What happened to the real subheadings?

Anyway, like many people I agree that destruction is broken at high levels. It simply doesn't scale and that's a problem. Other people have posted that it's totally viable by using enchanted gear to reduce magicka cost to zero and stun-locking enemies constantly with the impact perk.

Basic premise and idea of the build
So basically, the main premise and strategy of this build is CONTROL LEVELING. Destruction does not scale well at high levels so the idea behind this build is to keep your character at mid levels forever. There's a very simple way that you'll be accomplishing this feat:

YOU WILL ONLY USE TWO SKILLS: DESTRUCTION AND ALTERATION

Don't use conjuration, don't use alchemy, don't sneak anywhere, don't use weapons, don't wear any armor, don't smith any weapons, don't enchant anything, hell don't even pick locks. You MAY need

PROS: More exciting gameplay (IMO) than exploited magicka and stun-lock whittling your enemies down, More of your destruction spells will be useful at the end of the game, your companions (who don't level with you) won't become obsolete as fast.

CONS: Not very much leveling if you're someone who loves to gain levels, have to rely on found and purchased items and equipment, more reliance on potions and will have to buy them since you don't use alchemy.

http://www.ign.com/builds/the-elder-scrolls-5-skyrim/create?d=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000120000011110100000000000001013111113 - You will basically fill the Alteration tree and take most of the Destruction tree, but nothing else. This can all be accomplished by level 22. You could pick lightning instead of Fire, but stay away from Frost (too slow, to much magicka, too many resistant enemies). If you level past 22 you could take dual cast alteration but that's more of a convenience thing than a necessity. Also you can of course take impact and you will be more powerful, but I'm trying to avoid stun-lock battles as much as possible, paralyze and ice form/unrelenting force will be my crowd control.

Race: Any is fine but recommend Breton (for resist) or Altmer (for Magicka)

Standing stone: Lord - gives you extra armor and magic resistance

Equipment you will want: Archmage's Robes (complete the mage's guild quest ASAP), The Sanguine Rose to replace conjuration, Ring and/or circlet of fortify destruction (if only one is fortifying destruction have the other increasing magicka), and either Galdur's amulet or the Archmage's amulet. Non armor enchanted boots are hard to find, but there are some fire resist boots in the archmage's quarters. Not found any enchanted gloves.

Useful spells: All fire spells. Since you will be topping out in the 20's, all of your destruction spells will be useful all the way up until the end of the game. Some lightning spells also in case you encounter fire resistant enemies. Ebonyflesh, with mage armor it will be fairly effective armor. Parylize, this is an extremely powerful crowd control spell, you will use it often. Any other useful alteration spells like candlelight, detect life, and water breathing.

I haven't personally done this build, but I have done a fairly similar one that is only using destruction, alteration, illusion, and restoration. He will max out in the 30s so I figure this build won't get past the low 20s. You might need to grab a few levels of restoration or something just to get all the required perks but probably not many.

I think the idea is to stay as low level as possible so level scaling doesn't screw you over like oblivion?

The more skills you take up, the more you're only weakening yourself right ?

How to avoid gaining levels from speech craft or lockpicking might be a bit more difficult...

Don't buy or sell things and don't open locks, simple!

Put the "Reduce Destruction Spell Cost" of the armor

then spam Incinerate

Well you're forced to buy and sell things to some extent, so raising speech a bit is unavoidable but not that big of a deal.

But you're absolutely right about not opening locks. How often do you get really great stuff in locked chests anyway?


If you read the first post, this is exactly what I'm trying to avoid because it's boring. Some reduced spell cost gear is good though, but not down to zero.

Uhm... my sig learns you about destruction

I already know about it. I consider that playstyle to be considerably less fun. It's addressed in my OP. Alchemy and Enchanting is 100% grinding to level and far less fun than going out and killing things.

If you follow my guide you wont NEED these (debatable) exploits because the enemies you will face can be put down with a reasonable number of spells without requiring enchanting and alchemy.

Or they can simply raise the skill cap to 200 that would work and allow u not to have to play a mini game just so u can play yo desired play style and still lvl..

Highly annoyed that @lvl 30 my mage no longer can lvl unless i drop my current playstyle or start the whole game over...
Important primary skills such as 1h,2h,archery,destruction and conjuration should last you till lvl cap or at least close to it...

Everything else is just a li flavor the primary damage skills i have listed skills should be raised to 200 if not 250..

This will allow a ranger to not [have to] stop using a bow to gain a lvl which is the current situation once they hit 100 archery.

A sword and shield war should be able to play using their 1handed weapon and shield till end game...
A mage should be able to use dectruction till end game...

Currently these classes have to abandon their entire playstyle with the perks they have invested in just to lvl..

Everyone who plays should not [have to] waste time finding other means just to lvl..

Some ppl like to be a jack of all trades and sum ppl like to be a master of 1..

Bottom line rangers should not have to stop being a ranger once archery hits 100@ around lvl 30 just to be able to lvl.

This same logic applies to other classes as well..

Why do you want to keep leveling so much?

Even if they raised the skill cap to 200 your problem with it wouldn't be gone, you would just be pissed off at skill level 200 instead of 100.

Because i don't get off on walking around @lvl 1 perhaps u do?

If so this convo does not concern u and again the primary damage skills should be raised high enough to take u to lvl cap...

I personally like to enjoy the scenery do side quest and guild quest and just explore..

I also like to lvl up using my desired playstyle while im doing all of this...

Why do u like to lvl in a rpg game? lol

Thats like me asking why do u like racing in a racing game, why don't u just look at the cars??

Anyway i am trying to role play a black mage but in a roleplaying game currently, whenever im doing a quest or raiding a cave that battle music kicks in and guess wat i wanna do???

I want to cast fire,ice,lightnig and use my master spells i have just gotten...

But guess wat if i do any of that i will not lvl up.....

I should not feel like im at the end of the game at lvl 30..

This is my thread...


There is no level cap, the level cap is when you max out all the skills (but you don't have to do that and In fact I've never done it in a single elder scrolls game).

So basically what you want is for a cap to be installed so that you won't feel obligated to keep leveling even though you don't really want to?


You do level playing this way. You level over 20 times in fact, more than someone playing Fallout 3 would.


Then do it.



That's too bad for you. Maybe this isn't the right game for you.

But yeah that's basically it.

You can be almost a "pure" destruction mage. Destruction doesn't cut it past level 40, but if you never even reach level 30 it should be ok.