Magic and Enchants

[Sanjay Collins]

I'm so burnt on being melee or bow since release that I would like to try out a magic character, but it's all new to me. So, my question is if you enchant four items so that a school, say Destruction, is 100% mana free do you still need the talents in the tree that reduce the magic cost of certain level spells (ie, novice-master)?

 

[Zaan]

No you don't. But certain higher level spells won't be available to you until you reach a sufficient level of skill for the vendors to start stocking them. For instance if you get 0 mana cost at 25 skill level on destruction, you can cast all destruction spells for free but you won't be able to buy the higher tier spells like Fireball or Incinerate until you level destruction to the appropriate proficiency.

Here's a bit of friendly advice though. Reducing mana cost to zero for any school of magic greatly reduces the amount of enjoyment you get out of playing. My pure mage (lvl 44 Altmer) has 900 magicka without the exploit and never has to worry about running out of magicka because he's been built with pure spell-casting in mind (all his skill points go into the 5 magic skills and nowhere else).

I recommend 50% reduction of spell cost as the sweet spot if you absolutely feel you have to. That way the game still maintains its sense of urgency as opposed to the alternative.

Of course, this is all just advice. The beauty of Skyrim is you can do whatever you want.

 

[Sanjay Collins]

Okay, hypothetically speaking say you had 100 Magicka, 100 Destruction skill, 100% Destruction Magicka free enchanted gear and didn't have the novice-master talents in the Destructiom tree. Would you still be able to use all of the spells, including Master Destruction spells that normally would cost over 100 Magicka? Would the game read every spell as 0 Magicka cost?

 

[Zaan]

Yes it will. You can cast all you want your magicka bar will never deplete.

 

[Sanjay Collins]

Awesome, that's what I wanted to know. And I appreciate your advice. I was more concerned with if the game would register that properly or not. I love Enchanting and would love to use those points somewhere else if I didn't absolutely have to in my build.

 

[Psiberzerker]

Awesome, that's what I wanted to know. And I appreciate your advice. I was more concerned with if the game would register that properly or not. I love Enchanting and would love to use those points somewhere else if I didn't absolutely have to in my build.

Magicka Regeneration is a great effect for a Wizard, it can go on your head, robes, and ring. If you use Duration spells, like Summons, Armor, and Cloaks, you have time for your Magicka to recover between castings, but with fast recovery, you can juggle between spells, and keep several up. I don't do the 100% off glitch because it works on 1 (maybe 2) schools, and that's it, while Regenerate magicka works on all. Also, you can disenchant robes of two schools, and put those on your clothes for only 10% Magregen, each, in addition to whatever you put on your circlet, and ring. Then, you can stack on more schools/resistance in the other slots. With extra effect, you've got 12, unless you want to add a shield.

Fortify Magicka on the gloves, and I don't know what else you'd want for that slot. Not very many Magey effects work there, Fortify Carry Weight, Unarmed, and a whole bunch of weapon/thieving skills. If you're using a backup weapon like a Dagger, for when your Magicka runs out, Fortify 1 handed, other than that, this is the least important slot. Shoes are usually Resist Shock (Drains your Magicka) and Muffle, you can cast Invisibility to go undetected, and never have to crouch. Running, and Sprinting silently, and invisibly is much better.

I like Fortify Health where ever it will take it, since you're a squishy wizard who spent it all on Magicka. You can get more Magicka too, but I'm rather fond of not dying, and returning to the last autosave. Necklace, and Ring, since your robes are likely to be taken. I'd still Fortify Destruction, because it's the school you spam the most.

The Archwizard Attire I usually craft at maximum level is: Circlet of Destruction/Magicka Regen, Necklace of Health/Regen, Robes of Destruction, and Regenerate Magicka/Regenerate Magicka (Or, you can do Destruction/Regen and Destruction), Gloves of Magicka/Wielding, Interchangeable Rings, (they're light, and hold a lot of different effects), boots of Resist Shock/Muffle, and usually a Dagger of Absorb Health/Magicka. The Staff of Magnus pairs well with that, unless you're Warding.

Again, there's a lot of Fort Destruction in there, but that's because it's what you're spamming the most, while the others use Durations to recover Magicka. Up to 100% (with Robes of Destruction/Destruction/Regen and a Ring of Destruction/Magicka Regen.) to fix Keening. The Spellsword Variant is all Light Armor with more Fortify 1H, I actually wear the Worn Shrouded Gloves, because they look cool, and match Master Robes. Ulfric's Clothes are probably the best looking on a Male, and the Mourner's Dress on a female avatar. This also makes Weapons, like your Destruction governed Staffs retain their charges indefinitely, since you've already maxed out your Enchantment, so you don't have to fuss with Soul Gems any more. Prior to that, I use any, and all to train up Enchanting in battle. (I have a Mod, which changes Fortify Destruction to the same effect as the Potion, higher damage, instead of discounting the Casting Cost, but the advice above is for Vanilla.)

 

[Volanere]

I keep my gear enchanted so that destruction spells dont cost anything its great!

 

[Sanjay Collins]

Thanks for the replies! While we are on the subject of magic I would like to know what the difference between magic resistance and elemental resistance is. I know they both cap at 85% but I just want to know what spells fall under each category.

 

[Psiberzerker]

Thanks for the replies! While we are on the subject of magic I would like to know what the difference between magic resistance and elemental resistance is. I know they both cap at 85% but I just want to know what spells fall under each category.

Absorb Health is Fire, Absorb/Damage Stamina=Cold, and Absorb/Damage Magicka=Shock. Also, the Elemental Resistances are countaed after Magic Resistance (and Spell Absorbtion from the Atronach effects, and Ward Absorb.) So, if you have Resist Magic at 80% (Easy with a Breton, the Lord Stone, and Alteration perks) that lowers magickal damage to 20%. Let's say you've got Boots of 50% Shock resistance, that will halve the remaining fifth to 1/10 of a Lightning Bolt's damage.

A Shield Mage can get this with Elemental protection for all 3 elements, on top of your Magick Resistance. With Spellbreaker, you can stack on 20% Spell Absorbtion (At will, so it won't swallow your Summons) with Ward Absorb. There's no immunity to magic without using glitches, but this is as close as you can get. Shields don't count as worn armor, so you still get the benefit of the Mage Armor perks, and still Block/bash when they get close. Change the gloves to Fortify Block.

 

[Sanjay Collins]

So if you had to choose one to cap which would be better?

 

[Psiberzerker]

So if you had to choose one to cap which would be better?

Probably Magic Resistance, because it's easier to get, and works on more than just Elemental spells. If you're enchanting all 3 Elements, it uses up most of your slots to cap out, and you might need a shield to reach the cap anyway. Like I said, Shock resistance is the most important for a Wizard, since it governs Damage to Magicka.

 

[Sanjay Collins]

Okay, that's what I assumed. I'm a Nord so I'll have to get the Mara passive, Alteration perks and an enchant to snag the cap. Don't want to waste any more slots than I have to. Appreciate the quick info!

 

[Dagmar]

100% Fortification of a magic skill isn't a glitch or an exploit. It's indisputably an intended game mechanic and intended to be achievable as one can find circlets, helms, rings, necklaces, robes and curaisses of Peerless magic skill as generic loot in the game. That being said skill level also reduces magicka cost of spells. At 100 Skill magicka cost is reduced by 41%. This effect, the perk effect and Fortify enchantment effects don't stack. Instead they're cumulative. For example, if you have 100 Destruction Skill, the Expert Destruction perk and a circlet, ring and necklace of Peerless Destruction you would calculate the magicka cost for dual casting the Expert level Incinerate spell like so:

(298 x .59) x .5 x .25 x 2.8 = 61.54

You may want to play around with the numbers to decide whether you really need 100% magicka cost reduction for your playstyle.

Also keep in mind the following:

1. Custom crafted Fortify skill enchanted gear can go as high as 29% without the use of any exploits and you can put two of them (from different schools of magic as they don't stack) on each item; and

1. 2 of the only 3 items that will hold resist magic enchantments are also 2 of the only 4 items that will hold a Fortify skill enchantment. This means that unless your character is a Breton you can't reduce magicka cost for one school of magic to zero with enchantments and cap magic resistance without either using a shield or a combination of Alterration perks, the Lord Stone and the Agent of Mara power.

 

[Psiberzerker]

100% Fortification of a magic skill isn't a glitch or an exploit. It's indisputably an intended game mechanic and intended to be achievable as one can find circlets, helms, rings, necklaces, robes and curaisses of Peerless magic skill as generic loot in the game.

1. 2 of the only 3 items that will hold resist magic enchantments are also 2 of the only 4 items that will hold a Fortify skill enchantment. This means that unless your character is a Breton you can't reduce magicka cost for one school of magic to zero with enchantments and cap magic resistance without either using a shield or a combination of Alterration perks, the Lord Stone and the Agent of Mara power.

You can, but by exploiting 2 Effects that aren't technically the same thing on the same item. The Shield of Solitude's Magic Resistance can be stacked with the regular kind, as can Fortify Destruction with Fort Des&Regen Mag (only on the body.) TBS, having the extra slots on a Shield would make it easier, but with as little as 25%x2 on the Robes a Circlet, and Neclace, or Ring+15% Magic Resist on the Neck/Ring with double on one, Agent of Mara, and Lord Stone (Non Breton) without even stacking headgear.. It's a heck of a lot easier with a Breton/Shield Mage, not to mention adding Elemental protection to lower it beyond the MR cap, and Alteration Perks to clear up more slots...

I haven't heard any official word on Free Destruction being concidered a Glitch by the dev team, but I'm inclined to agree because of the points mentioned, and the fact that it's insanely popular even on the Official Bethesda forums.

 

[Dagmar]

You can, but by exploiting 2 Effects that aren't technically the same thing on the same item.

They stack because they aren't the same enchantments. They're separate data with different ID numbers and names. You wouldn't be able to place dual enchantments at all if this wasn't possible. For unique enchantments they don't want to stack they simply disable the disenchantment tag on the item that carries them.

What you proposed will work, but only if you boost your enchantment strengths by enchanting under the effects of a strong Fortify Enchanting Potion. Otherwise, because the Fortify Magic School effect on the Fortify Magic School and Fortify Magicka Regeneration enchantment is 37.5% weaker than the Fortify Magic School enchantment, you'll get to about 91% with the dual enchanted chest piece, a headpiece and either ring or necklace. The generic Resist Magic enchantment without using potions is 20% so at 70% you'd also still need an additional source for magic resistance like the Agent of Mara, Lord Stone, Alteration perks or the Breton racial power. There's no need to make an Alchemy build though as long as your level 30 or higher and don't mind camping Apothecaries for Enchanter's Elixirs.

 

[Psiberzerker]

They stack because they aren't the same enchantments. They're separate data with different ID numbers and names. You wouldn't be able to place dual enchantments at all if this wasn't possible. For unique enchantments they don't want to stack they simply disable the disenchantment tag on the item that carries them.

What you proposed will work, but only if you boost your enchantment strengths by enchanting under the effects of a strong Fortify Enchanting Potion. Otherwise, because the Fortify Magic School effect on the Fortify Magic School and Fortify Magicka Regeneration enchantment is 37.5% weaker than the Fortify Magic School enchantment, you'll get to about 91% with the dual enchanted chest piece, a headpiece and either ring or necklace. The generic Resist Magic enchantment without using potions is 20% so at 70% you'd also still need an additional source for magic resistance like the Agent of Mara, Lord Stone, Alteration perks or the Breton racial power. There's no need to make an Alchemy build though as long as your level 30 or higher and don't mind camping Apothecaries for Enchanter's Elixirs.

Exactly, but this is so blatantly exploitive that you can pretty much use other in game exploits without making it any more so (Short of Modding, and Consoling, which can be pretty Godlike.) Like I said, you'd need both the Lord Stone, and probably Agent of Mara, or the Alteration perks to pull it off, but it's doable, especially for a mage who's probably going to be using Magearmor for their Physical Protection.