Tips for being a mage

[Rotanixel]

looking at starting a new character but heard being a mage was hard and would like to try how can i begin without dying?

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

I have not played a pure mage, but I suggest first creating your character using a custom class. The default mage class is almost ideal, but I recommend using Conjuration as a minor skill.

So your custom class would look like this.

Specialization Magic
Attributes Intelligence, Willpower

Major Skills

Alchemy
Alteration
Mercantile ( or use an alternate of your choice, just not conjuration)
Destruction
Illusion
Mysticism
Restoration

With this setup you can focus on Destruction to raise willpower and level Conjuration as a minor skill to raise Intelligence. This way you can raise both of these useful skills at the same time without them making you gain levels too quickly like they would when they are both major skills.

This way you can raise Destruction and Conjuration by 10 each level giving you +5 to INT and WILL at level up. Your third attribute can be whatever you want. You don't need to do 10 if it is to tedious. It is just an option. It is easier to do in the early levels.

Buy the Bound Dagger spell asap to have access to a more powerful weapon for your level and cast it often to raise your Conjuration skill. You should also buy summon Zombie. Both can be purchased at the Mages guild in Chorrol.

Then use Destruction Magic to damage enemies and use Conjuration to summon a helper to keep the enemy distracted while you cast spells at them or use Bound Dagger to melee.

Don't forget that wearing armor lowers your spell potency.

Gain access to the Arcane University by doing the recommendation quests ASAP.

After gaining access to the Arcane University create some custom spells with minimal magicka cost so you can spam them to gain skillups more easily.

Summon skeleton for 1 second to raise Conjuration skill very quickly.
Frost on self 3 Pts for 1 second on self to raise Destruction quickly.

Do this for every school of magic.

[ElCilantro]

level up, kill ♥♥♥♥, use magic. enchant ♥♥♥♥.. USE FROSTCRAG

[Rotanixel]

Also generally noted it seems that even as a warrior class i have that Daedra such as scamps are really hard to kill how would a mage deal with those?

[Omgwtfbbqkitten]

Originally posted by Rotanixel :D!:

Also generally noted it seems that even as a warrior class i have that Daedra such as scamps are really hard to kill how would a mage deal with those?

Conjuration. Make sure you buy Summon Zombie and Bound Dagger ASAP.

Summon a Zombie to fight enemies and then cast spells at whatever you are fighting while your zombie helps. You can also use a bound dagger to melee if you are in trouble. The bound dagger is pretty strong early on.

Zombie is one of the better starter summons. Then as you progress in conjuration skill buy Headless Zombie and then Clannfear. The summons purchasable in the Shivering Isles are also good.

[Kongha]

Except for the kind and excellent advice from the post before mine I would really like to recommmend the mod LAME 1.7. It makes the mage experince glorious.

[Ser Eylseer Dragonheart]

A solid mage? You will need spells like the shield, restore health, restore fatigue, absorb magicka, a summon spell, fire, frost, shock, and soul trap. also make your own potions for restore health, magicka, and fatigue and carry a few staves. The first dungeon has a weak one but is quite effective at the begining