Hi, I have a question about spell/potion effects. I am currently playing morrowind, but I've noticed it in Oblivion too, (those are the only two games in the Elder Scrolls series I've played so far) But anyway, while looking for healing potions and spells, the only ones I can find so far, are ones that last a few seconds. I can understand certain spells and potions only lasting a few seconds, but for instance, healing spells and potions lasting a few seconds makes no sense to me. Can someone explain to me how this can be effective in battle (or out for that matter.) I've never even tried them, but does it litterally raise your health, for say, 4 seconds, and then lower it back to what it was? What sense does that make, and what it the point? Thank you.

Healing spells and potions (i.e. spells and potions that have "restore health" efect) actually heal you. So they restore any lost health point and after that the health points stay until you are harmed again. The duration means something diferent here. If you have a restore health spell that has a magnitde 5 and duration 7, it means that the spell heals 5 poins of injury every second for 7 seconds, therefore healing 35 poinst in total (5*7).

There is another effect called "Fortify Health" that adds health poins to you above the number you should have for some specified time. I guess that after that time, the added points are stripped from you again, but I?m not sure, I never used this effect.

Thank you...I finished Oblivion on my computer and am over half way on the 360, and have recently started Morrowind on pc and 360, and never knew this about it. Very helpful- thank you again. (BTW, Yes I know Im an idiot...the way I thought of it wouldnt make much sense...lol At least for health,etc)

The same applies to damage spells; 5 fire damage for 5 seconds will do 5 each second for a total of 25. Technically the spell effects all work the same way, you just need to pay attention to the exact definition of the effect. Levitation for 30 seconds means you're levitating for each of those seconds, then stop. Fire damage means you take fire damage each second for 30 seconds, then stop taking damage, but don't get any health back. In most cases it's fairly obvious what will happen, but a few effects are vague, which is why you need to know just what they do. Damage Attribute permanently reduces stats just like other damage spells reduce health, until it's restored. Drain Attribute just lowers them temporarily, and they return to normal after the duration.