Pure Mage in Skyrim and other play-styles

[Argtee]

[sub][sub]Yup, another Skyrim thread[/sub][/sub]

Skyrim has been the only game that I've been playing for the past 2 weeks.
I've gotten my character to level 28 and have been playing for about 50 hours.

Recently, I've been thinking of making a new character in Skyrim and making him a Pure Mage. I've tried a Pure Mage in Oblivion once, and had fun with it.
Morrowind however... I had heard that playing Pure Mage in Morrowind was...very difficult.

I usually play as a sneaky magic user in the Elders Scrolls series, but I think I'm going to start mixing it up!

So, to add some discussion...
Have you ever tried a different play-style, and found out that you liked it more than your previous one?

 

[Jimmy T. Malice]

I tried some Conjuration spells and found out they were very useful, but they tend to drain a good chunk of my magicka so I can't cast as many Destruction spells in combat.

 

[Cheesus333]

I tried to play a battlemage, or spellsword, whatever you want to call it. That was in Oblivion.

It did not work.

So I decided to be a Barbarian instead. To Hell with magic, I'd like to see robes protect my enemies from the heavy end of a greathammer >

 

[TimeLord]

Seeing as this was my first ever TES game I originally started Skyrim playing with a two-handed sword that I found.

Then I discovered I could wield a spell and one-handed sword and the rest is history.

History written through a path of Dragon skeletons and death for people who annoy me. Which is half of Riften

I also like to go all Robin Hood and have been leveling up my Archery with a Drainspel Bow which does neat things to those pesky magic users and I love sneak killing with a bow too!

Also I use big heavy armour because I laught at robes and their armour values. Since the enemy is almost always within stabbing distance when things go tits up it's nice to know there's a thick piece of metal protecting me and not a cloth.

 

[The Diabolical Biz]

I went for a pure mage at first, although being completely inexperienced made a couple bad choices, and the going got tough. Still enjoyed myself, but constantly getting raped by the same fucking snow bears started to irritate me.

So I started again, Argonian assassin, knew what I was doing, and I'm loving it. Few things are more satisfying than casting muffle, sneaking up behind someone with dual daggers, and elegantly slitting their throat.

The stealth leads to some hilarious situations though; "Huh? What was that?" *walks round corner, sees friend lying in a pool of blood, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling. Looks directly at me standing behind a table crouched.* "Nope, guess I'm just hearing things. Silly ole me."

Edit: Well, I didn't really start again per se, I more put the original on the back burner. I'll return before too long. Respective levels are 26 with the pure mage, and 22 with the Argonian.

 

[Ammutseba]

Breton race
Heavy Armor
Two-handed Weapon
Smithing
Enchanting
Restoration (not only for restoring health, but also stamina)
Alteration (for magic protection)
Destruction

Only put points into +10 health when levelling up.

When you kill a dragon in about 6-9 hits and it takes a long time to get killed on master difficulty then you know your character is about as good as it gets.

 

[Jamiemitsu]

I sure have. Turns out a pure Altmer mage with a ton of magicka boosting equipment is without equal in Oblivion, not to mention all the fun you can have making spells and enchanting equipment later on in the mages guild.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Well, can't speak to Skyrim (yet :] ) but in Oblivion I was halfway through an illusionist mage playthrough, found out how fun stealing was, joined the thieves' guild, and never looked back (unless I needed to go back to the mage tower for spellmaking purposes).

And if you haven't played a mage in Morrowind yet, try it out. It's pretty tough until you start getting your custom spells (I generally rely on a Cugel-esque "turn and run, or cheese with OP magic item" strategy until then) but once you do get them the flexibility is insane. It really rewards creativity. Personal favorites of mine include the +Enchant suit, Drain Health 100 for 1 Second (also works in Oblivion) and Drain Intelligence 100 for 1 Second on Self. Level 4+ is basically occupied by exploration, testing out fun spell combos, installing Telvanni-themed mods, and pimping out your giant mushroom tower.

 

[Nauticus]

Im looking for some kind of playstyle for my new character too.
I tried conjuring, wich i did not like at all in Oblivion, and been going with it since start.

My current character, Breton, focuses on Conjuring and Alteration.
Along with bretons magic resist, alteration covers the essential protection you need to survive a dragon or a troll.
I conjure whatever kind of weapon i need and a summon to take on the heavy blows, and dealing ton of damage. And use destruction whenever I got mana and distance for it.

Recommended if you want some decent meele capability along with your mage.

 

[Niko Stepz]

My first character was a one-handed and block with some archery mixed in, but then i decided to try a new character centered mostly around destruction magic. I love it ! I still keep a one-handed weapon on my mage as well though, and a bow for the extra sneak damage from afar to start off confrontations.

 

[Ruby Psiberzerker]

I don't consider it a "Pure" mage build with armor, and weapon skills. That's a Spellsword, or Battlemage. I've made Pure Mage work, but only by focusing on 3 skills for the most part. Conjuration, and Destruction on offense, and Illusion on indirect defense. The idea is with Fear, Calm, and Frensy, you can keep everyone too busy to target you while they're fighting your summons, and taking AoE damage. That is, untill you get to Invisibility, then you're pretty much a bystander throwing damage in.

Start with Altmer, for the highest illusion bonus, only stat bonus, and fastest running speed. You will not be sneaking, but running around in robes, with nothing but magic in your hands, so nothing can catch you. I suggest you at least Destroy the Dark Brotherhood for the Shrouded Shoes, so you don't have to cast Muffle, then spam Fury like there's no tommorow, and keep Calm handy in case something comes your way. Burn any survivors. Concentrate on Destruction until you can Augment Flames (30-60) and cast Ice Storm (60). Now, the hard part.

Kill Vokun. Look it up, if you don't already know this one, the quest is called A Scroll for Anska, at High Gate Ruins. His mask is nice, a lot of armor, plus 20% off Conjuration, Illusion, and Alteration spells. The big payoff is the quest reward, a unique spell called Flaming Familiar. This little buring wolf runs in, gets a couple bites in, then explodes in a fireball after about 6 seconds, if he's not destroyed first. One thing that can set him off in one shot is Ice Storm. Now, there is nothing in the game that is resistant to fire, and frost, and both are AoE, so anything in the blast radius is either dead, or slowed, and on fire. You can cast it again.

Here's the thing, Flaming Familiar will run around cover, and Ice Storm goes right through it, so you don't even have to expose yourself. A solid wall, or even the bitmap is better than capped out daedric for any, and all damage, you can hit them, they can't hit you. If you really must directly interact with the enemy, you can teabag them when they're dead...

What I usually do is lead with Frenzy, and Invisibility. This gets everbody clumped together while you recharge, and get in position for the finisher combo. Level dependent, this works on everything, except Dragons, which require completely different tactics. For them, I use a Ward(absorb), and Lightning. The latter is a hitscan, so you don't need to lead, and dragons aren't resistant to it. The former can be perked to soak up all damage from the breath attacks, to power the bolts. Don't keep the shield up the whole time, it will run you dry, but you can time it, since they always pause after Yol... (or whatever) then let loose the shout.

So, at that point, you have to switch to Nahkriin, for the antidragon combo. Both masks count as Heavy Armor, but you can truly avoid getting hit so you don't earn any experience in it. That way, you can stay a pure mage, and beat anything in the game... 4 skills, no crafting, armor, stamina, nor health investment. Of course, you have to think, and manage your energy, but isn't that what being a Pure Mage is all about?

 

[piinyouri]

I have 5 characters now, none play the same, and I only certain quests with a few a few of them.

Some will never use restoration magic, some never pick locks, and none of them have the same 3 highest skills. My main is a Redguard who uses one handed, block and conjuration. She never steals/sneaks/picks locks, and she always helps anyone who asks.

I did have to cave in to fast traveling my level 23 with my main tho... I was weak, and wanted to get on with the main quest!

My others are all around level 15, Khajit thief mage, Nord two handed heavy, ect ect. They will all get a chance to shine! Skyrim FOREVERZ!!!!

This is how I choose to play as well.
I've got a USB full of characters I swap out, all built around a unique idea or playstyle that is not identical to any other character.

 

[Ruby Psiberzerker]

Here's a couple more tactics which work with Destruction. First off, you can use Dual Cast, and Impact to lock stun any 1 enemy. In a crowd scene, this can be a bit much, but you can conceivably cherry tap Alduin stark naked with nothing but Firebolt as long as your Magicka holds out. I suggest the Atronach Stone, and Highborn, or Dragonskin, because that's a lot of firebolts. Ice Storm can stagger several at once, so make sure you get them to line up in a corridor.

You Will have to run at some point, and here's where two of the lesser used spells come in handy. Runes, and "Walls". The latter are more like puddles of damage, but they're a whopping 70/second, and you can cast them at your feet with both hands while you hike up your skirts, and kite them onto them. Runes are the lower level equivalent, you don't need the Runemaster perk, just keep one charged to drop when the last one blows, and you don't even have to look back. Especially useful for giants out in the open, their mammoths can get caught in them too, so just run circles around them, and leave little nasty surprises for them to step on. You can also lead Draugr on a merry little chase through corridors where they can't avoid them, and fire damage really messes them up. Trolls, you don't want to fight trolls, do you? Kite them over the Fire Road...

 

[ResonanceSD]

oblivion: Sneak archer

skyrim: sword and lightning

Too easy =D

 

[Ruby Psiberzerker]

The easiest build is Sneak, and a bow, that's it. Take out some Forsworn first, they've got Dwarven level bows you can upgrade with Steel, and piles of armor. Go shoot some deer, tan the hides, and improve all the armor on their work benches. I guess you can wear the feather bikini too, but if you're any good with sneak, it's more than powerful enough to never get hit. By the time you clear them all out, you should have your Smithy up enough to get yourself something nice. Hit up the Draugr for some Ancient Nord Arrows, and then you can worry about One, or Two-handed. Start with Lost Valley Redoubt, because you can sneak around it taking pot-shots, and get 3-5 skill levels out of that alone. Real good strater training.

Spellsword is about the best rounded. Destruction, Heavy Armor, and 1 Handed. http://skyrimcalculator.com/#143900 http://cloud.steampowered.com/ugc/559819354429047383/67F1FDCCE523B1158B0046329C728C64B4C469C8/ Master Robes of Destruction, Nahkriin, Ebony Boots, Gloves, and Waraxe. Able to handle anything at level 19! I went Redguard, for Adrenaline Rush, since it's handy for sprinting from Riften Stables to Shor's Stone in a mad minute. Will also work for Imperial, or Dunmer at the same level. (A total of 15 skill levels off for 2 out of the 3 skills.)

 

[sextus the crazy]

I play a mageknight build myself (1-hand, heavy armor, bows, destruction, restoration)

 

[Jandau]

Pure Mage is viable, though slightly boring.

You'll have a rough early game, since you'll constantly be out of mana. Spells aren't cheap and it'll be a while before you get the gear to keep you going. But let's get to the build...

First, you'll probably want Destruction. I suggest focusing on Lightning spells since almost nothing is resistant to Lightning. Make sure you get the Impact perk as soon as possible, since it pretty much lets you stunlock anything. Next, I suggest Conjuration. It lets you summon fairly powerful companions, with the Dremora lord being a monster. Getting the Twin Souls perk means you can have two of them out at the same time and lets you casually stroll around the battlefield looting stuff while they butcher everything in sight.

Illusion is a mixed bag - You need to either go balls deep and max it out so it actually works on anything dangerous, or you can safely ignore it. However, I've never been much of a fan. Alteration is kinda crap, except for the spell resistance perk but still not something you want to rush for. Restoration is useful, but you only need the early spells to cover your healing needs, so not much need to spend points here either.

Enchanting is massively helpful. Aside from Archmage robes, most of the best Mage gear is crafted. Your goal is to drop the mana costs for Destruction spells to 0 or close to it. Since you can do double enchants with maxed skill, you can drop another school or two to 0 as well. I went with Destruction and Conjuration, myself, and once my gear was complete I could keep casting almost indefinitely.

The end result is a character who can lock down any single target (through impact), blast multiple targets with AoE spells, while two Dremora Lords run around choppiung everything and anything to bits. Seriously, max Conjuration, get about 2/3 of Destruction, max Enchanting and you can pretty much get anything else afterwards...