How do you cast spells?

Zikali

Maybe the ultimate noob question, so very embarrassing, but I've been pulling my hair out trying to figure how to do this! I cannot see an entry in the controls menu.

As a followup, I foolishly opted to omit the tutorial dungeon with my mage (2nd character), and was given a sword, not the staff my nightblade could have used. Is there an easy way of getting a staff from anywhere?

Inversus

If you press 'k' it brings up your abilities menu. By spending points here you unlock weapon abilities and spells. Spells are, basically, abilities which use magicka.
You can also, if you find a destruction staff, use that to cast fire/ice/shock or a restoration staff to channel restoration... damage.

Censorious

Skills are bound to your number buttons (keyboard 1,2,3 etc)

But you have to have 'bought' a skill using a skill point and dragged it to your skill bar in the character menu before you can use it.
Once you have a skill set up, select your target and press '1'

Zikali

Thanks for the answer, but I knew that. I have spent skill points on abilities and have two which appear to be attacks, but how do I actually use them on a target? LMB just draws my sword, even if I've previously hit '1' which should have hotkeyed a magic attack.

sylvieanne

It's a little different than it was in Skyrim, but you really have two options. The one you'd probably like best is by adding it through your skill line (K). Every time you get a skill point, you can add some really cool spell type actions that you can assign to 1-2-3-4-5 on your keyboard, and you can use them in conjunction with any weapon you have armed.

Otherwise, you are bound to using staffs, which are all 2 handed. Hope that helps..

sylvieanne

You will find lots of staffs in the "world", either from npcs or treasure chests. When you get more coin, every major city also usually has a weapon vendor that you can buy staffs from.

Inversus

You have to be targetting an enemy, and be in the ability's range, in order to use the ability.

Zikali

Ah, that was it, needed to be targetting an enemy. Thx all.

mkorny

To cast it (after you learned the skill, and set it to your actionbar) all you have to do is point at the target and hit the number really it will automatically cast the spell

Also, if there are several enemies close together/overlapping each other, you can pick one by focusing on one of them by pressing the TAB key which will highlight your target.

jimitalent

Zikali wrote: »

Thanks for the answer, but I knew that. I have spent skill points on abilities and have two which appear to be attacks, but how do I actually use them on a target? LMB just draws my sword, even if I've previously hit '1' which should have hotkeyed a magic attack.

LMB uses your weapon, 1-5 keys use spells, Q uses the Item on your quick bar, and I believe R uses your ultimate.