Did anyone else go to the mage's college in the hope of actually, well...learning?

specularr · 3 months

After thinking about this some more, I've come to the conclusion that they underplayed the Arch-Mage Savos Aren. I mean, all he does is stand around, read a book, be all panicked when a Psijic shows up and finally die in vein! He should have had a quest in a dungeon like Saarthal, kicking major ass and when he died, it should have been to an army of undead and fantastical creatures.

Bombardiers · 3 months

I created a warrior type. Around level 25 I decided he needed to diversify into magic use. I went to Winterhold thinking it was a magic school and I could level up my magic. I wound up solving most of the Winterhold quests by killing enemies with my sword and bow. However, you can buy a lot of spell tomes there, so that's at least something. Many hours later, I eventually became a battle mage by dungeon crawling with sword in one hand and spell in the other until my magic leveled up.

By comparison, joining the Thieves Guild actually required me to learn and use some sneak, pickpocket, lock picking, etc. Now I'm level 60 with a sneak battlemage character.

glandyover · 3 months

I actually learned a lot at the master level but I sure had to pay for that learning at the lower levels. I train every level in the college if I'm playing a mage. Having the trainers for every magical skill in one place does make it a college more or less.

pyrocube · 3 months

Not really as Oblivion set my sights low for skills being related to the guilds but I agree some restoration of winterhold could have been a great plot drive for the guild quests.

I was disappointed the lutes around skyrim didn't become playable mini games after the bards college though. Lute hero skyrim edition mod request!

Khad · 3 months

On one hand it would have been neat if it were like an actual Spell College (just going to different spell classes and learning things, etc). However, on the other hand, the vast majority of people playing would find that boring and would rather just do a side quest with lots of action.

Maybe someone will make another Mage college with the creation kit or something.

SecondTalon · 3 months

When I walked in and had to demonstrate a spell, I thought "Oh, neat."

Then Tolfdir's class on Wards started, and I was left thinking "Holy shit, it's.. it's actually making me LEARN. This is gonna be AWESOME!"

....

And that was just about the last time I had to use magic, other than the lens focusing bit.

I was disappointed. Especially after I found Angi and saw that they took the time to make an NPC teach you like that. Where's the Destruction equivalent? Where's the "Make it through this room of hostiles who hate each other (and also you) without anyone dying on either side" Illusion quest? Or the Make Best Friends Fight one?

Yeah, the Master quests are nice, but they come at late skill. I was wanting an apprenticeship, not a demonstration of mastery.

theshakinghand · 3 months

You can learn spells and increase your skills at the college, but just like a real college you have to pay out your ass for it. I haven't really noticed the available spell books getting any stronger, though, but I'm still only in the mid 60s in most schools of magic.

You're right, though. You don't need to do any of that to progress through the guild quest. It seems like they just got tired in the middle of creating it and just stopped, even moreso than the other guild quests. And I thought exactly the same thing when they said something was wrong with Winterhold - I was so fucking excited and my hopes were dashed.

Although I must say, for someone who wants to roleplay as an experimental wizard scholar type, the Midden is a lot of fun.

I_RAPE_ARGONIANS · 3 months

I figured it wasn't a real college as there weren't any frats, panty raids, too many nerds and how I somehow became dean

SickSalamander · 3 months

I learned more spells by far at the college than anywhere else. And every spell is available from there.

All expert/master level spells and some adept level spells can ONLY be purchased at the college. You can't purchase them until you level up that skill tho. And you have to do a quest for the master level spells.

I kinda felt like the college wasn't a big deal at first because i did it really early. As I level up my mage, I just keep needing to go back to the college to learn spells/buy good magic clothing/use trainers/use atronoch forge.

Ironfungus · 3 months

You don't go to college to learn, you just go there to jump through hoops and get your degree so employers throughout Tamriel will take you seriously.

Jonnny · 3 months

Absolutely. My first character was an Argonian sneak thief who basically lobbed arrows, blended into the shadows, lobbed more arrows, rinse and repeat. I checked out the College of Winterhold quest a bit, thinking to dip my toes in the water. Next thing I knew, I was the archmage. uhh.... all my spell skills were still in the lower teens! I gave a disapproving look at this sacrilege of traditional Elder Scroll standards.

Lycan92 · 3 months

[deleted]

jojojoy · 3 months

I'm arch mage. I only have 110 magic.

DocSporky510 · 3 months

Yeah, I'm Arch Mage of the college and still don't know dick about magic

brbgottawipe · 3 months

If you didn't know, if you reach 90 in Conjuration, Alteration, Illusion and Destruction, respectively you will be able to do a quest that grants you the most powerful version of that spell. For example, if you gain 90 in alteration and talk to Tolfdir, you have a quest that can give you the strongest armor buff spell, and if you do Conjuration you can summon a flame thrall permanently. So if you really are a mage, there's much to gain in Winterhold.

dakho · 3 months

I thought the mage's "guild" was done much better in Oblivion. The College was just a line of quests that honestly didn't have a whole lot to do with being a mage at all. In Oblivion, you went around the region learning new spells and using those spells to solve problems, and then you got let into the arcane university or whatever it was called. It was a lot more enjoyable and more, mage-like I guess.

Nadie_AZ · 3 months

I actually went to get J'Zargo.

But he never offers me his quest. I've since done the quest Under Saarthal, thinking he'd follow and eventually open the option. Nope.

What do you do to get him to offer you his quest? Erik the Slayer met doom with Alduin. He fell bravely.

Conky_ · 3 months

When I was first there it was like oh man im so psyched to start my new life as a mage! and I just met these super cool friends! J'zargo can be Ron, and Drelyna can be Hermione! and Onmund....nobody likes Onmund....

Yggdrazzil · 3 months

I expected all manner of (small) quests that would reward me with skill increases in one school or another. Nothing grand, but something to imply that I actually learned something there :o

Hulkster99 · 3 months

For what it's worth, I DID learn.

I hadn't really used ward spells before and I got a class on them and some practice using them.

limorkil · 3 months

In older ES games you had to improve your magic skills to increase in guild rank. That went out of the window with Dumblivion, and Skyrim pretty much removed the whole guild rank concept. I actually like the Skyrim approach better, since if you are not going to do it properly you might as well not do it at all. That said, I was really surprised at how short the Winterhold quest line was, and how easy it was to become archmage even if you didn't have more than minimum magic ability.

danne_trix · 3 months

all the factions are complete shit storywise

rdg4078 · 3 months

the fuck is a hogwarts?

streets_ahead · 3 months

Yeah I tried to justify the lack of actually learning anything new or useful by keeping in mind that the storyline is that the college has been on the downslide for a while but it got a little frustrating. I figured I'd at least find some big time spell tomes that weren't available anyplace else or something. Instead I'm now the archmage that no one in Skyrim gives a fuck about.

bone_the_flesheater · 3 months

I thought i would be able to do experiments.Sadly i was not D:

Konebred · 3 months

Yah I was kinda looking forward to doing the same sort of quests like the thieves guild. Most of the quests are just fetch quests. I didn't do many though so that might have been it. It was weird jumping straight in to the guild quest.

MrBlueSky33 · 3 months

All I do is use a one handed weapon and healing in the other hand. Made it through the main questline, companions questline, and the college questline JUST using that simple combination.

grimgak · 3 months

I thought I would master the art of Restoration. No luck :(

viper459 · 3 months

you CAN actually learn a lot there, there are a load of trainers spell vendors (one for every school i believe) and it shouldn't be a surprise you have to pay for it. same for the thieves guild or any of the others, you CAN actually get better at doing the stuff the guild's all about by being a member, but you do have to pay.

ShadowDan15 · 3 months

There are some quest in the college that give you pretty good spells..... They're called the radiant quests i think...

basketborn · 3 months

I'm glad I'm not alone in this. I totally feel you.

BenTheZombieKiller · 3 months

I know exactly what you mean! It totally faked you out with that first lesson on wards.

dbvapor · 3 months

I was pissed when I learned what Master level destruction spells they offer. Three fucking spells? Are you kidding me?

Gamerchick333 · 3 months

As a mage character I was hoping the same thing too. The quests were fun and all but I do agree after learning the ward spell that was kind of it. I did like all the stuff you get after the quests though. (I won't say specifics just in case you haven't beaten them yet.)

EasleyAmused · 3 months

The college is only there for the Magnus Mission and for upgrading your magicka levels (Destruction, Illusion, etc.) for some money

Edit: And the Atronach Forge. Can't forget that little beauty.

Nmbonesteel · 3 months

They're just like every other college, promise you the world then hand you a degree and send you the student loan bill. They it's a quest to find a real job.

NinjaPro5 · 3 months

I know I did. I learnt the ward spell and immediately though, "hell yeah! I'm going to learn some new spells!" Instead, it was just doing a bunch of quests. Was also hoping to ressurect winterhold, maybe purchase a house there. That got crushed too.

NickGraves · 3 months

If you actually do the College's quests with magic, it is so much more difficult then not.

bronyking · 3 months

Uh yeah but i guess it was inevitable that it was gonna be some friggin story

ryken · 3 months

The ward demonstration was cool, but I wouldn't want to sit through more than one or two of those. They should have just made the baddies in the quests super hard to kill without magic.

violentfap · 3 months

yes. all that happened was i went on quests.

welshace · 3 months

oh come on now... this is bethesda.. do you really think they dont plan on expanding the mage college and the likes of the bards college later on in dlc?

shame on you

Mothman21 · 3 months

NERDS!

Hjgduyhwsgah · 3 months

Yes, I was disappointed with the College of Winterhold. In Oblivion, the Mages Guild wasn't really somewhere that you had lessons, although you could get spells from quests (i.e. Wizard's Fury) or from Vendors. But the College of Winterhold was supposed to actually be a college. We learnt nothing.

jPurch · 3 months

I went to the bards college expecting to learn a musical instrument. What a let down.

buttbutts · 3 months

I went there hoping a glitch that kept me from finishing the College storyline would not occur. I was disappointed.

Ragefacesoflucy · 3 months

I know. I thought it really would have been cool if you could actually watch them do spells and than sit and all that jazz. and in the bard school, ugh. I wish you could actually learn how to sing

ggabriele3 · 3 months

I wanted to do more than pick up spells. I wanted to actually learn lore about magic. One of the most frustrating things about the Harry Potter series, for example, was that they never tell you anything about how magic works in that universe.

There's a Skyrim book called "Reality and other Falsehoods" that gives some insight into how Alteration (or was it illusion?) magic works - about how nothing is "real"....to change something, you just kind of "convince reality that it would be better for things to be different for a bit.

There are 3 series of books about Barenziah - i would have enjoyed more background on magic. I would have happily sat through even one class per magic school at the college. Make it mandatory, give me a spell at the end of each one.

Title11 · 3 months

so in other words... it's exactly like real college

timmypix · 3 months

I've literally just arrived at Winterhold in the hope of learning, just like the OP - am I wasting my time? I mean, I'm looking forward to the quest, but I can see myself just going back to using weapons as my one-handed is about double that of my current magicka skills.

10secondsflat · 3 months

nope inestead it's hey you guy that can barely cast firebolt do you wanna be arch mage? lol sure why the fuck not!

Aleitheo · 3 months

I thought it felt like a mix of real life college and Harry Potter in the world of Skyrim, all up until the Good Intentions quest where things started feeling less "collegey" and then stopped on Revealing the Unseen. After that I don't know what the college felt like.

I wanted quests where I investigate magic around Skyrim and make reports on them. I wanted to experiment with different kinds of magic to learn new things. I wanted more interaction between the students and staff beyond what there already was.

brashet · 3 months

I think it is the only place you can get the Master level mage spells... outside of that there isn't much other than going to the members of the college for training. :/

Mage_tank · 3 months

I was kind of hoping for quizzes, lectures, sitting in a chair and being taught..

sigh

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