

The Atronach birthsign gives you an extra 2x magicka (effectively tripling
your magicka), but you can't regain magicka when you sleep - only via Spell
Absorption. The Apprentice birthsign gives you an extra 1.5x normal
magicka, but makes you weak against others' magical attacks. The Mage
birthsign has no ill effects, but only gives you 0.5x extra magicka.
Atronach sounds tempting - does the Spell Absorption ability absorb 50% of
*everything* - elemental, poison, pure magicka, etc? Or does it only absorb
pure magicka? If it is everything, then it seems like you would be
essentially playing the game with Resist Fire 50%, Resist Frost 50%, Resist
Shock 50%, Resist Poison 50%, and Resist Magicka 50%. Actually, better than
that, because you would be gaining spell points on top of resisting harm.
Does the 50% Spell Absorption do a good job of making up for the Stunted
Magicka, or do you find yourself constantly low on magicka, and having to
carry around dozens of restore magicka potions?

The High Elf race gives you 1.5x extra magicka, but comes with all kinds of
weaknesses to fire, frost, shock, and magicka. The Breton race gives you
0.5x extra magicka, and partial resistance to magicka as well. If I
combined a High Elf with Atronach, I would have magicka equal to 4.5x
intelligence. Assuming I begin the game with an Intelligence of 60, I would
start with an impressive 270 magicka. But are all those High Elf weaknesses
a huge problem to overcome? Do High Elves keel over dead if you look at
them funny, or is playing as a High Elf not as difficult as it first
appears?

Finally, how do you guys feel about mages using melee weapons? Should I add
spear or blunt weapon as a skill, since staffs or spears seem like they
could fit in with a wizard? Or is that taking the easy way out, and I
should depend solely on magical attacks to kill bad guys?

Thanks!

--
Rick Cavalla
rac22@NO.erols.SPAM.com
==========================
"Beyond me, night is total / And through the colonnades I walk..."

 

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"Rick Cavalla" <rac22@erols.com> wrote in message news:<41428f1f$0$6907$61fed72c@news.rcn.com>...
>
>
> So what is the best way to play as a Mage?
>
> The Atronach ....

This is my favorite. The boost in magic helps a lot. But even more
useful is the ability to absorb spells cast at you. It doesn't hurt
that this recharges your magicka, either.

If you play a mage, you probably want to specialize in Alchemy so
that you can mix potions to restore your health and magicka. Potions
you mix yourself are light and--with high intellect and alchemy--are
quite powerful. Most potions, for example, weigh 0.1 or 0.0. Only
ones made from heavy ingredients like scap metal or ebony are heavy.

You can also use Sujamma and Mahtze to restore your magicka,
because when your intellect is drained to zero and then restored, your
magicka (usually) restores with it. This is useful at the beginning
of the game because these are cheap (but heavy).

If you play a high elf, your probably want to work on things that
will help counteract the weakness to magic. High willpower,
reflection spells, and the like are useful.

>
> >
> Finally, how do you guys feel about mages using melee weapons? Should I add
> spear or blunt weapon as a skill, since staffs or spears seem like they
> could fit in with a wizard? Or is that taking the easy way out, and I
> should depend solely on magical attacks to kill bad guys?
>
> Thanks!

It is tremendously harder to play without using weapons. The mages
in the game tend to revert to weapons. Daggers and staffs are obvious
"typical mage-like" choices. Some things in the game are NOT affected
by magic at all. You will need some way to deal with these.

 

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"Rick Cavalla" <rac22@erols.com> wrote in message
news:41428f1f$0$6907$61fed72c@news.rcn.com...
> I have never played as a magic specialized character. I had one character
> with Restoration as a minor skill, and one with Alchemy and Enchant as
minor
> skills. Other than that, I have avoided magic users because it seemed
liked
> using Destruction spells to kill enemies would deplete you of magicka in a
> *very* short time, especially with many of the more powerful Daedra and
> Sixth House enemies being resistant to various elements and magic. But I
> feel I *should* play as a Mage, just to rise in the ranks and check out
the
> quests of the Mages Guild, House Telvanni, The Temple, and the Imperial
> Cult.
>
> So what is the best way to play as a Mage?
>
> The Atronach birthsign gives you an extra 2x magicka (effectively tripling
> your magicka), but you can't regain magicka when you sleep - only via
Spell
> Absorption. The Apprentice birthsign gives you an extra 1.5x normal
> magicka, but makes you weak against others' magical attacks. The Mage
> birthsign has no ill effects, but only gives you 0.5x extra magicka.
> Atronach sounds tempting - does the Spell Absorption ability absorb 50% of
> *everything* - elemental, poison, pure magicka, etc? Or does it only
absorb
> pure magicka? If it is everything, then it seems like you would be
> essentially playing the game with Resist Fire 50%, Resist Frost 50%,
Resist
> Shock 50%, Resist Poison 50%, and Resist Magicka 50%. Actually, better
than
> that, because you would be gaining spell points on top of resisting harm.
> Does the 50% Spell Absorption do a good job of making up for the Stunted
> Magicka, or do you find yourself constantly low on magicka, and having to
> carry around dozens of restore magicka potions?
>
> The High Elf race gives you 1.5x extra magicka, but comes with all kinds
of
> weaknesses to fire, frost, shock, and magicka. The Breton race gives you
> 0.5x extra magicka, and partial resistance to magicka as well. If I
> combined a High Elf with Atronach, I would have magicka equal to 4.5x
> intelligence. Assuming I begin the game with an Intelligence of 60, I
would
> start with an impressive 270 magicka. But are all those High Elf
weaknesses
> a huge problem to overcome? Do High Elves keel over dead if you look at
> them funny, or is playing as a High Elf not as difficult as it first
> appears?
>
> Finally, how do you guys feel about mages using melee weapons? Should I
add
> spear or blunt weapon as a skill, since staffs or spears seem like they
> could fit in with a wizard? Or is that taking the easy way out, and I
> should depend solely on magical attacks to kill bad guys?
>
> Thanks!
>
> --
> Rick Cavalla
> rac22@NO.erols.SPAM.com
> ==========================
> "Beyond me, night is total / And through the colonnades I walk..."
>
>

I prefer a Breton to a High Elf mainly because the High Elf is tall enough
to be a problem.

If you choose to be an Atronach you should handle things differently. Any
Tribunal altar or Imperial Cult one can restore your Magicka which is an
attribute. You can use a mark, Alsimi or Divine Intervention and recall to
replenish Magicka. Also it can be replenished by magic spells used against
you (sometims) and not disarming traps. If you join the Mages Guild, the
chest for members has restore Magicka spells.

As for weapons, my characters generally use two: short blades and blunt
weapons (a staff is a blunt weapon). Both are eventually given to you by
Mage Guild or Telvanni.

 

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"ALMA ENGELS" wrote:
> I prefer a Breton to a High Elf mainly because the High Elf is tall enough
> to be a problem.

What problems are caused by the height of High Elves - do they get stuck in
doorways and whatnot?

> If you choose to be an Atronach you should handle things differently. Any
> Tribunal altar or Imperial Cult one can restore your Magicka which is an
> attribute. You can use a mark, Alsimi or Divine Intervention and recall
> to replenish Magicka.

What option restores magicka? When I choose "Almsivi Restoration", it sets
stuff like Endurance and Personality back to normal, but my health and
magicka are untouched.

--
Rick Cavalla
rac22@NO.erols.SPAM.com
==========================
"Beyond me, night is total / And through the colonnades I walk..."

 

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Rick Cavalla wrote:

> Finally, how do you guys feel about mages using melee weapons? Should I add
> spear or blunt weapon as a skill, since staffs or spears seem like they
> could fit in with a wizard? Or is that taking the easy way out, and I
> should depend solely on magical attacks to kill bad guys?

Nearly every mage NPC in the game carries a weapon. I think a weapon is
necessary for survival, and apparently the characters in the game
agree. Nobody ever said that a mage shouldn't be armed. It's a
dangerous world, with beasts and brutes attacking you from all sides
everywhere you go. I believe it's folly to run around unarmed.

When I created a character with conjuration as a main skill, I got
bound_dagger as a starter spell, and it's a really handy one. That
bound dagger is a superior weapon to anything you might pick up early in
the game. Later, my character enlisted the aid of a professional
enchanter, and enchanted an item with constant-effect bound_dagger.
That is a handy item! It's not a weapon unless my character puts it on,
and then it's a very nice daedric weapon that can be sharpened in
mid-battle, simply be re-equipping the item.

The higher my short-blade skill gets, the badder my bound_dagger gets.
I found I don't really need any other weapon, even against ash vampires
and the like.

My conjurer also started off with a summon_ancestral_ghost spell, and
that is handy to use when you are attacked from afar by archers or
daedra that blast you. The ghost will fly across a distance to harass
whomever it is that's harassing you, and that gives you a chance to take
a shield potion, and run up to your adversary with a staff, or whatever.

Therefore I think conjuration as a major skill is really good for a mage
of any race. If you choose short blade as another major, your
bound_dagger will pack a lot of punch right away.

The guild guide who teleports you in the Balmora Mage's Guildhouse
teaches the bound_longsword spell, I think. FWIW, a constant-effect
bound armor item is nearly weightless, and it too can be repaired simply
by re-equipping the item, even in mid-battle.

As you proceed, you might learn to summon meaner spectral and daedric
minions, and they are an ever helpful presence during battle. Plus you
can soultrap your own summonings for cash, which makes it easier to
afford that fancy mortar-and-pestle you had your eye on.

BTW, speaking of birthsigns, consider The Lady, which fortifies your
character in a couple of significant ways, while having no disadvantages
whatsoever. It's easier to get what you want from people non-violently
when they like you, and The Lady boosts your personality 25 points,
right out the gate. All of the Illusion effects (blind, illuminate,
paralyze, silence, calm or enrage, charm, distract, camouflage, and
render invisible) depend on high personality. Successful Speechcraft
and Mercantile also depend on high personality. If you like to avoid
fighting, then camouflage and invisibility skills are invaluable. If
you like to avoid getting hurt, paralyze is very useful!

 

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In article <41428f1f$0$6907$61fed72c@news.rcn.com>, rac22@erols.com
says...
> The Atronach birthsign gives you an extra 2x magicka (effectively tripling
> your magicka), but you can't regain magicka when you sleep - only via Spell
> Absorption. The Apprentice birthsign gives you an extra 1.5x normal

I have not yet played a pure magic character, but the two characters I
have played (sort of magic oriented thieves) rarely sleep at all -- only
to level up. I have been able to easily restore magicka with potions.
Of course, I have alchemy as one of my major or minor skills. Alchemy
is one of the easiest ways to make money also.

--
R. Dale Shipp
dale@_delete_this_min.net

 

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I wrote:
> So what is the best way to play as a Mage?

Thanks for all your suggestions.

I think I will go with Atronach as my birthsign, which should give me plenty
of magicka to play with. However, I think I will take a few folks
suggestions and add Blunt Weapon and Spear and Medium Armor to my skills.
It would be nice if you could play as a "pure" mage, but I just don't think
Morrowind was designed that way. I want this to be fun and I think avoiding
all melee in favor of magical attack will just end up being frustrating and
annoying. However, with blunt weapons, I will probably only use staffs - no
maces or clubs or warhammers, which seem out of character. Medium Armor is
really only because I haven't played that before. My Redguard fighter was
into heavy armor, and my Dunmer thief was into Light Armor, and now I want
to check out Medium Armor styles.

As for race, if I use staffs and spears, I won't need the extreme amounts of
magicka I originally thought I would. In that case, the Atronach will
suffice for magicka bonus, and playing as a High Elf or Breton is not
necessary. I am currently leaning toward a Nord, since that will give me
bonuses in Blunt Weapon, Spear, and Medium Armor. Also, I will be immune to
Frost and resistant to Shock, which means I should be able to absorb spell
points from Frost and Storm Atronach attacks without taking too much damage
in the process.

I may roleplay my character as a Nord who was adopted by Altmer and raised
in the Summerset Isles. I am also thinking of playing my character as
heartless, arrogant, power-hungry, evil, etc. All of my characters have
been pretty nice people, and I think it may be time for No More Mr. Nice
Player Character. I'll fit in better with the Telvanni, too.

Anyway, here is my tentative character:

Birthsign: Atronach
Race: Nord
Gender: Female
Specialization: Magic
Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Luck
Major Skills:
Destruction
Mysticism
Alteration
Illusion
Restoration
Minor Skills:
Alchemy
Enchant
Blunt Weapon
Spear
Medium Armor



--
Rick Cavalla
rac22@NO.erols.SPAM.com
==========================
"Beyond me, night is total / And through the colonnades I walk..."

 

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R. Dale Shipp wrote:

> I have not yet played a pure magic character, but the two characters I
> have played (sort of magic oriented thieves) rarely sleep at all -- only
> to level up. I have been able to easily restore magicka with potions.
> Of course, I have alchemy as one of my major or minor skills. Alchemy
> is one of the easiest ways to make money also.

Alchemy is the most useful and essential thing for mages, and probably
useful for anyone else, too. I don't really mix a lot of various
potions, mostly restore health and magicka and occasionally shield and
levitation. I tried a pure warrior char a bit ago and only used alchemy,
no magic at all. Was sort of fun, but the char wasn't overly interesting.

My preferred way of making cash at the beginning of the game is to join
mages guild, learn soultrap, roam the guild chests for gems and go
hunting some kagouti.

As a sidenote, try the excellent "Necessities of Morrowind" mod, then
you have to sleep (and eat/drink) or suffer.
Another always-installed mod on my box is "Horatios spellcasting".
Though I initially found it overpowered, I had to revise my opinion and
see this as essential mod. I lowers casting costs depending on your
skills, basically same as Daggerfall worked. You won't notice this mod
much at the beginning with low skills, but later on it gets quite
interesting because it enables you to actually cast more than one of
those high-level spells.
More excellent mods making a mage worthwhile: "Scripted Spells" and
"Magickal Trinkets".

Peter

 

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On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 19:56:01 -0400, with the help of 10,000 Little
Computer Monkeys (LCM'S) "Rick Cavalla" <rac22@erols.com> wrote:

>I wrote:
>> So what is the best way to play as a Mage?
>
>Thanks for all your suggestions.
>
>I think I will go with Atronach as my birthsign, which should give me plenty
>of magicka to play with. However, I think I will take a few folks
>suggestions and add Blunt Weapon and Spear and Medium Armor to my skills.
>It would be nice if you could play as a "pure" mage, but I just don't think
>Morrowind was designed that way. I want this to be fun and I think avoiding
>all melee in favor of magical attack will just end up being frustrating and
>annoying. However, with blunt weapons, I will probably only use staffs - no
>maces or clubs or warhammers, which seem out of character. Medium Armor is
>really only because I haven't played that before. My Redguard fighter was
>into heavy armor, and my Dunmer thief was into Light Armor, and now I want
>to check out Medium Armor styles.

My last character started out as a Pure Mage with no armor other than
the Boot of Blinding Speed, and only using Short blades unless something
else was required to complete a quest. And over time, she Ended up more
of a Mage Assassin with the original boots only armor, and Maxed out
Short Blade and Stealth Skills. Long before I retired her, she was able
to kill most foes unseen, or for the fun of it with the help of various
enchantments and potions, she could kill whoever she wanted in a Toe to
Toe Bloody Fight to the death. She was so much fun playing without real
armor, that I'm not sure if I ever want to play another armored
cheracter again...
>
>As for race, if I use staffs and spears, I won't need the extreme amounts of
>magicka I originally thought I would. In that case, the Atronach will
>suffice for magicka bonus, and playing as a High Elf or Breton is not
>necessary. I am currently leaning toward a Nord, since that will give me
>bonuses in Blunt Weapon, Spear, and Medium Armor. Also, I will be immune to
>Frost and resistant to Shock, which means I should be able to absorb spell
>points from Frost and Storm Atronach attacks without taking too much damage
>in the process.
>
>I may roleplay my character as a Nord who was adopted by Altmer and raised
>in the Summerset Isles. I am also thinking of playing my character as
>heartless, arrogant, power-hungry, evil, etc. All of my characters have
>been pretty nice people, and I think it may be time for No More Mr. Nice
>Player Character. I'll fit in better with the Telvanni, too.
>
>Anyway, here is my tentative character:
>
>Birthsign: Atronach
>Race: Nord
>Gender: Female
>Specialization: Magic
>Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Luck
>Major Skills:
> Destruction
> Mysticism
> Alteration
> Illusion
> Restoration
>Minor Skills:
> Alchemy
> Enchant
> Blunt Weapon
> Spear
> Medium Armor


That's my 2¢,

FTA


"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

-Martin Luther King Jr.

 

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"Rick Cavalla" <rac22@erols.com> wrote in message
news:414390c0$0$6903$61fed72c@news.rcn.com...
> I wrote:
> > So what is the best way to play as a Mage?
>
> Thanks for all your suggestions.
>
> I think I will go with Atronach as my birthsign, which should give me
plenty
> of magicka to play with. However, I think I will take a few folks
> suggestions and add Blunt Weapon and Spear and Medium Armor to my skills.
> It would be nice if you could play as a "pure" mage, but I just don't
think
> Morrowind was designed that way. I want this to be fun and I think
avoiding
> all melee in favor of magical attack will just end up being frustrating
and
> annoying. However, with blunt weapons, I will probably only use staffs -
no
> maces or clubs or warhammers, which seem out of character. Medium Armor
is
> really only because I haven't played that before. My Redguard fighter was
> into heavy armor, and my Dunmer thief was into Light Armor, and now I want
> to check out Medium Armor styles.
>
> As for race, if I use staffs and spears, I won't need the extreme amounts
of
> magicka I originally thought I would. In that case, the Atronach will
> suffice for magicka bonus, and playing as a High Elf or Breton is not
> necessary. I am currently leaning toward a Nord, since that will give me
> bonuses in Blunt Weapon, Spear, and Medium Armor. Also, I will be immune
to
> Frost and resistant to Shock, which means I should be able to absorb spell
> points from Frost and Storm Atronach attacks without taking too much
damage
> in the process.
>
> I may roleplay my character as a Nord who was adopted by Altmer and raised
> in the Summerset Isles. I am also thinking of playing my character as
> heartless, arrogant, power-hungry, evil, etc. All of my characters have
> been pretty nice people, and I think it may be time for No More Mr. Nice
> Player Character. I'll fit in better with the Telvanni, too.
>
> Anyway, here is my tentative character:
>
> Birthsign: Atronach
> Race: Nord
> Gender: Female
> Specialization: Magic
> Primary Attributes: Intelligence, Luck
> Major Skills:
> Destruction
> Mysticism
> Alteration
> Illusion
> Restoration
> Minor Skills:
> Alchemy
> Enchant
> Blunt Weapon
> Spear
> Medium Armor
>
>
>
> --
> Rick Cavalla
> rac22@NO.erols.SPAM.com
> ==========================
> "Beyond me, night is total / And through the colonnades I walk..."
>
Re High Elf -- they are tall enough that it is a problem having them
levitate to balconies in Telvanni houses. Wood elves on the other hand are
so short that they cannot always see things on high shelves.

If this is your first mage character, I would strongly recommend you have
conjuration as a major skill. It is invaluable in the early game and
remains helpful. I would also suggest you make Alchemy a major skill as it
will give you knowledge of 2 levels of spells.

One other comment -- your major skills are four Willpower and 1 Personality.
Early levels of these schools are not very useful. If you work on them, you
will advance way too fast. You also nee to advance Intelligence.
Conjuration will give you that as would Security.

It can be fun playing a mage with a non-magical character. I had a Female
Argonian who fancied herself a mage. She used alchemy a lot and found that
the fortify potions were the most useful in the long run.

 

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On Sat, 11 Sep 2004 01:35:31 -0400, "Rick Cavalla" <rac22@erols.com>
wrote:

>So what is the best way to play as a Mage?
>
<snip pros and cons of races & birthsigns>

I normally use a Breton with the Apprentice sign - the Breton resistance
bonus cancels out the Apprentice resistance penalty. Using the Atronach
is so easy it feels like cheating.

>Finally, how do you guys feel about mages using melee weapons? Should I add
>spear or blunt weapon as a skill, since staffs or spears seem like they
>could fit in with a wizard? Or is that taking the easy way out, and I
>should depend solely on magical attacks to kill bad guys?

You should expect to use weapons some of the time. I normally go with
blunt(for Temple or Cult members) or shortblades(for Mages Guild or
Telvanni).
--
Greg Johnson
Give your child mental blocks for Christmas.

 

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"ALMA ENGELS" <thirinel@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message news:<_gU0d.351543$OB3.284171@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
> "Rick Cavalla" <rac22@erols.com> wrote in message
...> >
> Re High Elf -- they are tall enough that it is a problem having them
> levitate to balconies in Telvanni houses. Wood elves on the other hand are
> so short that they cannot always see things on high shelves.
>

My woodelves jump a lot to look on high shelves. Once their
athletics gets good, they have to coast most of the way down before
trying to grab something.

As for Telvanni houses, even my wood elves get stuck on things. I
shudder to think of trying to play a Telvanni with a high elf. I
guess you'd have to "tcl" a lot.

>
> It can be fun playing a mage with a non-magical character. I had a Female
> Argonian who fancied herself a mage. She used alchemy a lot and found that
> the fortify potions were the most useful in the long run.


Argonians make decent mages. I tend to concentrate on alchemy and
illusion since I like to play to the race strength as a part of
settling into role playing "limitations". Poisons work nicely too.
Reflection, resmection.

 

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ALMA ENGELS wrote:
> One other comment -- your major skills are four Willpower and
> 1 Personality. Early levels of these schools are not very useful.
> If you work on them, you will advance way too fast. You also
> nee to advance Intelligence. Conjuration will give you that as
> would Security.

I had actually put the purely spellcasting skills as Major because it seems
they advance the slowest. At least that was my experience with my Redguard
fighter who had Restoration as a minor skill. My experience of Alchemy and
Enchant is that they rise pretty quickly, so they would quickly catch up
with the Major skills. But you may be right about loading too many similar
skills into my Major skills. Perhaps I will add Conjuration and Alchemy to
my Major skills, move Illusion and Alteration to Minor, and drop Medium
Armor to Misc. That will leave me with no major/minor armor skill, but I'll
get a +10 to Medium Armor because I am a Nord, so Medium Armor will start at
15. That is exactly what my Medium Armor would be if had it as a Minor
skill for a Breton or High Elf.

>
> It can be fun playing a mage with a non-magical character. I had a Female
> Argonian who fancied herself a mage. She used alchemy a lot and found
> that the fortify potions were the most useful in the long run.

My current thief character has Alchemy as a minor skill. She uses scuttle
and heather (both cheap) to make Feather potions. If she needs to get out
of trouble, she'll chug a few of them, and she can run like the wind! Great
for outrunning the guards on your way to the local Thieves guild. Alchemy
is cool. I am looking forward to using it more extensively as a magic
character.

--
Rick Cavalla
rac22@NO.erols.SPAM.com
==========================
"Beyond me, night is total / And through the colonnades I walk..."

 

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Rick Cavalla wrote:

> Finally, how do you guys feel about mages using melee weapons?
> Should I add spear or blunt weapon as a skill, since staffs or
> spears seem like they could fit in with a wizard? Or is that
> taking the easy way out, and I should depend solely on magical
> attacks to kill bad guys?

Play a spellsword. It's nice a lot!

Vilco

 

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DeAnn wrote:

> As for Telvanni houses, even my wood elves get stuck on things.
> I
> shudder to think of trying to play a Telvanni with a high elf. I
> guess you'd have to "tcl" a lot.

Also with a nord it is not so comfortable...
You have to go up a lot and then enter by
descending, horrible thing this one.

Vilco

 

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On 12 Sep 2004 13:13:49 -0700, with the help of 10,000 Little Computer
Monkeys (LCM'S) von.sagrillo@verizon.net (DeAnn) wrote:

>"ALMA ENGELS" <thirinel@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message news:<_gU0d.351543$OB3.284171@bgtnsc05-news.ops.worldnet.att.net>...
>> "Rick Cavalla" <rac22@erols.com> wrote in message
>..> >
>> It can be fun playing a mage with a non-magical character. I had a Female
>> Argonian who fancied herself a mage. She used alchemy a lot and found that
>> the fortify potions were the most useful in the long run.
>
>
>Argonians make decent mages. I tend to concentrate on alchemy and
>illusion since I like to play to the race strength as a part of
>settling into role playing "limitations". Poisons work nicely too.
>Reflection, resmection.

Since the Alchemy skill is so easy to raise without training, when I
create a new character, I generally limit my characters alchemy skill to
something like 10 or 15 (basically enough to reveal an items first set
of potion properties).

For All new characters, I also like to adjust their starting Luck to as
high as I can get it since later, it can only be raised one point each
time my characters gain a level. I also like to give new characters as
high a starting Endurance as I can since that can give a character a
Huge Hit Point advantage later in the game! Needless to say, when my
characters gain a level, I ALWAYS increase my characters Endurance stat
as much as I can, and depending on other possible stat bonuses, I try to
increase my characters Luck as well...

As for other starting Abilities and Skills, I generally try to adjust
them based on the type of character I'm creating at the time...


That's my 2¢,

FTA


"In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

-Martin Luther King Jr.

 

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> > Finally, how do you guys feel about mages using melee weapons?

Bring on the Long-sword!

> Nearly every mage NPC in the game carries a weapon.

Yeah, since they launch 2 fireballs and they haven't enough juice to tie
their shoes. Of course, that Chiton sword he's wielding is going to do
diddly versus a suit of Glass Armour.

Please note, I don't classify Dermora, Hunger, etc, as NPC's. They're just
random "Lunch your ass now" items.

> Therefore I think conjuration as a major skill is really good for a mage
of any race.

-True, but I go with a (beginning) high as possible Alchemy and simply
motar-and-pestle my way to success. Make the potion, drink the potion,
repeat. Kill the fishy, pick the fungi, mix and repeat.

One of my favourites (Before the cranked-up marksman mod, woo!) was a
Longsword and pestle wielding dark elf salesman.
Add an armour class you like and afford, some other useful skills
(Enchantment, I'm looking at you.) and you have a reasonably-sturdy
Neverine.

> BTW, speaking of birthsigns, consider The Lady, which fortifies your
> character in a couple of significant ways, while having no disadvantages
> whatsoever. It's easier to get what you want from people non-violently
> when they like you, and The Lady boosts your personality 25 points,
> right out the gate.

Woo yeah - if you're going for a well-rounded death machine, consider the
old "Dark Elf with the Lady" birthsign. By the time you're needing to up
your speachcraft/merchantile skills, you'll be glad you've got a natural
"gift" (as it were) to help you along.

-Neh

 

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greenham wrote:

> One of my favourites (Before the cranked-up marksman mod, woo!) was a
> Longsword and pestle wielding dark elf salesman.

Salesman LOL