Any destruction spell that would fill a room would take way more power than you'd be able to sustain. Without filling the room, the enemy simply avoids the spell.

Line of sight rule would make sense as well. Or even limiting it to cast on self spells.

Other than that, your scenarios can already be done by summoning a beast and then hiding.

If you are running the beast will not manage hits on the enemy so easily, with everyone running around, and beasts can′t walk through locked doors.

BTW I would maybe like substained spellcasting but it would need to be weak, only like 5% or 10% the efficiency of a normal spell imo.

I'd like to clarify that these aren't exactly buffs as some of you make them out to be. They would work like normals spells, but damaging your mana regeneration rather than your mana pool directly. This has basically the same effect by reducing your ability to cast. Also, in my OP, I outlined a list of spells that would probably work best with this system as this is mostly aimed at reducing the tedium of beneficial personal spells. That said, I don't necessarily see how a "damage aura" of some kind would be over powered, but that isn't really what this thread is about.

I personally would like to see this added as a perk requiring a certain magic skill/intellect or willpower/level. Alternatively, it could be a default ability but in order to sustain a spell, you would need be a rank higher than the spell you want to sustain requires (IE to sustain a level 25 spell, you must be level 50 or higher in that skill). I'm not too fond of arbitrary level requirements. I also dislike restrictions on the number of sustained spells you can have active, I think mana regeneration balances that aspect.

Very nice system. And the devs could play with the MPS of various spell effects to their heart's content until they'd feel it isn't unbalanced.

Efit: Oops! Sorry, wrong button

I prefer Dragon Age like sustained spells.
For example you cast "Shield" spell and it consumes % of your maximum mana.Then cancelled your mana cap returns back to normal.

Definately make using light and night eye alot easier to handle.
yes plz.


Also be able to actively shield your horse orallow it to water walk would make it awesome.....


Also constant demoralize on an enemy?

Oh how will we turn the spell off?

Select it and press it again to deactivate it?

I haven't played Dragon Age, but that's an interesting concept. I wouldn't mind if they decided to do it like this.

I would very much like it, but it would have to be seriously limited for balance issues.

As someone said before, for any sustained attack (or target in general) spell, you'd have to have a constant line of sight with the target. It might also be a good idea for some sustained spells (if not all) to constantly use the hand used to cast them while they're in use as well. That way you couldn't stack spells ad nauseum, and it would have serious strategical consequences.

I like it too, if it were done properly.
It would also be good for conjuration, resummoning for annoying at times...

And aslong as the drain on magicka is proportional to the amount of magicka the spell would use, it shouldn't be game breaking.
Could a warrior use it for a shield spell, yeah, but it would be a very weak shield spell because he would have very low magicka regen.
Or maybe it could have a level cap, you can't use it until skill level 50 for that scholl of magic.

I would like that as an option when creating your own spells not something that would work like that all the time.

Yeah, it would still be an option for people to use, just like the mod had it. It's just a separate way of casting a spell.

FIREBALL METEOR SHOWER HERE I COME READY OR NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!







Edit: In my head I said it like Mr.Hyde said to Vanhelsing in that movie. He ony said the ready or not though.

Exactly. Also, it deactivates automatically if your magicka falls to 0 or the target is dead or otherwise gone, or the spell is dispelled (would sure make the Dispell spell a lot more usefull).


In Dragon Age certain spells are marked as sustained. The have a fixed amount of mana that they "reserve" if you activate it. Reserving means decreasing your maximum mana by that amount. That means you can sustain more effects as you become stronger. And, yes, they work forever until you use the same spell or your mana drops to 0. Some of them even drain mana continuosly as you suggested, they're the most powerful ones (like the Shimmering Shield that makes you practically invulnerable). Most of them affect either only you or create an aura effect around you.