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Character Build: The Aspiring Mage

Tags: #Character Build Elementalist  #Character Build Mage  #Character Build Alchemist  #Rank:Mythic  #Race:Altmer  #Zach  #100% Spell Absorption  #Atronach Stone  #Fortify Restoration Glitch  #Pure Mage  #Staff of the Storm Atronach  #The Aspiring Mage 
  • Member
    August 10, 2013

    After a short hiatus from the Skyrim Blog, I am back. The inspiration for this build came from the ingame “Aspiring Mage” encounter. He is a simple farm boy who found his grandfather’s wizard staff, and thinks that he is now a sorcerer because of that staff. I thought to myself “what would it to be like to play as a incredibly potent wizard, but when in reality he had absolutely no magical aptitude?” Also I am happy to say this is my first build that does not perk enchanting! With that said, I am proud to present

     

                                                        Tales speak of an aspiring mage

                                                          Who had no power within him

                                                         He leached the forces of change

                                                            No man, beast, nor deadra

                                                            Was safe from his hunger

    The whole point of this build is to be able to cast any spell from any school of magic at any given moment, without any spell cost reduction perks or enchantments. The idea is that the Aspiring Mage has no magical skills of his own, but he steals it from sources around him. Not only is this crucial to roleplay but it balances the build, with cost reductions this build would be too over powered to be enjoyable.

    100% spell absorption is necessary to do this, using the fortify restoration glitch with the atronach stone, creating the advanced atronach stone. With 100% spell absorption every time you use (cast the spell) from a staff of storm atronachs you regain 200 (ish) magicka. With under 100% absorption you can gain that magicka, but it is not certain that you will get magicka, you may just conjure an atronach (ex: 50% spell absorption means a 50/50 chance for 200 magicka or a storm atronach).

    The best part of the atronach stone – storm atronach staff combo is that it can be done from level 1. You can get a staff of storm atronachs at any level at the Atronach Forge in Midden. All you need is a broom, void salts, a grand soul gem, and an orichalcum ingot.

    That is only the icing on the cake. Using a staff of storm atronachs is the easiest and most common way to gain magicka, but there are many more. Summoned ash guardians are not stopped by spell absorption, and they are hostile. Casting fury on magic oriented followers and dead thralls is another option, as well as flame traps, enemy mages, the guardian circle restoration spell, and more.

    The Build

    Race: Altmer. The Aspiring Mage needs as much magicka as he can get.

    Stat Distribution: 4 (M) : 1 (H) : 0 (S). Like I said, this build is all about having a ton of magicka.

    Standing Stone: (Advanced) Atronach

    Shouts: Slow Time, Unrelenting Force, Become Ethereal

    Major Skills

    Destruction: All the elements have their uses, so the Aspiring Mages, well, aspires to master them all.

    Alteration: Alteration is great for making the Aspiring Mage less squishy with mage armor, and is full of other useful spells.

    Illusion: Illusion works great as a force multiplier, giving you allies and taking enemies out of the fight. 

    Alchemy: Alchemy is used to get 100% spell absorption. Also having access to potent potions and poisons is a nice utility.

    Minor Skills

    Restoration: Restoration is a good at keeping your character alive, and the repel undead type spells are useful to have until you get master of the mind in illusion. 

    Conjuration: Conjuration provides the ability to call on useful zombies minions, which are the only non-hostile summons which you will not absorb upon casting.

    Level 25

    Stat Distribution: 330 (583) : 160 : 100

    The numbers in parenthesis/brackets are the stats after modifications by enchantments/atronach stone.

    You can only use conjuration once you have 100% spell absorption, otherwise an accidental storm atronach might de-spawn your zombie. At level 25 I did not have 100% spell absorption, so no conjuration yet.

    Level 50

    Stat Distribution: 460 (800) : 280 : 100

    The numbers in parenthesis/brackets are the stats after modifications by enchantments/atronach stone.

    Unfortunately you will have to take a few cost reduction perks in alteration to get mage armor and stability, but in the endgame those perks provide no benefit. 

    Equipment

    The point of all the equipment you have is to get as high a magicka pool as possible due to the high spell cost. I was a briefly a vampire so that I could get the ring of the erudite, but then I cured myself. 

    Weapons

    I always kept a dagger on hand to apply poisons. Dragon priest draggers, keening, mehrunes’ razor, nettlebane, are all great choiced due to their power.

    Along with my staff of storm atronachs I kept several adept level destruction staves to give to followers or for my own use.

    Azura’s star is the best tool for keeping all your staves charged, especially when  you can summon and kill ash guardians for greater souls.

     

    100% Absorption & Potions/Poisons

    For me the best way to make the “advanced atronach stone” was to stack fortify restoration potions. If you drink multiple fortify restoration potions in ascending order of strength they will stack. Ex: 20% -> 22% -> 31% -> 45%.

     

    As for potions I generally kept a large number of different potions and poisons on hand. Some of the most useful effects for me where fortify (school of magic), weakness to magic/(element), fortify magicka/health, and slow.

     

     

     

    Combat

    When in combat just keep an open mind. The point of this build is to be able to cast any type of spell whenever you want. This leads to the ability to pull off some crazy combos using multiple schools of magic. 

    Magicka Wells

    One of the unique attributes of the Aspiring Mage is that he can steal energy from those around him. There are several “tiers” of this tactic. Only use these once at 100% spell absorption or you could die.

    Tier I: Follower with 2 adept destruction staves -> Dismiss them -> Cast fury

    A follower wielding 2 adept level destruction staves provides a massive amount of magicka for you.

    Tier II: Summon an ash guardian

    The steam attack of ash guardians almost instantly restores your magicka. However be careful, the ash guardians also have strong melee attacks.

    Tier III: Cast guardian circle -> Summon ash guardian

    The master level restoration spell "guardian circle" is glitched with spell absorbtion so that it constantly restores magicka as well.

     

    Battle Tactics

    This could be considered a special move section. However the "moves" are not very special and there is only one. This is a useful tactic that I frequently used. 

    Alpha Strike

    Slow Time + 2 Destruction Staves

    Unleash a dizzying number of spells on your enemy before he can even comprehend your presence.

    Using alpha strike you can unleash a massive amount of damage on an enemy in a short period of time. Once slow time runs out and the damage has been done you still have a full magicka pool to cast whatever spells you need. 

    Role Play

    A large portion of the roleplay of the Aspiring Mage is based around being petty and weak. He is jealous of wizards and sorcerers because they have so much power and he has none. He covets their power. He surrounds himself with powerful spellcasters acting as if he is their superior by constantly showing off, when really just leaching their energy.

    Much of his time is spent searching for magical artifacts, lost texts, and other sources of energy from which he could gain power.

    The Aspiring Mage actively hunts down necromancers, witches, and other magical foes so he can best them and prove he is the dominant mage. Any chance to show off the Aspiring Mage’s power and status is gladly welcomed. Wearing the robes of the archmage, using over the top and showy spells, boasting in taverns, and even becoming an Imperial Battlemage for the civil war are great ways to show off your personal might.

    Suggested Quests

    I am not going to list quests to get items, shouts, and so on, since they are fairly obvious. Quests that are listed are roleplay oriented.

    • College of Winterhold, Daedric Relic, Arniel’s Endeavor, Telvanni Quests, Dragonborn, Daedric Quests, Civil War (Imperials)

     

    Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the Aspiring Mage. Feel free to view my other builds.

     

     

     

     

     

  • Member
    August 10, 2013
    Well there is really only one thing to say about this... This is awesome I was locking for an unarmored warrior build but I'll try this out cause its actually very good love the build as a whole. :)
  • Member
    August 10, 2013

    Thanks. If you still want an unarmored warrior you could check out my Songbird, which is a spellsword who uses alteration for armor. Or my Vampire Count, who can fight in melee with 0 armor rating.

  • Member
    August 10, 2013
    Ok well since I can have three saves I'll just try all three out for size.
  • Member
    August 10, 2013

    Dat ,dat, dat nose! And yes, my Count is zero armor rating.

    Anyways thanks. A lot of builds have used 100% spell absorption (or some amount of it) but I really wanted to make a build that had it in its core, every moment of combat being dictated by spell absorption. As for bears and other animals, it was nice being used as a chew-toy and suddenly have my mojo replenished.

    When I was making this I was actually thinking about the Old Orc a bit, they are both based off of taking a radiant encounter and turning it into a build.

  • Member
    August 10, 2013

    Ah darn it! Spelling is for people who look intelligent/been to elementary school :P. Thanks for pointing the perk spread out

  • Member
    August 10, 2013

    Ah I accidentally typed regeneration 2/2 instead of 1/2.

  • Member
    August 10, 2013
    Cool build ! Can't wait to see how well it does ! :)
  • Member
    August 10, 2013

    I think that's because 50 was the max level cap at that point in time. I don't think the site has been updated to reflect the new legendary update, and it would've been easier to just tell you you maxed out versus giving you 50 points.

  • Member
    August 10, 2013

    Oh...

    I wouldn't know, I was just pulling stuff out of my squidhole. My highest level character is level 36.