The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

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Balanced Magic
   
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Category: Gameplay, Magic
File Size
Posted
Updated
109.038 KB
27 Dec, 2012 @ 8:28pm
14 Jan, 2013 @ 6:53pm
9 Change Notes ( view )

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Balanced Magic

Description
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The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Balanced Magic v3.05
by mysty
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NOTE:
Optional Balanced_Magic_Dawnguard.esp that adds scaled up versions of the conjured boneman, mistman, and wrathman can be found here: http://gtm.steamproxy.vip/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=118386735

Purpose
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This mod is intended to provide greater flexibility when playing as a mage. Instead of relying on a few overpowered gimmicks, mages should be able to experiment with different techniques in different situations, and still have a reasonable chance of overcoming their opponent. I have attempted to make each school of magic uniquely powerful while staying pure to Elder Scrolls lore.


What It Does
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Magicka Management
- Magicka regenerates faster in combat (60% instead of 33%)
- Dual Casting costs less (2.4x instead of 2.8x) and is more effective (2.6x instead of 2.2x)
- Spell costs have been calculated so that they no longer decrease as your skill improves; instead your spells will get more powerful as skill increases.
- Neither light nor heavy armor increase spell costs, however, costs are reduced if armor is removed since movements are less restricted, making it easier to cast spells. Each slot (head, body, hands, and feet) that is unarmored will reduce casting cost by 8%.

Alteration
- Alteration spells with a magnitude become more powerful as your skill increases (automatically)
- The Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, and Master Alteration perks increase the duration of corresponding level spells based on your skill. At skill level 100, duration will have doubled.
- Each perk reduces the magicka cost by 25% instead of 50%
- Paralyze has been reduced to 6 seconds (was 10)
- Mass Paralysis has been reduced to 10 seconds (was 15)
- With scaling, higher level protection spells became redundant, so I have altered them so that each is the embodiment of a particular element. Stoneskin increases your armor (much as the original *flesh spells did), and Flameskin, Frostskin, and Stormskin provide less bonus armor, but also offer some resistance to the associated elemental damage.
- Casting a *skin spell will dispel any other active *skin spell so you can switch at will
- Dragonhide stacks with the *skin spells
- Mage Armor Perk Rank 1: *skin spells provide additional armor if you are not wearing physical armor (calculated for each armor slot)
- Mage Armor Perk Rank 2: *skin spells provide additional armor if you are not wearing physical armor (calculated for each armor slot)
- Mage Armor Perk Rank 3: *skin spells provide additional armor if you are not wearing physical armor (calculated for each armor slot). Also increases the duration of *skin spells and Dragonhide by 50%
- Reduced casting time for Ritual Spells to 2 seconds

Conjuration
- Spell duration increases with skill (automatically). Spells may be a few seconds shorter initially, but will increase to 150% of vanilla duration by the time you max your skill.
- The Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, and Master Conjuration perks increase damage of bound weapons (sword, battleaxe, and bow), increase the level of summoned Daedra, and allow necromancers to reanimate higher level corpses
- Each perk reduces the magicka cost by 25% instead of 50%
- The base damage of the bound bow was reduced, and the base damage of the bound battleaxe was increased
- Fixed "Storm Thrall" spell so that it actually summons a Storm Thrall instead of Storm Atronach. It is now a ritual spell as well.
- Reduced casting time for Ritual Spells to 2 seconds

Destruction
- Destruction spells become more powerful as your skill increases (automatically)
- The Novice, Apprentice, Adept, Expert, and Master Destruction perks increase damage of corresponding level AND ALL LOWER LEVEL spells by 10% in addition to reducing spell costs
- To keep damage to magicka cost ratios balanced, I had to scale cost up along with the extra damage. I also reduced the cost of Adept, Expert, and Master spells more than the 25% stated.
- Each perk reduces the magicka cost by 25% instead of 50%
- Incinerate, Icy Spear, and Thunderbolt do lingering damage for 3 seconds. (Tapered, in all damage is roughly doubled)
- The impact perk causes stagger to occur 25% of the time in apprentice spells, 50% of the time in adept spells, and 75% of the time in expert spells.
- The Rune Master perk now allows the placement of multiple runes (up to 4)
- Reduced casting time for Ritual Spells to 2 seconds

Enchanting
- Capped Fortify enchantments for Alteration, Conjuration, Destruction, Illusion, and Restoration. You can no longer enchant away spell costs completely. Soft cap is 50%, hard cap is 72% (depending on strength of enchantments and order in which you equip items.)

Illusion
- Illusion spells influence higher level creatures based on skill (automatically)
- The Aspect of Terror Perk no longer increases the damage of Destruction Fire spells
- Hypnotic Gaze, Aspect of Terror, and Rage increase level of controlled opponents based on illusion skill (+.2*skill)
- Each perk reduces the magicka cost by 25% instead of 50%
- Reduced casting time for Ritual Spells to 2 seconds

Restoration
- Restoration spells become more powerful as your skill increases (automatically)
- Wards charge more quickly and provide experience each time they successfully protect the caster. They are free to maintain but drain magicka when hit.
- The shield effect from the wards (bonus armor) has been set to 40 for all 3 wards. This scales up as your Restoration skill increases so that at skill level 100, you will gain 80 armor.
- Each perk reduces the magicka cost by 25% instead of 50%
- Reduced casting time for Ritual Spells to 2 seconds

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Thank you for checking out my mod! Feel free to leave comments, suggestions, or rate this mod!
100 Comments
(Z) Austerion79 10 Jan, 2023 @ 11:03pm 
FINALLY someone does a good wark system god i love you :aunope::cchearts:
Khairi 14 Jul, 2021 @ 6:52pm 
Does this work on SE?
HN_s4mur41 5 Mar, 2021 @ 5:38pm 
@JohnJSal that just means that spell hits will both drain and recharge your magicka. In other words, you're countering the hit with your magicka and absorbing the spell, which offsets the cost to mantain the ward up (but not all of it). If you don't take the Atronach perk, they'll just drain without recharging..
JohnJSal 4 Sep, 2020 @ 8:06pm 
How does the Ward Absorb perk work with the way that wards have been changed in this mod? It doesn't make sense that wards would both drain (from this mod) and restore (from the perk) your magicka when they are hit.
JohnJSal 1 Sep, 2020 @ 6:49pm 
"You can no longer enchant away spell costs completely. Soft cap is 50%, hard cap is 72% (depending on strength of enchantments and order in which you equip items.)"

Can anyone explain what this means? What's the difference between the soft and hard cap? And why does it matter in what order you equip the items? What order should it be? How can you tell you are getting the full effect of your enchantments?

This isn't clear at all.
JohnJSal 27 Aug, 2020 @ 11:20am 
Great mod. It makes magic not just viable but powerful.

The only downside is the nerf to enchanting. Why was this even done? That should be an option for those who want to do it, and others can simply choose not to. It's ridiculous to force that limitation on everyone.
JohnJSal 12 Aug, 2020 @ 7:44pm 
Also, does Mage Armor affect the elemental resistances from the *skin spells, or just the physical armor?
JohnJSal 11 Aug, 2020 @ 7:38pm 
Does this mod change the amount that Mage Armor affects the skin spells (i.e. 2x/2.5x/3x)?
Reyals 23 Feb, 2020 @ 1:36pm 
its great other than the enchanting nerf :) that's the entirety of the reason i dont use this mod
NØX_ETERNAL 6 Jan, 2019 @ 1:31pm 
it broked for some reason after endgame; it was fine before, but im guessing its either my mods or the mod itself idk