Oblivion:Burden

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	Burden
School		Alteration
Type		Offensive
Effect ID		BRDN
Base Cost		0.21
Barter Factor		0
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Spells Custom Potions Built-In Potions Scrolls Sigil Stones Staves Weapons

Burden M points for D seconds

Increases the target's encumbrance by M points for D seconds. If Burden pushes the encumberance level past its maximum value, the target becomes immobile. It will therefore be prevented from moving, and will be a sitting duck for pounding with ranged weapons or spells.

[edit] Notes

• Note that most NPCs are carrying relatively little equipment, if any, and Burden will never encumber them.
• Burden spells also increase the target's rate of fatigue loss. This can cause them to be less effective in combat (less damage), move slower, and makes them more likely to stagger and/or get knocked down/back.
• However, if you stack several Weakness to Magic effects on a target together and follow on with a Burden spell, it may be possible to actually encumber some of your opponents.
• Your character may in turn be vulnerable to Burden spells cast by enemies, especially if you tend to carry as much equipment as possible. You will encounter a number of NPCs equipped with random Burden-enchanted weapons as well.
• Instead of casting Burden, it is actually cheaper to cast Drain Strength:
  • The base cost of Burden is 0.21, compared to 0.70 for Drain Strength (see Spell Cost to learn how to use base costs). At first glance, Drain Strength looks more expensive. However, dropping Strength by just 1 point increases Encumbrance by 5 points. Burden spells end up being about 2.4 times more expensive than the equivalent Drain Strength spells.
  • Strength reduction also reduces melee attack damage.
  • Another option is to create a bunch of Damage Strength poisons and use them on a weapon. They are fairly cheap to make, provided you have enough Alchemy skill (75 needed since only 1 ingredient has the effect at lower levels). The advantage of this? No Magicka cost whatsoever, and the Strength damage is permanent. Even a good Burden or Drain Strength spell usually wears off before it can be much use.

[edit] See also

Related effects:

• Feather
• Damage Strength, Drain Strength, Paralyze

[edit] Alchemy Ingredients

The following Alchemy Ingredients can be used to create a poison of Burden:

Novice Daedra Silk Morning Glory Root Pulp Rot ScaleSI Apprentice Elytra IchorSI Fly Amanita Cap Minotaur Horn Nightshade Wisp CoreSI

Journeyman Bloodgrass Daedroth Teeth Ginseng Hound ToothSI Orange Potato Tomato Viper's Bugloss Leaves Watermelon

Expert Arrowroot Aster Bloom CoreSI Boar Meat Monkshood Root Pulp Radish Scalon FinSI Steel-Blue Entoloma Cap Sweetcake