UESP Forums

Hi Oblivion Users,

I'm doing my first play-through of Oblivion and absolutely loving it. I decided to run a Breton Mage with Atronach birth sign. I tried running the Unofficial Oblivion Patch and ran into a problem. I used to be able to go to Chapels and get pray to get my Magicka restored. The patch removes this functionality (I assume because it is considered a 'bug'?). But I like this feature (and it makes sense to me, you are absorbing the spell the Divine are bestowing on you!). Can I modify the Unofficial Oblivion Patch so it doesn't reflect the blessings at the chapels, but absorbs it so I can get my magicka refilled this way? Thanks!

Hi,

Like you, I'm a Breton with natural Fortify Magicka 50 and Resist Magic 50%, having The Atronach as my birthsign for Fortify Magicka 150, Spell Absorption 50% and Stunted Magicka, and Unofficial Oblivion Patch (UOP) installed. I'm in the same boat as you, suffering the same problem with Chapel blessing spells. For some reason, the Restore Magicka component fails on average 50% of the time, and you can only use the Altar once a day.

To be honest, I've been using UOP for SO many years that I'm just no longer aware of how Oblivion works without it. The fact that Chapel blessings fail to Restore Magicka is just something I've become used to. Obviously, in the non UOP-patched game, Chapel blessings must completely bypass Resist Magic. UOP must consider this to be a bug, so it "fixes" it.

The easiest way to get around the Stunted Magicka and Resist Magic problems is to use Alchemy to create custom Restore Magicka potions, and always carry a supply of them with you. If your Magicka runs low, drinking one gives FAR FASTER Magicka regeneration than you'll ever get through natural Willpower-based regeneration. Actually, potions are the most POWERFUL way to restore Magicka, especially for a Mage who wants to chain-cast multiple powerful spells. Just drink 4 potions and see how incredibly FAST your Magicka keeps refilling to the top!

Ingredients are very easy to come by even for a Novice Alchemist. Flax Seeds + Steel-Blue Entoloma Cap both have Restore Magicka as their first effect. Flax grows in ridiculous abundance around Skingrad, and loads of Steel-Blue can be found growing East of Skingrad, around Glademist Cave.

In short, don't worry about it. Feeding a Mage with Restore Magicka potions is like feeding Popeye with cans of Spinach. They turns you into a superman! Put it this way, I don't even waste my time visiting Chapels any more! <breaks into song>...:mrgreen:

Hi H8ball. Thanks for the reply. I guess in the early-game it was difficult for me to imagine not having my "go-to" well. I think I'm at the point were I can rely on potions (I also have 50+ welkynd stones) - so I think I'll try running the patch and having a go at making potions.

I wonder if Lady Luck statue will still restore magicka? Or the Wells? I'll have to run the patch and check. But I don't want to continue all my quests without the UOP because of bugs!

I've been doing some hunting around on UESP Wiki and in the Construction Set, and I've come to the following conclusions...

• ALL "altar" objects (Chapel Altars, Wayshrines, Ayleid Wells and Statues) work in the same way. A script casts a spell on you.
• Resist Magic reduces offensive spell effects by %. It DOESN'T reduce beneficial spell effects, ONLY offensive ones.
• "Altars" ONLY cast beneficial spell effects, so Resist Magic WON'T reduce them.
• UOP only fixes Spell Absorption and Reflect Spell problems at "altars".
• Chapel Altars DON'T have any Restore Magicka effect, regardless of UOP.

The Chapel Altar spell effects are Cure Disease, Restore all 8 attributes by 100, and Restore Health 200. With OR without UOP, there's NO Restore Magicka effect, which explains why my Magicka isn't restored. I can only presume YOU may be using a mod which DOES change the spell to ADD a Restore Magicka effect, and UOP is loading AFTER that mod, so overwrites the changed spell removing the extra effect. Either that or you're incorrectly assuming Chapel Altars restore Magicka when they don't.

Like I said, I prefer to use custom Restore Magicka potions made via Alchemy. Potions are the most flexible and speedy methods of restoring Magicka on-the-fly. Alchemy is the perfect partner skill for a Mage, leading you to learn some pretty awesome Magical tactics that can devastate enemies and keep your friends/followers alive.

UOP fixes over 1000 errors (bugs) in Oblivion.esm, most of them quest-related and a few of them show-stoppers which can render the game non-completable. If UOP introduces minor gameplay changes you don't like, it's better to ADAPT to those changes than have the game later spoiled by a bug lying in wait that Bethesda never bothered to fix. After you've spent hundreds of hours playing, the LAST thing you want to do is restart from scratch because of some minor piece of illogical script/quest logic!

For these reasons, UOP is the FIRST mod I always load. I consider it a MAJOR patch, and I recommend it as absolutely essential! Just look at the UESP Wiki quest walkthroughs. Almost EVERY "Bugs" section has at least ONE listed known bug which says "fixed by the Unofficial Oblivion Patch". So UOP is like bleach. Kills 99.9% of all known bugs!

Hope this helps.

The Blessings are an On Activate Script. The Result being that the Altar Casts a Spell on you.

http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1027610/New%20Picture.bmp.jpg

The Spell that it Casts: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1027610/New%20Picture%20(1).bmp.jpg

As H8ball says, you can see that it does not cast a Restore Magicka. What happens with those that have the Atronach Birthsign, or Spell Absorption, is that you will Absorb the Spell, and Restore your Magicka (if you do not have the UOP). The down side to that, is it prevents you from Recieveing the Benifits of the other Spell Effects. Thus, you will have to have your own cure disease, restore attributes, and restore health spells. This is why the UOP change the Spell, to disallow Spell Absorption/Relfect.

- - - - - - - - - -

- - As you asked about Ayleid Wells: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1027610/New%20Picture%20(2).bmp.jpg

They will still work with the UOP, as they do have a Restore Magicka Spell Effect. They also have a Fortify Magicka Effect, so if you Absorbed the Spell, you would lose the Fortify Magicka Effect.

- - Lady Luck will probably not work, as it only has a Fortify Luck Spell Effect.

- - - - - - - - - - -

Since you asked in the other topic, before it got locked, yes, you can change the Chapel Altars, and the Smaller Named Altars of the Nine, so that you can use them to Restore Magicka... Just realize that you will absorb the Spell, and thus not get the other Bennifits of the Altars.

This is the Altar in the Arena Blood works: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-6/1027610/New%20Picture%20(3).bmp.jpg

You will notice that it does have the effect of Restore Magicka. What it also has, is a check in the box: Disallow Spell Absorb/Reflect This is so you will not lose the Restore Health and Restore Fatigue Spell Effects if it is Absorbed/Reflected.

That is what the UOP did. They did not add, or change the Script, they only checked that box. If you want to use the Altars to Restore Magicka (but lose the other bennifits), then just uncheck that box, and save the file for the UOP Mod.

- - - - - - - - - -

I would suggest not changing the UOP to allow Spell Absorption at the Altars, as there may be a time where you do want the other Benifits.

As H8ball also mentions, and I know from playing myself, Potions (and Wyklnd Stones) will be more than enough to Restore Magicka. ...and you can still use the Ayleid Wells.

Maybe - if you are going to mod this - add the Restore Magicka effect, rather than unckeck the box? That's just my opinion of a refreshing prayer to the Nine.

Yup, what Kris suggested is much better. I should have thought of that...

At least you know where to go to edit the spell effect.

Well played Kris, well played...

Always happy to help ;D

It would sort of be the solution where one doesn't rely on a glitch (as you preferred not to, yes?) and then non-atronachs would benefit too.

Wow everyone! Thanks for the wonderful reply - what a great community here, I appreciate it. I'm getting excited for Skyrim next already haha!!

This is great for my understanding. I will DEFINITELY be getting the Unofficial Patch to load first...and thanks for suggesting the modifications for getting the Restore Magicka from the wells. I know I should be playing the game the way it was "meant to," so I'll see if I can survive without restoring magicka from chapels!!

No problem. We're always glad to help! And we're always happy to receive some thanks for our efforts.

On a final note, take care as you level up and gain more Health/Magicka. Remember that Chapel Altars cast instant one-shot (ZERO duration) Restore Health 200, so once your Health well exceeds 200 (e.g. 500+ Health), they can't restore it fully. Ayleid Wells cast one-shot Restore Magicka 400, so once your Magicka exceeds 400, they can't restore it fully.

These are the main reasons that high Level players come to rely on Alchemy. By the time you're a Journeyman or Expert Alchemist, duration-based self-made potions give you MORE powerful regeneration than anything else. You just have to retreat and give them a bit of time to regenerate you, is all. And don't forget you can drink up to 4 of the same potions at a time to multiply the regeneration rate (1x, 2x, 3x or 4x).

Examples...Hope this gives you some ideas.