Hi, I just recently started playing daggerfall (it's really hard), and am a little confused about how the spell system works. Firstly, when a spell says "x amount of damage" and has a certain duration, does it mean that the spell will deal that amount of damage throughout the duration?
I think it means it will deal that damage with each "tick" over the duration, maybe once a second. So, for instance. Wildfire has two damage ratings. The first is done when the spell hits. The second is done once per second for as long as it lasts.
Also, do multiple damage over time spells stack, or do you need to wait for one to end before you cast another (like Morrowind's enchant spells)?
Good question. I don't know.
Also is it normal to die about 5-6 times before killing an enemy?
When you're learning the game, with certain enemies, and certain character builds, yes. As you get used to the controls and figure out strategies, you'll find yourself dying far less often. Until you reach certain even higher level enemies, at which point there will be new tricks to learn.