How Dual-Wield Will Affect Magic

[KradenEPC]

As of now, Bethesda has gone surprisingly in-depth about the Destruction school of magic in Skyrim. You assign it to one hand like a weapon and can press/hold the mouse/shoulder button for different effects, such as throwing fireballs or laying fire traps on the ground. Or you can dual wield the same magic in both hands for devastating attacks (like the AoE fire blast seen in the trailer).

 

To me, this sounds like an incredible system compared to Oblivion. However, that was before I even considered the application of the dual-wield system on other schools of magic.

 

Imagine the school of Restoration. In oblivion, there was a decent selection of spells available (restore health/fatigue/skill/attribute, cure poison/disease, fortify health/fatigue/magicka/skill/attribute, absorb health/fatigue/magicka/skill/attribute -- all with self, touch, and target, plus the option of making it AoE).

 

 

How are they going to apply all of these to the dual-wield system in Skyrim?

 

 

Let's start with Restore Health. I imagine that tapping the mouse/shoulder button would heal yourself, while holding it down may throw a healing bolt restore someone else's health. And if you dual wield it, there may be a healing explosion that heals yourself and allies in your area.

 

Or maybe they'll use the trap idea they used in Destruction. Perhaps you can lay down a healing "trap" (or "aura" in this case) that heals you while you stand on it, and maybe damages undead that step in it.

 

 

I imagine that many spells aren't flexible enough to fully utilize the dual-wield system (such as cure poison/disease), so I'm guessing that you won't be able to dual-wield many spells. However, I feel that dual-wielding holds a lot of promise for Skyrim's new magic system.

 

 

Anyone have any more ideas on how dual-wielding will affect magic in Skyrim?

[Thoreai]

That would be really great..i never played a character in morrovind or oblivion that used magic, becouse i never could feel that it was actually magic.

 

What i mean is, magic never felt powerfull/interesting to me in tes games, you had a few spells that looked all the same, 2-3 cast animations and that was it.

 

Now seeing the magic in skyrim seems like they finally made it look like real magic...powerfull and dangerous. I would dare say that the destruction aoe magic animation that was shown in the skyrim vid will be used by many other schools of magic, like aoe healing in both hands...you make an explosion of healing spell (yeah im very sceptic to believe they did more unique animations and ideas).

 

Also the shield spells, u use both hands and maybe you get surround by a wall of stone or other elements..that would be cool...but i dont believe that either.

 

Meh sorry i just cant imagine they will do something like that...i hope i will be wrong though :sweat:

[midtek]

I guess it will be literally <to deliver high output that drain your magicka reserves quickly>: bolster the power but any specialty I'm afraid. Casting non-numeral magic such as Cure Poison with both hands at once just overlap the effect; so basically wasting magicka. Just an expectation. ;)

[Sketchy77]

I reckon midtek is right. Likely they will overlap effects.

 

Maybe, the bonus for dual magic could be say.....Restore health in one hand and fire blast in another?

 

That would very useful. Personally, i'm going to make a hybrid mage. Dual weilding a Blade and Offensive magic spell. I am Offensive, I never uses shields.

[midtek]

Interviews said that magic combats are inspired by Bioshock's plasmids, and also said they are considering adding an ability to combine different spells to make new ones. So likely using different spells on each hands would be more tactical choice while duel-wield a same spell is for massive damage.

 

I'm more apt to be interested in melee & magic combination actually.

Electric Shock + ChopChopChop rules!

[TheReverendTholomewPlague]

Weakness to Fire/Fireball

[NAPALM13092]

Weakness to Fire/Fireball

 

THIS!

 

Now you are thinking like a chess player.

 

Burden in your left hand to stick them in place, Disintegrate Armor in your right hand to cripple their armor rating, hit a hotkey to switch spells, Weakness to Poison in your left hand, Fortify Marksman 100pts. for 5secs on self in your right hand, switch to your poisoned bow and enjoy watching them implode in one shot.

[TheReverendTholomewPlague]

Burden in your left hand to stick them in place, Disintegrate Armor in your right hand to cripple their armor rating, hit a hotkey to switch spells, Weakness to Poison in your left hand, Fortify Marksman 100pts. for 5secs on self in your right hand, switch to your poisoned bow and enjoy watching them implode in one shot.

I am inclined to give you kudos for this epicness.

[SansSword]

Very interesting potential here, for sure

 

Personally, I believe any game with a minelaying ability moves gameplay a HUGE notch upwards, especially in replayability, so being able to lay Fire/Ice/Lightning traps/mines is a huge deal

 

How about Ice in left hand, Fire in right; casting Ice on the ground causes enemy to freeze, then casting Fire towards same spot on ground creates puddle of water from the Ice, slowing movement

 

Casting Lightning into a small pond or puddle could make the surface electrified and electrocute any targets chasing you

 

As for general spell effects, I'd love to see Bethesda include the following for the 3 main Destruction talents: Shock = damage & stun, Ice = damage & freeze, Fire = damage & burn over time (I'd be just as happy to unluck the Stun, Freeze, and Burn abilities as Perks too, that would be fine)

[Corakus]

I'm curious as to what would happen if you wielded two summon spells of the same type in each hand.I wonder if you would be able to summon two of the same creatures or would it just combine into a more powerful creature, or maybe you would still only get one summon?