J'zargo (Skyrim)

 is a Khajiit mage apprentice at The College of Winterhold in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Personality
An arrogant yet skilled Mage, he looks down on the Dragonborn, and other less-skilled mage students, offering only small words of appraisal. He is highly competitive and strives to be the best of the mage students, resulting in him making reckless decisions, to show his worth. He is not above stealing items to advance in status at the College. Despite his overconfidence, he has no qualms accepting that he still has a long way to go before becoming a powerful wizard. J'zargo is more agreeable than many other followers.

Earning J'zargo as a Follower
Agreeing to help J'zargo experiment with a batch of scrolls, the Dragonborn uses them on Undead as instructed. Serving as a Flame Cloak spell, dealing extra damage to undead creatures, the scrolls also damage the Dragonborn and any follower who may accompany them, which can cause the follower to turn on the Dragonborn. Reporting to J'zargo the results of the experiment opens him up as a Follower.

Combat Behavior and Skills
He comes equipped with (non-removable) Novice Robes and Hood and a Bow. J'zargo will equip One-Handed Weapons, Heavy Armor, and Light Armor if they are given to him, but in combat he tends to use dual cast Destruction spells until his magicka runs out. He favors Shock Spells. Despite being a mage he has exceeding high skill in heavy armor as well as one handed weaponry.

While In Combat with Higher Level NPC, he appears to use more powerful versions of the normal spells that he uses, or a Spell crafted for him that gives an apparence as a Normal Destruction Class Spell. Example: When fighting dragons on Adept Difficulty or lower, he will do the most damage often killing the dragon well before you inflict any significant damage.

Also while in prolonged combat, he does run out of mana and will use his fists regardless of any weapon or shield you give him. While he will equip such items as well as unsheath them when you unsheath your weapon, as soon as combat starts he will dual-cast Sparks. Another note to add is when he regens some mana after fist fighting for a few seconds, he will start casting fireball spells.

If at a long distance in the open, he will use Ice Spikes as his preferred spell, and does appear to have perfunctory aim and almost always hits his target.

While in Combat with Melee class NPCs, He will hold out for himself very well and is intelligent enough to back up as he is casting rather than stand still and placing him in Top Tier Heavy Armor only improve his combat usefulness. However fighting other mage class NPCs that cast magic he is not that well which leads to sum up he has terrible magic resist stats, and he will fall quite fast. It is believed the frost resist is his worst as he can most often killed with 3 or 4 Ice Spikes from a mid level (38-45) NPC.

J'Zargo's Health regenerates pretty quickly so you don't have to wait for him to heal or heal him before moving on as by time you reach the next combat area he will be ready to go.

Behind the scenes

 * J'zargo is useful as a ranged Mage for a player who is melee-oriented.
 * J'zargo is unique as a follower because he doesn't have a level cap the player can reach. In effect, he will continue to level with the Dragonborn until you cap at 81. Unfortunantly he will continually use the same spells so damage values will stay basically the same. Giving him a high level staff will help increase his damage output, and due to his high Destruction skill, the staff will last a long time before it needs to be recharged.
 * The fastest way of completing J'zargo's quest is to use the scrolls on the skeletons at the Sky Temple Ruins a short walk northeast from the College of Winterhold. They are relatively weak, sans the Draugr Death Lord within the temple's ruins, and should go down relatively easily even with a low skill in magic.
 * The easiest way of completing J'zargo's quest is to kill a weak creature and cast raise dead on it and then use a scroll on it.
 * If J'zargo's Scroll is used alone with a companion the companion will leave you and turn hostile.
 * If you have completed "J'zargo's Experiment" and "Alduin's Wall" you can recruit J'zargo as a member of the Blades.

Interaction Quotes

 * Inventory: "J'zargo only has so much room to carry things."
 * "Lets hope there's gold in here."
 * "If anyone sneak up on us, I'll smell them coming. Or I might not. We'll see."
 * "You're taking us somewhere warm, I trust?"
 * "Khajiit guards your back."
 * Near enemies: "Something smells foul."
 * "It is difficult to admit, but J'zargo could still use some help."
 * "By the Twin Moons!"
 * Upon being healed: "Ah! I feel like I just woke from a nap."
 * Upon being told to wait:"Here, right here? Very well, J'zargo will wait"
 * "J'zargo is ready for more adventures."
 * "These sands are cold, but Khajiit feels warmness from your presence."
 * "J'zargo can learn magic from these men and elves, but they cannot learn to be as dashing as he. J'Zargo comes out on top."
 * "I hear you found some... thing in Saarthal. You think it will help J'zargo become powerful mage?"
 * "I have heard much about the Staff of Magnus, perhaps J'Zargo could borrow it when you are done with it."
 * When approaching Dwemer ruins: "By the Twin Moons! A Dwarven city. It is incredible how this still stands after thousands of years."
 * "We have found a cave. I don't think there are warm fires and friendly faces inside."
 * Upon being replaced by another follower: "Really? J'zargo was having such fun. Ah, well. Back to the College then."

Quests

 * J'zargo's Experiment
 * First Lessons
 * Under Saarthal

Bugs

 * J'zargo may get stuck on the step on the way out of Blackreach. Sending him away and waiting will not help, neither will leaving the Blackreach cavern. Use the Unrelenting Force shout to dislodge him.