magic system later on in the guide.

Explore the magic system in The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall, detailing schools like Alteration, Destruction, Illusion, Mysticism, Restoration, and Thaumaturgy.

Alteration
This school is highly useful. Water walking and water breathing spells make underwater exploration significantly easier. The Free Action spell can save you from paralyzing enemies. Alteration also includes protection and resistance spells. However, if you are only interested in water walking, water breathing, or Free Action, you do not need to devote a skill slot to Alteration, as these spells are cheap to cast even with a low skill level. You only need to take Alteration if you desire the protection and resistance spells.

Destruction
This school focuses on offensive magic, allowing you to deal damage to enemies. At high levels, you can cast very powerful spells. Ranged spells can be difficult to aim, so touch-ranged spells are often more reliable. Your own willpower score affects how difficult your spells are for enemies to resist; boosting willpower is recommended as a resisted spell wastes magicka.

Illusion
This school enhances stealth capabilities. While there are not many spells in this school, they are incredibly useful. Illusion spells can make you invisible, allowing you to bypass enemies unnoticed or attack them while their allies are unaware.

Mysticism
This school contains two very useful spells: Recall and Open. Recall allows you to teleport back to an anchor point you set with the same spell. Open is extremely useful because Lockpicking is difficult to train. Both of these spells are easy to cast with a low skill level, so taking Mysticism as a class skill is not entirely necessary. If you do not take Mysticism, ensure you have at least 70 or 80 magicka, as this is the maximum cost for Recall.

Restoration
The ability to heal your wounds during combat is vital for survival, as potions are not as common as in many other games. Restoration magic is typically the primary method for healing when you cannot rest. This school also offers magical resistance and absorption spells, as well as fortification spells to boost your attributes. Absolutely every character can benefit from taking this skill.

Thaumaturgy
Thaumaturgy is worthwhile for the Levitation spell alone, which is considered the most useful spell in the game. This school also includes Spell Reflection, which can redirect enemy spells back at them. Levitation is simple enough to cast.