Oblivion talk:Absorb Skill

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When can the Absorb skill: Mercantile spell be used? When cast on a merchant they consider it hostile and attack; guards come also.

Yeah, it's pretty nearly useless. I mean, you could cast it, then cast Calm, and then do business with them, but you still end up with a crime on record, and the guards will still try to arrest you. All to get what - slightly better prices when bartering? It's just not worth it. The only way it would work is if you find a merchant with a very low Responsibility who won't call the guards, but who is not surrounded by witnesses and also not a member of a faction you're in. Needless to say, there are very few people who fit these criteria. --TheRealLurlock ^Talk 16:07, 13 October 2007 (EDT)

Is the base cost of Absorb Skill really 2.1? Because if it is, then it is cheaper to create a custom Drain Skill on Target+Fortify Skill on Self, making this effect useless.

Yes, that's the correct figure. And you're absolutely right about the alternative. I just tried it out and got the following for a 50 point, 60s spell:

Effect	Magicka Cost	Gold Cost
Absorb Skill (touch)	376	1128
Drain Skill (touch)	116	348
Fortify Skill (self)	223	669
Alternative Total	339	1017

...which means the combined spell 10% cheaper to cast and fractionally cheaper to make. --Rpeh^{•T•C•E•} 08:29, 1 December 2007 (EST)