TES magic is nigh infinite and as good as limitless. The rules set by the setting are very slight and this provides a diverse and unique way of casting spells, creating curses, and completing various magical deeds.

There are many different ways of accomplishing magical tasks, all with varying techniques, costs, efficiency, and results.

It is something you can compare very much to math. Math can be calculated in many different ways, so can Magic. When I was still learning about it all someone explained it to me in the same way as I am trying to explain it to you now: Let us say I wish to reach a certain conclusion. Let's say the number 40. I can add 10 + 30 to make 40. I can add 20 + 20 to make 40. I can divide 120 by 3 to make 40. I can multiply 8 by 5 to get 40.
These are all extremely efficient ways of reaching 40. They have two variables and one operation.

But there are many more inefficient ways. 2 x 2 x 2 x 5 still ends up as 40. It just has 4 variables and three operations. More steps, more difficulty, same conclusion.

So why is this the way that it is? Well, its important to realize the main system of magic in place. Magic is not beholden to a set list of rules. In the universe of Elder Scrolls, it is, well, rather limitless, all encompassing, with very few rules dictating what it can and cannot do. The Elder Scrolls Universe, the Aurbis, is, in essence, a dream. It is thought sprung forth from the Godhead. The Godhead is unconscious and schizophrenic, as two polar primordial forces exist within this Aurbis and the Godhead can exert no influence over them: ANU and PADOMAY. STASIS and CHANGE. Because the Aurbis is merely a dream, as long as the willpower, knowledge, and power is there, magic can be accomplished. This is because magic is a form of manipulating the dream. Magic springs forth from Magnus, specifically the holes he and all the other Magna Ge left when they abandoned creating the Mundus. This created the Sun and the Stars. Magic is manipulating the raw energies of Aetherius as it flows from these tears in Oblivion into Aetherius. Like gas, these energies have spread everywhere, permeating the Aurbis. This is the source of all magic. However, some beings draw magic from other various sources. The Wyrd draw it from the Ehlnofey, the Earthbones, as well. It is unknown if they are the only beings whom take part in this drawing, however.

Magicka is the ayleid word for magic and is the resource through which reality is changed.

However, it is very important to realize there are many different types of magic. Mainstay magic schools, Destruction, Restoration, Alteration, etc will be labeled traditional magic for the sake of simplicity.

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Traditional magic affects the world by drawing on magicka reserves. This is known as spell casting.

The schools of magic are a mortal invention. They are not set arcane law. Magic can easily use one or more schools. Summoning a daedrat that you've augmented to look like a ferocious Wamasu that breathes lightning attacks is doable, if difficult and quite costly to maintain, depending on your magicka reserves.

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EXPLENATION ON THE MAGICAL SCHOOLS

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IMPORTANT NOTE

The Schools of Magic (Alteration, Illusion, Destruction, Restoration, Mysticism, Thaumaturgy, etc) ARE NOT used by the Mages Guild yet. Gabrielle Benele has PROPOSED them, as the magical academy in Deshaan Shad Astula DOES use it. Knowledge of them in primitive concepts exists, however, as a few schools are quotes in lorebooks and so on, but they have not been formalized as an institution.

Mages are called pyromancers, cryomancers, and so on, instead of a destruction mage.

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DESTRUCTION MAGIC

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Destruction: spells harm the target by damaging its health with either elemental or magical attacks, draining and damaging its attributes, skills, health, magic, and fatigue, making it weak to the elements, poisons and magic, and corroding its armor and weapons.

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Spell examples:

Fire, frost, lightning spout
Runic trap
Cold, Burning, Shocking touch
Corroding armour

HIGH LEVEL SPELLS
Mass area Fire, frost, lightning storm

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RESTORASTION MAGIC

Restoration: augment the target by restoring its health, attributes, stamina, and magicka, fortifying its health, attributes, skills, stamina, and magicka, granting it resistances to the elements, magic, disease, paralysis, poison, and un-enchanted weapons, curing it of disease, poison and paralysis as well as harming the target by absorbing its health, magicka, stamina, attributes and skills.

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Spell examples:

Heal
Cure diease
Cure affliction
Resist

HIGH LEVEL SPELLS
Drain health, magic, stamina
Various types of blood magic
Drain knowledge

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CONJURATION MAGIC

Conjuration: spells call upon otherworldy entities through telepathy, certain skilled Conjuration mages can develop telepathic links with each other. Conjuration spells augment the caster by granting them Daedric and Undead guardians, Daedric weapons and armor, and the ability to repel the undead.

A summoning and binding spell are needed in most techniques. Some require runic rituals. As a good rule of thumb, the more complex a summoning, the greater focus, power, and amount of possible materials are needed.

A bad summon can result in a fatal condition known as conjurer's burn, as noted by a report.

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Spell examples:

Dispel
Will o' the Wisp
Scamp
Clanfear
Daedric Weapoms, bound and using the "soul" of a daedra.
Daedric Familiar
Flame Atronach
Frost Atronach
Storm Atronach

 

HIGH LEVEL SPELLS
Daedroth
Vermai
Dremora
Xivilai
Daedric Titan
Dremora Lord
A good reading resource on the versatility of Conjuration: https://www.imperial-library.info/content/where-magical-paths-meet

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ALTERATION MAGIC

Alteration: spells alter the physical and magical properties of the target. Alteration spells harm the target by making the objects it is carrying heavier and augments the target by making the objects it is carrying lighter, granting it elemental and physical shields and the ability to breath and walk on water as well as opening locks. As the book Reality and Other Falsehoods says.

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Spell examples:

Transmutation
Lighten and Heavy
Open lock

HIGH LEVEL SPELLS

Magical Elemental Shield
Elemental Manipulation

Immolation: creates ashy earthen armor through the use of Alteration, destroying various substances around you in firethrough destruction, drawing the ash towards you, and converting it to a nonmobile suit of rock around you.

(This power renders you immobile, but extremely protected. Various micro perforations let you breath.)

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ILLUSION MAGIC

Illusion: spells effects light and a sentient target's mind. Illusion spells harm the target by commanding, demoralizing, paralyzing, silencing, and causing it to frenzy, as well as augmenting it by rallying, charming, calming it, granting it invisibility, night-vision, translucency and illuminating it.

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Spell examples:

Calm
Suggestability
Allure
Muffle
Hunger: A simple spell causing the target to feel ravenous hunger. When utilized against supernatural creatures such as vampires or lycanthropes, this spell can have deadly effect.
Fury

 

HIGH LEVEL SPELLS
Torpor:Unlike fatigue-draining Destruction abilities, Torpor utilizes illusion to place the target under an artificial, stasis like sleep. Powerful mages can set their target to awaken when certain conditions are met. Longer durations require multiple mages or powerful soul gems as power reserves. The more willful a target, as with all Illusion spells, the more unlikely this ability is to succeed. Benefits of this ability over its Destruction cousins include keeping the target physically unharmed.
USES: Those skilled in Restoration or Necromancy as well as Illusion can use this ability to keep their target in an immortal sleep. There are rumors of ancient Ayleid ruins in the far flung reaches of Tamriel host to yet-living guards - it is possible that they were created with the use of some form of this spell.
The Black Dregs: This spell generates smoke from random points on your skin, obscuring sight and when combined with other spells: sound.
Invisibility
Creation of a Visible Illusion

Magical Fear

Dominate Mind

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MYSTICISM MAGIC

Mysticism: is an obscure school, though its spells seem to manipulate magicka itself. Due to its spells that bind the target's soul, this school is closely related to necromancy. Mysticism spells augment the target by granting it the ability to detect life, reflect damage, absorb and reflect spells as well as harm it by dispelling its magical effects and trapping its soul, including the ability to move objects through space with telekinesis.

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Spell examples:

Telekinesis

Resonance: A caster may 'read' an object's past by touching it, gaining insight into the happenings it has witnesses. The skill and power of the magic user determines how far one may see into the past - and in how much detail. Magicka reserves are depleted the longer this ability is used.

Soul Trap

 

HIGH LEVEL SPELLS

Internal Sight: The practice of entering another's mind to view it; this does not include further actions. This allows to see the target's mind illustrated as tangeant 'noodles' (memory ropes), definitive colors, and prominent aspects of the target's life. The noodles may be knotted, frayed, decaying, and portions may even be missing, depending on the weight of the target's life and what they've endured. A corrupted mind may have sections (or even the whole of it) encased in shadow or black ink. Entry may be warded against; if it is forceful, it risks causing damage to the target or the caster. The target or caster may be damaged upon exit if not done with care. This process as a whole (and all actions taken while in this state) require a great amount of focus and can leave the caster defenseless and unaware. The connection itself does not take much magicka, though must be initiated via physical contact; the closer the contact is to the target's brain, the more stable it is.

Internal Adjustment: Once entered into another's mind, the caster may attempt to alter the 'noodles' or the prominent aspects affecting them. This is performed by a flow of magicka into the target with the intent to alter, and is illustrated via the intended colors. Even careful, this procedure can cause harm to the target, possibly irreversable damage; forceful nature more or less guarantees this damage. If the target is resistent, the caster risks the effects reflecting unto him.

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NECROMANTIC MAGIC

also known as Soul Magic, is another form of magic. This deals with the manipulation of souls and draws on aspects of conjuration. When raising zombies, skeletons, or other mindless undead, you insert a daedric soul into their body bound to your command. This, however, is not the only way. You can summon actual spirits to inhabit the form of a deceased and bound vessel. When summoning spirits, you summon the identity of their animus (lifeforce), to the best of what we know. This allows them to think for themselves, abet being still bound to you.

Lichdom is the highest tier one might achieve in this practice. It is forbidden across all cultures and heavily stigmatized. Gullveig the Ascendant has cataloged the path to Lichdom in Ascendancy: Pathway to Lichdom. This form is extremely powerful. It involves a phylactery and transcending death. Liches can possess people as well.

Two deviations in Necromancy exist, but they are heavily entwined. They are that of the ethereal and that of the corporeal. The ethereal deals with the soul, while the corporeal deals with that of the body.

The corporeal side of necromancy is heavily devoted to preparation. One must find a body, various ingredients, and strength of will to complete rituals. An exploration on a technique for reanimating can be found here, Touch of the Worm's Tongue. A caution and instruction on reanimation can be found here, On Necromancy. Another instruction manual can be found here, Practical Necromancy. Please note that it says traditional ingredients. There are no set ingredients needed and a necromancer of sufficient knowledge, prowess and skill could merely reanimated the dead without any need of such materials. It is my hypothesis that, like most things in the Elder Scrolls, similar results can be created through different ways. The ingredient's power simply offset the lack of power the necromancer has.

True resurrection is most likely impossible. Arkay the Enemy and On Necromancycollaborate with this claim. The Butcher was an individual who delved deep into flesh magic in an attempt to resurrect his sister as noted in his journals here. To resurrect someone truly, one must, most likely, "break Arkay," as he holds sway over all life and death. This is much in the same vein as a Dragon Break, in which Akatosh is "broken" because time itself is broken. Circumvention of Arkay, not an actual fracturing, involves the Necromancer's Moon created in the Warp of the West, which allowed Black Soul gems to be filled when Arkay was obscured by it, and Coldharbour's Black Soul gems as noted in Legend of Vastarie.
 ArchaicDev 's tome Ethical Necromancy is a very indepth look into necromancy that I highly encourage anyone to read.

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Examples of low and high skill spells

HIGH SKILL: Lich creation, skeletal army, reanimation and summoning of powerful spirits, control of self after death, necrotic anchors bursting from the ground, bone manipulation, soul assaulting.

LOW SKILL: Flinging decay and corruption, reanimating the dead, soul trapping, seeing into the spiritual realm where untrained eyes might miss them.
 

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ON THAUMATURGY

Thaumaturgy: does not change the appearance or structure of a force or object, but can manipulate laws temporarily. It has since been incorporated into other schools.

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OTHER FORMS OF MAGIC....

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SHADOW MAGIC

is another, dangerous form of magic. There are two tiers of Shadow Magic, umbrakinesis and the manipulation and conjuration of shadows as well as shadowy teleportation, and the incredibly advanced and complex higher echelons of shadow magic discovered by Azra Nightwielder in the third era, the first shadow mage. He discovered that shadows were not merely an absence of light, but the reflection of possible worlds created by forces in conflict. Shadow magic involves manipulating shadows to affect the forces that create it, and because of this, they can rival the Elder Scrolls in power as shadow magic has the power to potentially change the past, present, and future through the manipulation of it. Shadows are produced by both light and dark, and thus are used as a sort of manipulation source. It is all about finding a powerful conflict to cast the magic you want. The stronger the conflict, the more powerful and nastier the effect.

This is an incredibly powerful skill set and requires decades upon decades of study to even attempt to master. Even then, only Azra Nightwielder, one of the greatest and most skilled mages that has ever lived, could not truly control the upper echelons of this power. As such, it is best to stick to more in game abilities when casing shadow magic spells, as upper echelons are all but unobtainable. Here is a text describing Shadow draining and here is a text describing teleportation.

It's important to realize that simply using shadow magic does not make one more powerful than other mages. Given enough study and time and effort you could do some incredibly powerful feats, such as perhaps manipulating someone's shadow to kill them, in theory. However, it's sort of like asking "Can a Destruction mage blow up the Imperial City?" If he was ridiculously gifted and trained in it, yes, yes he could.

This technique uses magicka as a resource, as shown in game.

The nature of shadow magic IS NOT KNOWN until Azra Nightwielder discovers it. This includes all the itty bitty full potential of the art.

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EXAMPLES

HIGH SKILL: Creation of Umbra'Keth, summoning alternate versions of yourself, mass shadow siphoning, teleportation of buildings and yourself long distances, killing objects using their shadow, manipulating shadows to change objects into other objects.

LOW SKILL: Instant teleportation short distances, augmentation of weapons,
shadow ravaging, umbrakinesis, shade generation, forms of cloaking. 

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WYRD/NATURE MAGIC

This is split into two types, that of the primal, the corrupt, the savage parts of the wild, and that of the beautiful, pure, innocent part. Reach Magic is usually far more powerful than Nature Magic as it is a subset of nature magic and most likely outlawed by the Mages Guild. In almost every instance, unless a skilled group of Wyresses and warriors combat it directly, the corruption of such magic will taint the land. Reach Magic overcomes Nature Magic naturally. Reach Magic typically is about sacrifice and goes far beyond the limits of nature magic, potentially connecting with the Earthbones and metaphysics itself.
Reach Magic is a very obscure form of magic. There are several references to Reach Magic in TES. Almost all have motifs of sacrifice.

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Anonymous wrote:

Reachmen have learned to control beastfolk magic, a wild hedge-wizardry outlawed by the Mages Guild. With rabid fighters who care for nothing except the approval of Hircine and Witchmen with primitive but effective Reach-magic at their fingertips, the mountains will inevitably run red with the impure blood of these fiends and those who come to underestimate their mettle.

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The Improved Emperor's Guide to Tamriel gives some insight into Old Magic.

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Animal affinity and control are subsets of nature magic. Maormer practice a form of this: Snake magic, using it to control various sea serpents and snakes.
Shapeshifting is also practiced by both Old and Hedge Magic. Various wolf shapes, crows, and other animal forms can be utilized by such magic. You can, if you have strong enough will, speak, while in this form.

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Reach Magic
HIGH SKILL: Corruption of forests, implementing Briarhearts, becoming a Hagraven, mutating animals and self into the grotesque, control of elemental guardians
LOW SKILL: Air manipulation, vine control, corruption of nature, warping of nature, bending animals to your control, warping spriggans, disease control, control of bloodthorns using vines, bone manipulation. 

Nature Magic
HIGH SKILL: Rites of the Wolfgiver, healing of forests, manipulating small landscapes.
LOW SKILL: Animal control, healing, hedge creation, vine manipulation, rock manipulation

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BLOOD MAGIC

is a form of magic that is quite powerful. It is regarded as Old Magic, and has been used in the past by Maormer to summon even more powerful storms as the events of ESO show. Vampires are especially powerful in this regard, with some strains gaining innate abilities.
Sealing the Great Serpent, a story about creature formed from the blood of a fish who was not spared by the Maormer is an example of this.

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MIND MAGIC

Manipulation of the mind. K'tora is a known practitioner. We don't know all that much about Mind Magic, particularly the Sea Sload's use of it, but we do know that it can be immensely potent. Iachesis "was no match" for it.

There are various forms of Divination. This deals with the more esoteric and is by far the least known form of magic in lore.

The Augur of Dunlain was a student of the College of Winterhold who seems to have undergone apotheosis and seemingly been granted powers of divination or at least the ability to look into specific futures. He is incorporeal, but it is worth noting. I wouldn't recommend any player go this route, as it is both stifling and very powerful. Something like this is best left to an event boss or seldom played character. He seems to be like a demigod.

The Hist are another source of prophecy. They are the strangest fucking thing in the Elder Scrolls Universe. As best as I can tell, they are invaders from another Dream, or they aren't. In truth, we don't know, we just know they're immortal, they share minds, and they are timeless. When Mehrunes Dagon invaded Tamriel, the Hist had prepared, because they had foreseen it happening. Argonians can receive visions from the Hist by licking their sap.

Akatosh, the Dragon God of Time, might grant visions to his followers through subtle means. I would advise against this, for you would be taking on the persona and decisions of a god, a cardinal RP sin.

The Aurbis and Elder Scrolls are by far the most conventional way for every race to tap into any sort of divination. It is intrinsic, as all descend from ehlnofey. They are of the Song of the Aurbis, and the Elder Scrolls are the Song's writings, as Septimus Signus' Ruminations on the Elder Scrolls and Divining the Elder Scrolls tell us. Everyone holds some way, some connection to tap into this song and, based on deductive reasoning, will be able to channel it to for see the future.
 

Material driven augury is a common form of future seeing. Forms of tarot cards, symbolic objects, and even dead creatures can be used to divine the future if need be. Arachnomancy is a form of this. Diving the future from the behaviors of spiders. In truth, as long as the symbolism of what you are doing means something and you are truly channeling your power, the means of augury do not matter. A card is not inherently more divine than, say, sticks and rocks chosen at random.
As Magister Dratha of House Telvanni says in her report on Hanu

 

Oracles receive visions vividly in their mind. There is not much more to elaborate on this.

Scrying is another common form of divination, used mostly through reflective pools or crystal balls. You might see where another person is in Tamriel or see the future/past. Either work.

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ALCHEMY

 It is the use of herb, regents, and various magical substances to create potions that can be introduced into the bloodstream or ingested orally. Potions are quite powerful, and they have a great deal of magical effects.

There isn't as much freedom here as the reagents are quite set in how they react with each other lore wise. If you can combine different herbs together and create a rough idea of how they react given different effects, it is quite do-able to RP out.

Classical Altmer philosophy uses four elements as the basis for alchemy: earth, water, fire, and air. This has eventually permeated into Imperial society. The ancient Ayleids, however believed that Nirn was composed of four basic elements—earth, water, air, and light. Keep this in mind when roleplaying Alchemy, as it suggests that there is a way of thinking to hold onto when creating potions, a science of sorts. It isn't just "oh, that works!" all the time.

The Fundamentals of Alchemy contains some good lore information, going over wortcraft, tools, and ingredient combination.

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ENCHANTING

Enchanting does not work like in-game enchanting, I think that should be said immediately. Not everyone has a flaming sword. It costs money to enchant your items. Higher enchantments are expensive and hard to come by. Weaker enchantments are easier.

Enchantments have three limiting factors, the mages knowledge, the item being enchanted, and soul size. Take this into account when giving your character enchanted gear.

One of the greatest enchanters of the first, Ahzidal, who later became a Dragon Priest could wield powerful enchantments, as told in Ahzidal's Descent by Halund Greycloak. Using these, he was able to fortify Ysgrammor's companions armor most likely against magic, allowing them to defeat the Snow Elven forces when they made landfall. Enchanting is an extremely powerful tool, for it allows one to make magic in reserve.

Interestingly, various magical items can be used to be crafted into enchanted objects, as explained in Magic From the Sky by Zeroli Jarol. In it, he explains how various enchanted armour, Varla and Welkynd stones, and artifacts were crafted by the Ayleids from aetherial fragments like meteoric glass and iron.

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NOTES ON USING MAGIC....

Magic is not a "get out of jail free card." There are a variety of consequences for tampering with the arcane.

An alchemist named Gavros conducted vile experiments and eventually doomed himself and the miners in the area to being turned to "ebony" slowly and horrifically through the use of a daedric alchemical formula. His research notes: Page one and page two.

Conjurer's burn is another very horrid condition that is caused when summoners attempt rituals beyond their potential.

The tale of Dubdil Alar is another one. He attempted a dangerous magical ritual which ultimately ended in the accidental summoning of Mehz the Cozener, a Skaafin. Only by banishing various daedra, causing the destabilized Daedric essence reverse the energy flow is he able to survive and close the rift. His apprentices, however, all perish instantly.

Massive amounts of magicka can have addictive properties, as Sara Benele spoke of in a craglorn daily quest. Be warned that this is in regards to a celestial grade artifacts, something beyond the Mundus.

The tome Prudence in Practice by Elleraame of Sunhold goes into the challenges that come about when learning destruction. Namely carelessness.

Yisra, a redguard student who went missing in the College of Winterhold is found hunched over, a charred corpse. A book of flame cloak is found before her. This suggests that she burned herself alive attempting to learn the spell. She didn't convince herself that the fire couldn't harm her, and so she was burnt alive by her own hand.

Magic, like everything else, can and eventually will go wrong. The consequences can be minor or very very severe.

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MAGIC AND ROLEPLAY...

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Magic should NEVER be a get out of jail free card, for this you must consider yourself the following:

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- How much has my character studied magic?

- How intensely has my character studied magic?

- How gifted is my character with magic?

- What are the side effects of magic on my character?

- How is my character casting his magic? Is he using a ritual? A spell? Scrolls? Maybe some other items to help him/her focus his magic.

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Make notes!

To avoid confusion make notes of the spells your character has learned PRIOR to joining ESO and for a clear path make a list of what magic your character wants to learn.

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When casting magic you should consider the following:

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- Is the magic being cast Diced? Then just go with the result of the dice.

- ALWAYS ask for consent of your targets player if you decide to hex or enchant a person with a spell! This is a common courtecy and discuss the result of the spell so both parties know what is happening.

- Keep in mind that LEARNING magic is NOT easy and should therefore take its time to learn and master, so do not presume that one can learn a dificult spell within a weak and an apprentice conjurer would therefore be more affected by the spell than a master conjurer.