Comparing Skyrim's magic system to Baldur's Gate 3 and what we're missing

[RiftenWanderer]

I just picked up BG3 after finishing another Skyrim run and man, the magic feels so different. In Skyrim I basically always end up as a stealth archer or a pure mage with like three spells I actually use. But in BG3 every spell feels like it has weight and positioning matters and you're actually thinking about what you cast.

Got me wondering - is Skyrim's magic system just fundamentally limited compared to newer RPGs, or am I just not building mages right? Like I know you can do crazy stuff with Illusion loops or Restoration glitches but that feels more like exploiting the system than actually playing it. The vanilla schools just feel flat to me after seeing how other games do it.

Does anyone else feel like magic in Skyrim got left behind compared to melee combat and stealth? Or is there a way to make a pure mage playthrough actually feel engaging without mods?

 

[DragonbornVet]

Magic in Skyrim is genuinely limited compared to what BG3 does, but that's kind of the point - they're built on totally different engines and design philosophies. BG3 is turn-based tactical combat where positioning and action economy matter. Skyrim is real-time, and the magic system reflects that. You're not going to get the same depth without fundamentally changing how the game works.

That said, vanilla pure mage is actually pretty rough, I'll give you that. The problem isn't really the spells themselves - it's that Skyrim rewards either burst damage or crowd control, and most mages end up spamming the same two schools. Destruction just doesn't scale well on higher difficulties. Conjuration trivializes encounters once you get Dremora Lords. Illusion is either useless or completely broken (the loop stuff you mentioned).

What actually works is mixing schools in ways the game doesn't really encourage you to think about. Paralysis + Mayhem + Rune spam is way more interesting than pure Destruction, but you have to kind of build it yourself. Or lean hard into Alteration for Paralyze and the armor spells - that's closer to what you're describing where spells feel like they matter. Mage Armor perks make a real difference there.

But yeah, if you want magic to feel like it has actual weight and tactical depth like BG3, you're probably looking at mods that overhaul Destruction or add more spell variety. Vanilla magic is designed for a different game. Not saying that's good or bad, just different expectations.