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Demoralize |
|---|---|
| School | Illusion |
| Type | Offensive (Non-hostile) |
| Effect ID | DEMO |
| Base Cost | 0.49 |
| Barter Factor | 0 |
| Availability (Click on any item for details) |
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| Spells Scrolls Sigil Stones Staves |
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Demoralize up to level L for D seconds
Decrease target's Confidence (willingness to fight). Undead are not affected by this spell; you must use Turn Undead on them instead. Afflicted targets will disengage combat and attempt to run away in fear.
For calculating magicka costs of this spell, the level needs to be converted into a magnitude, see Magnitude to Level Conversion. One implication is that the enemy levels affected by any Demoralize spell will be less than the quoted values if your Spell Effectiveness is less than 100%.
NotesEdit
- This effect can be gained for spell making and enchanting via spells, choosing the Khajiit race, or achieving 75% Vampirism which bestows the ability Reign of Terror. The Blessing of DementiaSI Greater Power also grants this spell for enchanting after choosing the Dementia Entrance for the first time.
- Demoralize is among the most powerful disabling effects in the game. An enemy who is running is an enemy who isn't fighting you. With a good spell, you can send entire armies running for the hills. Makes for excellent bow practice.
- Demoralize (as well as Calm) will not work if the spell reaches its target before the enemy detects you. This may happen if you cast it in sneak mode or while under the invisibility effect. Casting Demoralize will dispel the invisibility, but only after the spell actually hits the enemy. In order to be detected before the spell reaches its target, couple the Demoralize effect with any "on Self" effect (for example, Light for 1 sec on self) in a single spell.
- Alternatively, couple Demoralize with any hostile short-duration effect (e.g. Soul Trap) in a single spell to force enemies to detect you. The spell needs to be targeted, on-Touch spells will fail to work. Command spells are not affected by this bug.
- If you get in your target's way while he's running, he may still take a swing or two at you. Continual attacks may still bring the enemy back to retaliate.
- Fleeing enemies can bring in all sorts of trouble. Use caution when Demoralizing fast runners or for extended periods of time.
- At one point in development, it appears that two separate Demoralize effects were planned, one for creatures and one for humanoids (much like it was in Morrowind, and similar to Command Creature and Command Humanoid). Although this was changed before release, there are some redundancies left by it, for example with Arrows.
- If an enemy strikes you with a Demoralize effect, your active effects will say that you are demoralized, but it will not actually affect you since you are not an NPC.
- At high levels, especially if you are wearing armor (reducing your Spell Effectiveness), demoralize spells may not affect some creatures. An alternative is to Summon a fairly weak but fast running creature, then cast demoralize on your summoned creature. If the enemy has its attention on the summoned creature, the enemy will chase it and therefore run away from you.