Good static loot for Early mage characters?

[Fey Dragonette]

Started a new mage build and looking for good apparel loot + staves, for mage characters to last until I get my enchantment up over time.

Edit: this is for my switch version. So I'm relatively certain it's not moddable, not that I like most mods anyway.

[Geltini]

I use the "Prepare for Adventure" spell, obtainable through the Apocalypse mod, it adds many new spells and staves to the game

[jancawa55]

Try Dwemer Storage cube. stocked version

[Fey Dragonette]

Originally posted by panda_express411:

Do the College of Winterhold quest line and get the Archmage set. It will last you for a while.
Mages kind of get screwed with loot in this game, especially if you don't use armor.

Yeah I know about the Archmages gear and the dragon priest mask that's good for mages. Was hoping for earlier stuff to last me till then

[DrNewcenstein]

If the Switch version can't be modded, why bother?

[Fey Dragonette]

Originally posted by DrNewcenstein:

If the Switch version can't be modded, why bother?

A.) Not everything needs to be modded ridiculously to be enjoyable.

B.) I like something better than ♥♥♥♥♥♥ phone games to play on the go I.E public transport.

[Mringasa]

Depends on if you want to RP your playthrough or not.

Ring of Namira is a nice vanilla piece, but a lot of people have issues with the quest and requirements to activate the stats.

Any Necromancer, Witch, or Mage Lair is going to have good quality magic items for a relevant level caster. Wiki has all those locations in the World -> Locations menu. You'll find Clothes, Staves, Potions and such that are leveled to you.

Dark Brotherhood gear offers some decent stats early game if you begin that questline ASAP. Can get some good stuff from the old guy (Fenrix?) as well as potions/ingredients from Babette. You can pause the questline at almost any point as well, so no need to rush through.

Dawnguard is mostly Warrior oriented except for the insane Arkay priest. He will offer some good things once you've recruited him if you are doing it on the Dawnguard side. Vampire side will have excellent choices for a mage, plus the Vampire powers complement a mage playthrough very nicely.

[Fey Dragonette]

Originally posted by Mringasa:

Depends on if you want to RP your playthrough or not.

Ring of Namira is a nice vanilla piece, but a lot of people have issues with the quest and requirements to activate the stats.

Any Necromancer, Witch, or Mage Lair is going to have good quality magic items for a relevant level caster. Wiki has all those locations in the World -> Locations menu. You'll find Clothes, Staves, Potions and such that are leveled to you.

Dark Brotherhood gear offers some decent stats early game if you begin that questline ASAP. Can get some good stuff from the old guy (Fenrix?) as well as potions/ingredients from Babette. You can pause the questline at almost any point as well, so no need to rush through.

Dawnguard is mostly Warrior oriented except for the insane Arkay priest. He will offer some good things once you've recruited him if you are doing it on the Dawnguard side. Vampire side will have excellent choices for a mage, plus the Vampire powers complement a mage playthrough very nicely.

Thanks mate, very thorough response.

I'm definitely planning on vampire playthrough as my Rogue/warrior playthroughs are Dawnguard.

I'm feeling a little roleplay like at the moment. I'll touch it up more or less depending on how I'm feeling

[Duneman]

Really early game stuff?

It's hard to describe, but there's a free Atronach Staff laying out in the wilderness in Falkreath. It's at the western end of the hold, inside a mushroom fairy circle. IIRC it's near a bluff that has a Shrine of Akatosh on it. There's also a powerful Staff of Paralysis inside Snapleg Cave east of Ivarstead and north of Sarethi Farm. You can also get a Staff of Revenants in a ruin just outside Morthal, just to the southeast.

Alternatively if you memorized the related recipes you can make Conjuration staves with the Atronach Forge under the College of Winterhold. You always need a Broom and at least a Greater Soul Gem, then pair ingredients based on the type of staff you want: Fire Salt and Corundum for a Flame Atronach, Frost Salt and Moonstone for a Frost Atronach, or Void Salt and Orichalcum for a Storm Atronach.

The Atronach Forge can also make other things for you. A Roll of Paper with some Charcoal can be combined with the Salt of your choice for a Scroll of the matching Atronach. An Empty Wine Bottle combined with Ectoplasm(several of these can be found in the College) and any Soul Gem will give you a Conjurer's Elixir.

If you know where Labyrinthian is, then visiting Shalidor's Maze will net you 4 Staves. They are Firebolt, Fear, Magelight, and Repulsion.

[Zsrai]

If you're looking for robes/hoods/jewelry for mages... there isn't much that's not just generic loot. Your best bet would just be to check court mages and the college to try and grab a decent robe and hood early on. Then just hope you find a decent ring and necklace (health, magicka, magicka regen) fairly quickly.

I'd aim for the Mage's Circlet (after level 25, so you get the best version), Archmage's Robes, Archmage's Boots (pretty much the only enchanted non-armor footwear in the game), Gauldur Amulet, and then some ring you find. There are no caster bonus pre-enchanted gloves IIRC. You can also join the DB and get some half decent robes there, but I find them absolutely hideous.

[Duneman]

Speaking of generic clothing and jewelry though, Radiant Raiment in Solitude has the widest selection. The elves that run it are stuck up, but the merchandise is there. Besides, one of the sisters, Taarie IIRC, warms up to you somewhat if you do a short quest for her.

Oh, and there's also a free Flame Cloak spell tome on the northern shores of Winterhold Hold. It's what the missing apprentice Yisra was working on.