I want to make an all out Mage character in Skyrim… No weapons or armor (except for Mage attire). What class would be best for this way of playing?
Absolute Best Race For Mage?
the-elder-scrolls-v-skyrim
Related Topic
- The Elder Scrolls V Skyrim – Best Obtainable Gear in Heavy Armor, Light Armor, and Clothing
- What strategies are there for fighting mages as a mage
- In Skyrim, what race is best suited for a mage, a juggernaught (warrior), and a thief
- Best race if playing as an Archer
- Is the best gear for a caster found, or crafted
Best Answer
Info for the races found here
Realistically it doesn't matter much. Race only gives you a (fairly minor) passive and a pretty weak active - both of which are only really particularly useful at the very beginning of the game. The skill bonuses are also very easy to level your own.
That said, the 'best' if you absolutely must min-max can depend.
Altmer (High Elves) have +50 Magicka and the Highborn passive, which allows you to regenerate magicka 25x faster for a minute, once per day. They also have Initial bonuses in all the magic schools (+10 illusion and +5 in the rest), and start with Fury.
Breton have Resist Magic 25% (which can be useful in some situations), Dragonskin, which allows you to absorb 50% of the magicka from hostile spells for 60 seconds once per day, and like Altmer have initial bonuses in all the magicka schools (except Destruction) (+10 in Conjuration and +5 in the rest), and start with Conjure Familiar.
Dunmer (Dark Elves) have Resist Fire 25%, Ancestor's Wrath, which makes nearby enemies take 8 fire damage per second for 60 seconds once a day, and have an initial bonus in several magicka schools (+10 Destruction, +5 Alteration and Illusion). They also start with the Sparks skill.
Argonians are always worth a mention due to their innate Waterbreathing, 50% Poison Resist, and Histskin (recover health 10x faster for 60 seconds, once per day), and also start with +5 Alteration and Restoration.
Khajiit get the Night Eye skill (Improved night vision for 60 seconds) which is useful, though you can get spells/enchantments that have similar effects.
Realistically though, I'd say choose the race you like the appearance or lore of the most. Once you get past the first few levels the passives and powers don't have much noticeable effect except for very situationaly.