Help with mage types!

[Gorgan]

I am trying to create a magic-oriented character. My problem is that i cant seem to pick one that suits me. I was wondering what kind of magic users are the most fun to play with (battlemages, sorcercers, etc.). I am trying to roleplay this game.

i was also wondering whether heavy armor is any good for a mage. I think it looks pretty cool, but it doesnt quite seem o fit in the "mage" type mold. Weapons are another problem. If possible, state your magic characters with weapon types and armor types. Thanks

[Loredweller]

Why don't you try some cross-platform character - nightblade, spellsword, witch-hunter? Nightblade might be a bit more difficult at the opening, Wittchhunter a bit easier (because of initial set of spells and abilities), altogether they are fun to play. Spellsword is more fighting type, i haven't tried it myself yet, altogether i guess it'd interesting enough.
If it's your first game i'd suggest first to try some predefined classes anyway, just to catch up with game logic. I just wonder if you aren't blinded by terms "minor" and "major". In fact (esp. after the last patch) they only determines what skills raising advance you to next level and what don't. And leveling up is important almost only as a tool to improve your stats (and to get stronger opponents and better treasure on some occasions). As i believe standart classes and races cover all spectre and fits all tastes prety well for most part - if one's really paying attention. I really do know because i got here from ADD, too, and it took some time and thought to get adjusted
As for heavy armor - if you're Nord or Redguard it's all ok, you may even be able to wear a lighter suit of heavy armor at startup, however you could carry little more. Altogether i do not understand why mages couldn't wear a heavy armor, it seems to me you've brought prejudices from other games in the world of Morrowind. There's no penalty on armor type in the Morrowind as in ADD rulesets(BG and NWN games), and, say, Battlemages are supposed to wear heavy armor (as well as some other magic or hybrid classes are supposed to wear medium, what's not very light, too).
For roleplaying part ... as i understand it one's playing some character, not the class (leaving aside the question about motivation to chose that or another class ) So almost the same character may be of almost any class (and quite different ones of the same class). What matters is motivation and behavior. BTW, the questioning at the startup is very nice idea, why do not use it instead of choosing from the list (one have to choose race and birthsign anyway), it would be true roleplaying from very very begining.

[NeoCount]

I'm also a new player and just now I'm getting the hang of it. I play a spellsword. This class is a combo of 'fighter-mage". The spell focus is on Restoration (healing, restoring, etc.), Destruction (spells that do damage) and Alteration. However, at the beginning I used mainly my sword and (medium) armor, and relied less on spells.

To sum up - spellsword is a nice class but if you like your mages a bit more 'magic-like', you should consider another class.

[Loredweller]

Well, it's very complicate to play pure mage without caring about fighting abilities. Spellsword is good at the begining also because (due the medium armor) you inevitably should put investiment in endurance. As erlier you grow you endurance as more HP you'll get later. There are weapons and monsters later in the game what might destroy you character in one hit if you hadn't paid attention to your endurance.
And, BTW, if you do not relay heavy on the alchemy, your maqicka runs out with lightning speed, so you just have to be able to fall back to most unmagical fighting at need. (100 INT for Atronach sign means only 200 magicka, if you're Breton then 350, it's very limited amount, Summon Golden Saint requests 165, Resist Paralysis 50% - 300 ...)
Altogether the magical firepower of magicans is so low and means to restore the magicka so weak at first levels that some h2h skill is just necessary.

[Sojourner]

I'm currently playing a Nightblade and having a lot of fun with it. Most of the major/minor magic skills suit my playing style quite well - except for Destruction, which I just don't use that much. The next time I play, I'll probably play with a custom class based on the Nightblade, with Alchemy as a major/minor skill instead of Destruction. I like being able to snipe with the bow. I find the following magic skills important:

• Mysticism: For Soul Trap and teleport spells like Mark, Recall, Almsilvi & Divine Intervention
• Illusion: For Night-Eye, Chameleon, and Invisibility
• Restoration: For Restore Health & Fatigue, and Cure spells
• Alteration: Levitate, Water Breathing, and Water Walking
• Enchant: The higher this is, the less quickly you drain an enchanted item
• Alchemy: For making those all-important potions like Restore Magicka, Cure Paralysis and Cure Disease. With a high Alchemy skill, you can make ones superior to those sold, and depending on what ingredients you use, they'll weigh less, too.

When I have enough money, I have an enchanter make me some items with constant effects (trying to make these on your own usually fails, even with Enchant=100). One of the items I make is a ring with constant effect Bound Bow - the best bow in the game. Due to some quirk/bug in the game, even with Tribunal installed, the bow eventually becomes permanent and I can take off the ring.

Heavy armor is nice, but you need a really strong character to be able to wear it and carry a bunch of stuff. If you've got a strong PC and heavy armor happens to be one of your major/minor skills, then go for it.

[Loredweller]

Uncle, are we speaking about role-playing or class-playing? Choosing the class is part of role, of course, but it's the first step. There is quite fair spectre of possible decisions and behavior in the game, and IMHO it's actually what the roleplaying is - making decisions and behave, isn't it?

Sojourner, have you alchemy applied while enchanting? With 2k-4k INT, about 1k LUCK and (sic!) 700 or more PERS i hardly fail any enchantment, even CE with 50 skill. Personality is surprising factor not mentioned in manual (actually i'm not the one who discovered it, i got it on this board some time ago)