Magic

Spells

A spell record is a collection of magic effects, a name, a casting cost, and a type. Spell records of different types have wildly different behaviours.

Auto Calculate Cost

Checking this box causes the spell's casting cost to be calculated by the engine. This means that any other mods changing the base costs of magic effects are automatically accounted for. Unfortunately, checking this box also puts it on the list of spells auto calculated NPCs can have (depending on their stats.) As such it should always be unchecked. It can/should however be used to set the cost field to a fair value.

PC Start Spell

Checking this box makes it possible for the player to start the game with this spell, depending on the player's starting skills. This should always be unchecked.

Always Succeeds

Checking this box causes the spell to have 100% cast chance. It also removes the spell's school, meaning casting it doesn't grant experience to any skill.

Types

Spells

A spell is a regular spell that can be bought from NPCs and cast any number of times.

Abilities

An ability is a permanently applied set of effects that can only be removed by scripts. Certain magic effects behave in unique ways when used in abilities. For example, Fortify Attribute modifies the attribute's base value and Poison does max health damage.

Blight Disease

A blight disease is a disease that is affected by the Cure/Resist/Weakness to Blight Disease effects.

Disease

A disease is a set of effects that can be contracted from actors carrying it. Either by fighting them or by interacting with their corpse. Diseases are affected by the Cure/Resist/Weakness to Common Disease effects.

Curse

A curse is essentially an ability or constant effect enchantment that can be removed using the Remove Curse effect. Unlike abilities, curses do not change the way their effects behave.

Powers

A power is a spell that can be cast once a day.

Enchantments

An enchantment is a set of magic effects that can be cast from an item, consuming the item's charge instead of the caster's magicka.

Auto Calculate

Checking this box automatically calculates the enchantment's cost and charge. As with spells, it will take magic effect rebalancing mods into account. Since enchantments aren't automatically added to items like spells are added to NPCs, this checkbox is good to use.

Charge Amount

This is the maximum charge of the item this enchantment is applied to. Increasing this value increases the number of times the enchantment can be used. Note that enchanted items recharge automatically over time at a fixed rate. Increasing this value and the cost can create enchantments with few uses that take a long time to recharge.

Enchantment Cost

The is the amount of charge consumed by each use of the enchantment, before taking the user's stats into account. (A high Enchant skill reduces this cost.) Increasing this value decreases the number of times the enchantment can be used. Decreasing it does the opposite.

Potions and Ingredients

These, like scrolls, are single-use items that apply effects when consumed. Unlike scrolls, these stack, meaning a player can consume 10 instances of the same potion to gain its effect 10 times over. Their effects cannot be reflected or absorbed because they are essentially cast on self.

Effects

Flags

Each magic effect has a number of hard coded effect flags. Some of these affect how the game behaves (like using Harmful effects on friendly NPCs being assault) and some of them do nothing at all (Illegal Daedra.)

Effect	Target Skill	Target Attribute	No Duration	No Magnitude	Harmful	Continuous Vfx	Cast Self	Cast Touch	Cast Target	Applied Once	Stealth	Non Recastable	Illegal Daedra	Unreflectable	Caster Linked
Water Breathing				✔			✔	✔	✔	✔
Swift Swim							✔	✔	✔	✔
Water Walking				✔			✔	✔	✔	✔
Shield						✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Fire Shield						✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Lightning Shield						✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Frost Shield						✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Burden					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Feather							✔	✔	✔	✔
Jump							✔	✔	✔	✔
Levitate						✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Slow Fall							✔	✔	✔	✔
Lock			✔					✔	✔	✔				✔
Open			✔					✔	✔	✔				✔
Fire Damage					✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Shock Damage					✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Frost Damage					✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Drain Attribute		✔			✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Drain Health					✔	✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Drain Magicka					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Drain Fatigue					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Drain Skill	✔				✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Damage Attribute		✔			✔		✔	✔	✔
Damage Health					✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Damage Magicka					✔		✔	✔	✔
Damage Fatigue					✔		✔	✔	✔
Damage Skill	✔				✔		✔	✔	✔
Poison					✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Weakness to Fire					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Weakness to Frost					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Weakness to Shock					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Weakness to Magicka					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Weakness to Common Disease					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Weakness to Blight Disease					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Weakness to Corprus Disease					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Weakness to Poison					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Weakness to Normal Weapons					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Disintegrate Weapon					✔		✔	✔	✔
Disintegrate Armor					✔		✔	✔	✔
Invisibility				✔			✔	✔	✔	✔
Chameleon							✔	✔	✔	✔	✔
Light							✔	✔	✔	✔
Sanctuary							✔	✔	✔	✔
Night Eye							✔	✔	✔	✔
Charm								✔	✔	✔
Paralyze				✔	✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Silence				✔	✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Blind					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Sound					✔		✔	✔	✔	✔
Calm Humanoid								✔	✔	✔				✔
Calm Creature								✔	✔	✔				✔
Frenzy Humanoid								✔	✔	✔				✔
Frenzy Creature								✔	✔	✔				✔
Demoralize Humanoid								✔	✔	✔				✔
Demoralize Creature								✔	✔	✔				✔
Rally Humanoid								✔	✔	✔				✔
Rally Creature								✔	✔	✔				✔
Dispel			✔				✔	✔	✔	✔
Soultrap				✔	✔	✔		✔	✔	✔				✔
Telekinesis							✔			✔
Mark			✔	✔			✔			✔
Recall			✔	✔			✔			✔
Divine Intervention			✔	✔			✔			✔
Almsivi Intervention			✔	✔			✔			✔
Detect Animal							✔			✔
Detect Enchantment							✔			✔
Detect Key							✔			✔
Spell Absorption							✔	✔	✔	✔
Reflect							✔	✔	✔	✔
Cure Common Disease			✔	✔			✔	✔	✔
Cure Blight Disease			✔	✔			✔	✔	✔
Cure Corprus Disease			✔	✔			✔	✔	✔
Cure Poison			✔	✔			✔	✔	✔
Cure Paralyzation			✔	✔			✔	✔	✔
Restore Attribute		✔					✔	✔	✔
Restore Health							✔	✔	✔
Restore Magicka							✔	✔	✔
Restore Fatigue							✔	✔	✔
Restore Skill	✔						✔	✔	✔
Fortify Attribute		✔					✔	✔	✔	✔
Fortify Health							✔	✔	✔	✔
Fortify Magicka							✔	✔	✔	✔
Fortify Fatigue							✔	✔	✔	✔
Fortify Skill	✔						✔	✔	✔	✔
Fortify Maximum Magicka							✔	✔	✔	✔
Absorb Attribute		✔			✔			✔	✔	✔					✔
Absorb Health					✔			✔	✔						✔
Absorb Magicka					✔			✔	✔						✔
Absorb Fatigue					✔			✔	✔						✔
Absorb Skill	✔				✔			✔	✔	✔					✔
Resist Fire							✔	✔	✔	✔
Resist Frost							✔	✔	✔	✔
Resist Shock							✔	✔	✔	✔
Resist Magicka							✔	✔	✔	✔
Resist Common Disease							✔	✔	✔	✔
Resist Blight Disease							✔	✔	✔	✔
Resist Corprus Disease							✔	✔	✔	✔
Resist Poison							✔	✔	✔	✔
Resist Normal Weapons							✔	✔	✔	✔
Resist Paralysis							✔	✔	✔	✔
Remove Curse							✔	✔	✔
Turn Undead					✔			✔	✔	✔				✔
Summon Scamp				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Clannfear				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Daedroth				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Dremora				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Ancestral Ghost				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Skeletal Minion				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Bonewalker				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Greater Bonewalker				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Bonelord				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Winged Twilight				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Hunger				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Golden Saint				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Flame Atronach				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Frost Atronach				✔			✔			✔			✔
Summon Storm Atronach				✔			✔			✔			✔
Fortify Attack							✔	✔	✔	✔
Command Creature								✔	✔	✔
Command Humanoid								✔	✔	✔
Bound Dagger				✔			✔			✔		✔
Bound Longsword				✔			✔			✔		✔
Bound Mace				✔			✔			✔		✔
Bound Battle Axe				✔			✔			✔		✔
Bound Spear				✔			✔			✔		✔
Bound Longbow				✔			✔			✔		✔
ExtraSpell				✔				✔	✔	✔
Bound Cuirass				✔			✔			✔		✔
Bound Helm				✔			✔			✔		✔
Bound Boots				✔			✔			✔		✔
Bound Shield				✔			✔			✔		✔
Bound Gloves				✔			✔			✔		✔
Corprus				✔			✔			✔
Vampirism			✔	✔			✔			✔
Summon Centurion Sphere				✔			✔			✔
Sun Damage							✔
Stunted Magicka				✔			✔	✔	✔	✔
Summon Fabricant				✔			✔			✔
Summon Wolf				✔			✔			✔
Summon Bear				✔			✔			✔
Summon Bonewolf				✔			✔			✔
Summon Creature04				✔			✔			✔
Summon Creature05				✔			✔			✔

Weaknesses and Resistances

The magnitude of a magic effect can be increased or decreased by various effects. Adding the magnitude of all resistances and subtracting all weaknesses gives the percentage by which the magnitude is modified. For example: 10 Resist Fire + 5 Fire Shield - 50 Weakness to Fire = 35% more damage taken from Fire Damage effects.

It's important to realize that this multiplying percentage is calculated only once, when the spell is first applied. This means that a Resist Magicka 100% for 1s effect can be used to ignore the Blind effect of the Boots of Blinding Speed. It also means casting Weakness to Fire on an NPC already taking Fire Damage over time will not increase that other effect's damage.

In addition to the effects in the Resist column, Willpower and Luck also help resist magic. Note that only magic effects with a corresponding resting effect can benefit from attribute resistance. Effects with the No Magnitude flag can be resisted entirely by attributes if the target successfully rolls against the caster's chance of casting the spell in question (100% for non-spells.) Effects without this flag make the same roll, but only receive a negligible boost to resistance.

NB: Effects added by AddSpell (e.g. abilities) ignore weaknesses and resistances.

Effect	Resist		Weakness
Fire Damage	Resist Fire	Fire Shield	Weakness to Fire
Frost Damage	Resist Frost	Frost Shield	Weakness to Frost
Shock Damage	Resist Shock	Lightning Shield	Weakness to Shock
Poison	Resist Poison		Weakness to Poison
Absorb Attribute	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Absorb Health	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Absorb Magicka	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Absorb Fatigue	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Absorb Skill	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Blind	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Burden	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Calm Humanoid	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Calm Creature	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Charm	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Corprus	Resist Corprus Disease		Weakness to Corprus Disease
Damage Attribute	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Damage Health	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Damage Magicka	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Damage Fatigue	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Damage Skill	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Demoralize Humanoid	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Demoralize Creature	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Disintegrate Armor	Sanctuary
Disintegrate Weapon	Sanctuary
Drain Attribute	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Drain Health	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Drain Magicka	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Drain Fatigue	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Drain Skill	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Frenzy Humanoid	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Frenzy Creature	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Paralyze	Resist Paralysis
Rally Humanoid	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Rally Creature	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Silence	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Sound	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Turn Undead	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Vampirism	Resist Common Disease		Weakness to Common Disease
Weakness to Fire	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Weakness to Frost	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Weakness to Shock	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Weakness to Poison	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Weakness to Magicka	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Weakness to Common Disease	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Weakness to Blight Disease	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Weakness to Corprus Disease	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka
Weakness to Normal Weapons	Resist Magicka		Weakness to Magicka

Reflect and Spell Absorption

Upon being hit by a spell or enchantment, there is a chance some or all of its effects will be reflected or absorbed by the target. The order in which Reflect and Spell Absorption are considered is the same order in which the effects were added to the target. This means that casting Reflect 100% and then casting Spell Absorption 100% will always reflect everything, but casting Spell Absorption 100% followed by Reflect 100% will cause everything to be absorbed.

Note that reflected effects, effects with the Unreflectable flag, and spells cast by Cast or ExplodeSpell cannot be reflected. It's also not possible to absorb or reflect your own spells. Also be aware that beneficial effects can be absorbed or reflected.

Dispel

Dispel removes active spells affecting the target. The magnitude is the percent chance any given spell will be cancelled.

Note that Dispel only affects spells. Not enchantments, not potions, not powers. Just spells. Also note that a spell with the Dispel effect can dispel itself. When this happens the Dispel magic effect cannot be detected using mwscript because it will be gone by the time the script runs.

Drain / Damage / Absorb

Drain effects temporarily reduce a stat by their magnitude. Drain Health 10pts for 5s will reduce the target's current health by 10 when it is applied and restore 10 health when it expires 5 seconds later, for example. This means that these effects should always have a duration.

Damage effects permanently reduce a stat by their magnitude per second. So Damage Strength 10 pts for 5s will reduce a target's strength by a total of 50 points. Do not create abilities with these effects as they will reduce the target's base stats instead. (So a Damage Health ability will permanently reduce the target's maximum health, requiring level ups to increase again.)

Absorb Attribute and Absorb Skill act like a combined Fortify and Drain effect: temporarily increasing the caster's stats while reducing the target's. Like Drain effects, these should always have a duration.

Absorb Health/Magicka/Fatigue, on the other hand, act like combined Restore and Damage effects. This means they do not need a duration to be effective.

Expansion-added Summons

Tribunal and Bloodmoon added additional summon spells: Bear, Bonewolf, Fabricant, Wolf. Unlike the summons from the base game, the creatures summoned by these effects are hostile. This doesn't matter when the player summons them, but if a non-hostile NPC summons one, the summon will engage the player in combat and pull the NPC into combat with it. This is not a major issue as NPCs don't cast spells outside of combat, but it can negatively affect player followers.

NB: The Morrowind.exe AI is incapable of casting these spells (among others) even when combined with effects it would normally cast. NPCs can still cast them when scripted to do so, however.

Vampirism and Sun Damage

Vampirism is the effect that changes an NPC's face to their race's vampire head. It also activates the PC Vampire dialogue filter. Sun Damage is an effect that does damage over time based on time of day and weather conditions. These effects can be used separately without issue. For more information, see Vampirism.

Magnitude and Duration

Magic effects without the Applied Once flag are applied every frame. So a Fire Damage 1pt for 5s effect is applied continuously over every frame in those 5 seconds, doing 1 point of damage multiplied by the (fractional) number of seconds since the last frame, or about 0.0167 damage per frame at 60 FPS.

Effects without the Applied Once flag with variable magnitudes (e.g. 1-5pts) have their magnitude recalculated every frame. This means that the magnitude of any of these effects with a duration over 0 seconds is effectively non-random at playable frame rates. A spell of Fire Damage 1-5pts for 5s is essentially guaranteed to do 15 damage because of this. If you want the magnitude to actually be variable, use a duration of 0 seconds so it is only calculated for one frame.

Effects with the Applied Once flag are, as the name implies, only applied once. Meaning a random magnitude is picked only once.