Well after not playing Oblivion for a while, I wanted to play. Well none of my copies of Oblivion will work. (360) so I finally got another copy. . While I do have it on the PC I just want to play the 360 version. Yes it's not as pretty and some of the mods I love, I don't have, but that is ok, I got the 360 feel to it again that I was missing before. I can replay the original vanllia version with DLC once again. So it's been a while since I played, about a year or more now. So I am not sure if I want the Atronach birth sign or not.

I remember I was so use to the Magika Regeneration that when I tried an Atronach, I HATED it. After a while I tried it one more time, and it was great since it actually felt like playing a new game of Oblivon after playing if for 200+ hours.

So I am curious now after not playing for over a year, when I create a new character, should I choose the Atronach sign or not. I would like to hear your opnions about them, and how much fun you had or how much you hated it.

*edit* The reason I use to play with renewable magika is mostly to cast Restore Health all the time and Feather Spells so I can carry lots of loot. This is why I mostly don't use the Atronach sign.

Since I haven't played in ages, I forget alot, so that is why I am asking if I should take or not. So if I do take the Atronach sign, what would be the best way to cast healing and feather spells? Some times, I would have like 300 in Feather spells. Maybe playing alot of Fallout 3 and New Vegas in the last few years maybe carrying 500 loot will not mean so much for me now, but I am afraid once I start I will get upset again. Is there another way to cast different types of Feather Spells, and healling spells?

So again, I ask for your opnions again.

Filling your blue as an atronach is not hard. Potions initially, then as you gain skill and get some more spell absorption gear, self telekinesis works perfectly. The filling your blue simply becomes another chore like healing or repairing or recharging a weapon. I don’t care all that much for the extra routine chore. So I don’t care for the atronach on that aspect (stunted magicka).

With some spell absorption gear, you can become immune to magic. This can be good I suppose, but it requires you to get attacked by spell or enchanted weapon. I don’t care for it because I generally want my character to not get hit (even it it may not hurt). So I don’t care for the atronach on that aspect (spell absorption) either.

The final aspect is more magicka. I find the mage birthsign with a couple of enchanted items and good intelligence nets plenty of blue juice. So. . . .

I favor glass cannon ‘don’t hit me’ vulnerable characters and this does not fit with the atronach. I have used the atronach through several high level characters and have the greatest respect for it. Atronach is not hard to live with, it is simply not my goblet of Tamika’s.

Now, all that said, the atronach is fun I’m sure for a character that it fits. I think it would be great for a battlemage or even a warrior who augments their melee with some spells. This type of character has plenty of magic, loads of defense against magic and plenty of options if they run low on blue juice.

I am starting to remember a few things now Acadian after reading your posts. You have brought up some great points. I forgot how Atronach doesn't really give you "more" magika over time, but get more in a short time to cast stronger more powerful spells, wich I never came apon. I never met a spell that I needed that extral 150 points to cast, since I just seemed to cast alot of low level spells over and over again.

So now I am not so sure if I want to use it, because "over the long run" it is too much of a chore as you say to get it back, wich I don't think I really want to do right now. I guess next time I play on the PC, I will use Atronach, but I am not so sure now if I want to use it on the 360.

I am thinking of going Altmer for the most magika, but maybe I should go Argonian with the mage or apprentice sign, or maybe something else, that I never used before.

Well before I do that, I will want to read other peoples opnions and see what happens. So tired right now, time for bed, so will see what comments I get when I wake up tomorrow or Monday.

Thanks for the reminders Acadian, now I remember why I stayed away. Too much of a chore.

I'll side with the "Don't use", strictly by how you explained you like to play. My first character that finished the MQ was an Altmer using the Atronach sign. It was a huge pain when she was very young in her adventuring life. As she got a few levels under her belt it wasn't so bad. Always had welkynd stones with her and her alchemy got up real high and she made some killer "refill" potions. I knew where every alyeid well was at that's for sure! And I made sure her gear was enchanted for her refilling purposes. We did have little fear of enemy mages, which was nice.

But, while I had fun with it, I found out there's other things I'd rather be focusing on that making sure I had a way to replenish that.

I've always been a big fan of the Atronach Birthsign. It allows you to create some really strong custom spells and summon the top tier summons. Keeping your magic bar full is pretty easy without even using self telekinesis. At early levels (like as soon as you exit the tutorial) you'll want to collect welkynd stones. Once your alchemy levels then you'll easily be filling your magic bar with a single potion.

yeah. If you have melee back up. Not sure if absorb magic works well. Never used it.

Absorb magicka works very well subject to two limitations: You can't absorb more blue than your foe has. It is only effective at melee range.

Oh, another couple reasons that the wonderful atronach birthsign is not for me are more of my own limitations, not real problems with the atronach. If my blue is down a few points, I want it topped off - now. Same if my red is down by 3 points or my weapon is at 99% durability - I stop and 'fix' those things quite compulsively after every engagement. I like to encourage my characters to cast spells - alot and for everything they can; the atronach encourages me to 'ration' my blue and be less creative and free with my spells. As I said, it is a great sign for certain RPs, just not mine. :foodndrink:

A+nother reason I just remembered about using the Atronach sign, is any time I try to become a "pure mage", I am so bad at it, I always end up using melee combat the most and magika usually ends up being for healing and feather spells not destruction as I always tried.

I think I will use the Atronach sign, just because I will actually need to be using my melee skills now instead of trying to be a pretend mage.

Thanks everyone for your comments. I appreciate it. Can someone tell me how this telekenis onself works? I don't want to use it, but then again, just in case I get pissed off about not having enough magika in the begining, I don't start all over again. Maybe I can use it, when I get upset so not to get too pissed off. So how does that work?

Quote UESP wiki: 'Having active Spell Absorption effects can block the use of a Telekinesis spell. Because spell absorption returns the base cost of a spell, absorbing a Telekinesis spell at Mysticism levels above 33 will actually cause an increase in Magicka. Absorbing at 100 Mysticism returns 5 times the nominal cost, so this is an effective way for Atronach-birthsign characters to regain Magicka.'

I found with high spell absorption and mysticism, this worked like a champ.

Ah so at low levels, it will not give me me any magika back or not much? Thanks again for the quick repsones Acadian.

I vote yes, I know you've said you are already using it but I thought I'd toss my view in here anyway!

I'm considering using it on my Warrior characters for the spell absorption. Magicka isn't really a problem when you're a warrior, although mages often are. The bane of most of my warriors are Mages with powerful spells who manage to dash away from me before I can serve them swift justice. A solid shield and block skill can stop arrows and weapons easily enough, but they don't block spells and come the later levels, Mages will be pretty strong.
Eventually that 50% Absorb magicka will juice up to 100% in no time and that's when you effectively become a mage-killing machine. Good times.

I think I may even start a new game shortly as a Nordic warrior born under the The Atronach, sworn to hunt down the evil mages of Cyrodiil.

:tes:

Yes, it is an 'advanced' technique. At low levels, you'll want to rely on potions (homemade and looted ones) and carry a few of thos non-respawning pretty blue welkynd stones.