I'm really tempted to play a Magic character now because of this thread! Damn Fallout
Destruction (fire/frost), Restoration (self healing), Illusion (wards and silent cast) and Summoning (Distraction mobs) would be my skill set for this, although I'd probably use the SkyPerk Overhaul mod to sort perks out, but would still be OK using the normal skill tree.
Would do the enchanting later into the game to get some good spell reduction robes if I hadn't looted any and a better staff should it be needed. First thing to train then is destruction to 60+ ASAP and all should be well!
I can tell you how well/ not well that's going to work out
The illusion tree is literally useless unless you buy every perk. If you're mixing in destruction, restoration and conjuration too, you're going to be high level, but very weak.
There is no synergy between the various magic schools, or magic with non magic. I think that's my magic chars have sucked so bad. No synergy.
Basically, for destruction to be powerful you need not to level anything else. Same with illusion. If you take illusion as a secondary skill, your spells will be resisted 100% of the time due to not having all the perks to increase their effective level.
The Restoration tree is even worse. The Turn Undead spells are capped very low (20 is the max level they will affect), and there is a lack of perks to increase the effective level by much at all. So if (as I am) you are already level 20, adding Restoration will be useless vs undead, because none of your turn spells will EVER be able to affect them.
This is the crazy thing about the game. It really discourages mixing in a bit of this and a bit of that, because of the very strict level caps on the abilities.
You can't "mix in a bit of illusion", because you simply won't be able to cast on anything your level. Will only be of any use on enemies far below your level, which you won't have a problem with anyhow.
And the one spell Illusion has that would be useful apart from Calm/Fear/Frenzy is Invisibility. But you only get that at Expert level. Same with Alteration's Paralyze. Only at Expert level.
Also to the guy who said that 50+ he's overpowered: you do know that Skyrim's enemies stop levelling with you at 50, right? So all the levels you get beyond that you are over-levelled for the content.
It's at 1-50 that builds work or don't work.
I played destruction/enchanted single hand sword or something like that and it was fairly powerful - with a bit more understanding of the game and another 5 levels or so it would probably have been over-powered - after L10 or so Draugr were no problem at all.
It's a fair point as long as you don't mix in too many other skills. If you just took Destruction and 1H weapons, your level would stay low enough for the spells to hurt the opponents.
Start mixing in other skills, esp non-combat, and your level shoots up. Your destruction magic stays static, however, meaning you get to where I am. A cast of fireball eating 1/5 of my mana, and doing 10% damage to the opponent.
Skyrim basically rewards you for ignoring as many skills as you can! At least if you play mage.
