I am playing a custom tailored build, which is primary a mage and so far very viable and flexible. The difficulty mode is Expert.

Do note, I am using Lydia in the earlier levels before I can come to a point where I believe my build can survive on his own. Also note that I always first lay the foundations of my perks, meaning when I decided which skills I will use beforehand, I will invest every following perk in every tree initially to get me started and build a foundation for my character.

Build:
- Destruction
- Restoration
- Conjuration
- Light Armour
- One-handed

Attribute distribution:

100% Magicka. No investing into HP or Stamina. Using the Shrine of Arkay for a 25+ HP boost in Whiterun from the Hall of Dead. If correct, every other city has this shrine in their Hall of Dead.

I will explain this more probably here below:

Destruction:

You probably don't need anything here. I simply use a flame spell for close quarter combat in my left hand. What the right hand does, you will discover further down below. I don't specialize in Frost/Shock and so far has served me well. I use fireball in BOTH hands to become a semi-automatic fire dispenser. This is rather useful on dragons, shooting into the air whilst Lydia uses her bow.

Restoration:

Since I don't invest into HP at all, I find the starting perk more than enough to suit the basic Healing spell you obtain at the start of the game. You can choose to specialize or not, but for me, it isn't important.

Conjuration:

This refers to the Destruction. I always use conjuration to summon a sword/battleaxe/bow depending on my needs. I usually summon a sword when I am involved with humanoid or tougher beast races roaming Skyrim. Do note that I am never using this as my primary attack, I always use the flamethrower spell first, until I either spend my Magicka or they are too close for my liking. A simply power attack will stagger them so you can back away and keep that heat up.

I do admit, I have killed the first dragon when he was almost slain and it performed that sick animation of driving that bound sword multiple times in his cranium. I also usually reserve the final HP of an enemy with two quick strikes of my enemy, in order to conserve Magicka and look all bad-ass.

A second use for Conjuration is summoning of, you guessed it, entities. Be it animals or full blown Dremora Lords, these will serve you well and help you faster achieving that independent lifestyle as they will be proper tanks. I currently don't have much experience with this but most likely I will be utilizing it more often later in the game.

Light Armour:

First and foremost, I still use a robe as my main piece. This is due it's recovering nature. I also obtained a simple 'tiara' that cuts 12% of my Destruction consumption, VERY helpful. I augment myself further with gauntlets and boots, in order to raise up the skill bit by bit. My intention here is that as soon I get a full Elven gear, I will be wearing this indefinitely. This suits being more independent and probably ditching a companion to solo. This levels up on it's own when you get hit, so it's really passive.

I already invested another starter/basic perk into the tree to get that 20% bonus on my existing Leather gear.

One-handed:

Real simple. When the enemy gets too close, wack at them. Try to dodge often and evade those slow but terrible power attacks. Since I never invest into HP, this is a very important asset to me. I also have one perk sitting in this tree to get that lovely 20% extra damage on opponents, very useful when they keep getting stronger.


Please cast your vote and motivation below!

Harmless bump?

What race are you using?

I tried to make an Altmer mage and quickly discovered that the inherent weakness to all magic damage of the race was simply too big a liability when it came to facing dragons, or the many other magic users you'll be fighting as a College of Winterhold member. Haven't gotten around to making a new mage character, but I was thinking Breton, or -maybe- Dunmer.

I'm pretty sure that Altmers don't have magic weakness in this game - not like OB and MW.

Just poking around the wiki, I think you might be right. Also it seems Dunmer's skill bonuses have shifted a little bit...no more bonus to any weapon proficiencies, which is really silly. Now they're light armor, sneak, alchemy, destruction...illusion and alteration? Ugh.

Ah. I am rolling an Altmer. Due their 50+ Magicka. It allows me to quickly expand upon it since I only invest attributes points into that. They have no weaknesses anymore. It has been all shifted.

It might be viable but I sure wouldn't play it. Robes are just not worth it IMO especially if you're going to be facing enemies in melee even if it's not your main method of damage. 100 health also just isn't enough, you'll probably get one shot by some enemies if you're playing on anything above adept I think - especially with such low armor and no alteration.

I'm using the same exact build except I put points in health.

That's the idea. Soon as I find my Magicka pool sufficient enough, I will invest into Health. I know I am gimping myself terribly with it but the idea is if the enemy got too close to me in the higher levels, I made a mistake. Conjuration will be my main meatbag and Lydia is that meatbag for now. Most conjuration spells take a decent chunk out of my magicka, hence why I focus on it!

Well, playing an archer/conjurer personally, with restoration and heavy armor, and I'm finding using roughly 75% of my level ups to increase health, 25% to increase magicka seems to be giving me enough magicka so far.

Hmm. True. But if you might have read, I am using those fireball/bolt spells in rapid succession and they chew up my Magicka considerably towards Dragons whilst they impact them fairly. Now imagine if I bombarded my ground enemies in such fashion.

Still, I am betting on Light Armour to save my hide to be honest. Along with Conjuration or a Companion. I never intended to play alone right off the bat, Lydia is there until my Conjuration is sufficient to cover me at all times!

Yeah I play w/out a companion so I guess I might need more protection. And I don't have to waste any magicka on destruction, so I do have more spare magicka.