Alteration magic: what is it?

[Cren Reon]

I want a mage that uses alteration. But i have never used it. Will someone explain it for me?

 

[Cleon]

alteration magic is how you change the natural world E.G: causing light where it isn't (mage light)

 

[blue 468]

In Skyrim Alteration is used to cast spells such as stone flesh and iron flesh witch gives you protection since most mages don't wear armor. Here's a link to some for info.

 

[Cren Reon]

Any advice on doing a pure alteration build?

 

[blue 468]

I found a Character build from the Skyrim blog that focuses on Alteration

 

[Edgeheaded]

Alteration, as its name implies is altering the world into the way you like it: Creating Light, Increasing your armor stuff like that, it can be quite useful sometimes.

 

[Nighthiker77]

Offensive paralysis, defensive flesh spells, utility detect life /dead and candlelight, and good perks for resist magic and absorb magic.

 

[Black Orchid]

Any advice on doing a pure alteration build?

I'm playing a pure mage currently, and I'm using Alteration as a support tree. Conjuration and Destruction are my main damage trees. You may have a difficult time getting through the game with just Alteration by itself.

 

[Vaga8ond]

Alteration early on is more of a defensive/utility based tree so it would be difficult to get much offense from it. Personally I think wards should be in this tree as well.

 

[ColleenG]

Get "Transmute Ore" and suddenly all the iron in skyrim is gold. Mine it, transmute it, smelt it, make jewelry, become rich fast.

 

[jarif]

It is when you bend the natural laws of the world like for example there is a spell which turns iron into silver

 

[Dagmar]

Alteration magic is essential to playing the cabbage ball game in Skyrim.

 

[DrunkenMage]

I miss Oblivion alteration. Being able to unlock doors and chests, don't know why they removed that. Being a super powerful Mage that can bend the world to my will... but I still have to get down in the dirt to unlock a chest.

Though Alteration is always useful for flesh spells, detect life and undead. Paralyze is one of the most useful spells there is in Alteration, you can shut that Draugr Deathlord up before he sends you flying across the room. Also funny to paralyze someone when they're walking up stairs so they fall down the staircase and have to walk up it again.

 

[MetalHeadManiac]

agreed

 

[Daelon DuLac]

Pretty much the only thing I use alteration for is Transmute (not always to gold either - you can make some kick-a** silver jewelry too) and Candlelight (for those really dark places you inevitably end up in - can't stand Magelight, it just stays in one place unless I cast it on a stick and then I have to carry the dern stick!). That's it. No Oakflesh, stoneflesh, etc... I'd really rather wear armor or just avoid the situation or let my followers handle it. They don't last long enough for my taste and make my skin itch...

 

[Dagmar]

That's it. No Oakflesh, stoneflesh, etc... I'd really rather wear armor or just avoid the situation or let my followers handle it. They don't last long enough for my taste and make my skin itch...

Dual Casting and Fortify Alteration potions will make them last longer. They're not meant to be a proxy for armor. They're just to save you from getting one hit if you're a squishy robe wearing mage.

 

[Daelon DuLac]

That's it. No Oakflesh, stoneflesh, etc... I'd really rather wear armor or just avoid the situation or let my followers handle it. They don't last long enough for my taste and make my skin itch...

Dual Casting and Fortify Alteration potions will make them last longer. They're not meant to be a proxy for armor. They're just to save you from getting one hit if you're a squishy robe wearing mage.

And informative too! I just liked the "squishy" part. I'm actually pretty good at avoiding confrontation and am learning to use followers and raised & summoned beings on this run through. Am looking forward to higher levels and higher power. Since it's my first run through, maybe you have a tip about any other Alteration perks that may be of use. Obviously I'll need to perk up some armor with robe enchants just to keep them up there, but nothing heavy, just extra protection - or maybe perk up robes to mimick armours. Hmmm... Double enchant here I come!

 

[Nighthiker77]

I carry around my Vampire armor of Quickening instead of robes. I've found it at least twice, recently off of a master - type vampire in a random attack, and I don't remember where I got my first one from. It is +75% regen with a decent armor rating(advanced smithing perk I think) . I got it at a really low level also, when 75% was as good as anything else I'd seen anyway. Sweet score.

The Royal Vampire armor has more regen and a higher rating too, and I think you can get some in the castle, right before you get to the Soul cairn portal, on either side.

 

[Black Orchid]

Never been a big fan of Alteration. I used it enough to get the 3x Magic Resistance perk for my Breton Dragon Mage, but other than that I'm pretty much done with it, with the exception of eventually transmuting some more iron/silver ore into gold.