This is not a complaint, but a request for help.

I love the idea of a mage character, but actually playing one in Skyrim is no fun for me. It seems that in order to get as much magicka I need, I can't put any points into health, so as levels get higher I get dropped FAST. And even then I never seem to have enough magivka. I have to cast, run, cast, run.

I do not like sneaking. I do not like relying on getting enemies to fight each other with illusion. I do not like relying on summoning things to fight for me. I don't mind using these things here and there, but at higher levels it feels like I HAVE to just to survive. I want to be a destruction mage first and foremost.

Any advice?

Would you possibly enchant so that you could reduce the cost of casting destruction spells to a more powerful level? Or make sure to keep up with what robes you're wearing. Just keep a balance between health and magicka. Also be sure to pick the damage perks.

Haha, you basically don't like everything the mage needs to survive in this game bud.

Unfortunately pure destruction mages become obsolete in the 40's and even before then you must rely on conjuration and illusion to survive as a mage.

That's what it feels like to me. In Oblivion, my mage character relied on destruction, and used conjuration for fun. In Skyrim it seems like the opposite.

How bad is it in the 40s or after level 50? I never made it that long. Do you need to rely on both conjuration AND illusion? Could I get by with destruction and conjuration only? PLus resto, enchant, etc.

Alas in the 40's and 50's you will die without using conjuration and illusion constantly not to mention you burn through mana just trying to kill the higher tiers of Draugr.

It's possible to play mage in this game, but you HAVE to put points into health. Also, you should summon creatures with ABANDON. Finally, don't let strong melee opponents close with you - they'll tear you up fast, especially those draugr deathlords. Keep backing off and dishing out the punishment.

To prove the power of mages, there's a youtube vid with the entire college of winterhold battling multiple very powerful opponents, including many dragons at once. The mages always win handily. They take down Alduin pretty efficiently as well.

I recently started a Destruction only mage character. Going into it, I knew that the level scaling would be a main contender. To try and remedy this, I focused on letting her increase Destruction "only". That is until I got to a skill level of 60. I had enough perks to get the second tier of the elements and the impact perk. I have since focused on Enchanting.

She is an Altmer. I picked her for the extra 50 in Magicka. With the help of a few Fortify Destruction pieces, I have been able to invest every level in health. I have yet to put a single point in Magicka. She has a buffed Magicka pool of about 200 and her health is 275 with the blessings of Arkay. She is at level 16. By the time the Expert levels become available, I plan on her being at 100% Destruction spell reduction. That should be on or about level 20.

She is not sneaky at all, but uses runes and strategy quite often. She uses a Storm Atronach staff in emergency situations against Boss enemies. She uses the terrain and the environment. The Ice Storm spell gets used a lot, as it can cast it through cover and walls. The Fireball spell has a very long range and the AoE makes it a excellent Sniper tool for mountain top to mountain top.

She will spend two real time hrs going up the backside of a mountain, just to get the drop on a fort. It's like shooting fish in a bucket. Now, when it comes to dungeons...well it's like you said...a lot of running.

If you watch the mages you have to fight that's exacly their game plan - cast, run, cast, run. They are very agile and keep their distance, you should too.

The spells you don't like are also some of the best in a mage's arsenal. I like to have my 'good' mage summoning atronachs and my 'evil' mage raising the dead. I don't know how I could persuade you to use frenzy spells, they seem pretty awesome to me.

My tips: Get a heavily armoured bodyguard. Use a staff in one hand spell in the other. Avoid melee and wear fortify magicka gear with a ton of magicka.

If you max conjuration, you don't need illusion or any other school of magic. Even on master there's not much that can stop 2 Dremora Lords. When you do lose one, it's just a case of conjuring up another and so on. Wish the same could be said about destruction.

Conjugation was useful in Oblivion but mostly as an meat shield, yes clanfear was nice against enemy rangers or mages but you did almost all damage.

Compared with Oblivion enemies has more health, weapon does more damage and spell damage is comparable with bought spells in Oblivion, however Oblivion had spell making.

Destruction can be either so lame it is not even worth considering putting a single point into it OR the most over powered skill in the game. Impact and augmented perks are a must as is % cost reducing enchants. Thunderbolt and Chain Lightning are the best spells to use also. If you have 100% cost reducing enchant with all these, the game becomes stupidly easy. Nothing can touch you and dragons (even Alduin), become less of a threat than mudcrabs.

If anything though, I repeat Impact is the must have skill as a destruction mage. It makes destruction viable. Chain Lighting also if getting mobbed as impact will knock down all attackers with it.

Use equipment to reduce Destruction spells magicka cost. Also if you want to, you can make fortify destruction potions. I made 104% fortify destruction and it was very viable

I forgot about those. Actually yeah, it is very possible to make destruction viable without it being too over powering. I still stand by Impact being a must though.

Destruction and over powering should not be included in the same sentence. That statement in itself is an oxymoron.