I just started playing Morrowind after being a little let down by Oblivion. Already Morrowind feels more like a real RPG than Oblivion did, but I'm wondering if armor effects magic in any way as it did in Oblivion. I've been reading some of the Morrowind Wiki stuff, and I don't see any reason why a mage wouldn't suit up in some heavy armor aside from carrying around the extra weight. I might be missing something, as I know there are some fundamental differences between Oblivion and Morrowind...

Also, is there any specific class or skills that would be recommended to a Morrowind newbie? I normally play thief type characters, but when I went into the cave by the silt strider, I was fireballed to death in about 3 hits. I'm considering trying a mage who specializes in summoning.

Thanks.