LE Ritual Magic Overhaul

[kiskoller]

The following would be the overhaul of the Skyrim magic system. Instead of making spells more powerful/weaker, giving spells/removing spells, this overhaul would change the entire concept of a mage character:

 

At the current state in Skyrim, a mage character acts very similar to an archer. He can cast multiple spells, has a resource pool that he can manage fairly easily, and deals with his foes with magic spells most of the time. Magic acts like a quick to use, convenient bow/arrow.

 

This overhaul would change that.

 

An average mage, if faced with enemy, would rely more on preparation, than quick reflexes. Soul gems, scrolls, mana potions, staffs, etc would play much bigger role in his fight.

At every magical activity the PC would have a choice to be more efficient/powerful/better, but with a chance of backfire. Magic IS dangerous in the lore, but not in the current game. You can't screw up magic, but you should.

 

The usage of magic would move from the battlefield into the lab, or hideout of the mage:

 

1. Make Magicka a more stable, less fluctuating resource pool. As in double, triple the maximum magicka, and either completely remove, or severly dimish the magicka return rate. If you run out of magicka, you run out for the whole day, if not days. Using your magicka in combat would give you debuffs, headaches, etc. You would regen magicka from sleeping for the most part. Use high magicka spells in combat only when cornered, to avoid death. Other times try to minimalize its use, and stick with easy-to-cast spells. Every non-combat activity would use up magicka. Enchanting, summoning (see below) scrollmaking, even high tier alchemy would require magicka. The drawback of using more magicka in combat would be that you do not have the way to easily regen it, but when enchanting, scrollwriting you can always go sleep a little afterwards, making it more efficient.

 

2. Conjuration

The ingame conjuring Daedra, raising dead and conjuring undead would be completely removed. You would have the ability to SUMMON specific creatures that you already "made" before the battle.

Necromancy: Pretty much the Corpse Preparation - True Necromancy mod. You find bodies, bring home, prepare them, then raise them. In combat you only summon the already made companions. If it gets "killed"=destroyed, you would have to recreate it, reanimate it, or get a new body.

This part is already been made in the aforementionen mod.

Danger would be soul corruption, losing portion of your soul when reanimating, etc. Weaker bodies, better/more materials used in the ritual mitigates this.

 

Daedra conjuring: You could learn spells for conjuring unbound daedra. You could only cast it when specific circumstances are met. For example you'd have to create a magical ring, craft it with enchanted candles, etc. Use big soulgems. Sacrifices, etc. Then, you would summon your unbound daedra, which would either attack you on sight, or get into a dialogue. You'd either have to give it smth in exchange for his service, or defeat it by sheer force and soultrap it.

Danger would be an aggressive daedra killing you on sight. Being better in combat mitigates the danger here. Better/more materials and summoning weaker daedra make it less likely that you get an aggressive foe. Having things to bargain give you the chance to have a more lasting soulgem as reward, as well as missing out on the combat.

 

The soul of said daedra would give debuffs to you when carried, so you'd have to only carry a few with you. The stronger the daedra, the stronger the debuffs. The soulgem of the most powerful daedras should be left home, and only carried when you know you will need it.

 

When in combat, you would only be able to summon said daedra, with this soulgem, who would fight for you either until he is dead, or dismissed. The soulgem would break after X times used (negotiated with the daedra when first summoned) or if the daedra dies once.

 

Scrollwriting:

Again, this was made countless times by various modders. A new feature would be that making scrolls would not cost soulgems (or only a little bit) but it would cost magicka instead. You could only write scrolls of spells you know.

If you raise a particular skill, not only casting the spells in that tree gets cheaper, but the making of the scrolls of said spells as well. Scribing a scroll would raise enchanting, using a scroll would increase the skilltree in question (like using a firebolt scroll would raise destruction)

 

Enchanting:

Again, countless mods already overhauled, but the main part is that you have to use up magicka to enchant, making it harder to grind it. Removal of the magicka-cost-lowering enchantment is a must. Staff crafting important as well. Ability to craft more powerful enchantments with the chance of backfire.

 

Staff: Much bigger role. There could be a staff made, which would half the spellcost of every spell, but the other half would be used as enchantment charge. Or staves could remain tool of soulgem -> free spell conversion as they are now. Using staves would raise the skill of the magic school the spell resides in.

 

Destruction: Lower level spells would remain if wanted. The ability to cast high magicka costing, high rewarding spells is important here. Spell-backfiring is just as well important. Giving you debuffs when using spells when are not skilled yet, like max-magicka or magicka regen rate reducing.

 

Alteration: Transmuting would play heavier role, it would be used to transmute ores to be used in creating the various tools for magic, like the magic circles for conjuration, or soul gem materials for enchanting.

 

Restoration:

I am in love with injury mods, you guys should try it as well! I never thought they would give this much fun to a game before I tried them. Restoration should be tied in with an injury mod.

 

Instant healing spells would get their magicka use raised significantly, forcing you to use it ONLY as last resort. Instead there should be slow hp regen spells, draining your magicka as well. Spells to help the healing from an injury, or disease would play heavier role, than in-combat life-saving.

 

Alchemy: essentially Chasing the Dragon/Useful Potions/Alchemy Requires Bottles/Improved Potion animation mod. Not much more is needed for this overhaul, just incorporate stuff from these mods:

 

Toxicity to counter the potion-jugging-attitude

Raise duration of potions, to make them worth while

Lower the regen ability of potions. No instant healing potion, only slow regen. No instant magicka potion (or a custom made potion with SEVERE negativ effects) and slow magicka regen instead. Magicka potions would be used between battles to regain some magicka, but only when it is really needed due to toxicity.

Animation: So that you cant drink potion mid-swing.

 

This would make potions a curiosity. You drink one or two once or twice a day, there is only rare exceptions when you drink more. Like when you are summoning a dangerous daedra. Alchemy would have a bigger role in preparing the various rituals for other spells in question, or it would be also really powerful in combat (100% fire resistance) if you're willing to pay the price. Poisons would be used same way as now.

 

I guess you guys get the picture now: More preparation, more casting in your home, less twitchy rocket shooting from the hips. And as I mentioned, parts of this are already made, what is left is to make the other mechanics, and merge & fill the gaps.