GameBanshee Forums

Hi !

I recently restarted the game, and, for the first time, I play a mage character. It´s a lot of fun, but definitely more difficult than with my usual warrior/archer characters.
Now, I´d like some advice from all you experienced mages and sorcerors out there :
What do you do to make your mage combat-worthy. I can hold my own if I can prepare for a battle. However, the enemy surprises me or I don´t have room to move, I am toast. I usually try to conjure up some meat shields to keep the enemies at a distance, but if they get within striking distance, I am usually done for.
So, how do you do it ?
My mage has no combat talent at all except for unarmored and short blade, no armor proficiency. My major talents are in destruction, alteration and conjuration, also mysticism, restoration and illusion.

BTW, where can I buy the spells "Summon Skeletal Champion" and "Summon Daedroth" ?

Almsivi Intervention and Divine Intervention.

The Intervention spells are nice if I want to run from things, but I wanna kill them to harvest souls !

I'm not exactly using a run of the mill mage for my character, i created a magical class called Dark Magician but I always find adding your favourite weapon class in minor skills helps out at the begining, but i always use a magical weapon, because if the attack fails the magic sometimes doesn't..and you need that sort of thing when starting.

Well, my mage has progressed quite a bit already (ca. lvl 13, Arch-Mage of the Mages´ Guild, Spellwright of House Telvanni), my only weapon skill is short blade as a minor skill. I just wonder how you guys avoid melee combat. Enemies surprise me quite often, especially when I explore ruins or tombs, and in close quarters, my summoned critters hardly help.

We run away If you are alert (especially to the music) it is usually rare for you to get surprised. If you do get surprised there is nothing a little invisibility won't cure

True, but what´s the fun of being a bad ass necromancer, if some moron can just walk up to you, stick something pointy into your unarmored self and you can´t do anything but watch and squirm !
Also, there are fights you can´t avoid... and how to get all theses shiny Golden Saint souls for your powerful enchanted items ?
There have to be tactics which allow mages to kill things !

You're good in alteration, right?


Levitate and rain hellfire upon the unworthy.

There´s a thought ! Here´s another one : I enchanted a pair of paints with Bound Cuirass and Bound Boots (CE), I hope this extends my staying power

Won't work. You need armour skills. The bound armour do give a bonus, but not enough to matter if you've never trained in them.

Well, wearing the pants doubles my armor class. Probably not enough to survive extended melee combat, but perhaps long enough for a strategic retreat or to summon some beasties.

Bound weapons increase your skill with that weapons class by 10, so if you know any short blade, getting a bound short sword will help.

It also stands to reason that bound armour will increase your skill with that armour.

I know it won't work for everything but have you tried Paralyze? Also have tried damage Strength(so they become encumbered and can't move) or Damage Speed?

Mages are only hard in the beginning, once you raise your skills up to a decent lvl and you can make some powerful spells, you can pretty much wipe out most creature in the game with one or two spells.

It also stands to reason that bound armour will increase your skill with that armour.

But is it enough to be practical? Not too likely.

[QUOTE=Rookierookie]But is it enough to be practical? Not too likely.[/QUOTE]

An increase of +10 or +15 can make the difference between a hit that wounds, and a hit that kills.

And if he chose unarmoured, he'll likely still have a higher rating naked.

@Ares :

Any suggestions for specific spells ? I use Force Bolt quite often, which does damage and paralyzes, but unfortunately, many of the more difficult enemies have high magic resistances.

You say you've got short blade right? Then go right up and stab 'em in the stomach.

There is nothing you can do about resistance, absorb, and reflect. The best you can do with pure magic in this situation is to cast spells on yourself or summon something to fight.

In the beggining, you will need to use short blade, but afterwards, when you are stronger, you can simply fireball their ass, and if the badie is even stronger, just use strageical battle spells.

[QUOTE=Rookierookie]And if he chose unarmoured, he'll likely still have a higher rating naked.[/QUOTE]

No question, and if that's all the various bound armor spells did, he'd be better off without using 'em. But several of those spells also increase stats: +10 Speed, +10 Agility, etc. So you have to factor in not just the improvement to the armor class, but the improvement to attributes, which can make a big difference.