In the gi building better combat article, it talks about spells having secondary effects. Such as tap once for a fire ball, hold down for a flamethrower, or tap to charge for the aoe we saw in the trailer. What I'm wondering is if the rest of the magic schools will also benefit from this change.

Such as soul trap. Could a secondary effect svck in souls infront of the caster with a blackish purple cone? Or what about shield? Could pressing it creat a shield infront of the caster, but holding it down creates a thin shield around the character that fits like a second skin? What about light? Could holding that down creat a Solar Flair like effect that binds enemies?

What about water walking and beathing? Or conjuration? And what about open lock? Feather? Burdon?

What's everyone's speculation on the matter? How will the schools of magic make use of this?

Your suggestions sound kinda cool. I'm all for a greater depth to all magic. Perhaps if you hold down for feather you can levita...

I imagine a lot of spells will simply be "hold the button down longer for a more lasting effect" or something like that, though it would be great if every spell had two or three completely different, yet similar, effects. I just don't know how or what that could involve for something like Feather or Water Breathing.

I like your idea for Shield though. Tapping it once could give us the effect like in Oblivion, a purplish glow around the player, whereas holding it down would create a Morrowind-like shield where you visibly see it around the player.

With Conjuration, it could maybe determine how many get summoned, summon 2 weaker creatures or 1 stronger creature, or what types of things get summoned. For example, summoning a Lich in Oblivion could cause the Lich to use different type of magic spells, some useful against your enemy and some not, but you didn't really have any control over which type of Lich would get summoned.

Perhaps telekinesis could have some combat usage. You could attempt to knock an opponents weapon out of their hands, or push them back somewhat, not in a damaging way, just a sort of staggering force so that you can get out another fireball.

I see what you did there.

And FTR I like the idea of holding down the button for a different effect and I hope it's not just for destruction. (Doesn't make sense to be anyway)

here we go:

1-lightning:

-chain lightning
-stream lightning
-lightning bolt
-lightning storm

2-Fire:

-fire ball
-fire stream
-fire explosion (AOE)
-fire trap

3-Ice:

-freeze
-frost blast
-blizzard
-frost nova

4-Magicka:

-Death touch
-Magic missile
-Magic beam
-Magic explosion


and so on and so forth

I already had a thread about exactly this... But nobody was really using it anymore. And you stated it a little bettar.

Four effects each? I thought there was three? Tap the spell button, hold the spell button, or combine two of the same spells.

Hehe, if levitation is in it would probably be its own spell. If it is in, I'd imagin pressing it allows for a super jump, holding it in would allow you to fly, and tapping would charge some magicka into your hands. Once you're done charging you punch the ground and send anything that isnt' fastened to the ground flying high into the sky.

As for feather...hmm. This one is harder. One press allows you to move even if you're over encombered by a specific amount for a set amount of time. Holding it would allow for the character to carry more and move faster/jump higher but it would drain magicka, and tapping it would charge and upon release would turn anything in the area into something like a feather, and the wind would send them tumbling away?

Telekinesis may act like a tap would pull the target towards you and if possible into an open hand, holding it in would allow you to move things freely, and charging and then releasing would be something akin to a small bubble forming around you and then exploding out.

You've done the ones that have already been done by Bethesda. This is a thread about other magic types, like feather. for instance.


I liked how you could lock things in Morrowind, that was pretty cool. How about a spell that isn't specifically for unlocking, but one that is for both unlocking and locking. Like "Ondusi's Locksmith" or something, a tap to lock, hold to unlock.

i could see feather and burden becoming two effects of a single spell since they both have to do with changes in weight. not sure what the main spell would be called though.

I would love to have the ability to part water as part of the water walking effect.

I could see that happening. Have a lock effect instead of two separate spells. That also free's up one of the 85 spell effects. Who knows, its hard to think up secondary effects for the lock spells, I could see them being merged happening.

As for water walking splitting the water...its possible I guess. Press to walk on top, hold to create a bubble that surrounds you as you walk under water? Maybe that's more for breathing under water...hmm. That's another tough one to figure out.

As for burdon, that could still be its own spell. Press to burdon on target, hold to cast a cone of burdon that slows all enemy movements infront of you, and charge to release an aoe burdon that halts all enemys around you in their tracks.

Along those lines, does anyone think we'll be able to move while we're casting these cones or aoe charged blasts? I could see us being able to move while shooting a fireball, maybe the ability to just turn slowly when you're casting the flamethrower, and finally you're stuck in place when you're charging.

i agree telekinesis should be more usefull in combat, another way to make it more usefull is to be able to use it on NPC's as well as objects. you should be able to press down and hold the tirgger to grasp an enemy look at what you want to throw it at and release the trigger to throw. and maybe a way to put up a shield that blocks all ranged damage, maybe you could double tap then hold the trigger, but this would drain your magicka quickly. and now duel wielding magic is possible so you could use both hands to increase the force and size of the push, or lift multiple objects or yourself making it possible to levitate, and increase the size of the shield maybe something of a barrier all around the player simillar to the reflection spell in oblivion.

It would be really cool if a shield is created infront of the player, that something like a dragons fire would be affected by that and wrap around the shield. Like it wouldn't just reduce damage as fire passed through, but it would force the flames to go around the physical shield and its the fire that gets around that deals the damage.

The Fus Ro Dah seems like the epic force push everyones been waiting for with telekinesis. So maybe telekinesis could instead be charged and then released by punching the ground sending anything nearby flying backwards?

Is it just me or is levitation becoming the new crossbow

this dragon shoout does sound perfect for a force push, but i imagine it will have a cool down time before it can be used again, so im still gonna need something i can use frequently to keep baddies off me.

Paralyzation needs to be cooler looking.

And Charm needs to work more like a Jedi Mind Trick.

-Opinion Stated-

I remember hearing of a spell that created a circle of protection around the caster that pushed enemies away when they try to get close. Perhaps that could work?

I can't remember what article it was in, but its in http://www.gamesas.com/index.php?/topic/1178265-details-on-skyrim/page__p__17430187__hl__circle+of+protection__fromsearch__1#entry17430187 so while I can't remember the official sorce, I'm pretty sure its still fact. Maybe you could ask that user where he saw it? I know I saw it somewhere, I just can't remember where.

yes exactly. somethig like that would be perfect. if only its true