I use an axe in the right hand. Every now and then I need to use a healing spell, but that's the only real magic my character uses. How do I "holster" the spell while keeping my ax equipped. Is there an easy hotkey option for this?

Also, is there any way to swap mouse buttons for weapon attacks? I would like my left mouse button to attack with my left hand.

Thanks!

Press 'F' on the spell in your magic menu to make it a Favorite. Then in-game press 'Q' to bring up the Favorites menu. Hover over the spell and press any number key. That number key is now a hotkey that will equip and unequip the spell whenever it is pressed.

Appreciate the answer Rabbit, but this doesn't work.

Y'see, when I press a number key for a weapon, and I only have one in my inventory, pressing it again does put it away.
When I press the number key designated for a spell, firstly it equips the spell to my left hand ( or right if it is the first equipped object...) and then when pressed again equips the spell over my equipped weapon (or to the empty hand if no weapon was present).
Now, at that point I can press my weapon key again, but then I end up with a sword in my right hand, spell in my left and no way of parrying.
Pressing the weapon key will put the weapon away, but this just leaves me with an empty right hand and a spell in my left.

The only way I can see to do it is via the favorites menu with left and right clicks on the highlighted spell or item.
Slow and a little clunky.
I'd have much preferred to be able to bind to keys preferred equipped options.

Y'know.
1)Dagger right, Dagger left. ~~~ for offence.
2)Dagger right, Empty left. ~~~ so I can quickly be able to parry without effectively pausing the game.
3)Dagger right, Spark left. ~~~ Quick zap spell without the chance of accidently double equipping the same spell.
4)Dagger right, Heal left. ~~~ Quick heal without risk of double equipping spell again.

As things stand I have to pause a lot.
This...
Well, it breaks up the action in otherwise tense moments.
Nice if you want a quick swig of your mead, but not so good if you want to keep the adrenaline pumping.

Of course, I'm hoping that there is a way to pull something like this off that I've overlooked.
Hell, I'd be happy with just being able to unequip a spell at a press so I can parry in those damn desperate moments when a bandit is whalloping me with a sword.
Something like a single key that unequips all equipped spells.
Sheath magic, or something with a better name.
Y'know, one that doesn't sound like a condem summonation spell.


All said though, I am enjoying the game.
It's just a bit of a niggle this.

Yes. Same issues here. I tried the same things. Does someone know an easy way around this hassle or do we once again find ourselves in the need of our helpful modders.

I think you're right about us waiting for the modders.

I've given up using the quickbinds for all but bow and have just favorited everything I intend to use frequently instead.
It's still a bit jarring to the action mid fight, but I can live with it in the mean time.

This is pretty much the reason why I used potions instead of spells when I tried a dual wield character. Would be nice to hotkey an item to a specific hand.

Yup, same issue for me. We need to be able to bind items not only to 1-8 keys, but left and right hand as well.

well they had keys for this exact thing in morrowind, press a key and you equip/unequip your spells and a seperate key for weapons. i think they had something similar in oblivion too. would the CK be able to mod keys with that kind of behavior?

by putting the ax in your left hand and the spell in your right that way when you use the hotkey it un-equips the spell from your "main" hand

We need something like R/L click on a spell or weapon equipts the spell/weapon to that hand. Shift R/L click unequipts it leaving an empty hand.

If the purpose is to be able to block, I would recommend a shield. That's something you could hotkey, and it does automatically go to the left hand, same as spels do (except it can ONLY go to the left hand).

Using a bare hand to block doesn't seem very realistic to me.

I suppose if you REALLY have to have a bare hand to block for whatever reason, you could have a shield hotkeyed, and just hit it twice. That would equip, then unepuip the shield, which should leave the left hand empty without having to use the menus. I still think it's unrealistic, though.