Current Events > I'm playing Skyrim (NS) blind. My computer can't run it. *spoilers*

(+) Yeah! (+)

I have questions.

1. Can I upgrade these mage robes?

2. Is doing the main story a priority when I'm enjoying exploring?

3. How do Scrolls and Shouts work?

4. I picked Breton. I just completed the college lesson where I used Lesser Ward. If I hang around the college, will I learn battlemage stuff?

5. How does crafting work?
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SSBBSB posted...

2. Is doing the main story a priority when I'm enjoying exploring?

The main story is best used as something to steer you in a general direction for exploring because it takes you to all corners of the map and it's relatively short. If you wander off the path and get involved in side quests and caving, that's great. Just remember why you were going in that direction in the first place.

People who say "I never did the main questline" are nuts. The main questline is designed with guided exploration in mind.
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SSBBSB posted...

1. Can I upgrade these mage robes?

Not really unfortunately. Mage robes are kind of unique because you just hope to find a good one. I believe you can enchant robes that have nothing on them but that's rare.

You can upgrade other items, like gloves and boots though.

2. Is doing the main story a priority when I'm enjoying exploring?

Do it whenever you want, it affects very little in terms of where you can/can't go.

3. How do Scrolls and Shouts work?

Scrolls are one-shot weapons that don't require any particular attributes to make them work. You equip the scroll then cast the spell and then it's gone.

Shouts have unique buffs/attacks that work independently to the magic system. Basically you discover a shout, equip the shout, and then when you use the shout it will do whatever it's supposed to. Maybe set someone on fire, slow down time, make your character extra strong, etc.

4. I picked Breton. I just completed the college lesson where I used Lesser Ward. If I hang around the college, will I learn battlemage stuff?

You can join the mages guild and learn more magey stuff. You can learn it independently through levelling too.

5. How does crafting work?

Find a forge or crafting table, click it to start. See what is available. It will give you a list of items that you can make both based on your blacksmithing skill and whatever items you have on you.

You typically need ingots and leather to make shit. Leather can come from pelts of animals. Ingots can either be found or smelted using ore. The higher your blacksmithing skill the better shit you can make, but you'll also need to find rarer items.

So basically you can get an iron ingot and a piece of leather and make something basic like an iron sword (I forget the exact amounts). You can then improve its quality using further ingots and leather.
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weapon_d00d816 posted...

People who say "I never did the main questline" are nuts. The main questline is designed with guided exploration in mind.

I must be super nuts.

Never completed the main quest, and owned it since it came out >.>
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Funkydog posted...

weapon_d00d816 posted...

People who say "I never did the main questline" are nuts. The main questline is designed with guided exploration in mind.

I must be super nuts.

Never completed the main quest, and owned it since it came out >.>

That is totally nuts. You don't have any desire to know what's going on around you? You care enough to do other quests but not the most important one?

It's not even that long, just do it. It also changes how you interact with the rest of the game in some ways. Plus there's content you're locked out of if you don't do it, particularly certain shouts.
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Yeah the main quest is like of absolute zero consequence in any TES game.
Also the only thing I remember the main quest guiding me to explore in Skyrim was that mile high mountain that takes half an hour to climb and which serves no purpose except for making you climb it two or three times for the main quest.

tl;dr Just explore have fun w/e.
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Hexenherz posted...

Yeah the main quest is like of absolute zero consequence in any TES game.
Also the only thing I remember the main quest guiding me to explore in Skyrim was that mile high mountain that takes half an hour to climb and which serves no purpose except for making you climb it two or three times for the main quest.

tl;dr Just explore have fun w/e.

Probably because you went everywhere first so the main quest isn't taking you anywhere new.
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weapon_d00d816 posted...

That is totally nuts. You don't have any desire to know what's going on around you? You care enough to do other quests but not the most important one?

It's not even that long, just do it. It also changes how you interact with the rest of the game in some ways. Plus there's content you're locked out of if you don't do it, particularly certain shouts.

I've done most of it. Just never bothered to do the final bit of it. Never felt I missed out on much by not doing it though really and often just skip it on repeat run throughs as is a bit meh, or just do enough to unlock dragons so can get shouts.
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weapon_d00d816 posted...

Hexenherz posted...

Yeah the main quest is like of absolute zero consequence in any TES game.
Also the only thing I remember the main quest guiding me to explore in Skyrim was that mile high mountain that takes half an hour to climb and which serves no purpose except for making you climb it two or three times for the main quest.

tl;dr Just explore have fun w/e.

Probably because you went everywhere first so the main quest isn't taking you anywhere new.

I suppose that makes sense.

I just had absolutely no reason to do the main quest, it's the most generic/least inspired plot ever.
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Funkydog posted...

weapon_d00d816 posted...

That is totally nuts. You don't have any desire to know what's going on around you? You care enough to do other quests but not the most important one?

It's not even that long, just do it. It also changes how you interact with the rest of the game in some ways. Plus there's content you're locked out of if you don't do it, particularly certain shouts.

I've done most of it. Just never bothered to do the final bit of it. Never felt I missed out on much by not doing it though really and often just skip it on repeat run throughs as is a bit meh, or just do enough to unlock dragons so can get shouts.

That's even weirder. You went through all that buildup and at the apex of the story you just walk away?
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SSBBSB posted...

1. Can I upgrade these mage robes?

You'll find better ones at higher levels, or you can just enchant your own.
SSBBSB posted...

2. Is doing the main story a priority when I'm enjoying exploring?

You can completely ignore the main story if you want to. You can do nothing but run around catching butterflies if it makes your heart content.
SSBBSB posted...

4. I picked Breton. I just completed the college lesson where I used Lesser Ward. If I hang around the college, will I learn battlemage stuff?

You won't get too many spells for free, you'll end up having to buy them.
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weapon_d00d816 posted...

Funkydog posted...

weapon_d00d816 posted...

That is totally nuts. You don't have any desire to know what's going on around you? You care enough to do other quests but not the most important one?

It's not even that long, just do it. It also changes how you interact with the rest of the game in some ways. Plus there's content you're locked out of if you don't do it, particularly certain shouts.

I've done most of it. Just never bothered to do the final bit of it. Never felt I missed out on much by not doing it though really and often just skip it on repeat run throughs as is a bit meh, or just do enough to unlock dragons so can get shouts.

That's even weirder. You went through all that buildup and at the apex of the story you just walk away?

It's kind of a curse of open world games. There's no sense of urgency and they often fail at establishing a sense of tension because you can do things at your own pace.
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weapon_d00d816 posted...

That's even weirder. You went through all that buildup and at the apex of the story you just walk away?

I'm like that in almost every game I play. I dunno why >.>

Skyrims one I was just very bored by and eventually gave up with. The guild quests were largely the same as well sadly. Lots more fun exploring and doing "side quests" as are some nice ones about (or playing with mod quests)

In base skyrim, can't you just use armour and enchant that, so be better than robes ultimately? Also, magic in base skyrim is kinda lame at high levels. A lot won't hurt enemies as they are too strong, from what I remember.
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Hexenherz posted...

I just had absolutely no reason to do the main quest, it's the most generic/least inspired plot ever.

Well simplicity is the point because it's supposed to be the spine of your experience. You have a general narrative goal to work towards as you branch out and complete side quests.
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Funkydog posted...

weapon_d00d816 posted...

That's even weirder. You went through all that buildup and at the apex of the story you just walk away?

I'm like that in almost every game I play. I dunno why >.>

Skyrims one I was just very bored by and eventually gave up with. The guild quests were largely the same as well sadly. Lots more fun exploring and doing "side quests" as are some nice ones about (or playing with mod quests)

In base skyrim, can't you just use armour and enchant that, so be better than robes ultimately? Also, magic in base skyrim is kinda lame at high levels. A lot won't hurt enemies as they are too strong, from what I remember.

It's mostly destruction that sucks in skyrim at higher levels. Spells become more difficult and expensive to cast and the payoff is not as good. You spend 5 seconds waiting to cast a high level spell and it takes off like 10% of an enemies life. Not good.

The other disciplines become overpowered though. Illusion and conjuration etc.

I would suggest OP that you branch out a little and just not be a pure destruction mage.
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pinky0926 posted...

It's mostly destruction that sucks in skyrim at higher levels. Spells become more difficult and expensive to cast and the payoff is not as good. You spend 5 seconds waiting to cast a high level spell and it takes off like 10% of an enemies life. Not good.

The other disciplines become overpowered though. Illusion and conjuration etc.

I would suggest OP that you branch out a little and just not be a pure destruction mage.

That sounds vaguely familiar. I play with a bunch of spell mods, so forget what the vanilla experience is like.

Bound weapons can be pretty good I believe, and illusion is fantastic while leveling for crowd control etc. Alternation is what you will want for armour, if you use robes.
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The breadth of the ocean but the depth of a puddle.
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If you're a mage you'll want to basically dip into every school of magic to some degree. If you're concerned about XP distribution then cut out Conjuration and Illusion because they're a bit less essential. If you're going with traditional robes then you'll need Alteration for the magic armor and Restoration for the wards.

If you want to be more of a battlemage then I see no point in using robes. In that case your Conjuration and Illusion will become more important than for a pure mage and your Destruction will be less important.
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1. Mage robes come in various potencies. The best version will have a title like Master Robes of Destruction. There's also the unique Archmage Robes which drop the casting cost for all schools of magicka, and boost your magicka pool.

2. Nope. A few notes though: fetching the Dragonstone from Bleakfalls Barrow will lead to the quest where dragons are activated in the world, after being sent to fetch the Horn of Jurgen Windcaller the random dragon attacks will stop until you complete the next quest titled A Blade in the Dark, keep an eye out for new specially-named dragons in the world that can show up as you work your way through the main quest.

3. Scrolls have been covered. They're a one shot item that you can cast without cost or knowledge. Scrolls of Guardian Circle are nice because they don't have the Master Spell casting animation. Shouts are an alternative form of magic that operate on a cooldown instead of a resource pool. You can shorten the cooldown with an Amulet of Talos or praying at a Shrine to Talos, each takes a raw 20% off the cooldown. E.g. a 100 second cooldown becomes a 60 second cooldown if you have the Amulet and Blessing together.

4. The College is where you go for the Expert and Master level spells. There's also a unique item crafting device connected to the college, but you'll have to explore a bit to find it and figure out how to use it.

5. Slap together the components at a proper workstation, get a new item or upgrade. Usually points in the associated skill, along with any relevant perks, will boost the benefit provided. There's a lot of repetition involved to level up the skills, so you might consider paying a trainer as you level up.
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Alteration has some fun miscellaneous spells like Paralyze.
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pinky0926 posted...

I would suggest OP that you branch out a little and just not be a pure destruction mage.

I'm horsing around with different spells and one-handed weapons.
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weapon_d00d816 posted...

Hexenherz posted...

I just had absolutely no reason to do the main quest, it's the most generic/least inspired plot ever.

Well simplicity is the point because it's supposed to be the spine of your experience. You have a general narrative goal to work towards as you branch out and complete side quests.

Right but you can see why it is difficult to build urgency or tension out of simplicity, right? The guild quests were more engaging by themselves.
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Funkydog posted...

weapon_d00d816 posted...

People who say "I never did the main questline" are nuts. The main questline is designed with guided exploration in mind.

I must be super nuts.

Never completed the main quest, and owned it since it came out >.>

While completing the main story is not necessary. I would recommend doing some of it. Aside from completing unrelenting force you can and should get the anti-dragon shout from main story line to make dragon fights much easier.
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HiddenLurker posted...

Funkydog posted...

weapon_d00d816 posted...

People who say "I never did the main questline" are nuts. The main questline is designed with guided exploration in mind.

I must be super nuts.

Never completed the main quest, and owned it since it came out >.>

While completing the main story is not necessary. I would recommend doing some of it. Aside from completing unrelenting force you can and should get the anti-dragon shout from main story line to make dragon fights much easier.

They're already easy when you use stealth and bows or "fight" them in towns (AKA just let the NPCs handle them).
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First thing you should do is achieve CHIM
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Hexenherz posted...

HiddenLurker posted...

Funkydog posted...

weapon_d00d816 posted...

People who say "I never did the main questline" are nuts. The main questline is designed with guided exploration in mind.

I must be super nuts.

Never completed the main quest, and owned it since it came out >.>

While completing the main story is not necessary. I would recommend doing some of it. Aside from completing unrelenting force you can and should get the anti-dragon shout from main story line to make dragon fights much easier.

They're already easy when you use stealth and bows or "fight" them in towns (AKA just let the NPCs handle them).

If you don't mind town casualties sure. But you are gonna have a bad time when the vendors get accidentally by a dragon.
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on a related note, i never did the shivering isles dlc in oblivion. should i go back and play it? how long is it?
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_BlueMonk posted...

on a related note, i never did the shivering isles dlc in oblivion. should i go back and play it? how long is it?

Don't remember how long, but def worth playing.
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_BlueMonk posted...

i never did the shivering isles dlc in oblivion. should i go back and play it? how long is it?

General popular opinion is that it's one of the best DLC packs of any game ever.

A few lines of the Sheogorath quest in Skyrim make more sense if you're familiar with Shivering Isles.
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SSBBSB posted...

pinky0926 posted...

I would suggest OP that you branch out a little and just not be a pure destruction mage.

I'm horsing around with different spells and one-handed weapons.

That's good, because you will quickly become bored out of your gourd stunlocking enemies into a slow and painful (for you, not them) death if you go pure destruction. Pure mage is perfectly fine and can be a lot of fun, just make sure to dip into other schools, most notably Illusion for crowd control.
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masterpug53 posted...

Illusion for crowd control

Hm?
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hope you have a great time tc
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SSBBSB posted...

masterpug53 posted...

Illusion for crowd control

Hm?

The fury, fear, and calm families of spells can greatly help you control mobs, especially at the adept, expert and master levels where you can hit multiple targets. Calm is the most effective. Fear is equally effective, but you might get frustated chasing them down. Frenzy takes some getting used to: it can be the most poweful of the three if you cast it from far enough away to avoid detection, but if you don't, the target will likely just come at you instead of its allies anyway.

All three spells are level-dependent, and will often require boosts to affect higher-level targets. Self-created fortify illusion spells offer the biggest boosts in this regard, so it pays greatly to supplement a mage build with a high Alchemy skill. And both fear and frenzy will count as assault on friendlies though, so be careful where you let off AoE spells.
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How do I find enchantments?
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SSBBSB posted...

How do I find enchantments?

Break them down from items at an enchanting table
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Can I conjure swords?
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SSBBSB posted...

Can I conjure swords?

Swords and bow. Conjuration school. Maybe other weapons, not sure in base Skyrim
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SSBBSB posted...

Can I conjure swords?

Yep, as well as a bow and battleax at higher levels. There's also a buff perk in the conjuration tree that can make conjured weapons very poweful in the early game. I actually did a conjured weapons-only run in my last early-to-mid game and it was a lot of fun (also saves a bit on inventory space). You also level the Conjuration skill super fast by repeatedly casting bound weapons.
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SSBBSB posted...

Can I conjure swords?

Just one. Conjure sword makes a cool see through daedric sword for you, that's what I used leveling a lot. I was a sort of death knight type of guy who used armor and the bound weapons and pets to kill stuff and take their souls. Until eventually the bound weapons arent as good as the really good weapons you get, then you switch to those.
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Steel Ingots where?
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SSBBSB posted...

Steel Ingots where?

Buy them from smith-type merchants, or make them yourself at a smelter with iron + corundum ore.
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Dont quick travel the game is much better if you dont
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