Mage Build: NO ENCHANTING

This guide discusses mage playstyles, gear, and skill setups which don't include the use of enchanting.

I find magic to the be most fun way to play Elder Scrolls because it's flashy, colourful, and comes with a plethora of fun and useful utility spells.

I've read numerous mage guides and they all include using enchanting to increase your power. I find this approach kills the mage gameplay by making the player overpowered. Unfortunately it's very easy to fall into the enchanting trap, so I've decided to share my build and ideas behind my enchantment-free mage!

Introduction

Magic has always been my favourite way to go in the Elder Scrolls series, and Skyrim is no different. Becoming a master of the arcane is an exciting journey, but when magic is combined with enchanting, the caster becomes overpowered and the entire experience becomes a total bore.

This guide is: a list of gear and gameplay styles for a fun and balanced mage.
This guide is not: the formula for the most powerful mage build.

Race

I recommend playing as a Breton especially if you plan on starting on a higher difficulty. The Dragonskin ability makes some fights (especially dragon priests) much easier. That being said, race is pretty irrelevant overall.

Gear

As I mentioned before, enchanting can ruin mages by making them way too powerful, so I stick to unique gear. My current equipped inventory is such:
• Archmage’s Robes
• Diadem of the Savant
• Boots (shock resist from the Archmage quarters)
• Savos Aren’s Amulet
• Ahzidal’s Ring of Arcana (Dragonborn)

With this gear I can use the mage armour 3x perk along with ebony flesh for an armour rating of about 310. It also provides a spell cost reduction of 20% for every school, and plenty of extra magicka and magicka regeneration. No need for enchanting!

The Ring of Arcana from the Dragonborn DLC isn’t necessary, however it provides the ignite spell which is an amazing DOT spell for mages specialized in fire.

Skills

Destruction:
Obviously this skill is your first priority as it will be your main damage dealer. The most important perks to unlock are:
• Augmented Element (2) ( I use fire)
• Novice and Apprentice Casting
• Dual Casting
• Impact

Alteration:
Another important skill as it provides all of your armour as well as utility spells. Important perks include:
• Novice-Expert Casting
• Atronach
• Stability
• Magic Resistance
• Dual casting

Restoration:
This one should be on the list for every build; it’s invaluable for licking wounds mid-fight. Recommended perks:
• Novice-Adept Casting
• Recovery (2)
• Regeneration
• Avoid Death

Illusion:
Illusion is very important to a pyro-mage because of the Aspect of Terror perk. Fire damage is tied in with fear, so increasing the power of fear spells also increases the damage of fire spells. The change is minor for most spells, but if the Aspect of Terror perk is acquired AFTER the Augmented Flames (2/2) perks, then it makes the ignite spell 3.5x stronger! Recommended perks:
• All of them except Master Illusion

Conjuration:
Personally I didn’t touch conjuration until well into the late game. Throughout the game I always had several friends willing to adventure with me, so it always seemed pointless to invest valuable perks and magicka into this skill. Like illusion this is a very easy skill to power level, simply cast soul trap on a corpse repeatedly until you hit 100. Perks:
• I didn’t use any

Alchemy:
This is a fantastic skill to invest in. If you play on Master or Legendary difficulty, you may find the gear I mentioned above to be lacking in certain tough fights. Alchemy is a great way to give yourself a TEMPORARY boost to help you over those humps. This way you’re only at your most powerful when you need to be, so the game remains dynamic and fun. The other selling point for alchemy is that it is the only way (besides perks) to actually increase your spell damage. Drinking a fortify destruction potion made by a master alchemist will make all the difference when there’s a legendary dragon circling overhead. Alchemy is very easy to level up if you make expensive potions; there are several other guides which list the ingredients for such potions. I recommend these perks:
• Alchemist (5)
• Physician
• Benefactor

The ingredients with the fortify destruction property include:
• Beehive Husk
• Ectoplasm
• Glow Dust
• Glowing Mushroom
• Nightshade
• Wisp Wrappings
• Ash Creep Cluster (Dragonborn)

Play Style

First thing is first: dual casting. Casting a spell in both hands is more magicka efficient than combining them, meaning you will do more damage per magicka point if you don’t dual cast. The only reason to dual cast with destruction spells is the impact perk, which causes dual casted spells to stagger your opponent for a couple seconds. Dual cast your first spell to stagger your opponent, and then hit them with two separate casts. Repeat those two steps successfully and you will stun-lock your helpless target until they’re a pile of ash.

Be sure to use a melee follower in the early game, this is especially important on the harder difficulties when you find yourself running out of magicka quickly. Followers become less important as you level up and get good gear.

Always have your armour spell up, even if it’s an easy fight and you don’t necessarily need it. You can always use the alteration xp!

Drink a fortify destruction potion before a very tough fight. Legendary Dragons on legendary difficulty can take a long time to kill otherwise. This isn’t that necessary in the early game, but can save your life in the late game.

Use your apprentice level destruction spells as your main DPS spells (fire bolt, lightning bolt, ice spike) the adept level spells and higher are not worth the magicka cost.

Mix it up! Use a calm spell and walk away from a fight from time to time, it’s nice to have that kind of power. Experiment with all the magic schools, and use utility spells often.

Recommended Mods

I don’t recommend using any mods that alter the gameplay itself until after you’ve played through as a mage at least once. However, there are a few mods that really add to the magic experience without changing the overall game.

• Burn Freeze Shock Effects[skyrim.nexusmods.com] (affects the corpses of those killed with magic for better immersion)
• Deadly Spell Impacts[skyrim.nexusmods.com] (better looking effects when a spell strikes the environment)
• Ultimate HD Fire Spells[skyrim.nexusmods.com] (updates the look of fire magic, great for a pyro mage like myself)
• City Teleport Spells[skyrim.nexusmods.com] (provides a more magical alternative to fast travel)

Conclusion

If you want to have a lore friendly experience as a Skyrim mage, and want to avoid becoming too powerful, I recommend avoiding enchanting and using the above tips instead!

[Thuggiestylez]

Oh this guide is old but came up in my feed Looks interesting

[Melletch]

I will have to remember this guide for my next playthrough...Which is when my first character dies! This seems interesting for that element of danger I elected to go on with in my new characters. Have not read the full guide, but when I saw impact with dual casting, I know already you got the right idea for this. But I do like the free magicka from enchanting. I believe this guide will be good for any kind of playstyle it seems, as I did not enchant the free magicka gear until late game and had to use abilities like usual. Thumbs up!

[Keyfox]

I'll have to remember this guide for my next playthrough. Thanks

[Ladyliz]

I too. dont like playing as a mage and then use enchanting. In fact in the beginning i didnt use it at all, on any of the character i created, because i felt it was kind a EVIL magic. Taking a animals soul and use it to power weapons, i mean using dark souls is ofcourse more evil. But still... This was in the beginning of course now i use it all the time :P

[Warondar]

Excellent guide and I will be using it to make a new character. As you mentioned, I find characters can easily be overpowered in this game with enchanting, blacksmithing, and/or alchemy combinations no matter the class. This method you use should make the game a lot more fun in my view. Thanks.

[TheBadGame]

Nice guide thanks

[Minsekt]

nice guide, thanks

[Fiepa]

nice guide

[Tealtyr]

Try using the atranoch perk, the atranoch stone, and some of miraak's apparel to make yourself ammune to magic, as well as absorbing all magic coming at you, making it seem like you have infinite mana. Makes dragon fights very easy and dragon priests become helpless.

[Ferdi]

nice guide on how to play a mage