id like to do dawnguard but unsure i can with just firebolt at 130 manna

and id like to explore solthiem but again firebolt + 130 manna its like yeah ...

Do not go to Solstheim at a low level, especially as a Fire Mage.

Having a follower with you is always a good idea.

well i want ice bolt .-. and im thinking just spamming levels into health or stamina and getting enchanting to get 0% manna usage

You want to play as a mage?

Increase your Magicka. That's the first priority. Health is secondary. Many mages don't worry about Stamina.

Everytime you make a new topic, it seems like you charge at enemies. That's what suicidal mages do.

Didn't do it as a Mage but I entered DG just as I hit level 10 and it was definitely a challenge at first. I would say about half way through the MQ it got to that fun/ enjoyable level where there were still plenty if challenges but I wasn't getting killed by every little thing or running for my life spamming potions. This was on Adept difficulty if that help you at all which IMO would be the bigger factor here. Either way I would take a guess at saying level 10 should be the bare minimum if you have focused your skills in essential Mage type skills(that sound wrong/ like poor grammar)

I did it at level 1 with little trouble. Fire? Bad idea. Dragonborn I mean. Dawnguard is scaled to your level and later in the game most enemies are low leveled. I think it was designed to be easy for those who wanted to jump in as fast as they could.

with enchanting all you need is frenzy and ice spear or invisibility

I went to solstheim at level 2 and I havent died yet. I have had jenassa with me all the time. I am level 17. I play on adept and only use shock magic.

Wow. How do you expect to get that high without increasing your Magicka while Enchanting is still low?

by getting 100 enchanting 1st then useing the magicka pools of infinity to rank the other magic schools

Mana?

There's no mana in TES.

OT :

DG - as soon as it becomes available at level 10.

DB - around level 23 or so.

umm... why are you putting points into Stamina..?

pure Mages don't need Stamina... at all... since they use magic.. not power attacks....

stamina allows for a larger inventory AND the ability to get places faster via SPRINT (also helps in running away and chasing dragons that decide to go NOPE)

Very true. Completely neglecting stamina all together isn't smart but shouldn't get more than one level up for every 5 that you add to magica, IMO OC.

300 carry weight is very generous. You're a mage. You shouldn't be carrying that much. Fair enough and those other points.

Still, I've never heard of a mage who rarely levels up Magicka just so the Enchanting reduces cost to zero.

That's a pity they went for this design choice of cutting the cost to 0% , it should have been maximum 50-60% cut in my opinion with spell power scaling on your stats , thus not making Mage spamming deities , but a credible mage with a mortal body that needs mana to cast

Anyway , to stay on topic , i think Dawnguard can be played once you get to level 10 if you perked only the skills that increase your damage and resistance , otherwise it's probably wise to wait til level 15-20 IMHO , but it all depends on the difficulty you play , if you play on adept , i'd say you can start it at level 1 if you wish , if you play on expert or above , i'd wait to get more damage output , especially on master

As a Mage , if you happen to have a decent level in restoration or plan to , i'd advise you to wait til you can dual cast the sunlight spells , it(s not necessary , but it(s cool for RP and it's quite efficient and useful even after you complete Dawnguard since there are so many undead to fight in Skyrim

yeah, pure Mages don't need to carry much...

I mean, you don't carry any weapons, and use robes instead of armor.... so you really don't need to carry much other then a few potions and soul gems...

a mage can wear any type of armour it doesnt effect casting ability

maybe i like heavy armour

well if you are wearing armor then you are not really a PURE Mage

Tbh there really aren't any "pure" classes any more IMO. Just sayn.

many of us have numerous characters saying otherwise..

It does with the mod "Balanced magic" , every piece of armor will increase the cost of your spells , i think that('s pretty cool cause there are drawbacks to wearing an armor now , say for Battlemages for instance , they won't be able to cast as much as a pure Mage

on a 360 - no mods also if was on PC i probably wouldnt have that mod

Just to chime in on the stamina thing. It's very overrated. 300 is plenty for a limit of carry weight. I don't need to sprint everywhere. Even if I need to make a mad dash to get away, The short bursts is more than adequate. I have never invested a single level in stamina, even for my warrior characters. It's a shame to say so, but stamina isn't a well implemented attribute in the game. Every level up I favor to invest in health or magicka, pending the character.

Now, as far as the argument that a pure mage is lesser of that title just because they opt to wear armor. I beg to differ. In fact I have played 5 different characters that would challenge that as well. The coverage of choice is just that. Coverage of choice. I will mix and match heavy, light and clothing to better suit the look of a given character. Being a pure mage is based on their actions and not their attire.

The "pure" mage thing can be debatable. I consider mage guy on my pic to be a pure mage even though he has a variety of brilliant design by Beth to have Miraak's gear have light armor and heavy armor in it. All that together comes to an outstanding 58 armor rating. Which is high enough considering I don't get hit.