I think Skyrim has squandered some great potential with this engine in terms of spells. I would at the very least like for spell-making to return. Using magic feels very restricted, and I was about to give up on it, until I found out you unlocked spells as your skills increased. But beyond the ability to create your own spells, I'd like for some old spells from Morrowind to make a return. If you haven't played Morrowind, prepare to hear these heart-shattering losses:

Levitate.
Yes, we know, levitation can be broken. However, levitation doesn't have to be broken. I'm not asking for a spell that costs 50 magicka that allows me to walk on air for an hour, but something to help me over the mountains, or to get to a good sniping spot. This could be balanced by enemies having more projectile weapons/spells, or simply the fact that, enemies without them/the magic to get to you, are f****d. A bit of "fantasy-realism," if it exists.

Mark/Recall
Very awesome spells. Mark a spot, and recall(teleport) to it. Limited to 1 mark. This obviously has the potential to be broken, but could be balanced by not being able to cast the spell "with enemies nearby," or during a triggered event.

Open/Lock
The ability to lock and unlock containers/doors to varying levels depending on spell strength.

Silence/Sound
Disrupts spell-casting.

Slowfall

Water walking/swift swim

Jump
Jump higher.

Feather/Burden
Reduce/increase carry weight.

In past games(especially Morrowind) magic was so versatile, you could do pretty much anything with the right spells, and skill. I hate to see my favorite aspect of the series slowly diminish as each new title comes out. If magic seems broken, it's because it's *MAGIC.* Shooting a flaming ball of hurt out of my hand is no more insane than flying, walking on water, or teleporting. In Morrowind, it seemed like every class used magic, they just used different spells. In Oblivion and moreso in Skyrim it feels like the classes are much more segregated and magic use takes very serious commitment(especially in perks.)

Spell-making, plus Morrowind spells would have made this game much more fun. Obviously a game built around a certain magic system would require a lot of work to rebalance and implement a new system. Ambitious modders please return some of the elements that made me turn my head to this series.

Oh god please let this happen. We need more spells, especially in Alteration and Illusion. Throw Charm, Fortify Spells, and Divine Intervention in too. The more the better!

I suppose asking for a full return of the entire school of magic called Mysticism would be a bit much.

But I look at the list:

http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Morrowind:Spells

I had almost forgot about these amazing spells. I also liked the freedom. Don't have paralyze? Use burden. What's that? Your opponent casted shield? Shoot a dispel bolt at them. It was a never-ending experiment. It's still probably my favorite magic system of any video game ever.

I just miss how in Morrowind I could put fire frost shock and poison all in one attack.
Or have something that would completely muddle my opponent.

instead of having to change spells every time the situation changes

Couldn't those spells go under the Alteration school?
Some of the ones you described, like burden, "Alter" the weight of the person.

But yea, I'd love to see something like this, there's not very many spells at all, and the ability to create your own spells is severely missed too.

I loved casting a drain fatigue spell that lasted a long time, or casting burden on someone that was in the water, the variety of spells made for some very entertaining (and sadistic) moments in Morrowind.

I think it's better the way it is in some ways. I mean, In Skyrim there are several magical effects that you're asking for that do exist, but as potion properties instead of spells. I think this makes alchemy more valuable than it would be if they were also spell effects. IMO things like water-breathing and feather etc work well as potions opposed to spells, and drain fatigue is in the game, as a poison effect. Levitation, Burden and Jump spells would be cool though.

Well, burden is under alteration. In all likelihood, they will have to be merged, as it will make implementing them much easier. Adding an entirely new school of magic would take some very serious changes, I was joking about actually adding it again.

I'd like to be able to do both, as you could in Morrowind. Also, alchemy was ridiculously lucrative in Morrowind, thus an added incentive to use it. Maybe there could be an incentive to use alchemy, over casting. Like to make money, or making casting cost a large amount of magic for a short spell-span. Everything can be balanced in some way other than cutting it altogether, and thus limiting the game.

I don't think "making money" is a good enough reason to take alchemy or to make it feel useful. Not many shopkeepers buy potions or have much money anyway. Having exclusive features is the only thing that makes alchemy worthwhile. As long as spells & alchemy have special features not available to the other, they will both be useful. Curing poison and disease are two things that make alchemy special, and it doesn't really hurt the usefulness of restoration either which is primarily used for rapid health & stamina healing.

Hehe, did you ever do the "Intelligence Potion" exploit?

Have ingredients for a ton of Intelligence potions, drink a few so they stack, make a couple more at your new INT level, drink those, rinse and repeat until your INT is in the 4 digits and create potions with outlandish stats that last a year or more.

That was a bit tedious, but fun.

Potions are already at an advantage, because they take no time to cast. Potions are not limited to how much magic you have left. Potions could last much longer than spells, and be more practical. You seem to have the same attitude that many game developers have. When running into a balance issue, abandon the conflict altogether. Alchemy could still be useful, and even better than casting some of the benefits that alchemy provides. However, there could also be the option to use magic, if you don't want to spend perks on alchemy, or just don't feel like bothering with ingredients. As fond as I am of a single way of obtaining an effect, I'd rather have more.

Thinking back on Morrowind, I used potions all. the. time.

Spells have tons of advantages that potions do not have, they do not require ingredients to make, you can regenerate mana, you can not run out of uses of a spell, spells do not have weight to carry, etc etc. Neither one is obviously superior as you make it out to be. They both have pros/cons. Giving them both unique features ensure one will never be fully superior to the other.

I think spells and alchemy both benefit from having different features from each-other. The more things that are exclusive to each, the more appealing and useful they both are.

Ohh, I used many exploits in Morrowind.

It was possibly to permanently buff yourself in that game. Some of the elements were broken, which allowed for legitimately achieving godly stats. But that's what the console is for, I just want me spells damnit.

And the usefulness of alchemy could be that it's better, not the sole way to do something. If alchemy is so inferior to spell-casting, why are you defending it? Why not replace it with a magic line? Forced tediousness is not fun. Optional tediousness can be fun.

How am I defending alchemy? How is alchemy tedious? Why should alchemy be better than magic?

Absolutely yes. All spells need to get back into the magic schools. I find it ridiculous to play a "restoration" priest that can't cure a disease, for example.

Burden/Feather: Already in the game
Fire/Frost/Shock Shield: Already in the game
Open/Lock: Not in game, but should be easy enough to implement (you'd need an expert rank to unlock expert locks, to give lockpicking an advantage)
Swift Swim/Fortify running speed: As far as I can tell not in the game. Speed should be easy to adjust, tho.
Water Walking: Not in the game. No idea if possible.
Shield: Already in the game
Bound Weapons: Not in the game. The biggest problem I see would be the lacking effects, I'm not sure how hard it will be to add those.
Bound Armor: This would require totally new effects.
Command Creature/Humanoid: Already in the game
More summons: Should be possible.
Damage Attribute: Already in the game via poisons
Drain Attribute: Already in the game, I think.
Weakness to Magic/Fire/Frost/Shock: Already in the game
Blind: Not sure how this would work. Something like calm?
Chameleon: Could be a variety to invisibility. Not sure.
Night Eye: Already in the game
Sanctuary: Give a bonus to dodge chance? That would be neat. You can already dodge with the master light armor perk.
Silence: Not sure if this is available as a potion. Would require some more work.
Sound: Because there is no fail chance in casting spells, I'm not sure how this could be implemented.
Absorb Attribute: Already in the game
Detect Enchantment/Key: I'm not sure how to do this, but would be a lot of fun.
Dispel: This would require some work, but should be possible to add.
Mark/Recall: Those would have to be made from the ground up.
Spell Absorption: Already in the game as enchantments/guardian stone
Cure Disease: Already in the game as potions
Fortify Attribute: Already in the game as enchantments/potions
Fortify Skill: Already in the game
Resist Fire/Frost/...: Already in the game
Restore Attribute: Not sure about this one.

So, most effects are actually still in the game, one way or another. What I'd find difficult to decide is how to implement them in the whole novice/apprentice/adept/expert/master ranking system. I'm not very fond of that to begin with, but I wouldn't want to impose on those who like it.

Blind works by lowering an enemy's chance to hit you. The better the spell, the smaller the chance.

But yeah, I don't see why magic spells are suddenly disappearing off the face of Tamriel, over the years. There are supposed to be people still alive from the previous game, yet waterwalking was lost forever? Aside from the loss of magic being disappointing, it's also not lore-friendly.

Cannot wait for a mark/recall spell mod. My #1 most wanted I'd say. This is and will always be the superior and most immersive form of fast travel.

These do exist, in the Conjuration line.

Temporarily drop magicka to zero, for a short duration. When the spell ends, magicka returns to it's original total.

I agree.

There should be some overlapping between spells, alchemy and enchanting. But each should have their own unique utilities to give you a good reason to invest perks.

Most spells from Morrowind are in the game one way or another already. If not as a spell then in either alchemy, enchanting or staffs.

I'd definately like Mark/Recall back.

Waterwalking would be alright... but swimming is a bit like floating atm anyway and doesn't slow you down or hinder you at all so I doubt I would really use it (unless that was modded too, which would be awesome).

Not bothered about chameleon, although invisibility could do with some tweaking.

I don't find it ridiculous that "cure poison", or whatever, is only in the form of a potion and not a spell, Makes sense to me.

I do miss the versatility of Morrowinds spells..

I used to love running my opponents into a room and damage their speed (I think it was anyway..) so far that they couldn't move anymore. Then I'd just collect a room full of enemies that couldn't move. Close the door and throw a lock spell on it.

Could be achieved with just the lock spell as well (especially at one of the inns in balmora). Was good fun. Good fun indeed..

I'm only aware of bound sword, battleaxe and bow. Which leaves daggers, war axes, maces, greatswords and warhammers.

Which means tough luck if your perks are with maces, or two handed swords and you want to use bound weapons.

If you want to use bound weapons, why would you choose perks for weapons besides those available?

because I should be able to play the character I want to play.