Tips

Tips from Sasquatch, the modlist author

MAGIC

Your starting magicka pool is determined by your total intelligence (3.5 magicka per point). Altmer and Bretons have a 10% multiplier to all magicka increases. Certain races start with higher or lower intelligence and certain birthsigns further increase the pool. Interacting with Ayleid Wells will give a permanent and stacking +5 bonus to your magicka.

Magic Sneak Attacks

Touch spells start with a 1x sneak multiplier at novice sneak and increase up to 2x at a master level of sneak. (0.25x increase per level of sneak mastery). Target spells start with a 1x sneak multiplier at novice sneak and increase up to 1.4x at a master level of sneak. (0.1x increase per level of sneak mastery).

Projectile Control

Continue holding cast key after releasing a spell to have (limited) control over the projectile during flight. This requires a skill of 25 or higher in respective spell school.

Spell Favoriting

You can favorite spells by pressing F on them in the magic menu. Outside of the menu, pressing F will open the favorites menu which you can scroll through with the mouse wheel.

Environmental Effects

Weather and location will affect elemental Destruction spells. All modifiers are multiplicative. | Weather | Effect | |:————–:|:————-:| | Rain | Fire spells are 25% weaker; Frost spells are 15% stronger; Shock spells are 25% stronger | Snow | Fire spells are 25% weaker; Frost spells are 25% stronger; | Swimming | Fire spells are 75% weaker; Frost spells are 25% stronger; Shock spells are 35% stronger | Inside Oblivion | Fire spells are 25% stronger

Spellcrafting

There are npcs in each Mage’s Guildhall who will craft spells and enchant items for you, it is no longer locked behind access to the Arcane University.

A new rare item called Welkynd Essence can be found - using it allows creation of one custom spell for free.

Various Changes to Spell Mechanics

  • Magic Effect Combinations occur when the same target is hit by 2 interacting effects. The first time that happens, you’ll see a tutorial message.

  • New Concentration Spells will continue their effects as long as Cast key is held or until Magicka runs out.

  • Different spells with the same beneficial effect will no longer stack with each other, instead the total effect power will be no more than the strongest of the spells. Feather is the only exception to this.

  • Fire, Frost and Shock Shield effects no longer provide physical armor bonus, instead they will damage attackers in melee range when struck, as well as provide elemental resistance. They will also add 25% of their effect as unarmed damage, however this costs magicka with each swing.

  • It is now possible to summon more than one minion at a time, with sufficient Conjuration and Willpower. The number of creatures the player can simultaneously summon is calculated by the following formula: (Willpower + Conjuration)/60, rounded down - meaning that you can potentially have up to 3 summoned creatures at high levels. It is displayed in magic menu, below spell list.

  • Reanimation has been given a big expansion. Instead of being used on only one unique staff, this effect is now available in form of multiple spells, spread throughout the world and can also be used in spellmaking.

  • At Destruction skill of 50 and 75, elemental magic effects will unlock impact effects. Chance to inflict them scales with Destruction skill and target’s resistance to particular element. At Journeyman level all effects have a chance to cause recoil; at Expert level Fire spells can knock back, Frost sometimes freezes the target in place, and Shock may inflict a short paralysis.

  • Chameleon is capped at 75%. Resist Magic and Reflect Damage are capped at 85%

  • Spell Absorption now behaves differently – instead of being chance-based, it always works and absorbs the percentage of incoming spell’s Magicka, but doesn’t protect from the spell itself

  • Power attacks with an enchanted weapon will shoot a projectile of the enchanted effect, consuming charge.