Hi folks,

I've just begun my 3rd or so 'serious' Morrowind character. He's designed like an unarmored cleric, pretty much, with Blunt weapon skill and a host of magic stuff. It's really the magic that I'm focusing on, but this will be my first character who has really used magic, aside from enchanted stuff and the occasional water walk spell. Here's the build:

Race: Breton

Birthsign: The Ritual. (I know the Mage would probably have been the optimal choice, but Ritual gives me some powerful-looking undead spells and, more importantly, a great healing power that can be used, I assume, with no Magicka at all. I figured that would be very helpful for those times when I run out of Magicka between fights - which in the early going will be a lot.)

Specialization: Magic

Favored Attributes: Intelligence and Willpower

Major Skills:
Restoration
Conjuration
Illusion
Alteration
Blunt

Minor Skills:
Unarmored
Alchemy
Speechcraft
Mercantile
Mysticism


A reroll at this point is off the table - even though I'm still only level 1, I have gotten into the character pretty well and completed a few quests.

Currently I'm rocking the commoner's outfit you start with and a silver staff I bought from Arrille. I've joined the Imperial Cult and plan to make that my main questline, as a devout follower of the Divines. I have contemplated pursuing the main quest, but that may lead to some... uncomfortable revelations for a character who doesn't hold much stock in 'heathen' lore. Perhaps the Mages' Guild can round out his career? Or maybe Solstheim has souls in need of steering back to the true faith.

Basically, what I'm looking for is any insight, stories, or tips into playing a 'pure' caster in Morrowind. I know I'll probably figure a lot out on my own, but it's more fun to discuss this stuff anyway.

I have already figured that I will be resting to regain Magicka quite a bit. With a Magicka of 90 at the moment, I have enough juice to cast my summon (Ancestral Ghost) and a couple of buffs (Sanctuary, Shield) for two combats before I'm basically dry. Rats and Kwama Foragers fear me! Not enough to stop attacking me, but still.

So the biggest problem as I see it is working up my skills. I have tried the whole 'practice, practice, rest... practice, practice, rest...' routine, but it takes quite a while to level up a Major skill... like days. My next step will be to get some 1-Magicka spells made for this purpose.

Anyway, given my basic setup, is there any general advice out there, or stories of similar character builds? Look forward to hearing from you.

In the long run, Atronach is by far the best sign for a pure mage, especially if you fight casters, and it adds so much to your magicka pool. However, these others you mention will do, seeing as you are the first-timer and you also don't seem to mind resting a lot.

Otherwise it looks pretty much perfect. Do you have any teleporting spells, just in case? What are the chances for Almsivi/Divine Intervention and Recall to succeed now, at low level? If those are fair enough percentages, then I can't see any harm in choosing Mysticism as a minor skill only... Except one. You don't want to use Destruction, do you? So what is going to be your ranged attack? That is, Mysticism would have Absorb Health as a very good ranged attack option, unlike any other schools but Destruction would have.

Also, why Speechcraft? To feel more like a charismatic wizard? That's good, but Enchant would be more mage-like skill. You could craft your own magical equipment, not to mention reload them.

So what I would do is put Mysticism to majors for teleportation and ranged attacking, and maybe even take Restoration down to minors seeing as you have a good healing spell as a power from The Ritual and your days go by pretty fast since you rest a lot. Then perhaps replace Speechcraft with Enchant to be even more "magey".

And yes, magicka schools level slowly. Use them a lot and be patient with it.

But as said, nothing really wrong with this one, except if you want a ranged attack method. You clearly know what you're doing. I wish you good gaming!

(We might even consider someone like you to become a member of our Great House, Telvanni!)

You really should consider a re-roll. Ritual will make you unhappy pretty soon. The turn spells are once a day and the healing you can get very quickly for little magicka. You need magicka for a caster build to work and Ritual doesn't deliver. Take Apprentice for a Breton. It gives you double the magicka and the weakness is completely offset by the Breton racial ability.
I guess the build will work as a melee build with utility magic if that's what you want (and there's nothing wrong with that) but it's not going to be anywhere near a pure caster without an offensive skill like Destruction and the magicka to use it. If you have your heart set on a primarily caster experience, I don't think this build is going to provide it, unfortunately.