Gameplay idea for Mages

[kellek3]

After playing Requiem as a Mage and playing the Witcher TRPG I had the idea for a mod and I'm hoping someone would be willing to make it since I can't figure out modding with the CK.

1. A Magicka Recovery spell - Restoration, Novice level, Concentration, with magnitude, either hand... maybe 10 Magicka per second?  It gives Mages something to do when their magic runs out and changes the gameplay.

 

2. Gameplay mod - get rid of passive Magicka recovery completely and add the spell, make it a spell you start with.  Now the only way to recover magic is to rest, wait, drink a potion, or concentrate on the spell.  This would create a fun playstyle for mages where you throw out spells and then have to take a few breaths to recover rather than run away and wait for ages.

[ZeroOblivion27]

That’s an interesting idea, and it would definitely change how playing a mage feels in Skyrim. Removing passive Magicka regeneration and forcing the player to actively recover it through a spell or resting would make magic feel more deliberate and strategic, similar to how stamina works for warriors. It could make combat more engaging, since you'd need to decide when to attack and when to step back and recover.

One of the biggest pros is that it would encourage more thoughtful spell usage. Right now, Skyrim’s mages can just run around and wait for their Magicka to come back, which sometimes feels a bit too passive. With a system like this, you’d have to manage resources carefully, which could make battles feel more rewarding. It would also help balance magic against stamina-based combat styles, where warriors already have to stop attacking when they run out of stamina.

That said, the biggest drawback would be how it affects overall game balance. Enemies in Skyrim don’t follow the same resource rules as the player, so without some adjustments, NPC mages might still have passive Magicka regeneration while the player doesn’t. This could lead to some frustrating encounters where enemy mages never seem to run out of power, while the player is stuck channeling their recovery spell mid-fight. Another issue is that not all mage builds are the same—this would hit Destruction-heavy mages much harder than, say, Illusionists or Conjurers, who tend to use their Magicka in bursts rather than constant combat.

There’s also the question of pacing. Since Skyrim is built around an exploration-heavy loop, removing passive Magicka regen might slow things down quite a bit. Instead of walking through a dungeon and naturally recovering between fights, you’d need to stop regularly to cast your recovery spell, which might become tedious over long play sessions.

That being said, if balanced properly, it could create a really unique magic system. Maybe making the recovery spell more effective when standing still or near a heat source (like a campfire) could add some interesting dynamics. Either way, it’s a cool concept that could really change up how magic feels in Skyrim!