Mage build help?

[Casual Cucumber]

I have never really touched a mage style character in this game, and would like to know what build you would suggest.
Thanks for any help :)

[The Flying Rodent]

Lots of options. May I suggest having a read here. :)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Morrowind/comments/5fadt6/playing_a_pure_mage_in_morrowind_a_comprehensive/

[Casual Cucumber]

Originally posted by The Flying Rodent:

Lots of options. May I suggest having a read here. :)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Morrowind/comments/5fadt6/playing_a_pure_mage_in_morrowind_a_comprehensive/

Thanks helped a bunch!

[The Flying Rodent]

No worries! From my personal experience playing Mages, I’d say TedtheViking’s interpretation of a good ‘pure mage’ is pretty spot on.

You’ll want to prioritise manoeuvrability in some way, because not having that option when you’re squishy feels pretty bad. I’d definitely take Athletics as a Major , and opt for Light or Unarmoured as a Minor [probably Light Armour, as this will provide significantly more protection than Unarmored, unless the character reeeaaallly invests in Unarmored skill and Enchantments]. I’d also take some Weapon skill as a Minor [Short Blade, Blunt Weapon or Spear are all good choices IMO], as it’s handy to have one as a backup for when Magicka reserves run low, and also to use ‘instead’ of Magicka reserves when fighting easy opponents later on.

I probably wouldn’t bother with Acrobatics as a Major or Minor though: this skill is easy enough to increase by simply jumping everywhere, and it’s probably better to save this slot for another skill. You have potentially 7 Magic Skills that can be taken as Major or Minor [I'd avoid Enchant, for the reasons stated in the guide], and then Athletics, a Weapon Skill, and either Unarmored or Light Armour. That's 10 right there.

The Fair Magicka Regen mod is something worth looking into as well. It doesn't regenerate the Magicka enough to have much of an impact mid-fight, but it what it DOES do is regenerate it BETWEEN fights. Which means that the character does not have to rest nearly as often. Without this mod, it is not uncommon for a Magic character to have to rest for 8+ hours after just about every fight, if they don't have Potions on hand or some other way to regenerate their Magicka [e.g. Atronach Spell Absorption]. Just be aware that the Regen mod does not work well in combination with the Atronach sign, as the Stunted Magicka also applies to the Regen.

One thing that is not mentioned in that guide: Bound Item spells (Conjuration) are exceptionally powerful early on, and casting them regularly can help level up your Conjuration skill for later in the game [when it becomes a lot more useful]. You can combine their effects into a short- duration ‘skirmish’ spell, and turn even the squishiest spellcasters into a respectable tank for a short period of one, and for relatively low Magicka cost. Bound Armour spells have a fixed armour value however regardless of skill level, so this tactic becomes less effective as the game goes on.

An Example would be: Bound Helmet/Cuirass/Boots/Gauntlets/Shield/Mace [can be any weapon, as shields provide protection even when using something two handed like a Spear] for 20 seconds on self [12 Magicka cost total]. This provides 56 Armour Rating and 10 Agility/Speed/Weapon Skill, for the cost of 2 Fire Bite spells. Definitely not to be sneezed at!

If you have any more questions just ask. Best of luck!