Is enchant worth it?

[moltovir]

After finishing the game with my Orc Fighter, I'm so addicted to it that I want to start a new game immediatly, this time with a badass Telvanni Mage. 8 of my major/minor skill slots are already filled with magic skills, one with Blunt Weapon (for staves), and now I have 1 slot left. As the title says, is enchant worth picking? One of the threads is found on this board said it's uber, the other 25 say you can never enchant a constant effect item with your skill at 100 and one million intelligence points. What's your opinion about enchant?

PS: some tips about must-have spells for starting mages are also welcome

[dragon wench]

It depends on how you look at it
The reason to choose Enchant as a major or minor skill can be two-fold. The higher your Enchant skill, the more quickly magical items in your inventory recharge. Also, even though it is rare to achieve CE, you can enchant a lot a lot of other things, like weapons with a 'cast on strike' enchantment, which saves you considerable gold.

That being said, however. It is also just as possible to simply pay for Enchant training (practicing this skill can be difficult unless you have a stack of minor soul gems on you that you use for recharging) when you have some money to burn and make do without until then.

Equally, while enchanting your own items can save you gold...it is not as though there are a shortage of funds to be had in the game..
So really, IMO, it is mostly just the satisfaction of doing it yourself.

I have selected Enchant as a major or minor skill previously, but this time I did not, and I really have yet to find a reason for regret, but this is just my opinion, I'm sure others will differ

btw: Handy tip if you don't already know. Highlight to be slightly spoiled... If you get Azura's Star, and have a cast on strike soul trap weapon it is much easier to recharge items and train yourself in enchant..


EDIT
Just saw your question about spells

My must haves, though some of these apply to any character, are:
Mark/Recall
Divine/Almsivi Intervention
Heal
Ondusi's Open Door (Unlock)
Telekinesis (if you have a bent for pilfering others' belongings, not to mention that it can be used to avoid traps)
Levitate
Water Walking (You will likely need both Water Walk and Levitate if you join Telvanni)
Some kind of Shock/Lightening spell
Poison

[moltovir]

Thanks! Gold isn't much of a problem, at level 20 I was already running around with 1 million drakes. But the recharging sounds cool, I didn't know you could recharge your items with a soul gem. This are that stats I'm planning to choose, but it can still change:

Race: Breton
Sign: ?
Attributes: Intelligence, Willpower
Major: Conjuration, Destruction, Alteration, Illusion, Mysticism
Minor: Speechcraft, Unarmored, Blunt Weapon, Enchant, Restoration

Yes, I know unarmored is probably the baddest skill in the game, but I have an excellent mod installed that gives you sanctuary points when you go up in Unarmored, up to a maximum of 50 pts at skill lvl 100.

[dragon wench]

Those look fine to me, though it, of course, it always boils down to personal preference and playing style. You may want to consider Alchemy instead of Illusion, but again, very much your choice

Regarding birth signs: If you are going for a pure mage, selecting The Atronach is a thought. The stunted magicka aspect of the sign can be quite easily overcome. All mage guild halls have regularly refilling supply chests that stock magicka replenishing potions...Plus if you practice alchemy these are easily made. Or you could be born under The Mage, which gives you a magic boost without the penalty.

Alternatively, if you are looking to balance your natural skills more and are looking for less of an uber mage, The Lady is not a bad way to go, especially since it gives you a 25 point boost in Personality, in addition to Endurance, handy if you are selecting Speechcraft.

[Aztaroth]

Cool mod. Could you give me a link? My mages have all died quite suddenly because of Unarmored suckage.

On the other hand, you can't enchant your body... (now THERE'S an idea for a mod...)

[moltovir]

Thanks again

I had my doubts about the Atronach sign, but the Restore Magicka potions + the Magicka Regeneration Mod (currently set at 800 seconds) will do fine

I have also found one of the best mods for mages: one that adds two recolored Exquisite Robes. I just detest the Pink/Yellow combination. Well, not the best mod, but a very enjoyable one The reason why I don't take Alchemy is simple: when you start making potions it levels up so quickly that taking Alchemy as a Major/Minor skill is a waste of space. Just my humble opinion though.

[dragon wench]

lol! Not to get too far off topic, but I hate the game robes too. I use a very nice black number, along with a black cape, from the Metal Queen Boutique mod (though it only really caters to female characters). The look suits my dark elf very well

I know what you mean about Alchemy, I think, really, it depends on where we want our handicaps to lie. I get bored collecting/finding alchemical ingredients, so I find successive potion failures irksome. Yes.. I am impatient by nature

[moltovir]

Originally Posted by dragon wench

Yes.. I am impatient by nature

Join the club

I just left the Census Office, kept Fargoths ring (mwuahaha), stole his money (mwuaha #2) and didn't give it to Hriskarr (mwuahaha #3). Being evil is cool
Thanks for your tips, right now I'm searching 5 pieces of muck for my first Telvanni quest . Tip for a newbie who just started as mage: make sure you have a spell that does Frost or Shock damage. It took me half an hour to figure out why that damned Dark Elf wouldn't die while I was throwing fireballs at him

[Sojourner]

Originally Posted by dragon wench

It depends on how you look at it
The reason to choose Enchant as a major or minor skill can be two-fold. The higher your Enchant skill, the more quickly magical items in your inventory recharge. Also, even though it is rare to achieve CE, you can enchant a lot a lot of other things, like weapons with a 'cast on strike' enchantment, which saves you considerable gold.

This is where the alchemy skill comes into play - buy stacks of netch leather and ash yams (very cheap), as well as cork bulb and guar hide, buy/steal master's or better alchemy apparatus, and make a ton of fortify health and fortify luck potions. It's best to make some of each, drink them, rinse & repeat until you're making uber-potions. Getting your intelligence around 5000 and your luck around 200 will let you make a lot of CE items, of up to 100 enchant points.

[dragon wench]

Indeed... and those uber potions can also be sold for a nice profit to Creeper

[Dark Master]

Originally Posted by moltovir

Thanks again

I had my doubts about the Atronach sign, but the Restore Magicka potions + the Magicka Regeneration Mod (currently set at 800 seconds) will do fine

I may well be wrong here, but I was sure that the regeneration mod didn't work for atronanch players, all part of the balance issues, and you wouldn't regenerate magicka. It can be a problem lugging all those potions around, but remember that you are able to absorb 50% of the ALL magicka cast at you. Casting mark, then divine intervention and then using the cult blessings gives you the biggest magicka hit in the game, (restore attributes), you'll absorb more than enough to refill you totally, cast recall and then go back to your questing.

BTW, since you see, like a fan of mods, have you considered the Less Generic NPC mods? So far the towns Ald Velothi, Khuul, Maar Gan, Gnaar Mok, and Hla Oad have been replaced with the same NPCs, with totally unique dialoge.

DM

[Anonononomous]

I would use light armor instead of unarmored. Then you can snag the Cuirass of Saviour's Hide. Combine that with the Atronach and you're good to go.


And I always like the fireball spells.

[Sojourner]

Originally Posted by Dark Master

I may well be wrong here, but I was sure that the regeneration mod didn't work for atronanch players, all part of the balance issues, and you wouldn't regenerate magicka. It can be a problem lugging all those potions around, but remember that you are able to absorb 50% of the ALL magicka cast at you. Casting mark, then divine intervention and then using the cult blessings gives you the biggest magicka hit in the game, (restore attributes), you'll absorb more than enough to refill you totally, cast recall and then go back to your questing.

Snag the Necromancer's Amulet from a certain Mage for even more spell-absorbing fun.

[Sean The Owner]

i think about it this way....you have either an enchanted item(say a weapon) that does more damage than it does when it isnt enchanted...what would you rather use?(id choose enchanted obviously)

[moltovir]

Originally Posted by Dark Master

BTW, since you see, like a fan of mods, have you considered the Less Generic NPC mods? So far the towns Ald Velothi, Khuul, Maar Gan, Gnaar Mok, and Hla Oad have been replaced with the same NPCs, with totally unique dialoge.

DM

You're right about the mods, currently I have over 55 mods installed. But thats still less than nothing if you compare with Fable

@Anonomonous: I have considered the Cuirass, but it makes the game too easy (the combo Breton + Cuirass gives you 110% magicka resistance), and from roleplaying perspective I think mages shouldn't wear armor, because it decreases their mobility.