Lore vs Gameplay - Balancing Act

[danshive]

I have plans to make all sort of spells similar to the transformation abilities of the Wabbajack. Given that these are spells that alter the world around the player, it makes since that these should be alteration spells. The game, however, disagrees, as it actually has a transformation spell available via console command, transmogrify, that's an illusion spell. Seeing as it turns its targets into chickens, this seems to totally contradict the lore. What it does NOT contradict, however, is the gameplay style of Illusion.

 

Transmogrify is effectively a variation of calm, except the target becomes inaccessible and the spell can be broken by hitting the chicken. Transmogrify is not currently designed for actual use (it costs 0-1 magicka), but were it the sort of thing that would be in this mod, it would effectively be a less expensive variant of calm, and most of the other transformation spells would be variants of Illusion spells as well. Turning an opponent into a Snow Bear is much like Frenzy, except you've potentially turned a low level foe into a higher level one, and the "frenzied" foe would take no damage itself. They're almost all like different flavors of existing illusion spells with their own pros and cons.

 

Basically, I want to make spells that someone can use and will fit a style of gameplay, not just godmode "that dragon's now a chicken" spells. With all that in mind, should these spells be Illusion or Alteration based? I can give more examples if the above paragraph wasn't enough.

 

I asked this sort of question a while ago, but with more experience under my belt and the CK supposedly coming out tomorrow, I'm asking it again. Plus I didn't have a fancy poll the first time! Just look at it. So fancy.

[Werne]

The only spell I want is to turn NPCs into goats. I'm trying to make it but SkyEdit is killing me :facepalm:. I believe it should be alteration, since they are alteration spells. Edited February 6, 2012 by Werne

[Korodic]

Illusion would make them think they are chickens, alteration would warp their bodies into chickens.