Fury spells could morph enemies similar to everyone’s favorite Daedric Artifact, the Wabbajack. Calm spells could cover the Dragonborn in a glowing overlay resembling the enemy faction’s garb or appearance. Rather than simply put a red or green glow around affected targets, Illusion spells could instead make creative use of ghost assets already present in Skyrim. Though Calm, Fear, and Fury spells all feel more innately like mind control than illusions, Bethesda could have changed the spells’ visual indicators to convey otherwise. Since the Courage spell is essentially a durability buff, neither explanation makes sense. The Courage spell is confusing in either direction: Skyrim's already-powerful Dragonborn is either using an illusion to make his allies look taller and stronger than before, or he’s affecting their minds to make them think as much. It’s arguable that Fury spells are yet another instance of the Dragonborn causing an enemy to change appearance in front of an NPC’s eyes, but it still feels more like they’re being bewitched. Courage also makes Skyrim followers immune to the effects of Fear, though since there don't appear to be any enemy NPCs that actually use Fear spells, Courage is rendered far less useful. Fury outlines affected enemies in red and causes them to fight each other, and Courage outlines allies green and gives them slight boosts to stamina and health. Without any further visual cue, hitting an enemy with Fear feels like probing into their mind and convincing them that the Dragonborn is just too terrifying to fight.įury and Courage spells are the last two major spell types under the Illusion tree. While Calm spells outline targets in green, Fear spells outline them in red. While Fear doesn’t technically end combat, it does leave enemies open to attack without the ability to retaliate. The difference is that rather than disarming and standing still, affected targets run and cower from the Dragonborn. Like Calm, Fear spells cause targets to cease fighting. Without any visuals to hint at this, however, Calm spells seem much more like some kind of hypnosis akin to the Bend Will Shout from the Dragonborn DLC, which seem somewhat definitively to be a form of mind control. It could be assumed that perhaps the Dragonborn is casting an Illusion to assume the appearance of the target’s friend or ally. The only visual indication the player receives to verify whether a Calm spell is effective is a green glow around the enemy. Calm spells lull targets out of combat, forcing them to sheathe their weapons and regard the Dragonborn as a friend. Since evolving levels of Calm, Fury, and Fear comprise the backbone of Illusion magic, they’re the most accurate indicator of how the school is meant to function. This school of magic does seem to obliquely meet at least one of whatever options are listed in a dictionary, but Skyrim's Illusion spells are illusions that directly affect the mind. Related: Skyrim: Unique Character Builds To Refresh The Game
Some of Skyrim’s other spells, like Muffle or Invisibility, are outliers that encourage hybridizing with stealth play styles like a Dark Brotherhood assassin.
At higher levels these upgrade to area of effect versions like Pacify, Frenzy, and Rout. The three primary spells cast with Illusion are Calm, Fury, and Fear. But Illusion spells are something beyond what their simple name seems to imply.Īrcane skill trees in Skyrim follow the rule of three: Conjuration focuses on bound weapons, necromancy, and atronachs Restoration is for wards, healing, and affecting undead. Destruction spells are variations of fire, frost and shock healing and repelling undead fall under Restoration and atronachs are more easily summoned through perks in the Conjuration school. The spells in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim generally make sense for their respective schools of magic, but Illusion goes above mere trickery into the realm of outright mind control.