Pure Magic ?

[joe05]

Has anyone finished all 3 games just using Magic ?

Reason I ask is, I'm finding several magic resistant characters + one who reflects magic back ... and I've only really started questing

I'm depending, IMO, too much on my shortblade.
Hence, I'm now concerned about speed and agility, rather than willpower/intelligence/endurance(... which were moving nicely to 100 before I've started depending on my shortblade)

I noticed some "Bound" spells that use weapons ?
Don't laugh, but are those spells considered magic in battle or a physical attack ... ok, you can laugh if you want ... I'm sure my previous threads had some reall newbie questions

I really wanted to play a pure spellcaster.
What got me thinking was the "wipeout Tong quest" ... instead of trying my Blind spell on the last three, or some other combination, I whipped out my shortblade and melee-d my way through them ... not exactly how I envisioned my character

For those who haven't read my previous thread, I'm playing as a: Breton-Mage-Apprentice

I will restart if it's doable ... chalk up the last few weeks of 6hr days as "Morrowind Education"

Since shortblade is a minor skill, I was thinking it's helpful, but not neccesary.
I'm using it like it's my major skill ... detracting from the style of my character
I hope I'm making sense

Would just like some expertise input on "how" it would affect gameplay through Bloodmoon ... since I can see it's already affecting my Morrowind gameplay decisions

I guess it comes down to: are those "Bound" spells physical or magical in combat ?
Or, can you get through the game with all magic and no melee.
(.. I wanted to save melee for an assassin or tank-like character)

I think BlueSky said it best(... previous post using his Dark Elf): "fun is trying to think how to best solve each problem".
I find I'm "tanking" my way using destruction spells or my shortblade(... with soul gem).

Thanks for all the help !

[dragon wench]

You have, IMO, hit upon a major problem with Morrowind.
It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to go through the game as a pure spell caster.
Yes, you can use weakness to magic spells as part of your repertoire, and at higher levels you can even combine them with your magical attack. For example, you can create a spell that both weakens an opponent's resistance to frost and attacks them with it.
But, nonetheless, you often use more time casting spells, and all the while your magicka pool is dwindling so that you have to keep plenty of restore magicka potions on you. This alone makes the game weighted toward weapon-oriented characters. Of course, as Fable mentioned in your other thread, there are mods that provide a means to replenish your magic, but even so...

When I play a mage type of character, they inevitably end up using a mixture of magic, melee and ranged weaponry. While many people will say you don't need Marksman if you have Destruction, I disagree, since it gives you a ranged attack for those enemies who resist magic. Equally, I'll usually have a mage capable of using either short blades (only daggers) or blunt weapons (staffs only). You don't have to restrict yourself to those weapons, of course, but I do so for roleplaying reasons.

In other games I often play pure mages or sorcerers, but in Morrowind I compromise with a Magic user/Stealth kind of build.

[galraen]

Yes you can get through the game with just magic, apart from the final encounter that is. It's a matter of knowing your enemy, and using the appropriate magic.

Undead and Nords for instance are immune to frost and poison, so use fire; Goblins are immune to fire, so us frost. Reflect can be a pain, most Daedra have it, as do Ash Ghouls, but the worst are Riekling Raiders (Bloodmoon) which have an insane and completely unjustifiable 60% Reflection! However, even that has a weak spot, it doesn't work on Absorb Health (I just tested that on an Ash Ghoul, no reflection at all). Orcs have a mere 25% magic resistance, which is pretty useless, my experience is that anything less than 75% resistance isn't worth worrying about. Make note as you play of what works and doesn't work, and adapt accordingly.

PS Most NPCs in the game are Dark Elves (surprise, surprise LOL) they have 75% Fire Resistance, so again, use frost.

[BlueSky]

Go Joe05..
Should have mentioned my very first try at Morrowind as a magic user...
Yes, I too ended up having a character using his shortblade quite a bit.
Galraen's post about who is resistant to what, will be very helpful for magic users. Now I tend to have any character I use, have at least marksman or shortblade experience to help in those cases where it comes down to melee.
As posted hitting long range with marksman then falling back and using magic might be a good option. Kinda cheesy, but I once used a lot of rising force potions and then used my bow to rain down upon my enemies...I believe that was my second character, a Khajit thief.

[joe05]

... thanks
I will keep my current saves and retry it as a pure spellcaster.
As Dragon Wench noted, the "running low on magicka" was what forced me to start relying on my shortblade.

I think some thieves were magic resistant ? ... Dwermer Cave(...cube quest) comes to mind ... maybe some others ? ... I know I hit them with Frost/Spark and a note popped up; resistance to magic = I'll have to figue a way around them

I'll go as far as I can in each battle before using a shortblade.
I also think bow/marksman will be added.
But, I'll save $ for when these skills "are absolutely needed" ... then I'll buy them + governing attributes

Figures, I just got comfortable with gameplay + alchemy and now I start over.
Well, luckily I have the time.
At least I know what to do ... what to buy ... what/how to make

Time to "get off the boat"; again.

This time, we steal all towns blind ... build up endurance early

Appreciate the insight ... at least this was a semi-intelligent question

I'm hoping to save the stealth/melee for an assassin who uses illusion.
And save melee for a barbarian tank-type character.
Don't want to use all facets in one character.

[BlueSky]

... thanks
Don't want to use all facets in one character.

That's why so many of us here, usually have two or three different characters and saved games.

The number of options and how you put them to use, satisfies the anal-retentive/obessive compulsion/micro-management in me.:laugh:

[galraen]

... thanks
I will keep my current saves and retry it as a pure spellcaster.
As Dragon Wench noted, the "running low on magicka" was what forced me to start relying on my shortblade.

I think some thieves were magic resistant ? ... Dwermer Cave(...cube quest) comes to mind ... maybe some others ? ... I know I hit them with Frost/Spark and a note popped up; resistance to magic = I'll have to figue a way around them

I'll go as far as I can in each battle before using a shortblade.
I also think bow/marksman will be added.
But, I'll save $ for when these skills "are absolutely needed" ... then I'll buy them + governing attributes

Figures, I just got comfortable with gameplay + alchemy and now I start over.
Well, luckily I have the time.
At least I know what to do ... what to buy ... what/how to make

Time to "get off the boat"; again.

This time, we steal all towns blind ... build up endurance early

Appreciate the insight ... at least this was a semi-intelligent question

I'm hoping to save the stealth/melee for an assassin who uses illusion.
And save melee for a barbarian tank-type character.
Don't want to use all facets in one character.

Two of the guys in Arkngthand are Nords, and therefore immune to frost and 75% resistant to Shock. The game doesn't tell you specific resistances, just pops up a generic 'magic resisted' message. BTW, none of the dudes in Arkngthand have any fire resistance, so it's a case of 'Burn, baby burn':laugh: .

PS If you're playing on a PC, it is possible to fix a built in 'cheat', at least I consider it a cheat. The magicka multiplier for NPCs is 2, i.e. if they have 30 intelligence they get 60 spell points, for some reason PCs are ripped off and their multiplier is only 1 (30 int = 30 spell points). Why Beth decided to rip off the player beats me, but is is fixable. PM me if you want to know how to do it.

[joe05]

Thanks for the help.

Going to use Galraen's multiplier fix + DragonWench/BlueSky bow idea.

I checked into the mods for Magicka Regeneration, but they were at a subscription site :-(
We're on a budget ... still saving for Oblivion's two expansions + Titan Quest expansions.

Time to stock up on Fortify Magicka potions !

[mr_sir]

If you don't mind cheating, you can always use the console to give yourself loads of frost salts and comberries then use a master alchemy set to make loads of restore magicka potions. When you get low on magicka in a battle, just right click and it will pause the game and just drink several restore potions in a row before exiting the inventory screen and your magicka will fill right back up again This is what I do, except I spend ages and loads of cash finding or buying the ingredients instead of the console. I also do the same thing with restore health potions when playing as a pure magic user

Edit: Also, once you manage to trap some golden saint or ascended sleeper souls, use them to make items and clothing that fortify intelligence with constant effect. You will notice a huge boost to the amount of magicka you have

[dragon wench]

I checked into the mods for Magicka Regeneration, but they were at a subscription site :-(
We're on a budget ... still saving for Oblivion's two expansions + Titan Quest expansions.

Was that File Planet?
They try to con you into believing that you have to subscribe, but actually all you need to do is register and download files from the public servers.
[url="https://login.fileplanet.com/login.aspx?r=http%3a%2f%2fwww.fileplanet.com%2fgsid.aspx&sl="]Here[/url] is the page you need to go to in order to register, and it is free.

[joe05]

Mr_Sir: I'd rather not cheat.
I'll make a note of the ingrediants !
As for the souls, I'm sure it will be awhile before I run into one of them. Plus, I'll need to up my Enchant ... oh, and find a good soul gem

Just finished ... had to find the Fortify Intelligence Spell

Dragon Wench: thanks for the tip on File Planet.
Downloaded the mod ... much better now
I don't get punished for good tactics = as long as my health is ok I can keep fighting ... maybe I'll hit that 14/10 level up multiplier now

Appreciate all the help.

[Greg.]

Meh. I usually play dark elf with the atronach for these characters. Most mages use fire spells (dark elves are resistant) plus the spell absorbtion comes in handy, as you can summon a ghost to attack you, and absorb its spells.

[dragon wench]

Meh. I usually play dark elf with the atronach for these characters. Most mages use fire spells (dark elves are resistant) plus the spell absorbtion comes in handy, as you can summon a ghost to attack you, and absorb its spells.

One of my current characters is this precise combination. She is a stealth/mage type, and her magic ability focuses heavily on the school of Illusion...which includes the very useful spells, Silence and Paralyze.

The reason I mention this is because Joe might find the blend handy since it rather dramatically avoids button-pushing melee. For example, imagine a character that uses Sneak and/or Chameleon, can cast a ranged paralyze spell.. and then add a blast of Silence to the mix if dealing with a mage... After that, out comes the Longbow.... :devil:

[Greg.]

The reason I mention this is because Joe might find the blend handy since it rather dramatically avoids button-pushing melee. For example, imagine a character that uses Sneak and/or Chameleon, can cast a ranged paralyze spell.. and then add a blast of Silence to the mix if dealing with a mage... After that, out comes the Longbow.... :devil:

Paralyse is one of the most underrated spell effects in the elder scrolls series... Enchant a staff with it - should give you an edge. However, reflecting daedra are dangerous. Also, if you have the money, enchanting rings with various ranged magical effects works wonders.

Ebony mail and other items have a CE shielding effect, which increases your armour rating. I also found the necromancers amulet useful - +25 inteligence gives you a little more magicka - lots more if you take the atronach.

[Magelord648]

I agree with Paralyse being dangerous against Daedra so be careful. I'd recommend joining House Telvanni so you can get an amulet from one of the quest givers. It saved me last night when fighting some house redoran guys who could kill me in three hits. (And there were three so instant death.) I had time (30 seconds) to levitate onto a shelf out of reach where I eventually killed them.

Another technique is to find a high point like I did. Then you can win very easily as long as you're not to high. (They run away and come back as soon as you come down.)

With the character above I've used only magic and that fight put him up to level 6. I got my staff out at the end because my magic wasn't coming back fast enough but I could still hit from the shelf and I only needed one hit.

Good Luck

[joe05]

... Thanks for the help
I added Silence = though not sure what it does:

We had a major mess-up ... whatever change I made via the construction set really did a number on my character stats (attributes + skills)
Too long to bore you with the details.

Galrean and I have been PMing and we have no idea what happened.
It was bad :-(

So, we started over ... my 4th do-over
I won't be bothering you for awhile
Took me all yesterday to loot everything not nailed down; buy my spells; joined the Mages Guild + House of Telvanni(... always do the easy ghost quest so I get cheaper prices)
I'm done with the preliminaries ... tonight we start leveling up around Seyda Neen/Balmora etc

I'm using the Magicka Regeneration mod ... hope that helps !

See you guys soon as we run into "new gameplay territory" ... I do check to see what new tips/help you post ... Thanks