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About this mod
This mod is an alternative to spellsword-like mods, as it allows spells to be cast through the voice slot, as Lesser Powers.
- Requirements
- Permissions and credits
- Changelogs
- Donations
Description
I always preferred the old Oblivion style of spellcasting, while having both hands hold a weapon and still be able to cast spells.
Many awesome mods like Spellsword, The Wizard Warrior, Grimy Utilities and Smartcast have been of great enjoyment to me, in that regards, and I would recommend them to everyone.
In addition, seeing this video from the Skywind team convinced me to try to make a mod like that. Huge shout out and thank you to the Skywind team and Thermocrius for inspiring me for with their awesome showcase.
However, I still felt like I wanted some other functionality. So I decided to make this mod from scratch.
My approach is more lightweight, but attempting to be more seamless.
My mod uses the voice slot to cast assigned spells, and adds the following features:
It irked me that mods that use voice casting were silent, had no animations and didn't work for concentration spells. Their spells basically "poof'ed" into existence, without any visual or auditory interaction from the player.
How it works
Upon installing this mod, you'll be granted several lesser powers: "Memorize Voice Spell" and3 5 10 "Voice Spells".
When you activate "Memorize Voice Spell", you'll be prompted to assign the spell, you currently have equipped in your right hand, to 1 of the3 5 10 voice spells.
When you've done this, you can use the relevant Voice Spell, to cast the spell you have assigned, through the voice slot.
For balancing reasons, the magicka cost of the spell, when casting through the voice slot, has been doubled. (But you can changed the multiplier through a console command, see below.)
It should be pretty straight forward for any Fire and Forget spell (Firebolt, Oakflesh, etc), to be cast through the voice slot.
However, for any Concentration spells (Flames, Sparks), some clarification is needed:
1. You press the power button and as soon as you let go of it, the first second of it will be cast.
2. AFTER letting go of the button, you'll need to PRESS and HOLD to button to continue casting the spell. (Each second it will check if the button is still pressed and if that's the case, you will continue casting. If you're no longer holding the button, the cast loop will stop.)
In short, tap the Power button to activate and immediately after press and hold to continue the casting loop.
This is no longer the case in version 1.2, where concentration spells are now cast properly like their normal variants. The concentration will start casing as soon as you press the button, and will check every second whether the button is still held down and continue the casting loop depending on that. (There might be a slight delay in stopping the spell if you let go of the button.)
Controller users
Make sure the Shout button is bound to ONE button and NOT a combination of multiple buttons. In v2.0 and onwards, I included a patch which makes concentration spells a toggle. This means: if you press the shout button you'll start casting the concentration spell and continue to cast until you press the button again, or run out of magicka.
Non-controller users can also use this patch, if you wish concentration voice spells to be a toggle, instead of needing to hold it down.
Werewolf Casting
If you want to cast spells as a werewolf, you first need to memorise the spells to bind them to a lesser power, prior to activating the Beast Form.
After activating Beast Form, you can press a certain bound button. (Numpad* by default, but you can change the button by using console commands)
This will prompt a menu to select which spell you want to equip. These correspond with the spells you memorised and bound to the lesser powers.
The "Howl" option re-equips the default Howl (needed for affected Werewolf perks).
Note: Do keep in mind that certain scripted spells, or Bound weapon spells may not work as intended. So use this with caution.
If you press the power button at that point, you will cast the spell as a werewolf.
Other forms
From 2.3 onwards, there's support for mods that allow the player to transform into a Dragon. As such, the player can cast spells as a Dragon.
Note: Due the how Dragons work, the aiming of the spells might be off.
Spell Rings
In v2.1, I've added 10 spell rings. When equipped, these will cast the relevant memorized spell. This allows to cast the spells through the hotkeys of favorited items. Do keep in mind that equipping inside any menu (be it inventory or favorites menu) will do nothing. You need to actually press a hotkey to trigger them.
Any concentration spells will be casted until the ring is unequipped, or your magicka runs out.
These rings can be crafted at the forge, if you have the Arcane Blacksmith perk. You need one Gold Diamond Ring and one fully filled Grand Soul Gem to make one.
Requirements
Customization
You can adjust the magic cost multiplier for voice spells, using the following console command:
You can change the key required for Werewolf casting, by using the following console command:
You can change how concentration spells are handled by using the following console command: (useful for controllers!)
Alternative Animations
This patch applies animations from Thu'um - Fully Animated Shouts by BOTuser998, to Fire and Forget spells. Concentration spells are unchanged.
Big thanks to BOTuser998, for the open permissions, which allowed me to use their amazing animations for this purpose. Please check out their other mods.
This should work with any kind of Fire and Forget spell, even the ones from other mods, since I use keyword and magic effect data to determine the animations.
Here are some examples:
Firebolt:
Fireball: (Many Nazeems died while testing this.)
Conjure Frost Atronach:
Heal Other:
Vampire's Bane:
Known issues
When assigning a spell, you might need to click multiple times on the selection box. I don't know why this happens or how to fix it. If anyone knows, please let me know. This bug should be fixed in v1.5 and onwards.
FAQ
Q: ESPFE?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I install/update/uninstall on an existing save?
A: Install yes, update/uninstall no.
Q: Can you make this work with auto-cast mods?
A: I have no plans to do so, as it would be out of scope of this mod and goes against the main philosophy of it. In addition, it's far too complicated to attempt.
Q: The concentration spells do not work with a controller. Can you fix that?
A:I do not own a controller, as such I am unable to fix that. I attempted this in the past, but there's no easy way of patching it since controllers respond differently to OnKeyUp(), OnKeyDown() and IsKeyPressed() papyrus functions. If anyone can shed some light on that, or even better, add support for controllers, feel free to publish. (see permissions) From v2.0, I included a workaround for controllers.
Q: What's difference between this mod and other similar ones?
A: This one is more lightweight, works with concentration spells, and has animations and spell sounds when casting spells though the voice.
Q: Does this work with spells added from spell mods?/Does this need a patch for spellmod X?
A: Given you can assign spell by using the Memorise power when wielding a spell, the vast majority of spells from other mods should be compatible. However, some very specific heavily scripted spells/spells required to advance quests might need some extra steps to get them to work.
Q: How about Ritual spells/spells casted by both hands?
A: They should work like normal spells, but their casting time is a bit longer.
Q: What about dualcasting to increase their magnitude and/or duration?
A: Dualcasting is limited and hardcoded to 2 hand slots. The spells from this mod are cast through the voice slot. There is only one voice slot, so spells cannot be dualcast through that. It's a hardcoded limitation.
Q: Do spells still give XP when you cast them like this?
A: Yes, they should.
Q: You added support for casting a Werewolves. Will you do the same for Vampire Lords?
A: I'd love to, but due to technical reasons, it's unlikely. Vampire Lords do not have any shouting animations and as such cannot be done.
Q: Is this compatible with <insert mod>?
A: I don't know by heart. You might need to check yourself.
Q: Will you make a patch for <insert mod>?
A: Only if it's a mod I use myself or plan on using, I have enough time and I actually like the idea. Otherwise, feel free to do it yourself. (see permissions)
Q: I have a suggestion to improve the mod. Can you do it?
A: Maybe, if I have time and I like the idea, I'll consider it.
Q: Will you port this to <insert platform>?
A: No, I myself only support the Steam and GOG English SE and AE versions of Skyrim. If someone else wants to port it, feel free. (see permission) If you decide to port it, you yourself take full responsibility to offer support to said port. I will not provide no support for any ports by third parties.
Q: I use a ported version of this mod on <insert platform> and I have a problem. Can you help?
A: I don't provide any support for third party ports on other platforms than the Steam and GOG English SE and AE versions of Skyrim. If you have issues, you should adress the person that ported it.
Q: Does this work on Skyrim 1.6+, aka "Anniversary Edition"?
A: Yes, it should.
Q: Why don't your mods use MCMs and instead use this janky console command system to set globals?
A: I am not a fan of MCMs. You can set the globals by making a patch in xEdit. I have no plans of changing this. If you want to add an MCM, feel free. (see permissions)
Q: Why don't you use FOMODs?
A: That would require reuploading the entire mod, in question, even if I only make a small change. My internet is limited and reuploading the files each time will take a huge chunk of my monthly volume.
I always preferred the old Oblivion style of spellcasting, while having both hands hold a weapon and still be able to cast spells.
Many awesome mods like Spellsword, The Wizard Warrior, Grimy Utilities and Smartcast have been of great enjoyment to me, in that regards, and I would recommend them to everyone.
In addition, seeing this video from the Skywind team convinced me to try to make a mod like that. Huge shout out and thank you to the Skywind team and Thermocrius for inspiring me for with their awesome showcase.
However, I still felt like I wanted some other functionality. So I decided to make this mod from scratch.
My approach is more lightweight, but attempting to be more seamless.
My mod uses the voice slot to cast assigned spells, and adds the following features:
- My mod has casting animations (the shout animations).
- My mod uses sounds when casting the spells.
- My mod works with Concentration based spells.
It irked me that mods that use voice casting were silent, had no animations and didn't work for concentration spells. Their spells basically "poof'ed" into existence, without any visual or auditory interaction from the player.
How it works
Upon installing this mod, you'll be granted several lesser powers: "Memorize Voice Spell" and
When you activate "Memorize Voice Spell", you'll be prompted to assign the spell, you currently have equipped in your right hand, to 1 of the
When you've done this, you can use the relevant Voice Spell, to cast the spell you have assigned, through the voice slot.
For balancing reasons, the magicka cost of the spell, when casting through the voice slot, has been doubled. (But you can changed the multiplier through a console command, see below.)
It should be pretty straight forward for any Fire and Forget spell (Firebolt, Oakflesh, etc), to be cast through the voice slot.
1. You press the power button and as soon as you let go of it, the first second of it will be cast.
2. AFTER letting go of the button, you'll need to PRESS and HOLD to button to continue casting the spell. (Each second it will check if the button is still pressed and if that's the case, you will continue casting. If you're no longer holding the button, the cast loop will stop.)
In short, tap the Power button to activate and immediately after press and hold to continue the casting loop.
Controller users
Make sure the Shout button is bound to ONE button and NOT a combination of multiple buttons. In v2.0 and onwards, I included a patch which makes concentration spells a toggle. This means: if you press the shout button you'll start casting the concentration spell and continue to cast until you press the button again, or run out of magicka.
Non-controller users can also use this patch, if you wish concentration voice spells to be a toggle, instead of needing to hold it down.
Werewolf Casting
If you want to cast spells as a werewolf, you first need to memorise the spells to bind them to a lesser power, prior to activating the Beast Form.
After activating Beast Form, you can press a certain bound button. (Numpad* by default, but you can change the button by using console commands)
This will prompt a menu to select which spell you want to equip. These correspond with the spells you memorised and bound to the lesser powers.
The "Howl" option re-equips the default Howl (needed for affected Werewolf perks).
Note: Do keep in mind that certain scripted spells, or Bound weapon spells may not work as intended. So use this with caution.
If you press the power button at that point, you will cast the spell as a werewolf.
Other forms
From 2.3 onwards, there's support for mods that allow the player to transform into a Dragon. As such, the player can cast spells as a Dragon.
Note: Due the how Dragons work, the aiming of the spells might be off.
Spell Rings
In v2.1, I've added 10 spell rings. When equipped, these will cast the relevant memorized spell. This allows to cast the spells through the hotkeys of favorited items. Do keep in mind that equipping inside any menu (be it inventory or favorites menu) will do nothing. You need to actually press a hotkey to trigger them.
Any concentration spells will be casted until the ring is unequipped, or your magicka runs out.
These rings can be crafted at the forge, if you have the Arcane Blacksmith perk. You need one Gold Diamond Ring and one fully filled Grand Soul Gem to make one.
Requirements
- SKSE64
- powerofthree's Papyrus Extender
- DAR (if you want to use the optional new animations)
Customization
You can adjust the magic cost multiplier for voice spells, using the following console command:
Spoiler:
X is the cost multiplier. (Its default value is 2.)
Show
set ANDR_CSTV_VoiceSpellCostMultGlobal to X
X is the cost multiplier. (Its default value is 2.)
You can change the key required for Werewolf casting, by using the following console command:
Spoiler:
X is the DXScanCode of the key. A list of these can be found here. (default is 55, which refers to Numpad*)
Show
set ANDR_CSTV_AlternateFormAssignSpellKey to X
X is the DXScanCode of the key. A list of these can be found here. (default is 55, which refers to Numpad*)
You can change how concentration spells are handled by using the following console command: (useful for controllers!)
Spoiler:
If X is 0, you will need to hold down the shout button to keep casting concentration spells (this does not work for controllers). If X is set to 1, the shout button will act as a toggle for casting concentration spells. (this does work with controllers.) By default, the value is 0, but the controller support patch also sets it at 1.
Show
set ANDR_CSTV_ControllerMode to X
If X is 0, you will need to hold down the shout button to keep casting concentration spells (this does not work for controllers). If X is set to 1, the shout button will act as a toggle for casting concentration spells. (this does work with controllers.) By default, the value is 0, but the controller support patch also sets it at 1.
Alternative Animations
This patch applies animations from Thu'um - Fully Animated Shouts by BOTuser998, to Fire and Forget spells. Concentration spells are unchanged.
Big thanks to BOTuser998, for the open permissions, which allowed me to use their amazing animations for this purpose. Please check out their other mods.
This should work with any kind of Fire and Forget spell, even the ones from other mods, since I use keyword and magic effect data to determine the animations.
Here are some examples:
Firebolt:
Fireball: (Many Nazeems died while testing this.)
Conjure Frost Atronach:
Heal Other:
Vampire's Bane:
Known issues
FAQ
Q: ESPFE?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I install/update/uninstall on an existing save?
A: Install yes, update/uninstall no.
Q: Can you make this work with auto-cast mods?
A: I have no plans to do so, as it would be out of scope of this mod and goes against the main philosophy of it. In addition, it's far too complicated to attempt.
Q: The concentration spells do not work with a controller. Can you fix that?
A:
Q: What's difference between this mod and other similar ones?
A: This one is more lightweight, works with concentration spells, and has animations and spell sounds when casting spells though the voice.
Q: Does this work with spells added from spell mods?/Does this need a patch for spellmod X?
A: Given you can assign spell by using the Memorise power when wielding a spell, the vast majority of spells from other mods should be compatible. However, some very specific heavily scripted spells/spells required to advance quests might need some extra steps to get them to work.
Q: How about Ritual spells/spells casted by both hands?
A: They should work like normal spells, but their casting time is a bit longer.
Q: What about dualcasting to increase their magnitude and/or duration?
A: Dualcasting is limited and hardcoded to 2 hand slots. The spells from this mod are cast through the voice slot. There is only one voice slot, so spells cannot be dualcast through that. It's a hardcoded limitation.
Q: Do spells still give XP when you cast them like this?
A: Yes, they should.
Q: You added support for casting a Werewolves. Will you do the same for Vampire Lords?
A: I'd love to, but due to technical reasons, it's unlikely. Vampire Lords do not have any shouting animations and as such cannot be done.
Q: Is this compatible with <insert mod>?
A: I don't know by heart. You might need to check yourself.
Q: Will you make a patch for <insert mod>?
A: Only if it's a mod I use myself or plan on using, I have enough time and I actually like the idea. Otherwise, feel free to do it yourself. (see permissions)
Q: I have a suggestion to improve the mod. Can you do it?
A: Maybe, if I have time and I like the idea, I'll consider it.
Q: Will you port this to <insert platform>?
A: No, I myself only support the Steam and GOG English SE and AE versions of Skyrim. If someone else wants to port it, feel free. (see permission) If you decide to port it, you yourself take full responsibility to offer support to said port. I will not provide no support for any ports by third parties.
Q: I use a ported version of this mod on <insert platform> and I have a problem. Can you help?
A: I don't provide any support for third party ports on other platforms than the Steam and GOG English SE and AE versions of Skyrim. If you have issues, you should adress the person that ported it.
Q: Does this work on Skyrim 1.6+, aka "Anniversary Edition"?
A: Yes, it should.
Q: Why don't your mods use MCMs and instead use this janky console command system to set globals?
A: I am not a fan of MCMs. You can set the globals by making a patch in xEdit. I have no plans of changing this. If you want to add an MCM, feel free. (see permissions)
Q: Why don't you use FOMODs?
A: That would require reuploading the entire mod, in question, even if I only make a small change. My internet is limited and reuploading the files each time will take a huge chunk of my monthly volume.