Can anyone please explain why the "Detect" spells belong to the school of Alteration?

They seem to only affect the caster (player) since NPC's have no reaction to it being cast upon them. Therefore wouldn't it technically be an "illusion" and belong to the school of Illusion?

My guess is because the school of Mysticism doesn't exist anymore, and Beth had to put it somewhere...or lose it altogether. Seems that Detect Life is better suited to Alteration (or Restoration) than Illusion.

But, what I would like to know is why Paralyze is an Alteration spell and not an illusion of one's mind...which as I see it, is where it should be.

There are a few other spells which I wonder why they are in the schools they've been placed in. Wards, for instance: seem to me they might be better suited to Alteration, than Restoration. Poison Runes are another that make me scratch my head. Why they aren't in Destruction is one I can't quite figure out. And Invisibility...why is it not in Alteration, but instead in Illusion.

Your Altering your Perception, your not giving yourself the Illusion of Perception

In Morrowind and Oblivion, paralysis was a mind-affecting spell that caused you to think that you couldn't move.

In Skyrim, it's an actual binding spell.


In general, spells seem to have been switched so that no one magic school is left feeling useless (for example, Restoration is not just healing).

I know that. While I may not have ever finished it, I have played Morrowind, and have played the holy hell out of Oblivion.

That said, there ought to be something said for consistency...something which is curiously missing from TES. Can't speak for Fallout, since Beth has only developed (and released) one so far, and comparing that one to the others isn't fair to either developer.

...and as far as one school not being left feeling useless...well...

Destruction.

It wasn't until I installed a mod which corrected Destruction's inadequacies, that I was actually able to enjoy using it again.