Illusion? Anyone use it?

[Squirrel_killer-]

Hi, I've got a high level mage character (well, kinda high at level 38), but I've never used any Illusion magics. I just didn't see the point in them. Is there someone here who uses Illusion, and if so, is it good/fun?

I just did a play through that I only used Illusion, Conjuration, Alteration, Restoration, and a little bit of Enchanting to raise up my final level for more of a challenge. I used absolutely no, armor -besides the Dragon Priest Mask Vokun since it provides a spell cost reduction to Conjuration, Illusion, and Alteration-, weapons, or Destruction magic. This build was actually over powered by level 16, and it stayed that way. I used these perks: Skyrim Perk Calculator - Plan the perks for your Skyrim character before spending them!

 

[Shouts-At-Dragons]

I just did a play through that I only used Illusion, Conjuration, Alteration, Restoration, and a little bit of Enchanting to raise up my final level for more of a challenge. I used absolutely no, armor -besides the Dragon Priest Mask Vokun since it provides a spell cost reduction to Conjuration, Illusion, and Alteration-, weapons, or Destruction magic. This build was actually over powered by level 16, and it stayed that way. I used these perks: Skyrim Perk Calculator - Plan the perks for your Skyrim character before spending them!

May I ask what you used for weapons. Did you used a conjured sword/bow or did you enchant a bow/sword?

 

[Squirrel_killer-]

May I ask what you used for weapons. Did you used a conjured sword/bow or did you enchant a bow/sword?

No weapons. I never personally attacked anyone. I left it to fury spells and summons to do it.

 

[Shouts-At-Dragons]

No weapons. I never personally attacked anyone. I left it to fury spells and summons to do it.

Seems like a very interesting play-through. Would be very hard for me to do though, would be too impatient to use fury spells and to summons.

 

[Squirrel_killer-]

Seems like a very interesting play-through. Would be very hard for me to do though, would be too impatient to use fury spells and to summons.

The spell Flaming Familiar is like a walking fireball spell. It has a very far summon range even without perks, it tracks down the target and hits them a few times, and after 6 seconds or upon death blows up dealing, I think, about 50 damage. It also costs less than the fireball spell for a whole tier less. That spell lets you fight unless you have a summon out (or two if you have Twin Souls). You can basically spam it since magicka recharges almost as fast as it costs to use the spell if you have the right robes on.

 

[Shouts-At-Dragons]

The spell Flaming Familiar is like a walking fireball spell. It has a very far summon range even without perks, it tracks down the target and hits them a few times, and after 6 seconds or upon death blows up dealing, I think, about 50 damage. It also costs less than the fireball spell for a whole tier less. That spell lets you fight unless you have a summon out (or two if you have Twin Souls). You can basically spam it since magicka recharges almost as fast as it costs to use the spell if you have the right robes on.

Your build has got me interested in other builds, which has lead me to look up several fun builds. Right now I'm looking at this one called a conjuration archer. It sounds pretty awesome to be able to summon two flame thralls and then to use a conjured bow to take my opponents down.

Any race you recommend if I try this out. I'm thinking High Elf, after all they have a higher base mana. However I already have a High Elf and I want to try out a new race possibly.

 

[Squirrel_killer-]

Your build has got me interested in other builds, which has lead me to look up several fun builds. Right now I'm looking at this one called a conjuration archer. It sounds pretty awesome to be able to summon two flame thralls and then to use a conjured bow to take my opponents down.

Any race you recommend if I try this out. I'm thinking High Elf, after all they have a higher base mana. However I already have a High Elf and I want to try out a new race possibly.

I say Altmer is the best for that. At level 1 you can cast Bound Bow with the Novice Hood if you are an Altmer. Psiberzerker has a build out their like what you're talking about that (if I remember correctly) looks something like this:

Race: Altmer

Weapon: Bound Bow
Shield: Targe of the Blooded

Perks: Skyrim Perk Calculator - Plan the perks for your Skyrim character before spending them!

How to play: Bash when they are close, use the bow when they are a distance. Make sure you have Mystic Binding by level 3.

Add any more perks you need to make this go to a higher level and fit what you want.

 

[Psiberzerker]

Psiberzerker sort of said:

Race: Altmer

Weapon: Bound Bow
Shield: Targe of the Blooded

Perks: Skyrim Perk Calculator - Plan the perks for your Skyrim character before spending them!

How to play: Bash when they are close, use the bow when they are a distance. Make sure you have Mystic Binding by level 3.​

Well, not exactly. Block runner is a lot better than Disarming Bash, and Shield Charge sure comes in handy for bulldozing out of the melee. What does this have to do with illusion? I also added Sneak up to Deadly Aim, but it's real easy to get under level 20. Altmer is so you can cast Bound Bow without investing in Magicka, the Novice hood aught to do it until you get the Gaudur Amulet fragment, but this is an excellent trainer for a necroarcher, or support summoner. The thing about Bound Weapons is if you use them as your primary, you eventually become a Conjurer, so you might as well use it.

 

[Squirrel_killer-]

Psiberzerker sort of said:

Race: Altmer​

​

Weapon: Bound Bow​

Shield: Targe of the Blooded​

​

Perks: Skyrim Perk Calculator - Plan the perks for your Skyrim character before spending them!​

​

How to play: Bash when they are close, use the bow when they are a distance. Make sure you have Mystic Binding by level 3.​

Well, not exactly. Block runner is a lot better than Disarming Bash, and Shield Charge sure comes in handy for bulldozing out of the melee. What does this have to do with illusion? I also added Sneak up to Deadly Aim, but it's real easy to get under level 20. Altmer is so you can cast Bound Bow without investing in Magicka, the Novice hood aught to do it until you get the Gaudur Amulet fragment, but this is an excellent trainer for a necroarcher, or support summoner. The thing about Bound Weapons is if you use them as your primary, you eventually become a Conjurer, so you might as well use it.

Well I was going completely off memory, but he was talking about another build he was looking at and I pulled you're out of memory as an example. Hence the "Sort of said" part. But it doesn't have anything to do with illusion, but if you look in many threads there is always a slightly OT part of it.

 

[Punz]

Somewhat. I use the Invisibility spell at times, but that's pretty much it.

 

[SilverSorcerer]

Seems like a very interesting play-through. Would be very hard for me to do though, would be too impatient to use fury spells and to summons.

Once you get used to summoning, Atronachs make it very easy to deal with things. I noticed when you hit someone with an illusion spell, they pause for a second (im assuming to take on their new personality status), so its like a poor man's paralyze, which makes it even easier for an atronach to deal with.

I was so used to jumping into the middle of everything that I had to work a lot at "staying back" and letting my magic work for me. It definately an adjustment.

 

[Exelex]

Illusions seems like a wasted perk tree, IN MY OPINION.

 

[Psiberzerker]

I noticed when you hit someone with an illusion spell, they pause for a second (im assuming to take on their new personality status), so its like a poor man's paralyze, which makes it even easier for an atronach to deal with.

It's more like stagger, but yeah. Fury makes them sheathe, and re-draw their weapons, which gives you time to get a couple shots in before they even decide who they're going to vent this newfound rage on. Turn Undead does the same thing, handy combined with Firebolt at low level.

 

[Squirrel_killer-]

Illusions seems like a wasted perk tree, IN MY OPINION.

Illusion is only really a wasted perk tree if you don't use Illusion. If you look at my guide on Illusion spell levels: Quick Reference For Affected Enemy Level For Illusion Spells | Skyrim Forums
Even the Master Illusion spells cap off at level 25 without perks, 55 with Dual-Casting. If you use Illusion the tree is essential to get any real leveling out of the skill, but otherwise I find the tree rather pointless if Illusion isn't a skill you make active use of or only use for stealth (i.e. Silent Casting, Invisibility, and Muffle).

Now a far more wasted tree is Lockpicking depending on personal skill at the mini-game, but I find all Perk Trees to be conditional on how useful they are or not.

 

[Mi-Ilu Yahaz]

i use it too for muffle and invisibility mainly (sneaking is hard -_-), but it is always fun to cast fury on a chicken just to see five guards mob it. also using the master spell mayhem at the execution in solitude brings about good times.

 

[SprSynJn]

I was going to start putting some points into my Mage, but I am also confused as to which school would be better. I have a large amount of points into both Destruction and Alteration. Some are also in Restoration, but that isn't used very often. I was leaning towards Conjuration, but I was advised that Illusion would be better. I personally don't care for the latter. Seems to be alright from what some say here. My concern with Conjuration is that I don't want to go killing off my own summons with Destruction spells. That's why I have stopped having Lydia follow me.

 

[Psiberzerker]

Use the same element as your Atronach, they're immune. If you do kill a summon, you can always recast, though. Or usually, anyway.

 

[Squirrel_killer-]

I was going to start putting some points into my Mage, but I am also confused as to which school would be better. I have a large amount of points into both Destruction and Alteration. Some are also in Restoration, but that isn't used very often. I was leaning towards Conjuration, but I was advised that Illusion would be better. I personally don't care for the latter. Seems to be alright from what some say here. My concern with Conjuration is that I don't want to go killing off my own summons with Destruction spells. That's why I have stopped having Lydia follow me.

You can almost build a character purely on Illusion. I know, I've done it. Illusion is perk heavy, but it is ridiculously over powered, IF you can use it right. Where Destruction caps out early and fails to scale to higher levels, Illusion can still clean out an entire room minus one enemy with just a few Fury/Frenzy spells. And then Conjuration/Destruction cuts down that last guy.

 

[SilverSorcerer]

Illusion is only really a wasted perk tree if you don't use Illusion. If you look at my guide on Illusion spell levels: Quick Reference For Affected Enemy Level For Illusion Spells | Skyrim Forums
Even the Master Illusion spells cap off at level 25 without perks, 55 with Dual-Casting. If you use Illusion the tree is essential to get any real leveling out of the skill, but otherwise I find the tree rather pointless if Illusion isn't a skill you make active use of or only use for stealth (i.e. Silent Casting, Invisibility, and Muffle).

Now a far more wasted tree is Lockpicking depending on personal skill at the mini-game, but I find all Perk Trees to be conditional on how useful they are or not.

Yeah Illusion isn't like Restoration, you can't go halfway into it and really be effective. Its an all or nothing tree.

 

[Squirrel_killer-]

Yeah Illusion isn't like Restoration, you can't go halfway into it and really be effective. Its an all or nothing tree.

Well you can actually effectively do it with only Dual Casting, the cost reducing perks, and the right branch to Master of the Mind.