I am working on a spell that would translate player forward very much like the whirlwind sprint shout. I am working on custom race which I want to have ability/spell to warp forward and cause damage to objects they pass close/through.

I tried to see creation kit about the whirlwind sprint for the used scripts but can't find the scripts or the variables that define the functionality for the whirlwind sprint.

I have considered using ApplyHavokImpulse on the player but player seems immune to the effect. I also considered translation but that worries me.. As I looked through the forums and the documentation its said that TranslateToRef has glitches. Also I am bit confused how I can find valid point in front of actor that is not inside wall or floor.

Is there any reasonable way to mimic the whirlwind sprint effects?

I think the shouts are hard coded into the game. But, what you could do is a get a mod that modifies existing shouts (if it exists) to see how to find them. If they are hard coded, you will have to mimic this affect with a script. I have seen mods that add shouts to the game, never tried one, but they might give you an idea on how to make your own shouts.

Is there a script function that just moves the PC a distance forward? Perhaps a Force Walk or something that does not need a NavMesh? You could find some way to speed that up. Then the other issue is, how would you target the damage? Make it an area of effect spell that triggers when you stop? Not sure if you could damage something that you go by as there is no way to assign a target for the spell effect.

EDIT It looks like this mod has a shout kind of like what you want, without the sprinting part, look for the Shout that damages using Gravity

http://www.nexusmods.com/skyrim/mods/41376/?

See how he does things to make a new shout at least, or just use the mod.

Yeah, all the Translate functions will null the player's collision box. Whirlwind Sprint, doesn't use Translate anyway. It's handled by the mesh's animation.