Spell school rearrangement in Skyrim : The Elder Scrolls Series Discussion

» Thu Dec 08, 2011 8:59 am

That's fine. And so the bar is superfluous, because we are never without magic. There's no such thing as being out of magic. Rather than a bottomless mana bar, the spell needs to be checked against real stats, like the missing attributes.

» Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:33 pm

Also, spells are state secrets; they should be guarded very closely. By the fourth era, there should be no spells in the market place. All wizards must register newly discovered effects and efficient procedures, with the nearest Guild. Failure to do so can result in stigmatization. Tell me what you think.

The return of Jack Vance magic! Perrywiffle's Candlebolt of Tepid Flames!

Spellkeeper society. The Mages Guild did that, like said above. Necromancy and Levitation?
Were there other examples of magicks limited?

» Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:31 am

That's fine. And so the bar is superfluous, because we are never without magic. There's no such thing as being out of magic. Rather than a bottomless mana bar, the spell needs to be checked against real stats, like the missing attributes.

You're never "without" magic, just as you're never "without" stamina. But sometimes you just don't have *enough* built-up magicka reserves to cast a spell.

» Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:56 am

?

Your mana bar breaks no more lore than your stamina or health bar. It represents the aetherial energy you've absorbed from sun, moon, and starlight. Drain magicka steals this energy from others. When you cast a spell, you use the raw creative power of magicka to create an effect, such as a fireball or the creation of a magical shield. I think the PGE 3E explains this in the intro.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/pocket-guide-empire-third-edition-magic-aetherius

"Imperial Theosophy teaches us that our world was born from magicka, the creative force that informs and sustains all life."

It goes on a little bit, but it never comes out and says that sorcerers cast spells by absorbing aetherial energy. It's more focused on the idea that aetherial energy is what makes everything go, not just spells.

http://www.imperial-library.info/content/oblivion-souls-black-and-white implies that the power behind spells stems from the casting soul itself.

» Thu Dec 08, 2011 12:03 am

I guess I was wrong. Huh.

» Wed Dec 07, 2011 11:19 pm

I don't know that you were, actually, except about the PGE. I feel like there's a document somewhere that says magicka is absorbed from outside, not generated, but I couldn't find it. Most likely it's a point of contention even within the lore.

» Thu Dec 08, 2011 3:49 am

There ought to be two kinds of spells (no spell schools): ritual and psychic (intelligence and will). Ritual magic can be cast by anyone with the right ingredients, amulets, trinkets, etc. However, if the ritual spell is incanted improperly, or by someone of low intellect (gone), the result can be disastrous.

Psychic spells are the result the PC is "imagining" (equip the spell, to represent the caster's occupation with the thought). These spells gauge the caster's will (gone) for their effect/s. They're always successful, and these spells you only need to learn once. Ritual spells require new procedures for the better effects.

Also, spells are state secrets; they should be guarded very closely. By the fourth era, there should be no spells in the market place. All wizards must register newly discovered effects and efficient procedures, with the nearest Guild. Failure to do so can result in stigmatization. Tell me what you think.

You can do something similar by keeping the spell schools and making the intelligence spells all be ritual magic. Which they likely are already. I forget the book, but one described conjuration as a ritual these witches performed to summon daedra. Potion brewing and enchanting are pretty ritualistic already, and the former mysticism could have adapted well enough. They should require your grimoire.

Your psychic spells pretty much already describe your willpower spells.

Spells aren't quite state secrets already, but magic is already fairly controlled under the Mages guild. You recall from quests in the past three games that they order the deaths of anyone practicing magic they don't approve of or aren't getting a cut from.

» Thu Dec 08, 2011 2:47 am

Well, in a way, magic spells were state secrets, as the Mages Guild was the only magical organization allowed to teach magic in Tamriel, and a lot of high ranking mages guild members would also become politicians, which was also why Galeron left the guild. Found his guild became the thing he tried to fight, and became a crazy man who attacked Mannimarco for [censored] knows why.