I agree that melee characters should be doing more damage; just not THAT much more. Melee damage also happens to scale, and thus provides more damage as the game goes on. Spells do not.



This isn't a HUGE issue. I don't want to sound like Chicken Little. Honestly, if they throw in a "increase damage" enchantment aimed at destruction spells, I think it would shut everybody up.

To add to that, I play a mage on master difficulty and am having a ton of fun. But I am more of a multi-faceted mage (although I never use conjuration) and I see the big pitfalls of the destruction tree specifically.

What I find lacking is that I really can't use some spells at some points because they do not scale. So I'm stuck with whatever works at the moment. I really don't even have an option to use stream spells anymore. And that is a disappointing aspect of the way destruction works.

That depends... Are there spells like Firebolt for later levels? Sometimes I don't want to blow up every single person in the room, especially if friendly fire is an issue or if I don't want to havok every single item in the room everywhere. Sometimes I want precision.

I'm only at Apprentice level in Destruction, and have seen only Apprentice spells so far. Are there higher expertise spells that still offer the precision of the area effect spells?

That depends... Are there spells like Firebolt for later levels? Sometimes I don't want to blow up every single person in the room, especially if friendly fire is an issue or if I don't want to havok every single item in the room everywhere. Sometimes I want precision.

I'm only at Apprentice level in Destruction, and have seen only Apprentice spells so far. Are there higher expertise spells that still offer the precision of the area effect spells?

Again don't just think about destruction. A melee user will augment his primary skill with smithing or enchanting to get more damage.
Likewise a mage should augment their primary skill with conjuration, alteration etc..

You cant expect to MOD destruction to be the one all fix and therefor have it be overpowered without any other skills in the mix..

Break the game by doing 4 grand soul enchants with full enchant perks for 100% total cost reduction for destruction spells and manatroubles are over.

Break the game by doing 4 grand soul enchants with full enchant perks for 100% total cost reduction for destruction spells and manatroubles are over.

Lightning drains magicka, frost drains stamina, fire is just pure damage. Bears, trolls, spriggans and many other animals are weak to fire. Don't cast frost spells at frost-based enemies. I've found that the right type of destruction spell will kill any creature with less than a third of your magicka

This. You were using the wrong damage type.

Seems like a simple issue to spot - There are essentially 4 ways to directly do damage in the game:

1 - Archery
2 - 1 Handed Weapons
3 - 2 Handed Weapons
4 - Destruction

Sure, Conjuration and Illusion give you mechanisms by which damage can be inflicted, but you're not the one doing it directly.


First Perk of Archery, 1HW and 2HW is a 5 rank increases damage by up to 100% perk. First Perk of Destruction is a 1 rank reduces magicka cost perk. Destruction need 6 perk points spread across 3 perks in the middle of the tree to up Frost, Fire and Shock damage by 50%.

As your Skill increases in Archery, 1HW and 2HW, your damage goes up. As your Destruction Skill goes up, your mana cost by spell is reduced.

Archery, 1HW and 2HW can get a new weapon that increases their damage potential. Destruction has a limited spell spell selection, and does not have higher level versions of the same spell.

Archery, 1HW and 2HW can use the Smithing Skill to create and enhance their weapons. Destruction can not.

Archery, 1Hw and 2HW can use the Enchanting Skill to directly enhance their Weapons to do more damage. Destruction can not. Enchanting can be used to enchant other equipment to also enhance damage output for Archery, 1HW and 2HW. Enchanting can be used to enchant other equipment to increase Magicka regen and reduce Magicka cost for Destruction.


I could go on but I believe this list covers the main reasons why Destruction falls behind. Archery, 1HW and 2HW can all have their damage enhanced in a multitude of intuitive ways, and they all stack. Destruction has very limited ways to increase its damage potential, and it simply can't keep up with the weapon based skills in terms of sheer damage output.


My fix -
As your Destruction skill increases mana costs go down and damage goes up.
For each "Rank" perk (Novice, Apprentice, etc) mana costs are halved for that rank and damage of all Destruction spells goes up by 20% (stacking up to 100% at Master Destruction).
I would leave the element specific +50% damage perks as is.

Even with all this, I'm not sure Destruction would keep up with the extreme stacking capable with Smithing, Enchanting, Alchemy and a Weapon based skill, but I think it would definitely narrow the gap for most people, and be a whole more intuitive. You could use Alchemy and Enchanting to help boost your Destruction by a bit for more Damage, like you can with a Weapon based skill, but you still don't get direct enchantments on your "weapon" and you don't get new higher level versions of the same spells like you can with weapons.

I am deeply disappointed that I had to stop using Flames and had to start using Firebolt. Fire Rune kicks ass, though.

1. Spellmaking was broken.

Destruction's a range attack that has regenerating ammo, you never run out. It's not supposed to be as strong as melee, you up close and personal and the enemy can fight back. Destruction's about fighting smart like all the magic skills, it's great at dealing with groups of weaker foes while stronger ones, you'll need to keep your distance. The OP used an ice spell on an HP rich foe with ice resistance, you can't do much that way. I love ice magic because it allows me to out pace the enemies and have a key advantage, if all you care about is doing the most damage, then you're not fit to be a mage, they're about fighting smart.

that's the case in every other RPG since forever.

Sneak attacks require sneak, a very big disadvantage.

Seems like a simple issue to spot - There are essentially 4 ways to directly do damage in the game:

1 - Archery
2 - 1 Handed Weapons
3 - 2 Handed Weapons
4 - Destruction

Sure, Conjuration and Illusion give you mechanisms by which damage can be inflicted, but you're not the one doing it directly.


First Perk of Archery, 1HW and 2HW is a 5 rank increases damage by up to 100% perk. First Perk of Destruction is a 1 rank reduces magicka cost perk. Destruction need 6 perk points spread across 3 perks in the middle of the tree to up Frost, Fire and Shock damage by 50%.

As your Skill increases in Archery, 1HW and 2HW, your damage goes up. As your Destruction Skill goes up, your mana cost by spell is reduced.

Archery, 1HW and 2HW can get a new weapon that increases their damage potential. Destruction has a limited spell spell selection, and does not have higher level versions of the same spell.

Archery, 1HW and 2HW can use the Smithing Skill to create and enhance their weapons. Destruction can not.

Archery, 1Hw and 2HW can use the Enchanting Skill to directly enhance their Weapons to do more damage. Destruction can not. Enchanting can be used to enchant other equipment to also enhance damage output for Archery, 1HW and 2HW. Enchanting can be used to enchant other equipment to increase Magicka regen and reduce Magicka cost for Destruction.


I could go on but I believe this list covers the main reasons why Destruction falls behind. Archery, 1HW and 2HW can all have their damage enhanced in a multitude of intuitive ways, and they all stack. Destruction has very limited ways to increase its damage potential, and it simply can't keep up with the weapon based skills in terms of sheer damage output.


My fix -
As your Destruction skill increases mana costs go down and damage goes up.
For each "Rank" perk (Novice, Apprentice, etc) mana costs are halved for that rank and damage of all Destruction spells goes up by 20% (stacking up to 100% at Master Destruction).
I would leave the element specific +50% damage perks as is.

Even with all this, I'm not sure Destruction would keep up with the extreme stacking capable with Smithing, Enchanting, Alchemy and a Weapon based skill, but I think it would definitely narrow the gap for most people, and be a whole more intuitive. You could use Alchemy and Enchanting to help boost your Destruction by a bit for more Damage, like you can with a Weapon based skill, but you still don't get direct enchantments on your "weapon" and you don't get new higher level versions of the same spells like you can with weapons.

Sounds like mage is a challenging playstyle and maybe this was intended as obviuosly it was a game breaking playstyle in Oblivion. If you do not want the challenge a pure mage represents please start leveling up your one handed skill as well and add some combat perks. My 10 year old son figured this out after only 45 minutes of gameplay. He uses stealth for the backstabs and finishes them of with destruction magic.

Sounds to me like you want to choose a certain type of playstyle (pure mage) and then whine that it is not as OP as a melee playstyle that relies on leveling up two crafting skills to become OP.

I can whine as well that my paladin who uses block, one-handed, restoration and blacksmithing only isnt as powerfull as my uber asassin that uses dual wielding + bs + enchanting. But why? I can choose my own path and be stupid OP if I want to or I can challeng myself as I go as well.