Chose the Atronach birth sign for the first time... now what?

[Nightweaver20xx]

OK, so I started a new character that used the Atronach birth sign for only like the second time in the 20 years I've been playing MW. Problem is, the Atronach has Wombburn, which prevents natural regeneration of MP while resting. So I was like oh, OK, I'll just use potions. The problem is that making Restore Magicka potions takes comberry (easy to find) and either Frost Salts, Void Salts or DAEDRA HEARTS. As a level 1 character those are nearly impossible to obtain in any quantity. What am I supposed to do about restoring my magicka before I get access to any of those?

[Minari99]

Maybe try to get a spell or amulet?

[Apocalypse]

The easiest ways are summoning an ancestral ghost, attacking it and absorbing its fire spell which he does as a first attack most of the time, (resummoning or killing it afterwards) if you dont mind playing like that or getting a blessing at an imperial cult or dunmer temple to absorb and fill your magicka with.
In case of the dunmer temple not all blessings work

[WingedKagouti]

Originally posted by Nightweaver20xx:

What am I supposed to do about restoring my magicka before I get access to any of those?

Join the Mages Guild, raid the Supply Chest in each guild hall for Restore Magicka potions. The chests restore their content after a while.

Frost Salts can be purchased from Nalcarya of White Haven in Balmora, she restocks her supply. They're the second least expensive ingredient (after Comberry) from a restocking merchant.

Use the fact that you have 50 Spell Absorption. as mentioned by Apocalypse.

[Dallas S]

Your best bet is to join the temple and cult so you get free shrine use, and use shrines to absorb magic.

If you don't want to do chores, then pick a different birthsign.

Atronach is best for half casters, for full casters it turns the game into tedium.

[WolfWrag]

merchants also sell them mana potions.. good gold burner..( me too have full caster with Atronach, so i make potions, sell bad ones and buy mana potions)

[The Flying Rodent]

Hi! Have a Mage Guide.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2834812759

Chapters 3 outlines methods for dealing with Magicka management, including tips for Atronach mages. The short version:

- Mages Guilds contain supply chests for a 1-time collection of potions (useful to start with),

- Various Alchemists sell restocking items in Morrowind, which includes certain Restore Magicka potions, as well as ingredients to make them,

- Atronachs can use roundabout methods to Restore Magicka using Spell Absorption, the most consistent being the use of certain Temple Shrine/Altar buffs.

[Nightweaver20xx]

Thanks for all these tips! I knew about the potions in the Mage's Guild chest, but those don't restock often. Nalcarya's supply of frost salts also doesn't restock that often from what I've seen, so my best bet is probably spell absorbtion through ancestor ghosts or joining the Temple/Imperial Cult for free shrine use.

[The Flying Rodent]

Originally posted by Nightweaver20xx:

Thanks for all these tips! I knew about the potions in the Mage's Guild chest, but those don't restock often. Nalcarya's supply of frost salts also doesn't restock that often from what I've seen, so my best bet is probably spell absorbtion through ancestor ghosts or joining the Temple/Imperial Cult for free shrine use.

5x Frost Salts at Nalcarya should restock every time you close and reopen the barter window, unless you have something installed that prevents that. They're a bit dear however (75gp each), so I'd go for guild chests and shrines first.

Good luck!

[Nightweaver20xx]

Oh that's right, the ingredients merchants restock every time you open a new barter window. I guess that could be my source of potion ingredients then, since I have no problem making money in game (I usually have 3,000 gold or so after the Seyda Neen quests, starter dungeon and looting stuff around Balmora).

[Valden21]

Originally posted by Nightweaver20xx:

Oh that's right, the ingredients merchants restock every time you open a new barter window. I guess that could be my source of potion ingredients then, since I have no problem making money in game (I usually have 3,000 gold or so after the Seyda Neen quests, starter dungeon and looting stuff around Balmora).

Don't forget that Nelcarya will drop her prices if she likes you. Getting her Disposition to 100 is usually one of the very first things I do upon reaching Balmora for the first time in a new playthrough.

[Captain Skinny]

So I'm going to let you in on a little cheese, but it can be explained from an in game perspective as magick is a rather potent force.

if you can drain your intelligence down to zero, it will fully recharge your magicka when it comes back. I would make a custom spell or enchant something, both are fairly easy and cheap. So make a spell or enchantment which drains INT 100 pts for 1 second, and when it comes back, you'll have full magicka. Say its a prayer or something so it makes sense in game, since shrines can restore your magick, a prayer should work the same. It might take some playing around so save before you start tinkering. Your natural resistances and any magicka resistant equipment will effect it. This strategy is 100x more effective than potions, shrines, and ghosts.

[Dallas S]

Pretty sure both MCP and openmw fix that exploit. Though it's probably toggleable in MCP

[Captain Skinny]

What kinda nerd doesn't play vanilla

[Elthrael]

Definitely check out Flying Rodent's Mage Guide, it's stellar.

If you want to play a magic character with Atronach, well, potions and Alchemy are kind of unavoidable. Luckily, leveling Alchemy is cheap and easy, it makes money (which you can spend on training Alchemy too to get to 100 even faster) and it levels Intelligence as well. Without giving too much away... you can buy super cheap ingredients to make potions and sell most of them back for quite a large profit. You can also gather two specific mushrooms in Seyda Neen to make a harmful (but 100% profitable) potion to make easy money.

Also, there's a... let's call it a "mechanic", since none of the popular patches fix it by default. If you buy, let's say, 5 of a restocking item (like Frost Salts) and immediately sell those 5 back, the Merchant will now stock 10 of that item. Buy 10, sell back 10, now they sell 20. I wouldn't consider this some kind of exploit since all it does is just save a bunch of needless clicking.

By far the easiest method, once you've gotten accustomed to how "fast travel" works in Morrowind, are the shrines. Do some quests for both the Imperial Cult and the Tribunal Temple and you'll get amulets of Almsivi and Divine Intervention, which teleport you to a shrine for free. Initially using the Tribunal Shrines/Imperial Altars costs some 20 gold, but after a few ranks (like 5 I think, fairly easy to achieve), they're 100% free. Just pop a Mark before you do it, teleport to a shrine, top up, and Recall back. Simple.

Originally posted by Dallas S:

Atronach is best for half casters, for full casters it turns the game into tedium.

Personally, I can't think of a reason NOT to take Atronach as a spellcaster. I find resting every few encounters more tedious, so I'd rather just chug Restore Magicka potions. And if I'm doing that anyway, why not get free Spell Absorption 50% as well?

Originally posted by Dallas S:

Pretty sure both MCP and openmw fix that exploit. Though it's probably toggleable in MCP

Yep. Togglable in MCP but fixed permanently if using MPP 1.6.6.