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Contest Build: The Hedge Mage

Tags: #Character Build Elementalist  #Character Build Mage  #Character Build Bound Weapons  #Rank:Exemplar  #Contest4  #Raidriar  #Tae-Rai  #Someone sort these tags out I'm in a rush :P  #Tags courtesy of Albino cuz he's the best CB host :P 
  • Member
    February 7, 2016
    I LOVE collaborating, but there is almost always one or two little disconnects between the way participants play... all part of what makes it so fun xD
  • Member
    February 7, 2016
    For looks obviously :p I rped owning the college's ass with my untutored spells and lording over them :D
  • Member
    February 7, 2016

    Dude.....A wizard is never late or early....he arrives precisely when he means to!

  • Member
    February 7, 2016
    Again, there is no reason not to use them over what I used.
  • February 8, 2016

    I'm gonna be the harsh critic today. But I'm not trying to be mean!  I just have nitpicks and may be out of practice at being critical without coming across as a meany.

    For equipment, I recommend just going with the basic robes and hood you get along with Sparks in Helgen. You don’t want to come across as too wizard-y, but nor do you want to dress like a commoner. The Novice mage stuff provides a happy medium, though if you really want to go without it to fully simulate shunning all that is magical, feel free to do so. You don’t need a weapon either, since you’ve got your trusty spells.

    There is a 'free' Apprentice Robes set on some fool of a Vigilant investigating the abandoned house in Markarth.  You might also suggest the plainer-looking 75% robes, like the necromancer ones, or one of the simpler 50% robes worn by 'bad guy' mages that give a small cost reduction to one spell school?  I think blue robes look decent enough with apprentice hoods, and they really fit the hedge mage look well.

    Now, you all know that when you approach the College you’re stopped by Faralda, who briefly questions why you’re there then offers you the quickest and easiest initiation test of your life. For any other wizard the spell she asks would be child’s play. But not for the Hedge Mage. You have no idea what she wants you to cast - you can barely manage to cast flames or heal yourself, let alone create light or summon a creature from Oblivion - and no way are you willing to fork out 30 septims to do so. This will be your only interaction with the College, and perfectly simulates why the Hedge Mage will turn his back on those pompous scholars and instead venture out into the wilds.

    Wait, what?  Why?  30 gold?  Seriously?  Go pick up a free woodcutter's axe, activate a firewood pile once, and let me know how you think 30 gold is such a huge ordeal.  If you're particularly concerned with the spell Faralda teaches, save scum until she offers Healing Hands.  It's useful for the doggy, and not otherwise functional or powerful compared to the guaranteed spell tome drops elsewhere.  Since the flame atronach can (and will) also be created at the Atronach Forge either way, there's really no excuse for at least getting in that way (as opposed to buying the spell and not 'earning' Flamey yourself).  I know you want the idea of not being strongly associated with the college, and there's not much of interest in the place when buying spell tomes isn't a part of life, but this bit of writing just doesn't make sense.  There are better ways of explaining having little to no interest in the college, like just deciding after going to class that you have no interest in these idiots and their teaching style and their Saarthal nonsense, or even just skipping class forever.  There are still a few side quests that don't involve heavy association with the college, and Shalidor's Insights scrolls could be pretty helpful.  Training Destruction is also really important for reaching Adept spells in the first place.  Do you know how many ice spikes, or how many hours of spamming Sparks/Frostbite at higher-level enemies it will take to reach 60 Destruction?  I did it pretty recently with unlimited concentration casting in order to test just how awful it is vs. alternatives for my own WIP build, and I wouldn't wish that torment on anyone.  It's possible to use Sybille instead, but I wouldn't.  She's scary!

    Don’t accept any old quest however - you’re still a mage, so you’ve got to have a little arrogance about you. You certainly won’t stop Braith from bullying Lars, but you’d certainly help Andurs clear out his crypt.

    I'm sorry but... this is the point where the writing collapsed for me.  I'd at least subconsciously noticed some of the nitpicks mentioned previously while reading from start to finish, but this was the point where it finally irritated me enough to start scrutinizing and analyzing everything, which caused me to notice more nitpicks, which caused me to become more critical... I guess it's sort of a build-reader's version of story collapse.

    The problem I have with this is related to being very interested in hedge witches, folk tales about them, and of course regularly associating with several in my 'business' circles.  What you are describing is the exact opposite of a hedge witch.  They are very much folk healers, and while they'd normally be the sort to aid a hero on their quest rather than the hedge witch going on a quest herself, I like to imagine that helping Lars with a bully is exactly what a hedge witch would do... and in fact is doing.  His friend, Olava the Seer?  You see where this is going?

    Now, let's talk about perks.  I'd be a lot happier if I had a bit more archery, but that's just me.  I survived just fine with only Overdraw when playing the Mystic Diplomat, but Ranger perk is a hell of a drug, mate.  My biggest peeve with the perks, though, is how much you invested in augmenting all three Destruction elements and reducing the hardly-combat-useful Alteration spells, but then after talking up Conjuration so much you didn't even bother with Necromancy, Dark Souls, Summoner, Elemental Potency, Twin Souls...

    And just one final annoyance: Why didn't you mention Meeko?  A husky doesn't look nearly as good as a mangy mutt for the theme you're going for here, and he's available fresh out of Helgen.  Just ride a carriage to Solitude and swim right over.

    Now, I can't leave it as just criticism, but since comments get nested into nice little threads, I'll post the strawberry tortes separate from the sour tomatoes.

  • February 8, 2016

    Urge to correct misquotation of a wizard rising

  • February 8, 2016

    I was gonna say exactly that! :O Thousands of bandits and several dragons, eh?  You sure it wasn't like a dozen bandits and maybe a couple (non-frostbite-size) spider webs?  Because I can't help but notice a lack of dragon bones nearby...

  • February 8, 2016

    Shin, if you want to power level Conjuration, just get the Bound Sword tome from Treva's Watch and summon one prior to battle, switching to other spells once you have your XP.  Easy peasy!

  • Member
    February 8, 2016
    Too late! xD Although I have done that for other builds (and you're right... you most certainly can level Conjuration like a maniac that way), Raise Zombie was still pretty quick and let me work on my destruction spells at the same time. ;D
  • February 8, 2016

    Hah, using zombies as target practice is great.  Your magicka regenerates faster until they go hostile, and if you kill 'em quick enough there's no worry about getting clobbered!  What's not to like?