I always forget to use them, that or some are so cool that i feel bummed that it is limited to once a day.

I always forget to use them too.

I usually end up forgetting they exist, or I get bummed like you do and just end up never using them...

I always forget about them, shouts too.

Never really used them, always kind of forgot about them.

pretty useless

I never could grasp the rationale of a once-a-day ability. Is there a 24-hour timer attached? Recharging Magicka I can understand: it takes a while to svck enough Magicka back in from the surrounding "background radiation". (The principle was originally in Fantasy literature as a pervasive sea of "mana" that mages could tap into. However, heavy drains could create holes, like holes in the ozone layer. Alternatively, others theorized that magic flows along ley lines, which a nearby mage could tap into.) But once-a-day? If it takes everything the user has and it is going to take 24 hours to recharge, then shouldn't that usage seriously drain the user physically and mentally? Or what about that "per day" description: Does that mean a user could use the ability at 11:55 p.m. and then again ten minutes later at 12:05 a.m.? The usages after all occurred on two different days. The alternative view would be that if he uses it at 11:55 p.m., he wouldn't be able to use it again 11:55 p.m. on the following day. And whatever it is that is being recharged, shouldn't there be things the user could do to recharge faster? Like take a nap? It stands to reason that if the user is pushing himself physically and mentally, it should impede how fast the ability recharges.

The mechanic is kind of gamey but I do use some of them. They can be very useful or very useless depending on the power. I find the temporary buff powers the best myself.

Orc racial ability and Argonian abilities are always relevant IMO. They are useful even in later levels, as opposed to redguard abilities which is the same as eating a bowl of soup.

I pretty much forget them. After installing a few mods Night Eye became a great racial power although it isn't a once-a-day power.

Kahjiit rule

I think that the primary reason (on PC anyway) that those powers seldom get used is because they use the Z key. Normally, Z gets used for whichever Shout the character has prepped. For example, I normally have Aura Whisper "equipped" because I use that particular Shout A LOT. To use one of those other powers, I have to go into Magic, then Special Abilities, and then select the one that I want to use. Then afterward, I have to go back into Magic and reset my preferred Shout. Too much bother unless it's some life-or-death matter.

I've never used them much in any TES game. I avoid using them "now" because I might need them more "later." And "later" never comes. And eventually I forget about them.

I only use the Khajiit's night-eye


they just aren't as helpful in Skyrim.. now in Oblivion I found myself using Racial Powers regularly

In Oblivion they have more use. The racial powers are spell effects that you know, allowing you to use them in spellmaking and enchanting.

Absolutely, I love my Khajiit's night vision.

I play with many restrictions so the daily powers are important and I tend to use them regularly. However, I've never gotten excited about the four stones in Solstheim (Earth, WInd, Fire, and Beast?). The power they grant doesn't refresh after a set amount of time. Your PC has to go back to the stone and get the power again. That's too much trouble, even when you're already there, never mind going from Skyrim to Solstheim.

Like many others have said, I mostly forget they are there. Never really liked them in any of the games, too limited, too impractical, can't keep them as part of your habitual style of play.

Once-per-day powers are OK, once-per-visit-to-Soltsheim are much more awkward, and the lamest of all are the thrice-per-gameplay powers (there is fortunately only one)

Pretty much this for me too. I have used dragon aspect a few times when i'm fighting a "boss" enemy, or a particularly annoying dragon

Depends really.

Racial abilites are very hit and miss: some are huge buffs that stay relevant even in the late-game, some are just a mild buff that quickly becomes useless.
I just love using Berserker Rage or Histskin against larger groups of enemy and being able to just hack away.

So generally speaking, I make frequent (as in, as often as possible and is necessary) use of the better racial abilites, and I try to use some of the less useful ones, even though I often just end up forgetting about them.
The same goes for acquired powers, like the Nightingale or Vampire powers. I try to use them to fit the roleplay, but since I don't really need them, they are more of a gimmick should I want to do things differently every once in a while.

I won't forgive Bethesda for making Karstaag 3 uses per gameplay only though. I mean, he's completely badass, but I just don't want to waste one of his summons, so I end up never using him. Ever.

Me too! Well put.

I agree with glargg too, with the one exception being that Dragon Aspect, which was obviously put into the game specifically for the duel with Miraak. I've rarely used it in other situations, though.

Ok you guys forgot somethings. When Bethesda created it. The twenty four hour thing was just that. A twenty for hour. If you ask me, it was a developer oversight when creating it and that it was meant to be once every twenty four hours, hence a recharge time.

Besides the Orc and Khajiit powers, they're totally pointless. I'm playing a Breton mage, and not once have I had a justified use for Dragonskin. At low levels I suppose the Nord battlecry could avoid the nuisance of fighting several bandits. The Imperial racial ability was pathetic.

Except for Orc berserk, Khajiit night eye, Dark Elf flames I forget to use them.. They are not really useful.. Never have been.. Even in Morrowind did not use them..Oblivon either.