Aralos on 6/2/2009 at 02:21
If you want to have powerful magic spells with limited magicka, you might try making some like this - total magicka cost is 300. Fortify magicka self 100 for 1 sec, fire damage target XX (around 80 something, as I recall -adjust fire damage at the end to get a total spell magicka cost of 300 or less), weakness to fire target 100 for 10 sec, weakness to magic target 100 for 10 sec, restore magicka self 100 for 3 sec. Damage grows exponentially as sequential spells are used. Be careful of those NPC that reflect spells (lich, etc.) - you can kill yourself. The same approach can be used for summoning, polymorphing, paralyzing, fortifying health/magicka/fatigue - just about everything with a significant spell cost. Become the mage god you always wanted to be! Using these spells, I play the game on the most difficult setting and still blast my way through.
PeeperStorm on 6/2/2009 at 07:38
Yes, it's one of many well known techniques for removing all challenge from the game.
steo on 6/2/2009 at 15:33
Destruction skill 100 + being able to make your own spells = silly amounts of power. Come to think of it, I remember mages being poorly balanced even before destruction mastery. I remember raising the difficulty slider to about 3/4 to try and make the game harder but then it just means that you still kill anything pretty easily but on the off chance that something actually hits you, you're dead before you can say healing potion. It's nice to have something in between perfectly healthy and dead as a doornail.
Aralos on 6/2/2009 at 17:54
Yes, it could take the challenge out of the game if abused. What it does offer is an alternative role playing mode if you already have 400 hours of slinking in the shadows avoiding battles or running in circles waiting for your magicka to restore. This should be used judiciously just like getting over 100% resist magic or reflect damage - it's no fun to walk around the game invulnerable. At high levels of difficulty, the extra firepower is about balanced out by more powerful opponents, still making for a fun experience.
Xenith on 6/2/2009 at 21:11
I always had problems with destruction spells. Then again, I always had problems with mages in Oblivion. Guess it's not my char type. I do remember making some spell combos, like two spell that give 50% chameleon at a lower illusion skill so they add up to 100%. Made a good getaway spell. Of course that doesn't apply to destruction.. I think...
The destruction spell idea sounds interesting. At about level 47 or 48 (if you have the patience to get there that is...) I can really see it becoming useful. (I'm a 47 sneakie type marksman and some of the creatures are a chore to get rid of sometimes). I might make another mage char yet. :D
steo on 7/2/2009 at 14:52
I found, at least with my selection of mods (OOO mostly), mages were by far the easiest to play, probably followed by stealthy archers. It's all about the ranged attacks.
There's plenty of other mods aimed specifically at mages, Midas magic was quite fun, there was a spell to summon a magic carpet which was basically a superfast horse. Also, mark and recall ftw.
