There are some spells called "bound XXX" eg "Bound Dagger"

What does it do? (What does the "bound" mean?)

It's basically a powerful creature from Oblivion who's soul is trapped into the form of, say, a dagger, which you can use to fight with. It creates a Daedric version of the weapon with an enchantment of some description, usually one that boosts your proficiency in whatever weapon/armour it is.

Ok, just to see if I got this right:

Say for instance you cast the "bound dagger " spell, will that cause you to do more damage with a dagger than normal?

That is sort of right- the spell "summons" a Daedric whatever (dagger, sword, cuirass, etc.) It also usually gives you a boost to the related skill (e.g. Fortify Blade 10 points).

Remember the assassins at the beginning? They appear to be wearing Daedric armor, but it disappears when they die? It is bound armor (a spell effect).

Only when using the dagger you got from casting "bound dagger". It doesn't work if it's not your active weapon.

Thanks - I still have a hellofalot to learn

Do bound weapons still fortify? I know they used to, but whenever I cast a bound spell with my mage it never listed it next to the weapon as per a normal enchantment. I could be wrong since I couldnt be bothered to go check my stats to see.

Another spell question:

when you cast somthing like "Drain 10 Health" for 10 sec. Does it drain 10 healt in 10 sec, or 10 health for 10 sec = 100 healt?

Not 100% sure but what sounds logic to me:

Well, think of it this way: If it drained 10hp every second for 10 seconds doing 100 dmg...most things would die in one cast. When you cast it though they don't really die with one cast do they?

Option number 2: 10hp in 10 seconds thus 1hp per second...sounds logic. If you watch your enemies health bar you will see it decreasing.It isn't that powerfull of a spell, 100 dmg would be expecting a lot...

In case it wasn't clear...total of 10 dmg...the effect is just spread out over 10 sec.


P.S. unless those cute little wilves have 300+ hp and that would be the reason of their health bar not going down so fast...i m guessing not?!

My thoughts were the same, but when you enchant an item, why does it then cost more if you increase the duration (keeping the damage the same), eg adding drain 10 health for 1 sec, cost less than drain 10 healt for 10 sec.

Euhm...i haven't enchanted anything yet...Battlemage char. does just fine up to now. Though if indeed the price goes up as you say that would indicate that it does 10 dmg every second for the duration of the spell...
Sorry i can't be absolutely sure, just going on instinct and logic...

Drain Health 10 points for 10 seconds means that your health is drained 10 points for 10 seconds. Eg. you have 100 health points and the spell is cast on you. For the next 10 seconds your health is only 90. When the spell wears off your health returns to 100.

Damage Health again is a permanent effect. So, Damage Health 10 points for 1 second means your Health goes down 10 points until you restore it. Damage Health 10 points for 2 seconds will lower your health 10 points for each second the spell is active, meaning a total of 2 x 10 = 20 points.

Drain Stat X points for Y seconds: Drains the specified stat X points for Y seconds, after that the stat is restored.

Damage Stat X points for Y seconds: Damages the specified stat X points each second for Y seconds, stat must be restored with a spell/potion.

ok so my first reaction was partialy correct. Drain 10 dmg in total and lasts for some seconds. What i said wrong thus was that the effect was spread out in the duration, while actually it is instant.

And which spell takes health from your enemy and adds it to yours (if there is any?).Would be usefull in battle.Is there an absorb health spell?

I was actually refering to the Absorb spell, forgot it was called that

If you enchant an item with absorb 10 health for 10 sec, it should then absorb a total healt of 100, which would be the same as absorb 100 health for 1 sec (except it would do it in 1 sec)?

Based on Rane's answer:i m guessing it would be a permanent effect;you take it he loses it,untill he replenishes it.So i think it would indeed be 10hp x 10 sec = 100 hp.

But then it could also be that he loses 10 hp (char of 100 hp going to 90 max. for a period of time and you getting +10 max)after that he can replenish health up to 100 and you up to your normal.

Arg i hate this... can't say i have learned the spells...I mean,am i just thinking like an idiot is it just not that simple?

Still i 'd go with choice nr 1...much cooler

The Absorb Stat spell effect is actually divided into both permanent and non-permanent Absorb effects.

Absorb Health/Fatigue/Magicka are permanent effects and thus work the same way as the Damage Stat effect. So, Absorb Health 10 points for 10 seconds means it absorbs 10 health points each second for 10 seconds. Ultimatelly, you get +100 HP (added to your health, can go beyond your otherwise max health) and your target loses 100 HP permanently. So, the same as Absorb Health 100 points for 1 second.

Now, Absorb Attribute/Skill again work the same way as Drain Stat. Absorb Blade 10 points for 20 seconds means your opponent's Blade skill goes down 10 points for 20 seconds while your own skill goes up 10 points for 20 seconds.

Rane's the leader...walking encyclopedia that's what he is... Thx it is much clearer now!

Hmm... Sounds like a blade with Absorb Health enchantment will make you pretty über, provided you get in a few hits every now and then. Same with spells and bows for that matter. Have to try this. Never used Absorb Health...

I have a sword with a absorb health enchantment - works wonders

i have my two rings+amulet+shield with something called "damage xx%" for instance i might have something like 70% of "damage", this means 70% of the attack someone does to me goes back to him, its pretty wiked to see enemies going down by themselves for no apparent reason in adition these skill are paired with the equivalent of phisical damage in a spell. So not only they damage themselves, i have some chance of "redirecting" any spell cast on me. Useful indeed...

Well, although the answer's already been given, it's worth further noting that no, in Oblivion, "bound" weapons DO NOT fortify your skill while equipped, like they did in Morrowind. They simply are really powerful, non-magical daedric weapons. They happen to be entirely weightless, and in some cases, actually deal MORE damage than daedric weapons, making them the most powerful weapons in the game.

Also, do note that if you de-equip a bound item, it tends to immediately end the effect.


As Rane explained, it is like a "temporary damage."

On first glance, it may look like it stinks, because unlike "damage health," after a short while, that damage "heals" itself automatically!

However, it DOES have its advantages... First off, it's dirt cheap, so a 1-second "drain health" effect can be made for 100 points, and it will work like a "death spell;" if that attack pushes their HP to 0 or less, they die, and they do NOT recover that health!

Additionally, it's also worth using it against mages, and other enemies that can heal themselves. While, when the "drain health" effect expires, they recover the lost health, BEFORE then, NOTHING can bring the health back! It's like temporarily lowering their maximum HP.


As Rane explained, absorbing health, magicka, and fatigue works just like damaging or restoring it; you absorb an ADDITIONAL 10 points per second, in that case, so it's a total of 100 points. Note that unlike the instruction booklet might suggest, you CANNOT exceed your maximum health, magicka, or fatigue from this effect; the booklet is talking about absorbing attributes or skills.


Yes, that was quite popular in Morrowind, and why the best weapon in the game was the "black hands dagger," (got from the Morag Tong faction) which, if memory serves me correctly, absorbed 15 points of health, per second, for 30 seconds.

This also worked well simply with spells; Mysticism was BY FAR my favorite skill in Morrowind, with the "absorb health" effect being one of the chief reasons. Since then, though, they moved that effect to restoration in Oblivion, and made it, in spells, touch-range only.

That, and the removal of any sort of teleportation spell, made mysticism effectively gutted and worthless; spell absorbtion, as well as reflect effects, might be worthwhile to use, but are incredibly expensive.


You mean "Reflect Damage?" Yes, that's pretty powerful. It's also why daedra can be particularly annoying in combat; most of them have an innate "Reflect Damage 10%" (or more) effect. Hence, it's much easier to dispose of them using lightning spells. (as daedra, save for storm atronachs, take +20% damage from shock-based attacks)

The real shame, of course, is that no sigil stones carry "reflect damage" as their ability, and while you CAN gain spells to grant "reflect damage," they are, by default, not allowed when making your own magic items.

Yo! The absorb magic spell, if it absorbs 25pts magic does it add 25pts magika to your own or is it a percentage chance to completely absorb the spell and recive no damage?

And if you reflect damage do you still recive the full blow or is it redused by the amount that you reflect?

EG: 30% reflect damage= recive 70% damage and monster gets 30% or recive 100% damage and monster gets 30%

I think the magnitude is the chance to absorb the spell. If you absorb it I think you get the magicka cost of the spell.

Not sure about reflect damage, I haven't used it yet.

I dont know about reflect damage, for sure, Spell Absorg, Spell Reflect, and Spell Resist ALL function like so:

Magnitude = the % chance that the spell is Absorbed/Reflected or Resisted. Asorbed means you gain the magicka cost of the spell, Reflected reflects the spell back (Liches have a VERY high spell reflect, annoying ba$tard$) and Resist is chance to ignore spells...

One question I have... if you have 35% resist magick, 35% absorb magick, and 35% reflect magick... does this add up to 105% magick "stuff", and make you immune to magick? Or does each effect do a seperate check, and so in theory, you might still get hit sometimes??

Cadaver

Seprerate checks sicne they have difrent effects, if one check fails it will move on to the next until one succeeds or all of them fail, alltho resist fire,frost or shock will always reduce the damage of the particulare elament when all else fails.

For that reason I keep multi-elament spells to insure atleast some sort of damage, if they dont absorb, resist or reflect it.

I like that weather ward circlet you get from the Thoronir quest. If you have the "level up quest rewards" mod that makes quest rewards level up when you do, it gets up to I think 30-40% resist to Frost and Shock (I think). Its two elements for sure. Whichever, its a lot, and it sure does help.

Thanks Lord DoomsDay for the info...

Cadaver